Our Family Tree Part Three. (1 Chronicles Chapters 8-9)

This Podcast is part of a 10-year project to complete an in-depth, daily study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 

Episode Notes: Our Family Tree - Part Three. (1 Chronicles Chapters 8&9)

Today we arrive at the final movement of the great genealogies that open the book of 1 Chronicles. Chapters 1 through 9 contain three sweeping genealogies, three great family trees, each with its own purpose, its own emphasis, and its own spiritual message.

 The first genealogy highlighted God’s covenants with Abraham and David, the covenant of promise and the covenant of kingship.

 The second genealogy reminded us of God’s faithfulness to His people, even when some tribes were faithful and others were not.

 And now we come to the third genealogy, found in chapters 8 and 9.

 So, the question is: What is the point of this final genealogy?  

 Why does the Chronicler end this long section with one more list of names?

 To answer that, we turn to 1 Chronicles 8 & 9.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Welcome back to the podcast. Today we arrive at the final movement of these opening nine chapters, the great genealogies that open this book of One Chronicles, and indeed two chronicles. Chapters one through nine contain three sweeping genealogies, three great family trees, each with its own purpose, each with its own emphasis, and each with its own spiritual message. The first genealogy we looked at a couple of days ago highlighted God's covenant with Abraham and David and the covenant of promise and the covenant of kingship. The second genealogy we covered yesterday reminded us of God's faithfulness to his people even when some tribes were faithful and others were not. And now we come to the third genealogy and it is found in chapters eight and nine. So the question is: what is the point of this final genealogy? Why does the chronicler end this long section with one more list of names? To answer that, we turn to 1 Chronicles chapter 8. Well, it's because Benjamin was, in effect, no ordinary tribe. It gave Israel its first king in Saul, and it remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty when the northern tribes actually broke away. And in the post-exile world, Benjamin ranked second only to Judah in importance. Most significantly, Jerusalem itself stood within Benjamin's territory. So when the chronicler turns to Benjamin in the opening of chapter 8, he's not simply listing the names, he is tracing the story of a tribe that stood shoulder to shoulder with Judah, a tribe that remained faithful to the Davidic line, a tribe that played a crucial role in Israel's restoration. 1's Chronicles chapter 8 is the genealogy of Benjamin before the exile. And it opens by saying, Now Benjamin was the father of Bella, his first form. And then from verses 1 through 12 were given those sons of Benjamin, listed this time in order of birth. It's a straightforward genealogy, but it sets the foundation for what follows. Because beginning in verse 13, the chronicler shifts to the heads, to the fathers of the houses, the leaders, the clan chiefs, the men who shaped Benjamin's identity. This section, which goes all the way from verse 13 to 28, expands the brief mention of Benjamin found earlier in chapter 7. It now wants to give us a full genealogy, a full family tree. But why? Well, because the chronicler wants to trace the lineage of Saul, Israel's first king and his immediate family. Saul's ancestors lived primarily in Gibeon, and some branches settled in Jerusalem after David captured the city and made it Israel's capital. But then verses 29 to 32 introduced the father of Gibeon, his wife, and their descendants, the ancestors of Saul, and then from the beginning of verse 32 down through to verse 40, the chronicler describes the Benjamite families who lived in Jerusalem dwelling alongside their relatives. The point is simple. 1 Chronicles chapter 8 gives us the descendants of Benjamin, the tribe loyal to David, the tribe tied to Jerusalem, the tribe that in a sense helped anchor Israel's identity before the exile. But then in chapter 9, we look at Benjamin after the exile. Chapter 9 effectively continues the third genealogy, but now the focus shifts to Benjamin after the exile. And it opens by telling us in verse 1: so all Israel was recorded by genealogies, but Judah was carried away to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. This verse is a sort of summary statement, a reminder that the family trees included all Israel, not just Judah, and that the exile came because of the deep unfaithfulness of people, which included idolatry, adultery, and sins that were just too gross to ignore. Now, the book of the kings of Israel that you see mentioned here in the text. But then the remainder of the chapter from verses 2 to 44 identifies the people who settled in Jerusalem and Gibeon after the return from exile. Israelites, meaning families, from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, but also the priests and also the temple servants, those called the Nethanim. Now the Nethanim were effectively temple slaves assigned to assist the Levites and priests. Bible experts say they were likely descendants of the Gibeonites from Joshua's day, and they were freed from taxation, we're told in Ezra 724, and possibly from military service, other Bible commentators say, though we know the rabbis themselves held them in fairly low esteem. These groups, and the political leaders, the religious leaders, these temple servants, they form the restored community of Jerusalem. So the chronicler is showing us that God has rebuilt his people after the exile. And he's done it tribe by tribe, family by family, roll by role, until worship, leadership, and indeed the entire community were restored. So this family tree, part three of this short series within the series, this is the core heartbeat of the chapters. Being that we're being told in the big picture here that God remembers his people before the exile, but God restores his people after the exile, and God rebuilds a