“They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.”
~ 1 Chronicles 5:20
Hi James and Ellen,
How do you hope to be remembered after you die? What do you hope to be remembered for after you die? Before you die, do you hope to be remembered with awards, medals and/or honors for having done something of significance for society and for the world? Before you die, do you hope to be remembered for having had influence and/or for having had an impact in the lives of guys, gals and kids all over planet Earth? When you die, do you hope to be remembered as having survived each day with just enough money to put a roof over your head and food on your table? When you die, do you hope to be remembered has having always pleased and blessed God through your words and deeds. You will be remembered for something when you die. You may be remembered for having been a very good athlete in a specific sport. You may be remembered for having been very smart. You may be remembered for having done something very heroic. You may be remembered for having written a book or articles that have been published. You may be remembered for having done something that was not morally, ethically and/or legally right to do.
The chronicler of the two Chronicles Volumes in 1 Chronicles 5 wrote about the Reuben and Gad tribal clans and the half tribe of the Manasseh tribal clan. The Reuben and Gad tribal clans along with the half tribe of the Manasseh tribal clan are called the Transjordon tribal clans. These three Israelite people group tribal clans settled on land that was on the east side of the Jordon River that had been captured by God’s specially chosen guys before God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids crossed the dried up Jordon River into the land that God had promised them that they would always have to live in as their very own land if . . . even though these three Israelite people group tribal clans would settle on land that had been captured by God’s specially chosen guys on the east side of the Jordon River, there was still an enemy nation – who were the Hagrite guys, gals and kids, who wanted to retake the land area which they considered as being theirs. The Hagrite nation of guys, gals and kids were possibly descendants of Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham and Sarah were husband and wife. Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian maid. When Sarah got to be old and because she did not have a kid and because she wanted a son, Sarah encouraged her husband to have a kid with Hagar. Ishmael was the name of Hagar’s son who she had with Abraham. After Ishmael was born, Sarah became very jealous of Hagar and . . . Ishmael’s descendants today may be the Arab nation of guys, gals and kids. The Reuben and Gad tribal clans along with the half tribe of the Manasseh tribal clan – with God’s help, did a number on the Hagrite nation of guys, gals and kids. The Reuben and Gad tribal clans along with the half tribe of the Manasseh tribal clan would end up being able to divide between themselves a booty from the Hagrite nation of guys and gals of around 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep and 2,000 donkeys. Verse 20 says, “They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.” The Reuben and Gad tribal clans along with the half tribe of the Manasseh tribal clan also ended up taking captive around 100,000 Hagrite guys, gals and kids. Even though the half tribe of the Manasseh tribal clan’s guys were brave warriors and even though God blessed some of the guys by making them famous, the half tribe of the Manasseh tribal clan rejected God through worshipping the inanimate, handmade wood, stone and metal idol gods that were being worshipped by the guys and gals who they had captured.
Your grandpaa is sure that every guy and gal thinks about how they would like to be remembered when they die. Your grandpaa does not have many memories of his grandpa on his dad’s side of the family. One memory that your grandpaa has of his grandpa on his dad’s side of his family was the day when your grandpaa’s dad asked your grandpaa to take two pieces of rope to where your grandpaa’s grandpa lived for his grandpa to braid the two ropes together to make one rope. Your grandpaa remembers his grandpa as being a weatherworn old guy who did not want to just do only what your grandpaa’s dad had asked your grandpaa to ask your grandpaa’s grandpa to do but who also wanted to explain to your grandpaa what he was doing as he was braiding the two pieces of rope together. Your grandpaa remembers his grandma on his dad’s side of the family dying the day before your grandmaa, grandpaa and dad – who was a couple of months old, arrived in South Dakota from where they were living in Delaware. Your grandpaa remembers his grandpa on his ma’s side of his family as being a happy, quiet guy who was portly and who your grandpaa looks like today. Your grandpaa remembers his grandma on his ma’s side of his family as being the matriarch of her clan of thirteen kids, sixty-six grandkids and . . . who used selective hearing better than any other guy or gal who your grandpaa has ever known. Your grandmaa remembers her grandma on her dad’s side being institutionalized in a mental hospital and that she needed to make regular visits with her dad and ma to the mental hospital to visit her grandma. Your grandpaa remembers your grandmaa’s grandpa on her ma’s side as a wizened, hard hearing old guy who grew strawberries, sweet potatoes and Concord grapes. Your grandpaa remembers your grandmaa’s grandma on her ma’s side of the family as a stately, slim lady. When you think of your grandmaa and grandpaa, what do you remember about them? Your grandpaa hopes that when you die that you will be remembered for how you lived your lives to bring glory to your Father God versus for something that you did on planet Earth?
1 Chronicles 5 (452)