Delve Into Covenant History Sample

DAY 2 – A SERIES OF CHRONICLES

The story of God’s covenants with Israel is told over the course of many different books. They were written at different times and include not just history but law, poetry, and genealogy (ancestor lists). Nevertheless, these books are tied together in significant ways: First, each book picks up the story where the previous one leaves off. Second, the same way of putting together historical material is used over and over again throughout the collection. 

The first chronicle is built out of a list of people. The stories about each person on this list are introduced by the phrase this is the account of [person X]. This means, “this is what came from X.” This phrase occurs eleven times in the book of Genesis. It introduces accounts of the world’s creation and the earliest people, and then of Israel’s ancestors and others in their family tree. 

The second chronicle within the Covenant History is built out of a list of the stops that the Israelites make on their journey from Egypt to Canaan. This chronicle extends from the middle of Exodus through Leviticus to the end of Numbers. By far the longest report is of the stop at Mount Sinai, where God makes his covenant with the people of Israel, the tabernacle is set up, and the law is given. A repeated phrase introduces the shorter episodes within this chronicle: the Israelites “set out” from one location and “come to” another. A summary of all the stops is included in the narrative at the end of the journey, as the people reach the plains of Moab on the border of what will become their land. 

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, that You are faithful – even when we are not faithful.