community there, but it's built around worship and leadership. And God uses faithful tribes like Benjamin to anchor his purposes. So these family trees are not just ancient historical records, they are testimonies of God's faithfulness, God's patience, and God's commitment to rebuild what sin has broken. This is the story of Benjamin. It is the story of Jerusalem, and it is the story of the restoration, and that's why it's really worth understanding and exploring. Now, as we move across from chapter 8 into chapter 9, the chronicler begins to show us what happened after the exile and who had returned, where they settled, and how this community of Jerusalem was rebuilt in further detail. And right away in the opening verses in verse 3 of chapter 9, we see and should note something quite striking. It says, Now in Jerusalem the children of Judah dwelt, and some of the children of Benjamin and the children of Ephraim and Manasseh. So this little subsection here now runs from verse 2 to 9 of chapter 9, and it gives us a sort of snapshot of the very first wave of returnees. The people who were the first to come back to rebuild temple life in Jerusalem. These were their leaders. These were the leaders in the houses, men of standing, men who effectively represented their tribes. And Benjamin's descendants in particular are traced through four distinct groups, each with their own role in the restored community. Now I'm not going to read all the text, but again, like I've said over the last couple of days, it's really helpful to have your Bible open in front of you so you can see the pattern and the helicopter view of what's describing there. So let's walk through chapter 9 quickly. The first group, the chronicler highlights, is the priests, and that's verses 10 to 13. These were the men who had returned from captivity to restore the sacrificial system, that which was the very heart of Israel's worship. Their presence in Jerusalem was essential. Without priests there could be no altar, there could be no offerings, no atonement, no worship. The chronicler lists them because he wants us to see that God restores not only people, but also the means of worship. The temple would be rebuilt and the priesthood would be re-established. Then secondly, we meet the Levites, and that's in verses 14 to 16. It also actually continues, in a sense, through to verse 34. So the Levites are the tribe set apart for service in the sanctuary. Now verses 14 to 34 describe various Levites who return along with their duties. Other listings of these very same Levites by name appear in Nehemiah 11, showing how both books work together to paint a picture of a restored community. The Levites were essential because they were the ones who supported the priests and maintained the people and importantly taught the people. They preserved worship and the worship system. Without the Levites, the temple would have been a building without those who knew how to serve in it. Then, thirdly, in verses 17 to 27, it describes the gatekeeper. Now that's a short segment within the lengthier text of 4 to 34. This is where we meet these gatekeepers. These are the men who guarded the doors of the tabernacle and indeed later the temple, and Samuel himself had performed those duties as a child. We know that from 1 Samuel chapter 3. And he also later arranged a rotation system for them, and that is described for us here in 1 Chronicles 92. So their responsibilities were practical and spiritual, opening and closing the temple gates at the right time, guarding the entrances from improper intrusion, and ensuring that the worship remained holy and orderly. The chronicler gives us their names and their duties because he wants us to see that worship requires structure, a sense of order, and the protection of God's way of doing it. The presence of God remembers going to be in the temple and something precious and that must be guarded. And then in the final part of this section, we meet the temple servants in verses 28 to 34, the fourth group in Benjamin's restored family tree. These Levites were responsible for all the practical elements of temple worship. They looked after things like those serving vessels, the furniture, the implements of the sanctuary, and even the things that were needed the flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, the spices, even the preparation of all the ointments. And some were also musicians who lived in the temple complex itself, freed from any other duties so that they could devote themselves entirely to worship. In a sense, this is a beautiful picture of restored temple life. Priests offering sacrifices, Levites serving, gatekeepers guarding, musicians singing, and temple servants preparing everything needed for worship. The chronicler is showing us that worship is a community, a communal thing. It takes many hands, many roles, many different giftings, but God values each one of them to bring it all together. So if we review Okay, so let me just pause and review what we've seen so far in this third genealogy. In chapter eight, we saw the descendants of Benjamin before the exile, and then in chapter nine, verses two to thirty-four, we meet the descendants of Benjamin after the exile, and then in chapter nine, thirty-five to forty-four, the genealogy of Saul the king, the most famous, you might say, Benjamin. And then the last section, verses thirty-five to forty-one, is virtually identical to 1 Chronicles 8, 29, 40 in the previous chapter. The chronicler simply repeats Saul's genealogy intentionally, because he's about now to narrate Saul's death in chapter 10 and then move into the reign of David in chapters 11 through to 29. So Saul's second genealogy forms a bridge from the family tree section to the historical narrative that we're about to start. From the tribe of Benjamin to the rise of David and from the past into the future. The emphasis in chapter 9, and in really all these family trees so far, is on the temple, the priests, the Levites, and the servants who make worship possible. And this is because the chronicler is preparing us for the story of David, the