Day 5/17 – Dispensing God’s Grace

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Dispensing God’s Grace
Day One Hundred Thirty-seven

“And he prayed to the Lord and said, “I pray thee, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil.” Jonah 4:2

Jonah understood the nature and character of God. If Nineveh repented, God would probably spare them. At least two things embarrassed Jonah: First, God did not charge him with the task of making his pronouncement of judgment conditional upon Nineveh’s repentance; Jonah did not preach, if you do not repent, God will destroy you, but rather, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” What he prophesied did not transpire. Jonah was angry because God had not destroyed the city as he had preached, and would gladly have seen.

Second, Jonah did not want God to save Israel’s enemies. He did not like what God did with His grace. He says this is why he fled from God to Tarshish in the first place: “For I knew that Thou are a gracious God and merciful.” On the eve of Assyria becoming a world-conquering power resulting in Israel’s deportation, God sent Jonah to preach repentance in its capitol. It was unthinkable that God would extend His grace to such a people. Most, if not all, arguments in church history deal with Jonah’s second question of who gets to dispense and control the grace of God.

You can easily develop an adversarial relationship with government over what you perceive to be unjust laws. But never forget that you cannot think evil of people and be a channel of God’s grace to them. You may believe that certain people act in an unbiblical and deplorable fashion, but if you do not love them, you cannot represent God to them without becoming a Jonah. God calls you to proclaim His message of grace. Never prejudge who should and should not be the objects of His grace.

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1 Chronicles 1-3 John 5:25-47 (New King James Version)

