Author: Jon Green

This chapter continues with the genealogy and history of Israel. Chapter 8 is a detailed lineage of Saul (the first King of Israel). As we read through this list of names, we can think “What would the Chronicler want Israel to remember as they read these details about Saul’s family as they re-enter the Promised Land?” 

We find Saul mentioned at the start of verse 33: “Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul…” and then the chapter closes in verse 40 with the statement “All these were Benjamaninites.” A Benjamaninite refers to an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin. In Genesis 49, when Jacob was close to death, he gathered his twelve sons and gave them each a blessing. These sons were the originators of the twelve tribes of Israel and each blessing served as a prophesy of what would come of the tribes that each son established. 

It’s important that we remember what it meant to be a Benjaminite. We can find Jacob’s blessing on Benjamin in Genesis 49:27: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.” The tribe of Benjamin became well known for being warriors. Even though it was the smallest of the twelve tribes, it was mighty. So, as you read through this list of seemingly meaningless names, you can imagine them as swordsmen and fighters who honorably defended their country. 

The original Jewish audience would have recognized many of these names and remembered how they had contributed to their history. When they read Saul’s name, they would have remembered that when Samuel first revealed to Saul that he had been chosen by God as Israel’s King, Saul’s response was “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21). Saul did not feel like his heritage and lineage as a member of the tribe of Benjamin qualified him to be King. Yet, more than 500 years later there is an entire chapter of scripture devoted to chronicling the lineage of Saul to remind the Israelites of their spiritual heritage.  

Saul was far from a perfect King. The original readers of Chronicles would have been very aware of Saul’s disobedience and missteps. They would have also recognized that God’s intention was for all the Bejamanites to possess a fierceness that they would steward for God’s glory and that while Saul’s physical strength was very strong, his spiritual strength was lacking. God divinely inspired and preserved Saul’s lineage in scripture for us to recognize and remember that while the world saw someone who came from small and humble beginnings, God saw a mighty warrior with the ability to both devour and divide. May we seek to be warriors of the Lord who obediently look to him for our strength instead of relying on our own.

1 Chronicles 7 lists lots of names. But when is a name more than just a name? Each person is a complex being, with a story, emotions, thoughts, friends, and family members (just like you). So, too, are the names listed in 1 Chronicles 7, outlining the tribes of Issachar, Naphtali, half of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher. The listing in this chapter highlights two main points for the historian: the continuation of Israel and the number of “fighting men” from each tribe.

In Genesis 22, we read that God told Abraham:

“I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

The continuation of Israel through the tribes’ children demonstrates God’s faithfulness to Abraham. And the number of fighting men is one of the tools God uses to help Israel “take possession of the cities of their enemies.” The historian of Chronicles is listing more than names; he is listing evidence that God did what He said He would do. 

In addition to the listing of names, the writer of Chronicles calls out a few, so let’s take a closer look at two of these. Verse 24 specifically mentions that Ephraim’s granddaughter, Sheerah, “built Lower and Upper Beth Horon, as well as Uzzen Sheerah.” Not only did she build these cities, she built them well. While many cities were destroyed or lost with time, Lower and Upper Beth Horon may be found as Beit Ur al-Fauqa and Beit Ur al-Tahta in Palestine. Beth Horon becomes an important place for Israel’s success over the Amorites (Joshua 10). The writer of Chronicles knows this is coming and knows its importance, so he sets the stage with the establishment of this location here in 1 Chronicles 7. 

Verse 40 offers commentary on the descendants of Asher:

“All these were descendants of Asher—heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders.” 

The tribe of Asher played a crucial role in the conquest of Canaan and was among the first to receive its inheritance in the Promised Land. They settled along the Mediterranean Coast with excellent natural resources that became known for its abundance of olive trees, which provided them with a valuable resource for trade and commerce. The tribe provided warriors during the time of Judges, including the prophetess Deborah, who led the Israelites to victory against the Canaanites. During the reign of King David, the tribe of Asher was among the tribes that pledged their allegiance to him and supported him in his efforts to establish a unified kingdom of Israel. The writer of Chronicles foreshadows the importance of this tribe with this shoutout in this chapter.

As you read more of Chronicles, reference these first few chapters of genealogy. These names will begin to mean more than just names. They will begin to take the shape of God’s promises and provisions.

As we encounter 1 Chronicles 6 today, it feels like another trip through ancestry.com, reading lists of mostly unfamiliar names in a genealogy. As we’ve established over the previous few days, this may present a challenge or an excuse to skim quickly. But there is a benefit to us, the readers, as we don’t just read, but study these names. 

With context and recognition of the purpose of the list, this day’s reading can encourage and remind us of God’s never-failing plan to redeem and restore. God established a priestly line (or family) as He organized the Israelites through Moses’ instruction. The details of this lineage and a reminder of their roles was significant to the recipients of this chronicle: the returning exiles of Judah from seventy years of Babylonian captivity. It is not hard to imagine there would be a loss of memory or any understanding of their roles as they head back to Judah. Seventy years is at least two generations!