king who will make the temple the center of Israel's life. So here's the simple summary. Chapter 8, Benjamin before the exile. The first half of chapter 9, Benjamin after the exile, and then the second half of chapter 9, Saul's family tree, as a way of preparing and setting up for the narrative of his death and David's future rise. Benjamin's genealogy shows us that Saul came from this tribe and he was the people's choice for king, but God wanted a king from Judah. And now with the family trees and the genealogy is complete, the chronicler is now ready to move us into the stories of kings, the worship, and the temple. So as we come to an end of this third set of family trees, it's worth just stepping back and asking, what exactly is the chronicler really doing here? Why does he begin with one genealogy with Adam in chapter one, another one with Judah in chapter one to three, another covering Judah in chapters four to seven, and finally this one beginning with Benjamin in chapters eight and nine? When you look at the structure of these whole nine chapters, you begin to see a pattern, or you should, a deliberate theological and spiritual movement. You see the first genealogy, it goes all the way back to Adam. The second genealogy then backs up a bit and begins with Judah. And the third genealogy backs up again and begins with Benjamin. But why these backups and these overlaps? Because the chronicler is very clear, he wants to say, look, I'm not just listing names here. I'm trying to preach a message, a sermon that can cross history. One commentator I read put it this way: The chronicler establishes Israel's place in the world through these lengthy genealogies so that his audience might understand anew their role among the nations. Another wrote, with these first nine chapters, the chronicler introduces his ambitious representation of Israel's history as a sermon. He will focus on kingship and priesthood and on the throne of David and on the Temple of Solomon, selecting and simplifying the story to bring out unchanging principles and core ultimate truths. And finally, one more I read added the nine chapters of the genealogies and family trees at the beginning of this book prepare us for the narrative section to come. God permitted leadership by Saul and worship at Gibeon, but his plan called for the leadership of David and worship at Jerusalem. In other words, these family trees are not just filler, they are attempting to build a foundation. They're reminding the people that they're written initially to the returning exiles, but of course they're also there to remind us who read it today that God has been faithful from Adam all the way onwards. They also remind us that God has preserved his covenant through Judah and his worked through Benjamin, even when the whole nation fractured. And God's purpose must always move toward David, towards the temple, towards the place of his presence, and towards the place of his incarnation, his coming among us as the Son of God in Christ. So there is a real spiritual takeaway from these opening nine chapters, and actually it's very simple. The first genealogy is there to teach us about the faithfulness of God, the third one teaches us about the unfaithfulness of God's people, and if you put those two truths together, you have the core message at the middle of this. The core message of all of the chronicles. God is faithful, we are often unfaithful, therefore we must learn to be faithful. The chronicler is not just giving us a history lesson, he's giving us a call to develop our character. Paul, writing in the New Testament, said, Moreover, it is required of stewards that a man may be found faithful. Salvation is by faith, but the rewards of our salvation in this life and the life to come, in the life to come, are earned by faithfulness. And to drive home the point, even Jesus himself told a parable called the Parable of the Tenants about responsibility and the importance of such faithfulness. He spoke of a master who entrusted the servants with resources. One received five talents, one received two, and one received one. The first two invested what they were given and doubled it. The third buried his talent in the ground. And when the master returned, he we hear him say to the faithful servants, Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord. But to the unfaithful servant you will remember, he said, You are a wicked and lazy servant, take the talent from him and cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. Now, however you interpret the details of this parable, one clear truth stands out with unmistakable clarity, that being that God honours faithfulness and God also rebukes unfaithfulness. And that is precisely what all these opening family trees of One Chronicles are given to illustrate, because some tribes were faithful and some were not, and some leaders and individuals were faithful and some were not, but God remains faithful and his call to his people is to reflect his faithfulness in our own lives. So, in closing, so after nine chapters of names, what should we walk away with here? Well, here is what I believe it is: God is faithful even when you are not. And because God is faithful, his people must learn and develop character that is one of faithfulness. We must, as his people, learn to be faithful. This is the spiritual truth behind these family trees. This is the message that I believe the writer, the chronicler, wants us to hear. And it is a call that is still meant to be echoing in everyone's life who wants to follow to be a believer and a follower of Jesus today. That's what we look at tomorrow, and then after that, we follow into the story being retold again of the rise of David, and that will run through chapters 11 all the way through 29. The chronicler has now laid his foundation, now the narrative story begins. He can begin to build the narrative arc of the whole story here. So stay with me because the journey that we've begun is really about to open up. Thanks for being with me. I'll see you back here again tomorrow on the Bible Journey Daily Podcast. Bye-bye for now.