Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Chronicles+005

 

1 Chronicles Chapter 5 (ESV)

18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him. 21 They carried off their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 men alive. 22 For many fell, because the war was of God. And they lived in their place until the exile.

23 The members of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They were very numerous from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. 24 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses. 25 But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

 

REFLECTION:

1. The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are heroic warriors because they relied on God. Although they had the qualities of a soldier and good at fighting, they still pray and seek for God’s guidance. God gave us inborn and acquired abilities for His service but that should not be a reason for us not to rely on Him. We will be proud and arrogant if we rely on our wisdom, talent, and strength instead of relying on God.
2. When we face adversaries, we should seek for God’s will and ask for His guidance and strength. Psalms say “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Ps. 20:7) If those who are powerful still rely on God, why wouldn’t you?
3. The people mention here who were exiled refer to the ten tribes of Israel who were exiled to Assyria in 722BC. They never returned to their homeland afterwards (2 Kings 15:29-17:41). The reason for their exile was because “they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land.” While God is loving He is also righteous. Have I broken faith with God with what I have done?

 

PRAYER:

Dedicate yourself to the almighty God that you will rely on Him in everything you do. Ask the loving and righteous God to examine your deeds, and forgive your sins and iniquities; pray to the holy God to cleanse your heart, consecrate you so that your daily life will be holy.

 

HYMN:

All My Boast Is in Jesus – youtu.be/Q3bV2TN7QHk?si=eH41AApV1NCch8TQ

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Chronicles+004

 

1 Chronicles Chapter 4 (ESV)

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.

 

REFLECTION:

1. People remember Jabez not for his courageous deeds but for the things he prayed for. He asked God to 1) bless him, 2) help in his work “enlarge my border,” 3) be with him in all he did, and 4) keep him from harm (or evil) so that it might not bring him pain. He acknowledged that God is his life centre of gravity
2. When we ask for God’s blessing, we should also let God control our career, family and entertainment. Only if we obey God in everything that we could lead a good and triumphant life! Are you willing to be like Jabez and seek for God’s will every day?

 

PRAYER:

Learn from the prayer for Jabez and ask for God’s blessing, for His presence in all that you do, for not encountering harm and pain. Dedicate yourself to God that you are willing to obey Him, seek His will in all things, and lead a triumphant life every day.

 

HYMN:

Count your Blessings – www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fMjgS4vu4o

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Chronicles+003

 

1 Chronicles Chapter 3 (ESV)

1 These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, 2 the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; 3 the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; 4 six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 5 These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel; 6 then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. 9 All these were David’s sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.

 

REFLECTION:

1. 1. Solomon was the younger son of David and Bathsheba but God chose him as king. Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, was a descendant of Solomon (cf. Matt 1:6, 16) and His mother Mary was a descendant of Nathan (cf. Lk 3:23, 31), the brother of Solomon. In Luke 3:23, Joseph was a “son” of Heli by virtue of his marriage to Mary, who would have been the daughter of Heli.
2. Of all the names in the genealogy including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David and Solomon, none of them were blameless before God. No human being is perfect. God uses humans not because of anything we can be proud of, but because God’s grace is demonstrated even through imperfection.
3. God is not trying to find blameless people among the human race. He is trying to find those who are willing to follow and obey Him. Are you a person who are willing to obey God? Are you willing to live a life following God’s will no matter what He asks you to do?

 

PRAYER: 

Come before God with thanksgiving and humility. Thank God for His protection and guidance in the past. Commit yourself to God to obey Him, follow His will, and please Him.

 

HYMN:

Trust and Obey – www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVMwnWoqYnc

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Chronicles+002

 

1 Chronicles Chapter 2 (ESV)

1 These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 3 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; these three Bath-shua the Canaanite bore to him. Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death. 4 His daughter-in-law Tamar also bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

5 The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 6 The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara, five in all. 7 The son of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the devoted thing; 8 and Ethan’s son was Azariah.

9 The sons of Hezron that were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. 10 Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah. 11 Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, 12 Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse. 13 Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, 14 Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15 Ozem the sixth, David the seventh.

 

REFLECTION:

1. For things related to the sons of Israel (the twelve sons of Jacob), refer to Gen. 29:32 to 50:26. You can also refer to Gen. 37 to 38, and Gen. 45 for the introduction of Joseph, Reuben, and Judah.
2. The long genealogy listed the names for generations and it helps us understand some of the characters. Verse 3 in the genealogy is like an epitaph, “Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death.” This is the only knowledge we have about Er and it has been about a few thousand years. People care about their reputation and how the future generations remembered them after they died.
3. How will God evaluate your life until today? Some people boldly say that their lifestyle is no one’s business but their own. But the Bible teaches us that our behaviour in life will determine how we will be remembered by others, and how we will be judged by God. What you do today has great consequences for tomorrow. Reflect on how God will evaluate you at the end of your life.

