1 Chronicles 4

Study Guide 31: 1 Chronicles 1-10 ROOTS Overview Historical roots are a vital element in our faith. We believe that God has acted in this world of space and time. The events that the Bible records are not myth or fantasy. They are in the fullest sense of the word, history. One way in which the nature of Scripture as history is affirmed in our Bible is through genealogy. The Hebrew people kept careful records of their lineages. They traced that lineage not just to the tribes that sprang from Israel, but beyond that to Noah and even to Adam himself. Most of the genealogies in the Old Testament are not complete. That is, they name important people in the family line, but do not name people in every generation. This generation-skipping characteristic of Hebrew genealogies was ignored by Bishop Usher, who by counting up the years of life ascribed to individuals in biblical genealogies, calculated that Creation took place in 4004 b.c.What the genealogies do teach us, however, is that we must take the Bible seriously as history. The Bible is the story of real people. It is the record of God’ s actual interventions in time and space. It reports what has actually happened — reports that we are intended to take as fact, and to trust as an accurate record as well as to trust as God’ s revelation of truth to man.

Commentary The writer of 1 Chronicles is careful to provide detailed genealogical data. Much of the information in these chapters is drawn from other Old Testament passages. Why are these genealogies here? The Books of Chronicles were written much later than the parallel Books of 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. They were in fact written during the Babylonian Captivity, after Judah had been destroyed and her people carried away captives. While the Books of Chronicles cover the same material as that covered in 1, 2 Samuel and 1, 2 Kings, Chronicles treats that material from a different viewpoint. While 1 and 2 Samuel set out to show the establishment of the Old Testament kingdom, 1 and 2 Chronicles set out to review the entire sacred history, from Adam to the day of the writer. With such a massive subject, selectivity is the key. So the chronicler moves quickly over the earlier historical ages, using the genealogies to summarize what God has done from Creation to the Kingdom Age. He then focuses on David’ s line and on temple worship. In Chronicles, Israel’ s evil kings are mentioned only when they come in contact with Judah. Even the writer’ s discussion of the Davidic line focuses on the good kings. The Chronicles, then, are essentially a theological overview of kingdom history. They were written after the Exile, when Israel had fallen into such sin that the people were expelled from the Promised Land. The glory of David was remembered, but had long faded. Here the divine commentary recalls that glory, but not as a lost dream. Everything here is seen as evidence that God fulfills His commitment to His people, and will yet fulfill the promise of an everlasting kingdom.

Overlap of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles First SamuelSecond SamuelFirst KingsSecond KingsFirst ChroniclesSecond Chronicles Samuel1:1-16:13; 1 Samuel 25:1; 1 Samuel 28:11-19

Saul 9-11; 13-15; 17:32-19:24; 1 Samuel 20:27-32; 1 Samuel 22:6-19; 23:7-24:22; 1 Samuel 26:1-21; 1 Samuel 28:1-25; 1 Samuel 31:1-132Sa_1:11Ch_8:1-39; 1 Chronicles 9:35- 1 Chronicles 10:14 David16-27; 29-301-241Ki_1:1-4, 1 Kings 15:1-34-35; 1 Kings 2:1-111Ch_3:1-24; 11-29 Solomon2Sa_12:24-251Ki_1:28-48; 2:1-11:431Ch_28:5-13, 20-29:1, 21-251-9 Kingdom Divided2Ki_12:1-3310-11 Captivity for Israel2Ki_17:3-23 Captivity for Judah2Ki_25:1-262Ch_36:15-21 The Genealogies: 1 Chronicles 1-10 The genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-10 are included for several reasons. First, they are a simplified, almost shorthand way of reviewing the history of God’ s works, and of His special commitment to the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Second, the genealogies provide evidence that the present generation has a valid claim to the divine promises. And third, they bring the reader through history up to the period on which the writer intends to focus: the era of the kingdom and the age of the temple. We can outline these early introductory chapters by the key persons in the genealogies which they contain.

Outline

I. The Common Heritage: Adam to Abraham1Ch_1:1-34 II. The Children of Esau1Ch_1:34-54 III. The Children of Israel2:1-9:44 A. Judah2:3-4:23

1. To David1Ch_2:3-17
2. David’ s relatives1Ch_2:18-41
3. David’ s descendants1Ch_3:1-24
4. The rest of Judah1Ch_4:1-23 B. Simeon1Ch_4:24-43 C. Reuben1Ch_5:1-10 D. Gad1Ch_5:11-17 E. Levi1Ch_6:1-30, 1 Chronicles 6:33-46, 1 Chronicles 6:50-52 F. Issachar1Ch_7:1-5 G. Benjamin1Ch_7:6-12 H. Napthali1Ch_7:13 I. Manasseh1Ch_7:14-19 J. Ephraim1Ch_7:20-29 K. Asher1Ch_7:30-40 L. Benjamin (resumed)8:1-9:44
5. Genealogies complete8:1-9:1
6. Chief inhabitants1Ch_9:2-9
7. Priests, Levites1Ch_9:10-34
8. Saul’ s house (repeat)1 Chronicles 9:35-44 M. The death of Saul1Ch_10:1-14The genealogies, then, with their emphasis on David’ s line, bring us to the theme that the writer will now emphasize: the kingdom, as the great divide in the history of God’ s unveiling of His purposes through Israel, the people of God.

The Review of History What images and memories would the repetition of these genealogies, so boring to many of us moderns, have cast for the Hebrew reader? They would, essentially, have reviewed all of sacred history. Let’ s trace that history as it happened, and as it is reflected in the names of men long dead, but men who were vital in the unfolding of God’ s revelation of Himself and of His plan. Creation. Genesis 1:1-31 and Genesis 2:1-25 provide the context. We come to understand this universe we live in and our place in it. The Bible tells us that God created the material universe from nothing; all that exists must be understood in the personal framework that God Himself provides. The universe is not an impersonal “ thing,” but rather the planned expression of God’ s might and power and personality. Genesis also explains man as being the focus and pinnacle of Creation — a creature made in the image of God and thereby vested both with significance and a derived glory. Man cannot be understood unless he is seen as irrevocably related to the eternal, though temporarily occupying space and time. Because man is made in God’ s image, each individual is of vital importance to God and special to Him. So these earliest chapters of Scripture, represented by Adam in the genealogies, introduce us to ourselves and to our identity. They explain why each of us stands in need of a vital relationship with God. With out such a relationship to the God whose image we bear, each of us is incomplete. God made us for Himself, and we are restless and ill at ease apart from Him. Sin. Adam in the genealogies also represents sin. The biblical account moves beyond the initial Creation and, in Genesis 3:1-24, shares the story of Adam’ s fall. This report accounts for the alienation and loneliness we each feel, as well as for the tugging power of sin to which we are each subject. In Adam, mankind chose to attempt life apart from God. Adam traded trust in his Creator for the empty privilege of choosing to do wrong. Ever since then, societies and individuals have shown the agonizing warping of sin-sick personalities. When Adam sinned, something vital in each person died. Death, not life, became the experience of all men. Sin’ s expression in Adam’ s family. The genealogies are silent concerning Cain and Abel, and the writer goes directly to Seth. But the silence is a painful one, for all remember the unnamed sons. Genesis 4:1-26 and Genesis 5:1-32 of Genesis examine the impact of sin in Adam’ s own family. We see one son murder his brother and go on to establish a civilization in which harming others becomes a way of life. Already in history events had begun to demonstrate the reality and the awfulness of sin. Satan had denied to Eve that sin led to death. Now man began to drink deeply of all that death really means — the dissolution of the personality, and the return of the body to dust. God acted to cover Adam and Eve’ s sin. God had already introduced the idea of sacrifice. But since Adam had chosen sin, the ultimate meaning of this pathway would now become known. Adam had refused to trust; now God would demonstrate across the centuries and millenniums of human history how utterly true His words and warnings are. Sin’ s outcome in judgment. As the race multiplied and spread across the earth, the expressions of sin we read of in Genesis 4:1-26 and Genesis 5:1-32 multiplied too. Then, when “ every inclination of the thoughts of [man’ s] heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5), God acted to bring the judgment of the Flood on the human race (Gen. 6-9). Represented in the genealogies by Noah, this cataclysm communicated the fact that sin not only twists human experience, but also incurs guilt. And guilt forces a holy God to judge. One family, Noah’ s, was borne over the waters and planted in a renewed world. Mankind was given a fresh start by a man who had enough faith in God to obey His instructions to build a boat. History repeats itself. The next names in the genealogy, and Genesis 10:1-32 and Genesis 11:1-32, pick up the history of the race after the Flood. Again man disobeyed God. Rather than scattering to accept God-given dominion over creation (see Genesis 1:28), the postdiluvian people attempted to build a society without the Lord. So God scattered them Himself, confusing their language. It was probably at the end of this period, around the time of Abraham, that Job lived. A godly man in an unnamed culture, Job illustrates early faith in God, and the loss of knowledge of God which came as the generations passed. God still cares for and deals with individuals, but sin has twisted the course of the race into unfruitful paths. Abraham’ s call. Then comes a great name in the genealogical hall. With the introduction of Abram in Genesis 12:1-20, history took a new direction. God spoke to this pagan from Ur, and Abram responded. To Abram God gave a series of great promises, in a covenant explained in Genesis 12:1-20, Genesis 15:1-21, and Genesis 17:1-27. God announced the course of history ahead of time, as well as the purpose He would fulfill as history moves toward its intended culmination. God announced that He would no longer work with man as a whole, but would work for all mankind through Abraham and his descendants. To these descendants God promised a specific land, Palestine. He also promised great blessings, and a special relationship with Him. God also promised that through this people would come One in whom the whole human race would be blessed. From that time on, Abraham, his children, and his grandchildren began to view themselves as God’ s chosen people. God’ s purposes in history are to be worked out through them. These people are the key to understanding the past and the future; to understanding what has been, and what must surely be. Captivity in Egypt. As the focus in the genealogies shifts to the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, so the geographical location also shifts. After three generations Abraham’ s descendants moved from Palestine, the land of covenant promise, to Egypt. There the people of Israel, named now for Abraham’ s grandson, waited for the next step in God’ s plan to unfold. At first the Israelites were guests in Egypt. Then a series of political changes transformed their status, and they became slaves. As slaves, God’ s people suffered under harsh taskmasters. Because they multiplied so quickly, the Egyptians even initiated a policy of killing their male children when they were born. Israel remembered the old stories of the God who spoke to their forefathers and who made great promises. But under the harsh reality of their immediate circumstances, the past they recalled and the future they dreamed of must have seemed tragically unreal. Over generations of slavery, the people of Israel were humbled and crushed. They discovered through their suffering that there was no inherent strength in themselves that could win them freedom. Release could only come through the intervention of God. Deliverance. God did intervene. Exodus tells us how God sent Moses to confront Pharaoh, Egypt’ s ruler. God’ s first demands that Pharaoh let His people go were refused. This brought a series of terrible judgments on the Egyptian people. Finally God struck down the oldest son in each Egyptian family. In terror, the Egyptians thrust Israel out of their country. The redemption of Israel from Egypt by God’ s direct and personal intervention is a symbol of all redemption. What man cannot do to free himself from sin’ s slavery, God can do. The redemption from Egypt also reaffirmed to Israel the faithfulness of God. God remembered His covenant with Abraham, and acted to keep His promises. In order that Israel might always remember their need for God’ s intervention, the Passover feast was instituted. This annual time of remembering deliverance was designed to remind Israel that God is the source of their freedom. In a series of continuing miracles, including the opening of the Red Sea for Israel and its closing to destroy a pursuing Egyptian army, God demonstrated His firm intention to free His people forever from the slavery under which they had suffered. The Law. The name of Moses is forever linked with Law. Israel’ s redemption from Egypt freed God’ s people from external tyranny. But events soon demonstrated that this people was in bondage to an inner tyranny that was even more destructive. Sin sinks its roots deep into the personalities of even redeemed men and women. Once out of Egypt, God’ s people murmured and complained. They forgot His commitment to them, and they began to doubt and resist Moses at every turn. God guided His people to Sinai. There God gave Israel a Law to set standards that revealed the Lord’ s own character, and showed them the way He expected His people to live. As told in Exodus 19-24, at Sinai God gave His people the Mosaic Law. This Law not only established moral standards, but also defined the distinctive lifestyle which God was to hold His people to, both for their benefit and as a testimony. But, again, the Law provided an external standard. It did not change Israel within. The continuing story of the redeemed generation shows their inability to trust God, and the subsequent disobedience. Commanded to enter the Promised Land, Israel refused. The people were condemned to 38 years of wandering in the wilderness, until the generation that had known God’ s deliverance from Egypt died. Because of unbelief they were unable to enter into the promised rest. The new generation. The men and women who had seen God’ s mighty acts in Egypt, but had refused to trust Him, died. Their children now stood poised on the edge of the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy, we hear Moses restate the Law and sketch again the lifestyle of trust to which God called His people. In Joshua we see the new generation respond to God and follow their new leader to victory. The Promised Land was taken in a series of swift military moves, with God making His presence known on the side of His people at Jericho and in other actions. With opposition of the people of the land rendered ineffective, the people of God settled into their promised rest. Sin reappears again. Even though Israel moved into an ideal environment, in a social system designed by God to bless His people, the ancient specter of sin again appeared. The generations that followed drifted away from God and were marked by growing disobedience. Over the decades, the lifestyle of Israel deteriorated. God judged sin with the removal of His protection, and Israel’ s enemies gained ascendancy over the 12 tribes. Yet, when Israel turned to God, He sent deliverers or “ judges” to free the people from their enemies and lead them back to His ways. The more than 330 years that the Judges ruled were days of repeated ups and downs for Israel. But the trend of history was downward. The days of the Judges were dark days, days during which sin’ s dreadful dominion was demonstrated even under the divinely ordained system of government, the theocracy, which was potentially the best man has ever known. The kingdom. Finally Israel demanded a new system of government. Israel’ s first king, Saul, demonstrated once again that the root of the sin problem is in man, not in society. But then God gave Israel a godly king, David. David led Israel to a foreshadowing of that glory which God told His people to expect. It is here that the 1 Chronicles’ genealogies end. “ Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the Word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse” (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).

