Today’s Scripture Reading (August 18,
2013): 1 Chronicles 5
In the early 1980’s the Canadian Rock Band “Rush” released the song “Distant Early Warning.” The song seems fairly cryptic in nature but it basically deals with the idea that in our current world, threats often come from afar, where in the past a secure border often meant that you were surrounded by friends while your enemies were far away. But at the end of the song, a name is spoken - “Absalom” - seemingly without any connection with the rest of song. It was probably not until the early 1990’s that the mystery of the mention of “Absalom” was solved. Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist for the trio, mentioned in an interview that he had always liked the name “Absalom” and wanted to include it in the song, but that he also was never really sure what the name meant. So he had his wife do some research and found that the name was from the Bible, that Absalom was the son of King David, but that it was not a happy story. Absalom killed his half-brother (for raping his sister) and then tried to wage war against his father for control of the Kingdom. Absalom lost and was killed by David’s mighty men, against the wishes of David. And for Peart, the lament of David for his rebellious son, after his son’s death, was the ultimate moment of compassion and grace. And since compassion was a main theme of the song, it seemed like it might be an appropriate way to end the song.
We sometimes
need to be reminded that while the action of Chronicles encompasses the history
of Israel and Judah; the words were being composed from a time at the end of
the Babylonian Captivity. Judah was just starting their journey back home. And
the message of the writers of the book was really “may this never have to
happen again.”
So the author(s)
go back to the beginning and watch for the early warning signs that Israel and
Judah both seems to miss. And this passage is a reminder of the first captivity
– one of the early warning signs. The Northern Kingdom was the recipient of the
first captivity. Specifically the captivity concerned the nations that decided
not to cross the Jordan River into the land that had been promised to Israel.
They had made their homes on the East side of the Jordan River. And they would
be the first of the tribes of Israel to disappear. Ten years later the rest of
the tribes of the Northern Kingdom would follow their brothers into exile – in
fact, they would go to precisely the same cities and towns as the ones involved
in the first captivity. Later, Judah would go through three of its own
captivities. But from where the writer of Chronicle stands, this story does not
end in despair and disgrace – rather it ends with another moment of incredible
grace and compassion - as God brings his people back home.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1
Chronicles 6
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