I have a little confession to make, there are many sections in the books of I & II Chronicles (and Numbers) that I don’t read. Any chapter that contains genealogy lists with verse after verse of names, I tend to skim. They’re names of people I don’t have a connection with or know. Reading it is as exciting as reading random strings of numbers. Having confessed this, makes me wonder if I can legitimately say I’ve read the entire Bible if I didn’t read ALL the verses. Who knows?
But since I’ve been studying my Chronological Life Application Bible, the genealogy sections have been broken up into smaller manageable portions. I’m no longer reading an entire book of names. And since it’s part of the story, it’s more interesting, making me read the names more carefully – even though I struggle with pronunciation. Even more surprising are the hidden gems I’ve discovered. Sometimes sandwiched between long lists of names are some great verses that my glance-and-skip method of reading genealogy would’ve missed.
Such is the case with I Chronicles 5:18-22. These verses describe the battle between the armies of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh against the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites and the Nodabites. What stood out to me was I Chronicles 5:20. It says, “They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him.”
The ‘they’ in this verse are the 44,760 warriors from the armies of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These men were skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords and bows (I Chron 5:18). These warriors were the elite of the elite and well-trained for battle.
Yet this elite combat unit cried out to God during the battle. Not out of desperation because God was their last hope, but because they trusted Him. Their strength and confidence was in the God they trusted and not in the skills or weapons they possessed.
This verse resonated with me because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought, ‘If I was only better at fill-in-the-blank then getting the help my son needs would be easier.’ Other times, I wish I had a medical background. Or at least be more knowledgeable in medicine so I could advocate better for my son. When it comes to helping my son, I always feel my skill level could be better. However, reading this verse reminds me my hope shouldn’t come from my knowledge or skill set, it should come from God.
The warriors had the knowledge, weapons and skill to fight the battle, but it was because they trusted God that they won. It wasn’t about what they knew or didn’t know, it was about where they placed their trust. And their trust was in God. And God never abandons those who’ve placed their trust in Him. It’s a great reminder of where I should be placing my trust.
As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” – Romans 10:11 NLT