 

PRAYER:

Come before God with humility and ask God to examine your heart. Pray that God will give you the strength to lead a holy life that you could have discipline in all things no matter how big or small, so that at the judgement day, you can give an account of yourself to God without fear.

 

HYMN:

Find Us Faithful – youtu.be/eERKnxzNzwg?si=M9y3VpA2B7d3aNFH

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Chronicles+001

 

1 Chronicles

Introduction

In the fifth century BC, many Judeans were returning from exile to the southern part of the land of Israel. They faced great difficulties: their capital city and temple had been destroyed, foreigners had moved in, and they were no longer ruled by their own king. But the books of Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah insist that God’s people can still fulfill his purpose. They must form a unique society centered on the worship of God in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. (These books are really one long book, telling a continuous story; one can see, for example, how the end of 2 Chronicles overlaps with the beginning of Ezra.)

The book presents a sweeping chronicle of Israel’s history, beginning with a long genealogy or ancestor list. Going all the way back to Adam, it situates the people of Israel among the nations and reminds them of their calling. Special attention is given to Judah, ancestor of the royal line of David, and to Levi, ancestor of the priests and temple attendants.

The second main part describes the kings who ruled in Jerusalem down to the time of the exile. David receives more attention than others, but many details of his life told elsewhere are left out. The focus is on his military campaigns and his elaborate plans for the temple in Jerusalem. The reason is clear when we see that David was not permitted to build the temple because he was a warrior. God wanted a man of peace to build the place where all nations would come to pray. The honor therefore fell to David’s son Solomon. More space is devoted to him than to any king besides David, describing his construction of the temple and the splendors of his reign.

The final part of the book relates the experiences of the returned exiles. The memoirs of Ezra and Nehemiah, leaders of the second generation of returned Judeans, are incorporated into the history. These leaders helped create a distinct community by forbidding intermarriage with the surrounding peoples, and they directed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. Included here is a description of a great covenant renewal ceremony led by Ezra and Nehemiah.

An important theme of the entire history—which can appropriately be called a temple history—is that pure worship is offered on God’s terms, not ours. God has chosen Israel to welcome the nations into true worship. Through all the ups and downs of history he is working to bring this purpose to fulfillment.

www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/1CH.INTRO1.NIV

 

1 Chronicles Chapter 1 (ESV)

1 Adam, Seth, Enosh; 2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; 4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth…

24 Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah; 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu; 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah; 27 Abram, that is, Abraham…

34 Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel.

 

REFLECTION:

1. The long list of names in this chapter of Scripture was compiled by the people of Judah after they were exiled to Babylon. The exiled people wanted to return to their homeland but they were most concerned that their genealogy may be lost and that they would not be able to trace back their roots. The Jewish people highly valued their genealogy as it was necessary to prove they are the descendants of Abraham, through whom they could inherit the special blessing that God promised to Abraham (cf. Gen 12:1-3, 17:2-8). This list of names reconstructed the genealogy of Judah and Israel before the exile and became a proof that they are indeed the descendants of Abraham.
2. There is deep meaning in genealogies. For us today, this particular genealogy proves that Jesus, our Messiah, was the descendant of Abraham and David (cf. Gen 12:1-3, 2 Sam 7:12-13). Reflect on what is proved by the fulfillment of this promise? What does this mean for you today?
3. The names in the genealogy show that God not only knows all people but He also cares for each one specifically. Although there were countless numbers of people since the time of Adam, God remembers the names and the faces of every one of them. We are all very special to God and He loves us. When we receive the love of God, we will understand our uniqueness and we will be able to have mutual support with others in the family of God. God treasures your uniqueness. Do you?

 

PRAYER: 

Come before God with awe and thanksgiving. Praise God for His faithfulness and greatness. Ask God to give you greater faith that your hope is built on God’s eternal unchanging promise. Thank Him for creating you uniquely and receive His love with thanksgiving by offering yourself for God’s mission.

 

HYMN:

He Knows My Name – youtu.be/hXsiWoyjw60?si=fEBZXaDSeUMDvJIc

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Galatians+006

 

Galatians 6 (ESV)

Bear One Another’s Burdens

¹ Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.

⁶ Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

 

REFLECTION:

• Being free from the Mosaic Law does not mean being free from responsibility. In this section Paul explained various responsibilities that Christians have to one another. Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit is not a mystical experience. Paul said spirituality is evident in personal relationships (vv. 1-5) and in the use of money and resources (vv. 6-10).
• Read through this passage slowly once or twice again. At each responsibility Paul mentioned, pause and ask if God is speaking to you on a particular area.
• Paul stated clearly a basic principle, we can choose our own lifestyle, but God has planned a consequence of every choice, “for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”. What kind of lifestyle are you choosing?

