Israel That Might Have Been

Synopsis     1Chron 6:46-61     12/6/2019

The chronicler carefully described the cities that were assigned to the Levites from each of the twelve tribes.

Israel That Might Have Been

Israel was intended to be a light to the world. And a part of this global process of illumination was the luminescent wisdom of its laws.

Israel was intended to be a land flowing with “milk and honey”. But more importantly than the material blessings, it was to have been a land of incredible justice and righteousness. Israel was designed to be a place where love and acceptance abounded – a holy place that made relationship with the God of all creation visible and tangible.

And, part of this design was the distribution of religious people throughout the community. So, some Israelites were devoted to production of goods and administration of the community. But the religious were present to keep the attention of the people focused on the nation’s commitment to serving God.

Religious and Laity

The example of the religious within community is one that remains in our Catholic tradition. The devotion of priests, and religious brothers and sisters, leavens the community with a reminding awareness that God is present among us.

This is a blessing that I have too often taken for granted.

“For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?8Or what great nation has statutes and ordinances that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?” Deut 4:7-8