Tracing their line as a member of the tribe of Levi gave the exiled family of Levi a designated role and a crucial purpose in the restoration of their nation. Those of Aaron’s line would serve as the priests who would present offerings in the Most Holy Place of the temple (to be rebuilt) and make atonement (payment) for the people of Israel’s sins as Moses prescribed by God. King David assigned certain Levites to minister with music as part of their worship. Two names recorded here, Heman and Asaph, are attributed to penning several of the Psalms. Other Levites contributed to the other duties related to the house of God.

This list of names begins to come to life as we view it through the lens of context and purpose. How can this list encourage us today? The priestly duty of Aaron’s line included making atonement for the sins of God’s people. This provision, established by God, pointed to a better, eternal atonement offered by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins. Today, as we are reminded of God’s provision recorded through His people and their families, we can give thanks that His ultimate never-failing plan to restore and redeem us came through Christ Jesus, the better, superior priest.

In 1 Chronicle 5, Ezra continues capturing intricate details relating to the tribes of Israel, and in this chapter more specifically the three Transjordan tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. Many times, we’re tempted to just skip over large portions of scripture that contain names we either can’t pronounce or which appear to have no significant story to tell.  In today’s passage, we might just want to do that, but sometimes it’s helpful to slow down and see the bigger story in what seems to be meaningless details. 

We should remember that these people and their lives are each important to the whole story of God’s deliverance of mankind from the grip and power of sin in humanity. Maybe when we personalize it and remember that each one was born and experienced hunger, losing their first tooth, learning to speak, scraping their knees, puppy love, fear, rejection, wonder, excitement, loss, sickness and death. Each person played their part in God’s story, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Each one shares the honor of having had their name mentioned by God in his word (good or bad).

One thing about the word of God is that it doesn’t hide the faults and failures of these men and women in history. God used, and still uses flawed people to accomplish his redemptive purpose and we get to see just how loving, kind, and gracious God is in the process. 

This chapter begins with mentioning Reuben (Jacob’s first born through Leah), a man who defiled his father’s bed (Genesis 35:22), and we see in the story Jacob’s favoritism expressed by choosing Joseph (Rachel’s firstborn son) to receive Reuben’s birthright. We might be tempted to leave that part out; maybe just keep things G-rated and protect peoples’ reputation, etc., but it’s in the rawness and honesty where our loving God and his redemptive purposes are magnified. We see God’s grace demonstrated in the blessings Ruben’s offspring experience in spite of his failure. Scripture tells us that God multiplied their livestock and gave them victory in battle. 

Each name mentioned is important in the big story of which God is the author (and you’re part of that story, too). Each person, like a cog in a gear, plays its specific role. One day, God will reveal this tapestry in which we have been woven and we’ll discover how God deserves all the glory in what may seem to be an insignificant story of our lives. 

Our journey through the genealogies of 1 Chronicles brings us to 1 Chronicles 4, describing the descendants of Judah and Simeon. Jacob had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Simeon was the second. Why so much focus on Judah? If we look back to Genesis 49, we read what Jacob said would happen to his sons in the days to come. In Genesis 49:10 Jacob says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” From the line of Judah will eventually come David, and from David will eventually come Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of Lords who will reign forever. 

In these genealogies and detailed descriptions, we see God’s redemptive plan playing out through generations. There is a bigness about God that we see when we take a bird’s eye view through history and see God’s sovereign hand over the lives and coming and going of his people. Imagine how each of these people probably didn’t know exactly their role or significance in the grand scheme during their lifetime, but God saw it all and planned it all and knew them all personally.

Amidst the list of genealogies, a short description of Jabez stands out in the line of Judah (4:9-10).  It’s interesting how his life is described in just a couple verses. He was “more honorable than his brothers.” His mother didn’t name him in a way that would suggest honor or blessing – his name (similar to the Hebrew for pain) was given because she “gave birth to him in pain.” Yet despite this beginning, he didn’t wallow in self pity and sit paralyzed by the pain that marked his name. Instead, he cried out to God for help. He prayed for God to bless him, to enlarge his territory, for God’s hand to be with him, and for God to protect him from harm and pain. Those were big prayers, hoping for big things. And “God granted his request.” His sad history and name didn’t determine his future–God is bigger and stronger than the pain of his past.

Spoiler alert: the story of imperfect people leads to a perfect Christ. Before we get to that part, 1 Chronicles 3 is another instance of the re-telling of a family lineage. Although the account of each person and relationship is difficult to follow, there is a significant point to hold onto as we read this passage: hold fast to discipline, because discipline is a blessing that preserves the promise.

