July 9

OT: I Chronicles 7:1-8:40

Well, I got a bit more insight into the hodgepodge today. Several times, the chronicler says, "______ listed _____ amount of men in their genealogy," or, "according to their family genealogy" (7:2, 4, 5, 7, etc). Reading that, I picture the chronicler being a collector of family records and thus, being surrounded by many different genealogies and lists. His job is to assemble them and put them together in one place. Perhaps in the records, there are also these snatches of stories, so the chronicler puts them in there, too.

In case you haven't noticed, I don't have a handy-dandy guide to the OT like I do for the NT. My insights into the books are all 100% from my own brain (well, and occasionally from google). Clearly, I am in need of a scholarly companion.

Anyhow, seeing the writing of Chronicles in that light makes the seemingly haphazard nature make a lot more sense to me. The chronicler is bringing together a lot of different sources, you see.

I didn't read super closely today, but I did catch Zelophehad's daughters (7:14), and a guy in Benjamin's line who divorced two of his wives (8:8). Have we read about anyone getting divorced yet? I can't remember that we have. I know that it happened, of course; I just can't remember reading about it.

NT: Acts 27: 1-20

Another "we" passage! Apparently, prisoners were allowed entourages! Or maybe not. Maybe Paul's buddies just caught the same boats that he did so that they could be near him. I did like it that the centurion allowed Paul to go to his friends when they landed at Sidon (3). Not only is that kind (as the text notes), it demonstrates an amount of faith in Paul. I picture it that Julius let him go off on his own, trusting he would come back. Maybe that's not exactly how it happened, but if it is, then wow.

The centurion's faith in Paul does not extend, however, to traveling advice. When Paul warns against making the upcoming voyage, the centurion, rather understandably, sides with the ship's pilot and the owner. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong side, and the ship ran into some really bad weather.

In fact, the text leaves us with a cliffhanger: "When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved" (20). Stay tuned tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Psalm 7: 1-17

In which David prays for God to deliver him from his enemies.

Proverbs 18:22

"He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord."

Amen:).