[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during June 2024]
The Israelites of Old Testament times placed a great deal of importance on family heritage. A person’s lineage established who he was and what society expected of him, and was closely tied to land holding entitlements. We can see an example of this in the account of Ruth and Boaz. When Naomi returned from Moab she was able to reclaim some land which had belonged to her late husband.[1]
Accurate genealogy records were considered very important and they appear in several places in the Bible. The genealogies in Matthew and Luke serve to prove that Jesus Christ was a descendant of King David, from whose line the promised messiah would come.
Other genealogies seem – to us – to be less important and we are often tempted to pass over them. However, in doing so, we run the risk of missing something interesting or even valuable. The early chapters of the book of 1st Chronicles contain may such records, superficially irrelevant to us centuries later but nevertheless containing some verses worthy of consideration. Here is one such verse:
These were the potters and those who lived [among plantations and hedges] at Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work.
1 Chronicles 4 v23 [AMP]
This record dates from around 1000BC, when David succeeded Saul as king of Israel. The centre of the king’s activities would have been in Jerusalem but the needs of the royal household were met from the king’s more rural estates. Pottery and the produce from well-maintained plantations were essential to maintaining the king’s status and authority.
The apostle Paul wrote to his protege Timothy:
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honourable use, some for dishonourable.
2 Timothy 2 v20 [ESVUK]
So it is with our modern church activities. The focus may be on the preacher in the pulpit or the pastor caring for his flock but behind the scenes are those who are responsible for day-to-day practicalities and ensuring that the focus is not lost.
We can deduce that, just as the requirements of the royal household were met by these ‘back-room’ workers, so their needs were met at the king’s expense. It is remains true that our king will supply the resources necessary for us to engage in the work that he has called us to do.
Our king still has a need for people who are willing to get their hands dirty. Are you a potter in the service of the king or simply pottering along with his people?
References:
[1] Ruth 4 v3.
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys