Here is the tribe of Levi in today's reading. I Chron 6:1. It's a long chronicled list. Here are names we recognize astonishingly with such respect:
Aaron and Moses---instruments in God's Hand to deliver Israel. Faith. Forbearance. Foreshadowing. Moses the Prophet.
Aaron the Priest. And we know them.
And they are right next to Abihu and Nadab in the genealogy---your remember the terror they brought, the very strange fire.
One rebuilt the temple and lived for God; the other tried to rebuild their lives---and lived for themselves. "Devote your first energies to rebuilding the temple, not your lives." 66LL. To the exiled but still proud community in this list, God underlined sin. To the restored but discouraged community in this list, God aroused hope. 66LL.
That's it, God. Arouse my hope. I have it.
We come down so hard on ourselves for being discouraged, but I wonder if the real question is this---do we have hope this day?
We are no longer exiles.
We are living in hope. Delivered. Adopted. Beloved.
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