Hey, Bible readers. I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap. I was excited to finish up the genealogies today, and I'm guessing you were, too. If you think reading them is hard, imagine trying to teach them. In fact, I only have a couple of things to say about chapter 7 and 8. In chapter 7, we see the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin, and then in chapter 8, we get a second genealogy Benjamin that is almost entirely different. What's going on here? First, the chapter 8 genealogy focuses specifically on the line of Saul. Maybe you're wondering why they couldn't have just included that in the original chapter 7 version instead of having to address it separately? We won't dive into this fully, but at a point in the story that we haven't reached yet, it seems that the tribe of Benjamin may have had a little mini- Split, like East and West Manasseh did. And since the author wrote this 500 years after the time we're currently the end, he may have been retroactively noting who went which way in that split. It's not vital information for us to retain, but I wanted to point it out in case the double genealogy confused anyone.

Remember how I told you that these genealologies serve to track who's a part of what tribe or when they return from exile? In chapter nine, we get a glimpse into that. It tells us who comes back and in what order and where they go to live. It focuses specifically on Jerusalem, which is the religious capital at this point. This chapter also shows a Just how many people are involved in running things at the temple after it's built. It's not just making sacrifices. It's mixing incense and counting utensils and leading worship and garden gates and baking bread. So much goes into keeping things running smoothly. And everyone who worked there was considered a leader, regardless of their specific task. Chapter 10 gives us a quick review of Saul's death. And in case there was any doubt, this part of scripture affirms the earlier account of how Saul killed himself in battle. That's how it was recorded at the time, and that's how it's remembered five 100 years later. Remember the Amalekite sojourner who came to David as a messenger in 2 Samuel 1 and said he killed Saul personally? This makes it clear that he was just lying to gain favor.

He's not even mentioned in the text here. What was your God shot today? And remember, these God shots aren't just something God teaches us, but something God teaches us about himself. So where did you see God or his character show up in what we read today? For me, it was in the final two verses. In these verses, Saul was the leader of God's people, and he wasn't seeking God. In fact, he was seeking counsel from people God had commanded him to kill, people who were enemies of God's kingdom. And in that way, Saul was a traitor, an idolater. And given how God portrays his relationship with his people as a marriage, Saul would have been considered a spiritual adulterer. Verse 14 tells us that God put him to death. We've talked about how God is the God of the womb and the God of the tomb and how he's the giver and taker of life. And I know that can be a hard concept, but it's what we see in scripture, so we can't discount it just because it's uncomfortable for us sometimes. The fact that God claims credit for Saul's death might be a tough pill to swallow for a variety of reasons.

But here's what it showed me about God that's comforting. God would not stand for a leader who is doing things his own way, who is disregarding the good of the people, who is betraying the God of the universe, and seeking selfish gain. God would not allow that person to continue leading this nation state that he had put his own name on. God protects his people, and his protective nature makes me trust him more. And even though I wasn't part of that nation state, I know he's protective of me, too. Does harm happen to God's kids? Absolutely. But he preserves what is most important, our souls and our relationship with Him. He's vigilant when it comes to the things of eternal value. I'm so glad he's made me his forever and that he's the one who keeps me because he's where the joy is. Okay, Hey, Bible readers, it's time for our weekly check-in. How's your mindset in all of this? We're almost a third of the way through the Bible. We'll cross that mark in just a few days. I hope you're loving this more and more all the time, even as we read through genealogies.

And thank God, there It will be a test on any of these names. But what I do hope you remember is that genealogies remind us of three things. Number one, God knows us by name. Number two, God is engaged with each of our stories. Number three, God invites us to be a part of his story. And listen, I don't know all your names, but he does. And every day, I pray for all of you, and he knows to apply that to you. I ask him to show up in any of the places where you need help. Did you know you can talk to him about that? You can ask him for wisdom or for heart change. He stands ready to help you. He's with you. So he and I will both see you back here tomorrow. In every section of scripture we've recap together, I've asked you one important question. What was your God shot today? I can't express to you enough how learning who God is and what his character is can change your life. I want to invite you to dig deeper into this topic with me as I talk with Denise from KSBJ.

To hear our conversation, just click the link in the show notes.