Does God Play Favorites?
Reflection: Everybody is familiar with the concept of having “Favorites”. We have our favorite restaurant, our favorite sports team (mine are any Detroit or Michigan team “Go Blue”!), our favorite movie or musical, and our favorite friends. It is just a fact of life that we develop favorites of different kinds and stripes. So it interesting today that Peter says, “I realize today that God does not show favoritism, but accepts people from all nations the one who fears him!”
Then, we see later on that Peter says that God testified to his plan by anointing His Son to be baptized and to go out in power to heal all who were under the devil’s power to show that God was with him. Jesus revealed the one true God, and God also chose people like Peter to be witnesses to this so that when Jesus died and rose again, God’s plan to reach all people could continue. God went as far as to have His Risen Son eat and drink with the apostles confirming all that He said He would do and sending them out in the power of His Spirit. This assured them (and by application us) that He would be with us until the end of time when Jesus returns in great and promised glory.
Since God does not change, we know that today God continues to not show favoritism, but desires all people to be reached through His Son in the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. We call that power the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity), which was poured out on the disciples ensuring that God would be with them and the power and authority in which they ministered was from the Lord.
And God calls us today to be His witnesses and to not show favoritism, but to go into all the world baptizing and teaching in Jesus’ name. And He calls us to be part of churches whose reason for being is this very thing. So we do this together in His name and He promises to be with us until the end of the age. Quite a calling! Quite a promise! May we continue to reach out and show the world that God does not play favorites but desires all people to come into a relationship with Him through His Son!
Psalm 7:1-9
A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
who probes minds and hearts.
1 Chronicles 7
Issachar
7 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron—four in all. 2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel—heads of their families. During the reign of David, the descendants of Tola listed as fighting men in their genealogy numbered 22,600.
3 The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Ishiah. All five of them were chiefs. 4 According to their family genealogy, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children. 5 The relatives who were fighting men belonging to all the clans of Issachar, as listed in their genealogy, were 87,000 in all.
Benjamin
6 Three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker and Jediael. 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri, heads of families—five in all. Their genealogical record listed 22,034 fighting men.
8 The sons of Beker: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Beker. 9 Their genealogical record listed the heads of families and 20,200 fighting men. 10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. 11 All these sons of Jediael were heads of families. There were 17,200 fighting men ready to go out to war. 12 The Shuppites and Huppites were the descendants of Ir, and the Hushites[a] the descendants of Aher.
Naphtali
13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem[b]—the descendants of Bilhah.
Manasseh 14 The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel was his descendant through his Aramean concubine. She gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead. 15 Makir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister’s name was Maakah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters. 16 Makir’s wife Maakah gave birth to a son and named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. 19 The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.
Ephraim 20 The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son,
Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the native-born men of Gath, when they went down to seize their livestock. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned for them many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 Then he made love to his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah,[c] because there had been misfortune in his family. 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.
25 Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Nun his son and Joshua his son.
28 Their lands and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages all the way to Ayyah and its villages. 29 Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.
Asher
30 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32 Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham and of their sister Shua. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasak, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were Japhlet’s sons. 34 The sons of Shomer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram. 35 The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera.
38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. 40 All these were descendants of Asher—heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders. The number of men ready for battle, as listed in their genealogy, was 26,000.
Acts 10:34-43
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not forsake us! Jeremiah 14:9
Christ says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Lord, whatever is present in our lives you are in the midst. We thank you for your faithfulness and your promise that you will be with us to the end of the age; in Jesus name. Amen.
Then, we see later on that Peter says that God testified to his plan by anointing His Son to be baptized and to go out in power to heal all who were under the devil’s power to show that God was with him. Jesus revealed the one true God, and God also chose people like Peter to be witnesses to this so that when Jesus died and rose again, God’s plan to reach all people could continue. God went as far as to have His Risen Son eat and drink with the apostles confirming all that He said He would do and sending them out in the power of His Spirit. This assured them (and by application us) that He would be with us until the end of time when Jesus returns in great and promised glory.
Since God does not change, we know that today God continues to not show favoritism, but desires all people to be reached through His Son in the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. We call that power the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity), which was poured out on the disciples ensuring that God would be with them and the power and authority in which they ministered was from the Lord.
And God calls us today to be His witnesses and to not show favoritism, but to go into all the world baptizing and teaching in Jesus’ name. And He calls us to be part of churches whose reason for being is this very thing. So we do this together in His name and He promises to be with us until the end of the age. Quite a calling! Quite a promise! May we continue to reach out and show the world that God does not play favorites but desires all people to come into a relationship with Him through His Son!
Psalm 7:1-9
A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
who probes minds and hearts.
1 Chronicles 7
Issachar
7 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron—four in all. 2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel—heads of their families. During the reign of David, the descendants of Tola listed as fighting men in their genealogy numbered 22,600.
3 The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Ishiah. All five of them were chiefs. 4 According to their family genealogy, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children. 5 The relatives who were fighting men belonging to all the clans of Issachar, as listed in their genealogy, were 87,000 in all.
Benjamin
6 Three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker and Jediael. 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri, heads of families—five in all. Their genealogical record listed 22,034 fighting men.
8 The sons of Beker: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Beker. 9 Their genealogical record listed the heads of families and 20,200 fighting men. 10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. 11 All these sons of Jediael were heads of families. There were 17,200 fighting men ready to go out to war. 12 The Shuppites and Huppites were the descendants of Ir, and the Hushites[a] the descendants of Aher.
Naphtali
13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem[b]—the descendants of Bilhah.
Manasseh 14 The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel was his descendant through his Aramean concubine. She gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead. 15 Makir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister’s name was Maakah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters. 16 Makir’s wife Maakah gave birth to a son and named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. 19 The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.
Ephraim 20 The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son,
Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the native-born men of Gath, when they went down to seize their livestock. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned for them many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 Then he made love to his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah,[c] because there had been misfortune in his family. 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.
25 Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Nun his son and Joshua his son.
28 Their lands and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages all the way to Ayyah and its villages. 29 Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.
Asher
30 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32 Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham and of their sister Shua. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasak, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were Japhlet’s sons. 34 The sons of Shomer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram. 35 The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera.
38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. 40 All these were descendants of Asher—heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders. The number of men ready for battle, as listed in their genealogy, was 26,000.
Acts 10:34-43
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not forsake us! Jeremiah 14:9
Christ says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Lord, whatever is present in our lives you are in the midst. We thank you for your faithfulness and your promise that you will be with us to the end of the age; in Jesus name. Amen.
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