| |
1 Chronicles Chapter 9
A Genealogy of the Returned Exiles
-
1Chronicles 9:1 So all
Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were
written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were
carried away to Babylon for their transgression.
The Chronicles seems to be written
after the return of the exiles from Babylon back to their homeland.
-
1Chroniciles 9:2 Now the
first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their
cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the
Nethinims.
The Israelites were the those that were
not priests and Levites, just the tribes of people that were among
the captives that originated from Israel. Most were probably
children of the ones taken captive 70 years previously.
The Nethinims were servants of the
temple to help the Levites and priests.
-
1Chronicles 9:3 And in Jerusalem
dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and
of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh;
So we see here that these were the
tribes that returned to their land. Something I never thought of
before, is that there were other tribes other than those from the
southern kingdom of Judah that returned with these captives. Ephriam
and Manasseh were the children of Joseph. Some fled the northern
kingdom when Jereboam led the nation into idolatry. Some fled when
the northern kingdom was taken captive by Assyria years before Judah
was taken captive by Babylon.
From reading the words of other
commentators of the bible, Dake for instance, he says that many of
all thirteen tribes returned after the Babylonian captivity.
Perhaps the lost tribes are not lost
after all. Revelation chapter 7 is where the tribes were sealed to
be protected during the plagues from the wrath of God. Dan was not
mentioned but perhaps there were none that had yet turned to Christ
from that tribe, therefore they would have not been sealed.
-
1Chronicles 9:4 Uthai the
son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of
Bani, of the children of Pharez the son of Judah.
Uthai was the great great great great
grandson of Judah. It was generations from Judah until the captives
of Babylon was returning to their own land. What a day that must
have been. I'm thinking they had tears of joy when they first saw
their promised land again. Yet, sadly they were scattered again in
70 AD not to return until 1948.
The Shilonites may be the children of
Shelah the one son of Judah that was not slain like his first two
children were because of sin. Yet the linage from Judah to Jesus
Christ was from the son of Judah and Tamar who had twins. Pharez was
the one that led eventually to Jesus.
- 1 Chronicles 9:6 And
of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and
ninety.
Zerah was the son of Judah from Tamar. The
twin brother to Pharez.
- 1 Chronicles 9:7 And
of the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of
Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah,
- 8 And Ibneiah the
son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and
Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of
Ibnijah;
- 9 And their
brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty
and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of
their fathers.
So we see some of the tribe of Benjamin
also returning to the land of Israel after the Babylonian captivity.
- 1Chronicles 9:10 And
of the priests; Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
- 11 And Azariah the
son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son
of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
- 12 And Adaiah the
son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and
Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of
Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
- 13 And their
brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and
seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the
service of the house of God.
- 14 And of the
Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the
son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
- 15 And Bakbakkar,
Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of
Zichri, the son of Asaph;
- 16 And Obadiah the
son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and
Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the
villages of the Netophathites.
- 17 And the porters
were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their
brethren: Shallum was the chief;
- 18 Who hitherto
waited in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the
companies of the children of Levi.
- 19 And Shallum the
son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his
brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over
the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle:
and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers
of the entry.
- 20 And Phinehas the
son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the
LORD was with him.
- 21 And Zechariah the
son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation.
- 22 All these which
were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and
twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their
villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set
office.
Samuel the prophet along with David had
received this plan from the Lord years before the temple was even
built. I find that fascinating. How these people must have felt when
at last they were returning.
- 1Chronicles 9:23 So
they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the
house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by
wards.
- 24 In four quarters
were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.
- 25 And their
brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after seven
days from time to time with them.
- 26 For these
Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and
were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
The Levites, priests and others where
appointed to serve the temple in all the places they lived among the
different tribes. After the captivity they were determined serve in
that capacity again as much as possible. They had to remain around
Jerusalem now since the other tribes didn't have their land they
once had. They didn't just sit in an office waiting for the Sabbath
day to do service but were continually busy doing the work they were
ordained to do. They all had their tasks and duty to do to get ready
to worship and praise God for this time in history. How much greater
will it be when those that received Jesus are all standing before
Him, never to suffering death, sickness and troubles again.
- 1Chronicles 9:27 And
they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was
upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to
them.
- 28 And certain of
them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should
bring them in and out by tale.
- 29 Some of them also
were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments
of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil,
and the frankincense, and the spices.
- 30 And some of the
sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.
- 31 And Mattithiah,
one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the
Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in
the pans.
- 32 And other of
their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the
shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
- 33 And these are the
singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in
the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day
and night.
- 34 These chief
fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations;
these dwelt at Jerusalem.
After the captivity was over they
served faithfully, each having their own responsibility. This was a
time of rejoicing and being thankful that God brought them back into
their own land.
They did lose everything again in 70 AD
because of their rejection of Jesus. They did not recognize Him as
the Messiah except for a few that began what we now call the church.
Falling away from God and going the way of the world, is what caused
them to lose their nation. It will also cause a good thriving church
to lose their way and become lukewarm or dead.
We must guard against this and stay
faithful to the one who saved us from sin by shedding His own blood
and paying the price for our sin. The bible tells us how to live,
how to keep from falling away and how to be ready for His return.
Both the faithful church and the nation
of Israel will be gathered together in the latter days at the second
coming of Jesus. There will be a great tribulation coming before
that time. Those faithful to the Lord before that time will be
raptured or taken out just before this time of Jacob's trouble. The
great tribulation is to bring Israel back to God and also restore
their land as they had before. The latter part of this tribulation
period is when the wrath of God is poured out upon the people that
persecute God's people and also those that surround Israel trying to
destroy them and erase them off the face of the earth. Israel will
be restored completely in the latter days when Jesus returns to set
up His kingdom. They will be given back every inch of land God
promised them originally to Abraham.
No matter how powerful the armies of
the other nations get, they will not be able to get rid of Israel.
It is dangerous for other nations to try to divide their land and
take away what God has given to them.
- Genesis 12:1 Now
the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and
from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that
I will shew thee:
- 2 And I will
make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
- 3 And I will
bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Does that mean that Israel will get by
with departing from God, living according to the will of the flesh,
doing that which the bible forbids, and rejecting the Messiah who
came to die for their sins?
Just read history. They did not get by
with anything in the past, neither in the future. Yet in all this,
they will be restored when they recognize the king of kings and the
Lord of Lords, Jesus the Christ the Son of God. The nations that
persecuted them will be judged.
-
Zechariah 12:10 And I
will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn
for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in
bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his
firstborn.
Also the words of Paul:
- Romans 11:25 For
I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that
blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of
the Gentiles be come in.
- 26 And so all
Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of
Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
- 27 For this is
my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
- 28 As concerning
the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the
election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
- 29 For the gifts
and calling of God are without repentance.
- 30 For as ye in
times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy
through their unbelief:
- 31 Even so have
these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also
may obtain mercy.
- 32 For God hath
concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon
all.
- 33 O the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
- 34 For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
- 35 Or who hath
first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
- 36 For of him,
and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory
for ever. Amen.
In Revelation we read about the sealing
of the 144,000 among the 12 tribes of Israel. It will happen just as
the bible records it. What a day that will be when both Israel and
the church will be united in Christ forever.
Saul's Genealogy Repeated
- 1Chronicles 9:35 And
in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, whose wife's name
was Maachah:
- 36 And his firstborn
son Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
- 37 And Gedor, and
Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
- 38 And Mikloth begat
Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem,
over against their brethren.
- 39 And Ner begat
Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and
Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
- 40 And the son of
Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begat Micah
- 41 And the sons of
Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, and Ahaz.
- 42 And Ahaz begat
Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and
Zimri begat Moza;
- 43 And Moza begat
Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
- 44 And Azel had six
sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and
Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.
Saul's genealogy is repeated here, then in
the next chapter we see the end of the reign of Saul and the
beginning of the reign of King David.
1 Chronicles
Chapter 10
|
|