Congratulations, though it is impossible to know what percentage of people never make it through twelve books of the Old Testament, you are a part of the minority. It is important to ponder what you have already learned along the way.
Today we begin 1 Chronicles, reading chapters 1-2. I will warn you, but encourage you, these next two books can be challenging.
Authorship
Most scholars attribute these books to Ezra. Ezra likely wrote them during Hezekiah’s reign, around 450 BC, after the Israelites’ return from exile.
The Biblical Archeology Society Library suggests Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah may have been one book. (1).
Another website points out that while they repeat a lot of the history we have already covered, they are not just a repeat, but a retelling. Looking at the history through a different lens. (2)
They are an important pivot point in our journey because from them we see that the story of Israel is not over.
Let’s examine a few points from today’s two chapters.
In verse 1:1, you may have noticed there is no mention of Cain or Abel. Abel died without having descendants. All of Cain’s heirs perished in the flood.
Though Adam and Eve may have had other children, tracking their descendants would be futile, since God eradicated them. The Bible Project also examines the possibility that some of Cain’s descendants, the Kenites, may have survived along with the Nephilim (3).
What really matters
These points are interesting to ponder, and I feel we should. However, they are not salvational. They will not determine your eternal destination. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone (Eph 2:8-9).
We believe that the entire Bible is true (see Prov 30:5). But we encounter these other tribes, and we should meditate on God’s Word. That means contemplating all these things.
The interesting point in today’s reading is verse 1:4. This passage omits mention of Adam and Eve’s other descendants, focusing only on those before Noah and, in this verse, those exiting the ark.
According to Ellicott (4), Ham means black or sunburnt, and Japheth is fair-skinned. He points out the Shem likely meant brownish.
Race should not matter. While the Bible teaches that heritage and culture are important, the color of a person’s skin are not. God made all of us, and we all descended from Noah.
Family
All the Judges we read about, as well as the kings, descended from these seventy tribes. We are all family.
The problem, which we have already seen, is if families like to fight with each other.
I have one brother. We don’t see each other as often as I would like, but we are close.
But this doesn’t mean we didn’t fight.
I remember one particular occasion growing up where he was picking at me and I had enough.
We were standing in my mother’s kitchen and I lowered my shoulder, grabbed him around his waist and drove him into, no – through, the wall into the bathroom.
My mom had planned on remodeling her house, so we expedited the need.
I still stood with him at his wedding. There was never a moment when I didn’t love him. Brothers fight with each other. Sisters too!
Tribal tension
We recognize a lot of the tribes we have been reading about when we look at the names of the descendents. The Egyptians came from Ham’s son, Egypt (v1:8). The Midianites, are the clan which came from Midian, who were the offspring of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine wife (v1:32).
In my family, as in most, we always assumed someone else was our mother’s favorite. My father was out of the picture before I was born, so we didn’t talk about his favorite. We assumed he didn’t have one.
That created tensions, even in our close knit family.
We see the same dynamic in God’s children. While they all branch out from Noah, they squabble over who is the chosen family. Who can claim God is their God?
God chose Israel, and this made them the tribe the others despised.
Faith unites
Through Jesus, we can all reunite. Faith reunites us all with our heavenly family.
The various churches and denominations continue to fight with each other. They get hung up on traditions and interpretations.
Therefore, God gave us a clear guide, the Bible. If it isn’t in the Bible, God didn’t say it and therefore, we should not be standing on that principle.
If you are in a family which is fighting, maybe you have an estranged sibling. Ask yourself, what would it take for you to be the bigger person? For you to extend the olive branch and reunite?
If you have a friend or neighbor, maybe someone who left your church to attend another. What can you do to mend that fence?
As we move into spring, let’s renew the hope that God wants us to all have. The hope of reunion in heaven.
Why wait until we are there? Make the effort now and enjoy the blessing.
Tomorrow we will read 1 Chronicles 3-5
-
https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/did-the-author-of-chronicles-also-write-the-books-of-ezra-and-nehemiah/
-
https://bibleproject.com/articles/chronicles-not-just-repeat/#:~:text=The%20genealogies%20were%20meant%20to,to%20King%20David%20(1%20Chro
-
.https://bibleproject.com/podcast/why-do-cains-descendants-show-after-flood/
-
Ellicott, Charles John. Ellicott’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954..
