1 Chron. 7-9
Lost in lists of names again today! Among the odd comments inserted into today’s text is 1 Chronicles 7:24. “His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheera”. This woman built at least three cities!! No small feat, I’m sure. Why was this tidbit included here? No idea. But it does reinforce to me that, while I do believe raising Godly children is quite likely the most important role a woman can have, the thought that the Bible advocates for women to cook, clean, have babies, and keep their mouths shut simply is not supported.
Chapter 9 talks about the priests and the Levites and their various duties surrounding the Temple and its utensils. A thought occurred to me when I read, “and Mattithiah, one of the Levites,…was entrusted with making the flat cakes.” (1 Chron 9:31). “Entrusted.” That is quite a weighty word to associate with something as mundane as making flat cakes. But those weren’t just any flat cakes. Those flat cakes were made for service in the Temple of God. In fact, all of the equally mundane tasks associated with Temple service, from guarding the gates to mixing the incense, to doing the dishes, were likewise very important and “entrusted” only to the priests and Levites.
The thought that jumped into my head as I read this is that all of the mundane tasks that we do in our day to day lives are really just as important as making those flat cakes. Why? Because, as Christians, Paul makes it clear that our bodies are the Temple of God because God dwells in us by His Holy Spirit. So everything that we do is for the service of the Temple, just like the priests and Levites of the Old Testament. Which makes everything we do, if we are truly living for God, something “entrusted” to us to do to the best of our ability. As Paul says in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”.
1 Cor. 7:20-40
Paul makes several comments in this passage that indicate to me his expectance of the end times. “In view of the present distress” (vs 26). “The appointed time has grown very short” (vs 29). And, “the present form of this world is passing away” (vs 31). In light of this belief, he encouraged the people to not encumber themselves with worldly anxieties. He was encouraging them to “secure [their] undivided devotion to the Lord.” (1 Cor 7:35b). He made these comments in answer to the question of whether or not to marry. However, he extended the thought to other areas of life as well.
Obviously, this world is still here and we are still waiting for its inevitable end. But there is still much merit in what Paul says here. It is not a stretch at all to believe that living as unencumbered a life as possible makes it far easier to devote yourself fully to God. And if any of us knew that we only had a year or two left for whatever reason, we probably would change our priorities. But at the same time, we have the responsibilities of life – possibly a long one – that we need to address. How do we balance that? Jesus talked a lot about being ready. If we are too encumbered with worldly pursuits and concerns, will we be?
It is a difficult question. But I think we would all do well to take a good, hard look at our lives and take note of our primary concerns. Is God a priority in our lives? Is there evidence of that? Or are we really just playing lip service, saying that something matters but not devoting much, if any, attention to it? Are we too weighed down by our goals, our desires, and the responsibilities we have committed ourselves to? If Jesus showed up today, how would He find us? Perhaps part of the answer lies in the same statement I just noted above. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Col 3:23). If we can figure out how to make that statement real in our lives, then I think He will find us ready.