Reference links:
Old Testament
We get some respite from genealogy today. Our genealogical listings are interspersed with land allocation listings. It’s almost like our reading is getting interesting again.
We read about the genealogy of the priestly line. For some reason, this listing goes longer than the listing of Aaron’s descendants a couple paragraphs later. I am also trying to figure out how Eli and Samuel fit into all of this.
Eli’s sons were Phineas and Hophni. The son clearly lists these two as priests of the Lord. Phineas had a son, Ichabod. Other than Phineas, none of these names are found in the list of the priestly line.
As for Samuel, he is said to be the son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, son of Ephraim. Today’s reading has an Elkanah who has a son Samuel, but that cannot be the same Elkanah and Samuel because this Elkanah is a descendant of Levi then Kohath.
A bit later, another Elkanah with a son Samuel is mentioned. Going backwards we have, Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah, Zup, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasi, Elkan, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah, Tahath, Assir, Abiasaph, Korah, Izhar, Koahath, Levi. This is closer. Jeroham matches. Toah is like Tohu. Zup is like Zuph. but then the lines diverge.
The name Elkanah comes up a couple more times in Chronicles, but not in a way that shed light on this. If the genealogies for other Elkanah’s were not quite so close to that of the prophet Samuel’s father, I would just assume that Samuel’s lineage was not mentioned in Chronicles. However, it’s just close enough to make me think that these the books of Samuel and the books of Chronicles were written from different, disagreeing, genealogical sources.
New Testament
Paul defends himself by once again recounting his conversion story. He convinces the administrators that he has done no wrong, but they are reluctant to believe that what he is saying is true. Festus thinks Paul is crazy. Agrippa seems intrigued but not convinced. Both seem a bit annoyed that Paul is turning his defense into a chance to proselytize.
It continues to bug me how Acts mentions that the Old Testament prophecies support the idea of Jesus as the Messiah, but we do not get to hear examples of these supposedly intriguing arguments. If these appeals to the Hebrew scriptures are anything like the appeals in the gospels, then they are probably not as convincing as the author of Acts implies.
Psalms and Proverbs
Two good proverbs:
Wise words satisfy like a good meal;
the right words bring satisfaction.The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.