1 Chronicles 1-3
The Family of Adam—Seth to Abraham
1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, 2 Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 4 Noah,[a] Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
5 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, [b]Diphath, and Togarmah. 7 The sons of Javan were Elishah, [c]Tarshishah, Kittim, and [d]Rodanim.
8 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, [e]Sabta, [f]Raama, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 11 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim). 13 Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth; 14 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; 15 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; 16 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
17 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and [g]Meshech. 18 Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was [h]Peleg, for in his days the [i]earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 20 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 [j]Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 and Abram, who is Abraham. 28 The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
The Family of Ishmael
29 These are their genealogies: The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, [k]Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
The Family of Keturah
32 Now the sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
The Family of Isaac
34 And Abraham begot Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. 36 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, [l]Zephi, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
The Family of Seir
38 The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and [m]Homam; Lotan’s sister was Timna. 40 The sons of Shobal were [n]Alian, Manahath, Ebal, [o]Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Ajah and Anah. 41 The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were [p]Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and [q]Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.
The Kings of Edom
43 Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 44 And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 45 When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 46 And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who [r]attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith. 47 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place. 49 When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 50 And when Baal-Hanan died, [s]Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was [t]Pai. His wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 Hadad died also. And the chiefs of Edom were Chief Timnah, Chief [u]Aliah, Chief Jetheth, 52 Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 53 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 54 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.
The Family of Israel
2 These were the sons of [v]Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
From Judah to David
3 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; so He killed him. 4 And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
5 The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 6 The sons of Zerah were [w]Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and [x]Dara—five of them in all.
7 The son of Carmi was [y]Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the accursed[z] thing.
8 The son of Ethan was Azariah.
9 Also the sons of Hezron who were born to him were Jerahmeel, [aa]Ram, and [ab]Chelubai. 10 Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, leader of the children of Judah; 11 Nahshon begot [ac]Salma, and Salma begot Boaz; 12 Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse; 13 Jesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, [ad]Shimea the third, 14 Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15 Ozem the sixth, and David the seventh.
16 Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three. 17 Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was [ae]Jether the Ishmaelite.
The Family of Hezron
18 Caleb the son of Hezron had children by Azubah, his wife, and by Jerioth. Now these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb [af]took Ephrath[ag] as his wife, who bore him Hur. 20 And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezalel.
21 Now afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub. 22 Segub begot Jair,[ah] who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 23 (Geshur and Syria took from them the towns of Jair, with Kenath and its towns—sixty towns.) All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead. 24 After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Hezron’s wife Abijah bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
The Family of Jerahmeel
25 The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were Ram, the firstborn, and Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 27 The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. 28 The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur.
29 And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. 30 The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim; Seled died without children. 31 The son of Appaim was Ishi, the son of Ishi was Sheshan, and Sheshan’s son was Ahlai. 32 The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, were Jether and Jonathan; Jether died without children. 33 The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
34 Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as wife, and she bore him Attai. 36 Attai begot Nathan, and Nathan begot Zabad; 37 Zabad begot Ephlal, and Ephlal begot Obed; 38 Obed begot Jehu, and Jehu begot Azariah; 39 Azariah begot Helez, and Helez begot Eleasah; 40 Eleasah begot Sismai, and Sismai begot Shallum; 41 Shallum begot Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begot Elishama.
The Family of Caleb
42 The descendants of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha, his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron. 43 The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. 44 Shema begot Raham the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem begot Shammai. 45 And the son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
46 Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran begot Gazez. 47 And the sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48 Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.[ai]
50 These were the descendants of Caleb: The sons of Hur, the firstborn of [aj]Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim, 51 Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.
52 And Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim had descendants: [ak]Haroeh, and half of the [al]families of Manuhoth. 53 The families of Kirjath Jearim were the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.
54 The sons of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, [am]Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites.
55 And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.
The Family of David
3 Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, [an]Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; 2 the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; 3 the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah.
4 These six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. 5 And these were born to him in Jerusalem: [ao]Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon—four by [ap]Bathshua the daughter of [aq]Ammiel. 6 Also there were Ibhar, [ar]Elishama, [as]Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, [at]Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all. 9 These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.
The Family of Solomon
10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam; [au]Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 [av]Joram his son, [aw]Ahaziah his son, [ax]Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, [ay]Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, and Josiah his son. 15 The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, the second [az]Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth [ba]Shallum. 16 The sons of Jehoiakim were [bb]Jeconiah his son and [bc]Zedekiah his son.
The Family of Jeconiah
17 And the sons of [bd]Jeconiah [be]were Assir, Shealtiel his son, 18 and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. 19 The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, 20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed—five in all.
21 The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shechaniah. 22 The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all. 23 The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam—three in all. 24 The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.
Footnotes:
• 1 Chronicles 1:4 So with MT, Vg.; LXX adds the sons of Noah
• 1 Chronicles 1:6 Riphath, Gen. 10:3
• 1 Chronicles 1:7 Tarshish, Gen. 10:4
• 1 Chronicles 1:7 Dodanim, Gen. 10:4
• 1 Chronicles 1:9 Sabtah, Gen. 10:7
• 1 Chronicles 1:9 Raamah, Gen. 10:7
• 1 Chronicles 1:17 Mash, Gen. 10:23
• 1 Chronicles 1:19 Lit. Division, Gen. 10:25
• 1 Chronicles 1:19 Or land
• 1 Chronicles 1:22 Obal, Gen. 10:28
• 1 Chronicles 1:30 Hadar, Gen. 25:15
• 1 Chronicles 1:36 Zepho, Gen. 36:11
• 1 Chronicles 1:39 Hemam or Heman, Gen. 36:22
• 1 Chronicles 1:40 Alvan, Gen. 36:23
• 1 Chronicles 1:40 Shepho, Gen. 36:23
• 1 Chronicles 1:41 Hemdan, Gen. 36:26
• 1 Chronicles 1:42 Akan, Gen. 36:27
• 1 Chronicles 1:46 Lit. struck
• 1 Chronicles 1:50 Hadar, Gen. 36:39
• 1 Chronicles 1:50 Pau, Gen. 36:39
• 1 Chronicles 1:51 Alvah, Gen. 36:40
• 1 Chronicles 2:1 Jacob, Gen. 32:28
• 1 Chronicles 2:6 Zabdi, Josh. 7:1
• 1 Chronicles 2:6 Darda, 1 Kin. 4:31
• 1 Chronicles 2:7 Achan, Josh. 7:1
• 1 Chronicles 2:7 banned or devoted
• 1 Chronicles 2:9 Aram, Matt. 1:3, 4
• 1 Chronicles 2:9 Caleb, vv. 18, 42
• 1 Chronicles 2:11 Salmon, Ruth 4:21; Luke 3:32
• 1 Chronicles 2:13 Shammah, 1 Sam. 16:9
• 1 Chronicles 2:17 Jithra the Israelite, 2 Sam. 17:25
• 1 Chronicles 2:19 Lit. took to himself
• 1 Chronicles 2:19 Or Ephrathah
• 1 Chronicles 2:22 Reckoned to Manasseh through the daughter of Machir, Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; 25:5, 6; 1 Kin. 4:13; 1 Chr. 7:14
• 1 Chronicles 2:49 Or Achsa
• 1 Chronicles 2:50 Ephrath, v. 19
• 1 Chronicles 2:52 Reaiah, 1 Chr. 4:2
• 1 Chronicles 2:52 Or Manuhothites, same as Manahethites, v. 54
• 1 Chronicles 2:54 Or Ataroth of the house of Joab
• 1 Chronicles 3:1 Chileab, 2 Sam. 3:3
• 1 Chronicles 3:5 Shammua, 1 Chr. 14:4; 2 Sam. 5:14
• 1 Chronicles 3:5 Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 11:3
• 1 Chronicles 3:5 Eliam, 2 Sam. 11:3
• 1 Chronicles 3:6 Elishua, 1 Chr. 14:5; 2 Sam. 5:15
• 1 Chronicles 3:6 Elpelet, 1 Chr. 14:5
• 1 Chronicles 3:8 Beeliada, 1 Chr. 14:7
• 1 Chronicles 3:10 Abijam, 1 Kin. 15:1
• 1 Chronicles 3:11 Jehoram, 2 Kin. 1:17; 8:16
• 1 Chronicles 3:11 Or Azariah or Jehoahaz
• 1 Chronicles 3:11 Jehoash, 2 Kin. 12:1
• 1 Chronicles 3:12 Uzziah, Is. 6:1
• 1 Chronicles 3:15 Eliakim, 2 Kin. 23:34
• 1 Chronicles 3:15 Jehoahaz, 2 Kin. 23:31
• 1 Chronicles 3:16 Jehoiachin, 2 Kin. 24:8, or Coniah, Jer. 22:24
• 1 Chronicles 3:16 Mattaniah, 2 Kin. 24:17
• 1 Chronicles 3:17 Jehoiachin, 2 Kin. 24:8, or Coniah, Jer. 22:24
• 1 Chronicles 3:17 Or the captive were Shealtiel

John 5:25-47
25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
The Fourfold Witness
31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not [a]true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Footnotes:
• John 5:31 valid as testimony

Mark 11:24 ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in Prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Colossians 4:2 ²Devote yourselves to Prayer, being watchful and thankful.

James 5:16 ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The Prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.