The Lesson For the Israelite, a review of the genealogies was a review of sacred history itself. There were so many memories, captured there by familiar names. The review of history was also a reminder to the Israelite of his heritage. As a descendant of Abraham, he was one of that special line chosen to be the focus of God’ s working in the world. But for us, as we look back over Old Testament history as it is reflected in these names, there is another lesson as well. Our journey through Bible history reminds us that no changes in external conditions brought men to the condition of blessedness and dominion that God intends for man. Yet, human beings still struggle to find release and fulfillment without God, denying God’ s judgment that it is sin that has brought death, and that death still holds man and society in its unbreakable grip. Looking ahead, in future studies we’ ll trace God’ s continuing revelation of His own solution to each individual’ s — and society’ s — need. We’ ll see in the continuing flow of history even more evidence that nothing apart from God’ s personal action in Christ can offer meaningful hope. There is a personal message in this flow of history. The death we see expressed in history and in society grips you and me as well as others. You and I must turn from our own efforts and reject all the tempting solutions the world offers. We must seek God’ s intervention in our own lives. As the New Testament phrases God’ s message to the individual, “ You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked” (Ephesians 2:1-2, NASB). The passage, Ephesians 2:1-22, goes on to ex plain. “ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5, NASB). In the person of Jesus Christ, promised in the Old Testament and revealed in the New, God has acted to bring you and me the possibility of life, and to call us from the experience of sin’ s death to a new and abundant life in Jesus. If we have heard the message of Bible history, our eyes have been turned away from ourselves and our own efforts to God. If we have heard the message of Bible history, we have recognized the reality of death, spiritual and physical. If we have heard the message of Bible history, we can begin to realize that our one and only hope is in God, our Creator and the Saviour of us all.

Teaching Guide Prepare Which character in Bible history are you most like? Why?

Explore

1. Give a minilecture on the nature of Bible genealogies (as a generation-skipping record of important persons) and the reason why genealogies were so important to the Hebrew people.
2. Or ask your group members to write down the names of five important Bible characters who lived before King David. Beside the names each person should jot down a note on why that person seems important to him or her. Then share, writing down the names your group members have come up with. List these on the board, with a number noting how many of your group named each. When you’ ve completed your list, ask your group members to see how many of these names they can find in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-10.

Expand

1. List on the chalkboard the different eras represented in the genealogies, as these are indicated in this chapter by italicized headings. As you work through these eras together, you might briefly sketch what happened in each. As you do, let your group members suggest spiritual lessons God taught during that time. In effect, this process will provide a simple but effective review of Bible history — just as the genealogies did for the people of the Old Testament.
2. Or, after your group members have searched for the names they listed, talk briefly about the writer’ s purpose and principles of selection. You can give a summary of the purposes of the genealogies as a review of history, as well as reassurance to the living Jews that they truly are in the covenant line.

Apply Ask each of your members to select one period or one name that seems to sum up his or her Christian experience. Then divide into groups of four or five. Each person is to tell which Bible person he or she chose, and to explain why.