 

PRAYER:

What can you do this week to “sow to please the Spirit” (v8)? Pray to the Holy Spirit to help you to accomplish them.

 

HYMN:

Living for Jesus – youtu.be/pzrNMoCJhyI

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Galatians+005

 

Galatians 5 (ESV)

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit
¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

REFLECTION:

• If Christ has set us free, then why not live as we please? Why not grab all the money, sex and power we can get? Afterward, we can simply ask for forgiveness! Paul challenges this kind of thinking with the true meaning of Christian freedom.
• Paul said that we are free because God has given us Holy Spirit. He encouraged us to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (v16). Walking “by the Spirit” means living moment by moment, submissively trusting in the Holy Spirit rather than in self.
• The life of discipleship, of following Jesus, and of holiness is not defined by what we do or not do. It is characterized by vibrant, and robust living by the Spirit.  If we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, we are free to say no to the “desires of the flesh”.

 

PRAYER:

Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit for guidance when facing a problem?  What happened?  If you haven’t ever asked, try it today.  Watch and see if it changes your perception of the problem.

 

HYMN:

Hymn of The Holy Spirit – youtu.be/LgguVaGqHE8

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Galatians+004

 

Galatians 4 (ESV)

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ¹⁰ You observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

¹² Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? ¹⁷ They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, ¹⁹ my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

 

REFLECTION:

• Now Paul turns from rebuke to love as he reminds the believers of their love for him and his love for them. Then in v19, Paul even appeared in the role of a mother who willingly undergoes the ordeal of pregnancy and delivery all over again in order to secure the well-being of her children. The goal of Paul’s ministry is to see “Christ …formed in” the believers. Paul labored, but it is God who gave the growth (1 Cor 3:6).
• God uses the raw material of our lives – circumstances, family, and personality – to conform us to the image of Christ. We can choose to continue to depend on the do’s and don’ts to pursue perfection, or we can choose to rely on the Holy Spirit and allow Christ to rule every aspect of our life, to reflect Christ’s image, Christ’s character and Christ’s beauty through us.
• Every time you cry to God with the simple prayers: “Lord, I belong to you / Lord, help me / Lord, have mercy on me a sinner / Lord, I thank you / Lord, I love you / Come, Lord Jesus”, it shows that you choose to rely on the Spirit.

 

PRAYER:

Now and in the coming week cry out to God with the above short prayers to tell God and yourself that you love Him and you choose to rely on Him for every day of your life.

 

HYMN:

Lead Me Lord – youtu.be/P04DSy7zy90

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Galatians+003

 

Galatians 3 (ESV)

By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

¹ O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? ⁴ Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

⁷ Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” ¹² But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

 

REFLECTION:

• We all want to be accepted. We do everything we can to win people’s approval and avoid their rejection. But if we work so hard to please people, then what about God? How can we possibly meet His standards? The Galatians felt these inner struggles. They wanted to be fully accepted by God. But they seemed to forget that God had already accepted them. They also forgot why.
• The Galatians had been taught that they had received the Holy Spirit by faith and not by obeying the law. However, they still thought it was too simplistic to be saved by faith only.  They wanted to have some rules and creeds to follow in order to feel closer to God.
• For us modern day believers, spiritual exercises such as prayer and Bible reading as well as serving may help us grow spiritually but it can never replace the work of the Holy Spirit.
• In what ways do we sometimes try to earn God’s favor by what we do?

 

PRAYER:

Spend some time thanking God for what Christ has done for us as described in these verses.

 
HYMN:

Showers of Blessings – youtu.be/EglK659LrjY

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Galatians+002

 

Galatians 2 (ESV)

Paul Opposes Peter

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

 Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; ¹⁶ yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷ But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

 

REFLECTION:

• Have you ever felt like avoiding certain types of Christians? Perhaps you don’t like their theology. You may disapprove of their lifestyle. Or you may prefer to avoid people of their race, nationality or economic background. This passage helps us see why such attitudes conflict with the basic message of the gospel.
• We have been justified by faith and are no longer under the law. In this way we have been accepted by God. How does God’s acceptance help you feel good about who you are?
• What nonessential customs do Christians sometimes force on each other? (For example, certain ways of praying, certain dress at worship, certain lifestyle habits and so on.) Which of these are you most likely to be concerned about?

 

PRAYER:

How can God’s acceptance of you help you to be more accepting of others? Pray for discernment about your own attitudes toward others, asking God to make you more accepting.

 

HYMN:

Sinner Saved by Grace – youtu.be/H2SnLwdw0V4