PM May 12th 1 Chron 4

May 12th 1 Chronicles, 4

4v1-23 Genealogy of Judah

1: The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. 2: And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites. 3: And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi: 4: And Penuel the father of Gedor and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem. 5: And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6: And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7: And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan. 8: And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. 9: And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10: And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. 11: And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton. 12: And Eshton begat Beth-rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Rechah. 13: And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath. 14: And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen. 15: And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz. 16: And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel. 17: And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18: And his wife Jehudiajah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took. 19: And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite. 20: And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Ben-zoheth. 21: The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea, 22: And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. And these are ancient things. 23: These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

4v24-43 Genealogy of Simeon

24: The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul: 25: Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. 26: And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zachur his son, Shimei his son. 27: And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah. 28: And they dwelt at Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-shual, 29: And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad, 30: And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag, 31: And at Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susim, and at Beth-birei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David. 32: And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities: 33: And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy. 34: And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah, 35: And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, 36: And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah, 37: And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah; 38: These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly. 39: And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. 40: And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old. 41: And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42: And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. 43: And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

1 Chronicles, 5

5v1-10 Genealogy of Reuben

1: Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. 2: For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:) 3: The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hannoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4: The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, 5: Micah his son, Reaia his son, Baal his son, 6: Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites. 7: And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, 8: And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baal-meon: 9: And eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead. 10: And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.

5v11-17 Genealogy of Gad

11: And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salchah: 12: Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan. 13: And their brethren of the house of their fathers were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven. 14: These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; 15: Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house of their fathers. 16: And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon their borders. 17: All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

5v18-22 The eastern tribes army

18: The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war. 19: And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. 20: And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him. 21: And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand. 22: For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

5v23-26 Manasseh’s history

23: And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baal-hermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon. 24: And these were the heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of the house of their fathers. 25: And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. 26: And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.

1 Chronicles, 6

6v1-30 Genealogy of Levi

1: The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2: And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 3: And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4: Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua, 5: And Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi, 6: And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth, 7: Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 8: And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz, 9: And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan, 10: And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:) 11: And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 12: And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum, 13: And Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah, 14: And Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak, 15: And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16: The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17: And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; Libni, and Shimei. 18: And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 19: The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. 20: Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21: Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son. 22: The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23: Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 24: Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25: And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth. 26: As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27: Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28: And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah. 29: The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, 30: Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

6v31-48 The Temple musicians

31: And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. 32: And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. 33: And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, 34: The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35: The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36: The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37: The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38: The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39: And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, 40: The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah, 41: The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42: The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43: The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44: And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45: The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46: The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, 47: The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48: Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

6v49-53 Genealogy of Aaron

49: But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50: And these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51: Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52: Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53: Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

6v54-81 The Levite cities

54: Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot. 55: And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it. 56: But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57: And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs, 58: And Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs, 59: And Ashan with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs: 60: And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. 61: And unto the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, namely, out of the half tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities. 62: And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 63: Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64: And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs. 65: And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names. 66: And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67: And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs, 68: And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs, 69: And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs: 70: And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath. 71: Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs: 72: And out of the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs, 73: And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs: 74: And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs, 75: And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs: 76: And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs. 77: Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun. Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs: 78: And on the other side Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs, 79: Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs: 80: And out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 81: And Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs.

In today’s Bible readings we see that the Genealogies continue. We have the genealogies of Judah, Simeon, Reuben, and Gad. Then we have the eastern tribes army. Then we have a little about the history of Manasseh and the genealogy of Levi. Then we have described the temple musicians. The Genealogy of Aaron and the list of the Levitical cities. To most of us this may seem inane and strangely obscure yet to Israel it is a matter of infinite importance. The Genealogy of Judah is a very important genealogy because the Kings of the southern kingdom came mainly from Judah. Again we have surprising detail from father to son and other details such as location and even mother’s names and family make up. Right in the centre we have the interesting story of the Life of Jabez. He was the product of great pain in childbirth for his mother but he proved to be a great joy in her life. It’s very interesting that in this long list we have a simple prayer recorded.

Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed,
and enlarge my coast,
and that thine hand might be with me,
and that thou wouldest keep me from evil,
that it may not grieve me!

And the writer states simply that God granted him that which he requested. And then the writer carries on as if nothing significant has happened. Yet in the life of Jabez and Judah this is a momentous event. The lord stops everything he is doing in this book to just record one simple prayer and to tell us that God heard the prayer and answered it in blessing. Let us be encouraged to pray. To bring before the Lord our hearts desire and to express our deepest longings perhaps the Lord will hear us. Then we have the genealogy of Simeon. What we read of in this history is the wars that were fought over land for the flocks. Then we have the genealogy of the tribe of Reuben. Reuben was the oldster the first to be born yet he lost his firstborn status and rights and the authority went to Judah, the priestly function went to Levi and the double portion of the blessing went to Josephs sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Of the genealogy of Gad it simply states where they lived on the eastern bank of the Jordan in Bashan. Then we are told that the armies of Israel that belonged to the eastern Jordan were men of courage in battle and expert in war. They could use any of the weapons of war and were very skilful - all 44,000 of them. They fought many battles and in the middle of the battle when things were not gong well they carried to the Lord and he delivered them because they put their trust in the Lord. They also had 100,000 men in reserve. They fought the battles of the LORD. Of the half tribe of Manasseh the Lord says that their heads of families were mighty men of extreme courage, famous in their day. But they forsook the Lord and the Lord allowed them all to be taken captives by the Assyrians. Then the writer turns to the genealogy of Levi. They were the priests of the Lord. Then we have an interesting roll of honour. The musicians. Music is important and especially so in days of unspeakable joy. It is David the sweet songster of Israel that is the one who set up the musicians of Israel. Yet David is most often remembered as the man of war. Music is the expression of the soul that is in sweet fellowship with the Lord. Music must never be overlooked or treated as insignificant. Then we have the genealogy of Aaron the priest of the LORD. And lastly we have a list of the cities that the Levites occupied. They were not allowed to hold farming land except a small area up to a mile outside of their 13 cities. Manasseh had 10 cities and Gershom 13. And so the whole nation lived in their appointed places as the Lord directed them by lot.

Steve