From Adam to Abraham

BY Jessica Lamb

Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 1:1-54, Psalm 119:90, Galatians 3:16

“Who reads Chronicles?” I laughed when I opened an Old Testament reference book and found these words inauspiciously beginning the chapter on 1 & 2 Chronicles. It’s probably safe to assume some of you wondered the same thing. For those of us more familiar with the words of Paul, James, John, and Luke, the genealogies, kings, and construction details found in Chronicles can be over (or even under) whelming. 

Chronicles was written as the Israelites returned to Israel from seventy years in captivity in the nation of Babylon. This exile was a national, personal, and religious crisis for the people. Though 1 & 2 Chronicles may be stylistically different from the narratives and letters of the New Testament we’re more used to reading, these books were written to answer questions we still ask today. How do I trust God after my life has gone so much differently than I expected? How do we live rightly as the people of God here and now? How do we trust that the Messiah will come, thousands of years after we first were promised He would?

To answer these questions, the author of Chronicles looked back over generations to encourage the Israelites that there was life to be found on the other side of return. You might be tempted to skim over this list and the other genealogies in this week’s reading. But as you’re able, pause to notice the familiar names included. 

Adam, through whom sin entered the world (Genesis 2, Genesis 3, Romans 5:12). Enoch, who walked with God (Genesis 5:24). Noah, who found favor with the Lord in a time of widespread wickedness (Genesis 6:5–8). Abraham, the man who followed God and trusted the Lord to uphold His promises. 

And so on and so on, stretching all the way back from creation down to the kings who reigned in Edom. Linked together, the names leave a breathtaking record of God’s work over lifetimes to restore after rebellion, of a God whose faithfulness precedes us and will long outlast us. 

Most of our circumstances are vastly different from those of the original readers. But the promise of God’s restoration after rebellion is our story as well, one both Chronicles and the Lenten season help us to remember. We learn through these books to look back at the faithfulness of God when we don’t know how to move forward. Covering over 2,000 years of God’s people waiting through highs and lows for a perfect King and kingdom, these books model how to turn (and return) to God as we wait in anticipation for Christ’s return these almost 2,000 years since His resurrection and ascension. 

As we read Chronicles this Lent, our hope isn’t that we walk away having memorized every detail in the temple or lists of lineage. It’s that we arrive at Holy Week changed by the Word, celebrating at Easter the legacy and longevity of our God, our salvation, and the eternal hope we are offered in Christ.

Written by Jessica Lamb