Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. – 1 Chronicles 26:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 9, 2019): 1 Chronicles 26

Recently, the advantages of the rich and famous for bending societal rules in their favor has maybe never been more apparent. Prominent families have used both their money and their influence to get their children admitted to the best universities. It is no longer evident that the best colleges produce the best and the brightest among us. Now, the best universities are simply places where some of the best can gain admittance, but the rest of the spots are taken by the ultra-rich who can buy their way in, or by students who have people of influence who are willing to put pressure on admission boards to get them into that particular place of further education.

Let me be clear. It has always been this way. Those with power have always possessed shortcuts to success that were denied to the rest of us. But it seems in the past these advantages of the rich and famous were at least hidden. Now, these advantages are being made more public.

The Chronicler reminds us that David took steps to make sure that that was not the case in his Kingdom. The intent of the “casting of lots” was essentially to let God decide which family would be assigned to which gate. Those who possessed earthly influence would not automatically get the most prestigious positions. God, who knew the inside of the person and not just what was projected on the outside, would be able to place the families where he wanted them and needed them.

The truth is that it is hard for us to ignore the images that we see projected by the people living around us. We tend to judge too often according to appearance. It is alarming the amount of time that church boards in search of a new Pastor spend on physical appearance rather than spiritual beliefs and teachings. The image that is projected is vital to us. But the question that we need to ask is whether image is what is important to God. It was one of the issues that Jesus had with the Pharisees, who he called “whitewashed tombs.” They looked good on the outside, but the beautiful exterior hid that something had died on the inside.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 27