Not Victims, but a Regenerative People
1 Chronicles 28:20
David continued to address Solomon: “Take charge! Take Heart! Don’t be anxious or get discouraged. GOD, my God, is with you in this; he won’t walk off and leave you in the lurch. He’s at your side until every last detail is completed for conducting the worship of GOD.”
This verse comes from The Message translation of the Bible by Eugene Peterson, but you may recognize it more readily from other translations:
Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you . . . “
Chronicles was written after the Israelites had lost everything—after they had been in exile in Babylon and even after a remnant had returned to Jerusalem. But even returning home did not return them to wholeness, to the relationship with God that God envisioned with God’s chosen people.
Chronicles, it’s believed, was written as a way of reminding the people of Israel of their identity, of their belovedness, and as a way to remind them of the importance of worshiping God as a path to wholeness and a return to hope.
Last week I mentioned Richard Rohr’s book The Tears of Things. He notes that the story of Israel depends on this fragment of people that return from exile, and it depends on them not seeing themselves as victims but as a regenerative people who will continue the story of living out God’s covenant, of living out what it means to know we are beloved even as we live amid brokenness.
The above words from David to his son Solomon are wonderful because they convey a deep reassurance that God is in charge, that the Creator of the universe will not leave our side—no matter what comes our way.
It’s Holy Week as I write this, a time when we grieve and remember that, as Kate Bowler puts it, “We join Jesus on the losing team,” as he makes himself a sacrifice so we might have the victory of Easter. At the end of this week, we will celebrate what it means to be “Easter People,” to be like the remnant of Israelites who returned to Jerusalem after exile, not victims but a regenerative people who share and spread the news that the Creator of the universe is in charge and will not leave our side—no matter what comes our way.
Yesterday, I didn’t have an ounce of strength to be or feel or act regenerative. After a long day at work and a walk outside, I lay down on the floor of my living room, wondering what could possibly help me find a reason to get off the floor. I made myself get up eventually, with the promise that I would listen to a podcast while I made dinner. I wanted to listen to someone inspirational, someone who might help me believe that there was a reason to get up off the floor.
I mention this because I think being Easter people sometimes means we draw from each other’s strength, we take hope from others, which is why it’s so important to stay connected to each other. After David tells Solomon that God is with him in the enormous task of building the temple, he also reminds him that others are there to help. He says, “You have all the priests and Levites standing ready to pitch in, and skillful craftsmen and artisans of every kind ready to go to work. Both leaders and people are ready. Just say the word (verse 21).
So, yes, God is at our side and we’re exhorted to be strong and courageous. But we can’t do it alone. We need to help and encourage one another, I think, as much as we can. Here’s the podcast that lifted me off the floor last night when I needed help to “Take heart! Don’t be anxious or get discouraged. GOD, my God, is with you . . . “
