Seems like the "don't forget" category has been growing since April. Hmmmm........I wonder why? What big event could have happened? What has triggered my brain's ability to so easily forget plans or misplace items or cause me to walk around my house forgetting what I was doing? I once got up out of the recliner, took about four steps and totally forgot where in the house I wanted to go and for what purpose. I sat back down hoping it would trigger my memory. It didn't. So I finished sorting socks and watching Wheel of Fortune. Oh well. Could this phenomenon have anything to do with the fact that I turned 50 in April?
Sorry for that rabbit trail (another possible side effect of turning 50?). Now back to the reason why I'm writing today.
As I looked over my journal entries for the last few weeks a theme has emerged: ordinary. In the grand scheme of life and events on this planet (and others), my life would be considered by some as boring, unexciting, and bland. I've done nothing extraordinary that has anyone rushing to tell my life story. I've not created the hottest new business or invented the latest must-have gadget. I don't have famous friends or relatives. I don't live in the lap of luxury.
I live a relatively simple life and I wouldn't change it for all the oolong tea in China. Why? Because this life is exactly where God has put me. This life is what He is using to teach me, draw me close to Himself, and mold me into the image of Christ. God is using the seemingly boring and uninteresting events of everyday life to show me some exciting and awesome truths about Who He is. Even my devotions this morning were, well, not so exciting to read. When you get a chance, go to your Bible and read 1 Chronicles 1-9. It's nine chapters of geneaologies. Exciting stuff, eh? Today I was in chapters 6-9. Yesterday, I sort of rushed through chapters 1-5 so I decided to slow down for these next few chapters and be purposeful in my reading. I'm so glad I did. Each genealogy list had something specific about it: they were mighty men of valor, or musicians, or priests, or gatekeepers. Some lists stood out because there were several women listed or because there was a fact about their land or who else lived in their land. But then there is the family of Naphtali. "The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah" (1 Chron 7:13). That's it. Seriously. Nothing mentioned about where they lived, what they did, or who they really were. I was curious as to why nothing else was said about them. I knew that the tribe of Naphtali was mentioned in other places of Scripture so there had to be more about them. So for those who know me well, you know what I did. I studied it out. This wasn't easy as there is not much commentary written on 1 Chronicles 7:13. Some scholars believe that these names are the only preserved, recorded names of leaders of Naphtali and that the other written documents were lost or destroyed. Bummer. So I did a word search on Bilhah and Naphtali and here is what I learned.
1 Chronicles 7:13 is identical to Genesis 46:24, with the exception of "the sons of Bilhah" added in 1 Chronicles 7:13. Bilhah is first mentioned in Genesis 29:29 when she was given to Rachel as a maid servant when Rachel married Jacob. When Rachel could not have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob to bear children for her. One of the sons born to Bilhah, but named by Rachel, was Naphtali (Genesis 30:1-8). Naphtali's sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum. Scripture does not name the mother(s) of Naphtali's sons. I found Bilhah's name one more time in Genesis 35:22 when Reuban, Jacob's oldest son is guilty of incest with her. Although not mentioned by name, Bilhah is referenced again in Genesis 32:22-23 & 33:1-2 when Jacob puts his maid servants and their kids in the front of the troop in the event of a conflict with his brother Esau. Nice guy.
Naphtali has some interesting history and descendants and I encourage you to look it up. For the sake of time, I will hit just a few hightlights. Barak, the military leader in Judges was from the tribe of Naphtali. When the time came for David to assume the throne, the tribe of Naphtali provided 1,000 officers, 37,000 soldiers along with a caravan of food, to help. When King Solomon was building the temple, he hired Huram, from the tribe of Naphtali, to do the bronze work. All of Jesus' disciples, except Judas, were from Galilee, the land of Naphtali. Jesus' hometown was Nazareth of Galilee and that is where He started His ministry.
So this is the story of 1 Chronicles 7:13. It's a good story. Oh it doesn't have all the intrigue, adventure, heroism, and honor (or dishonor) of the other tribes of Israel. For me, that is what makes the story of Bilhah and her descendants so fascinating. She was a simple servant girl, an ordinary woman and mother, nothing exciting or glamorous about her. In fact she probably had little control over the events in her life. Bilhah's story is often lost in the events and stories of Jacob's life. But not today. There she was, in 1 Chronicles 7:13, just waiting for me to find her.
Bilhah's ordinary life has made an extraordinary impact on my ordinary life. Scripture is full of heroes. But right along side the names of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Solomon, Peter, and Paul are the names of people like Bilhah, Jabez, Baruch, Mary and Joseph. Oh Mary and Joseph...talk about two ordinary people that God used in a mighty way. Really, now that I think about it, even when I look back at the names of heroes, they all started out as ordinary folk too. God's not looking for great people, He's looking to make people great by His power for His glory. It's so amazing to me how God can take a passage of Scripture, that so many have just skimmed over (me included before today) and use it to teach important lessons. Lessons of trust, obedience, courage, and humility. All things that I need to work on and now I have a very identifiable woman in the Bible that I can use as an example.
I'm sure Bilhah never imagined that her name would be remembered centuries later, let alone recorded in God's Holy Word. You never know what can come from an ordinary life of serving God. I hope I am up to the challenge.
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