First Chronicles 3 chapter has three distinct sections: David’s children (3:1-9), Solomon and the kings of Judah (v. 10-16), and the generations following the exile (v. 17-24). Each section has triumph, trials, and trauma following the family line. Take the Babylonian exile, for instance. The chosen people went through the most unthinkable circumstances.

A recognizable character of the passage is David. God made a promise to David. “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). This would have been great if David and his descendants were as faithful to the covenant as God will always be. We read a couple verses before what is included in God’s promise to David: “I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him…” (v. 14-15).

Wisdom is breathed out in the instruction written out in Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”.

The author of the book of Hebrews quoted this proverb and followed it with commentary. “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” (12:7). It is okay to assume that the author intended to make everyone who is a child of God aware of the importance of discipline. Discipline is a blessing that is not meant to be taken for granted by the sons and daughters of God.

Back to the earlier spoiler: David’s lineage extends to the one that proclaims himself as the “Son of David”: Jesus Christ. Integrity in the family lineage was not only for the honor of the family on earth. It was for generations to come. Most importantly, discipline is meant to help us honor God and the covenant he makes towards His people (both then and now). 

Lists of family genealogies are key features in the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Although they are not everyone’s favorite chapters in Scripture, there are many reasons that genealogies were important to the Jewish people and are important for us as well. They served as proof of Jewish identity which meant being an heir to the blessings promised to Abraham back in Genesis 12 of land, seed, and blessing. They were crucial in tracing the line of the Messiah. These genealogies were also evidence of the historical accuracy of the Bible. These are not just a list of names. They are real people with real stories. We know that God uses every story, and He cares about the details. We should not simply read genealogies, we should study them. 

This chapter continues the genealogies of the descendants of Israel (Jacob) and Judah, who is the fourth son of Jacob. “Israel” is the name that God gave Jacob when he was rebranded in Genesis 32. The twelve sons of Israel is where we get the twelve tribes of Israel. His sons were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. A majority of this chapter, however, goes through the descendants of Judah. There is a section in this chapter dedicated to the line of Perez, who was Judah’s son by explicit means of his daughter-in-law, Tamar (Genesis 38). Through Perez’s line comes a man named Boaz, who married Ruth and preserved Jacob’s family. 

The line of Perez also includes King David, and the future Messiah. There are many prophecies about Judah’s family line. In Genesis 49, Israel (Jacob) spoke blessings over his twelve sons. He said, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his” (49:10). This means that the tribe of Judah will produce conquering kings, and a very specific King who will rule forever. This points to a future Victor who would come from the line of Judah: Jesus Christ. 

Jesus has always been God’s “Plan A” to redeem and restore the broken world from the beginning (Genesis 3:15). He is called the “Lion of Judah” both in Genesis and Revelation. A lion is a symbol of a kingly tribe, and we know that King David was a descendant of Judah as well. Jesus is the long-awaited Lion of Judah who came to establish an eternal kingdom. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John received a revelation on the island of Patmos. It was said to him, “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5). Jesus is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain for us. Just as the people of Israel looked forward to the future King from the line of Judah who would reign, we get to look back on what He has done and celebrate. Jesus is a Warrior-King who will one day return and reign in glory!

Let’s acknowledge what you’re probably thinking: that’s a lot of names (and you may have never seen most of them before)! The book of 1 Chronicles begins with a series of continued genealogies. These lists of lineages take us from Adam and Eve to Abraham and David and beyond. To us, genealogies may seem like a bunch of names on paper, but God specifically places genealogies in the Bible to communicate His greater plan to us. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says that “All (emphasis added) Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Lord purposefully created, deeply loved, and thoughtfully used the people in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles to establish the Earth. Each name served a purpose in God’s plan, and these genealogies were intended to serve as a reminder of God’s faithful work in the lives of His people. 

Genealogies reflect on the past to point towards the future. In 1 Chronicles, the storylines of the royal line (through David’s lineage), and the priestly line (through Aaron’s lineage) are emphasized. This is in order to orient the people of God towards the approaching reality of Jesus’ first coming. In His perfect life, sacrificial death, and miraculous resurrection He revealed Himself as the Messianic King and High Priest! Furthermore, Matthew 1 (the first book of the New Testament) follows a genealogy that includes many of the same names found in 1 Chronicles. The New Testament draws on the genealogies of the Old Testament as a way of making the theological claim for Christ as Savior, Lord, and King. Ultimately, Jesus is the centerpiece of the entire Gospel story (from Genesis to Revelation), and his family lineage plays a role in revealing His authority! 

While the people living in the time of 1 Chronicles 1 were looking towards Jesus’ first coming, we are now a people living in the time of awaiting Jesus’ second coming. Hebrews 9:8 says, “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.” As we learn more deeply about the importance of reflecting on the past of Jesus’ lineage, how marvelous is it that God freely offers to include us into His eternal family? More so, let us pray to be a people that desires for our distant relatives of Adam to be brought into the eternal family that Christ freely offers through His love, power, and grace.