READ: 1 Chronicles 3-4
Verses
chosen for meditation: 1 Chronicles 3:5
5 These were born to him
in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the
daughter of Ammiel;
REFLECT
Flipping
through the opening pages of first Chronicles, we are greeted with lists of
names. “This again? Let’s turn the pages quickly! In fact, turn the next 10
pages to find something more readable and interesting.” For most readers, the
temptation to skip past these genealogies is great (That’s our whole week’s
worth of devotions!), but why does the Chronicler see the need to dedicate 9
whole chapters to genealogies?
Genealogies,
as shown also in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, are important starting points
for serious histories. To us, it may be just another list of names (some very
obscure), but if they were not important, they would not be included in this
historical narrative. To the first readers, it holds a lot of meaning as they
see the messages and hope in the genealogies conveyed by the Chronicler.
Chronicles
was written somewhere in the 5th century B.C. During that time, the Persian
empire ruled over Israel. What remained from David’s once glorious kingdom was
the small province of Judah. The Davidic kingship was replaced by a governor
appointed by the Persian king. Israel’s future as a kingdom and people of God looked bleak. Chronicles was then a reminder to these people, of hope in the
faithfulness of God. This faithfulness can be seen through the genealogies, of
God’s promise to the world and the house of David coming to pass. The purpose
for including these 9 chapters of name lists is to show that God’s plan was
carried out by God’s people, in God’s way.
RELATE
David
had 19 sons, but the Bible only accounts for the descendants of 2 of them, whose
names are found in v5: Solomon and Nathan (genealogy in Luke 3:23-38). Only Solomon
and Nathan had a connection to the Messiah. It was necessary for Jesus to descend from David, both biologically and royally to fulfil the Messianic prophecy. Nathan is the biological ancestor of Jesus (via Mary), whereas Solomon is the predecessor of Jesus in terms of
kingship (Solomon is the ancestor of Joseph, father of Jesus but not biologically due to the supernatural conception).
The
royal lineage, shown here under Solomon’s family tree in Chapter 3, was not
exactly stellar. Some names remind us of the evil they were known for.
However, God worked through the good and the bad, remaining faithful despite
the unfaithfulness of Israel’s leaders, to fulfil the ultimate promise that
would save the world. God never gave up and never lost control. It might look
like God lost control to the people living in those times under those kings,
but this record, backed by further genealogies in Matthew and Luke, show that
God’s plan stood firm: Jesus would come, even through the good and bad choices
of men.
This
should encourage us all. Sometimes, we get sidetracked by the immediate things
happening around us. It can be the politics we read about, the disasters and
war, or personal struggles we face which make us wonder where God is. Part of
our faith though, backed by these records, is the belief that God is in control
even when we don’t see it. God’s faithfulness should leave no doubt too, as the
records in this chapter show that by His grace, He prolonged the Davidic
kingship far longer than David’s sons deserved, because He was faithful in
rewarding David’s faithfulness. The crown was passed down from Solomon to
Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin) until God’s curse on Jeconiah due to his
wickedness (Jeremiah 22:30) ended the Davidic kingship. That’s 18 descents! Rarely
does a crown go through so many linear descents (from father to son) and it’s
only by God’s mercy and grace that this was possible.
We
take heart also that through these genealogies, God’s salvation and blessings are not
just for God’s people, Israel, just like how the Gentiles take heart from the
genealogy of Jesus in the gospels (which includes Gentiles and other races), showing
his relationship with respect to all humanity, not just the Jews. By working through the descendants of David,
God is reaching all of mankind. His agenda has always been for all of us to
receive His blessings.
REST
Father, through these genealogies, we get a good
overall view of your faithfulness through the generations, so that the world
might come to know Jesus and be saved. Thank you for your grace. May the spirit
continue to build us up in faith, so that we trust in your sovereignty, even when
things look bleak. Amen.
Chris
Chong
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