1 Chronicles 5: 1 – 26
Thanks a lot dad
5 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; 2 yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s— 3 the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4 The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, 5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, 6 and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria carried into captivity. He was leader of the Reubenites. 7 And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was registered: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, 8 and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. 9 Eastward they settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness this side of the River Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead. 10 Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead. 11 And the children of Gad dwelt next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah: 12 Joel was the chief, Shapham the next, then Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan, 13 and their brethren of their father’s house: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all. 14 These were 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, was chief of their father’s house. 16 And the Gadites dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its villages, and in all the common-lands of Sharon within their borders. 17 All these were registered by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. 18 The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war. 19 They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. 21 Then they took away their livestock—fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand of their sheep, and two thousand of their donkeys—also one hundred thousand of their men; 22 for many fell dead, because the war was God’s. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity. 23 So the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land. Their numbers increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir, or Mount Hermon. 24 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers’ houses. 25 And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.
Here is a rule of family wisdom. Only the God of the Bible could put so much wisdom in so few words. Good fathers leave an inheritance for children. If every father provided financially for his children, each generation would be better off.
Many men do not leave an inheritance for their children. They fail for two major reasons. Either they do not work hard enough and smart enough to generate income beyond their needs, or they waste what they earn through foolish spending or risky investments. Either they are too slothful to earn more than they consume, or they are too foolish and selfish to preserve capital for the next generation. Both faults are sin.
Children should help parents in need (I Timothy 5:4-8,16), but this is not God’s order for great families. Parents not providing for themselves, so they take from their children in old age, destroy families. Parents should save for their grandchildren, not for parents (II Corinthians 12:14). Good men leave an inheritance for children and grandchildren (Proverbs 13:22). This is God’s rule for great families.
Father’s catch the vision! Plan now, prepare now, and pray now to build a godly family for generations to come by saving money for your children. Make estate planning a godly goal. Commit this family project to Him for His honor and glory.
As I compose this study we are experiencing the Christmas Season. I live in Lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I grew up in Morrisville, PA. It was the area where the man responsible for funding the American Revolution, Robert Morris. Down the road a little bit is an area which I am sure you have heard of. It is called Washington Crossing. Now, I am sure you are saying to yourself, ‘Okay, what’s the point?’
My reason for bringing this up is that all this land should have been passed down to me from my ancestor. During the time of William Penn my great grandfather took possession of all this prime land along the Delaware River. However, due to his sin and addiction he died penny less and land less. Thanks a lot grandpop!
Today we are going to read about another father who because of his sin caused his descendants equal shame. His name was Rueben.
This chapter commences by allocating the tribe of Reuben to its rightful place in God’s hierarchy. It points out that whilst Reuben was the natural firstborn of Jacob/Israel (Genesis 35.23), and should have come first in the genealogies, and should have received a double portion of the inheritance, he had forfeited that birthright by defiling his father’s bed and having sexual relations with his father’s concubine (Genesis 35.22; 49.4). As a consequence, his priority as the firstborn passed to Joseph and his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 48.9-20), (not be it noted to Judah), whilst the priority of oversight passed to Judah, who was to produce the Prince (Genesis 49.10).
5 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; 2 yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s—
Reuben lost his priority and his birthright by his sin of having sex with his father’s concubine. Such an act caused him to forfeit the pre-eminence. Joseph was then later stated as receiving a double portion which was the right of the firstborn (Genesis 48.22). This is here interpreted as signifying that Reuben’s birthright passed to Joseph, the recipient of a double portion (Genesis 48.22).
The double portion was given to Joseph’s sons, in accordance with the rights of the firstborn, for none of the tribes ever disputed the idea that both Ephraim and Manasseh received their own portions (giving the Joseph tribes a double portion). However, Reuben’s leadership over the tribes passed to Judah, from whose tribe, God had promised, would come THE PRINCE (Genesis 49.10), the final fulfilment of the promises given to David.
3 the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
The names of the four sons given here correspond to those given in Genesis 46.9. From them were descended the four sub-tribes of the Reubenites; the Hanochites, the Palluities, the Hezronites, and the Carmites (Number 26.5-6).
4 The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, 5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, 6 and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria carried into captivity. He was leader of the Reubenites.
The descendants of Reuben are now listed down to the exile of the peoples of the old Northern kingdom at the hands of Tiglath-pilneser Joel was selected out to head these descendants because he was the prominent forefather of Beerah and Bela, the first of whom helped to lose the land, and the second of whom prospered greatly in the land and expanded.
7 And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was registered: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, 8 and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. 9 Eastward they settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness this side of the River Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead.
Please notice the emphasis on the fact that genealogies and records of families were fully maintained. Thus, could Beerah be linked with those about to be mentioned, being described as ‘a kinsman’.
Three kinsmen are particularly drawn attention to, Chief Jeiel, Zechariah, and Bela who was directly descended from the Joel mentioned in verse 4. Zechariah and Bela were presumably well known to the returnees from Babylon. Bela was clearly influential and successful. He controlled widespread lands in Reuben, from Aroer (on the northern bank of the Arnon, the natural boundary between Moab and Reuben), to Nebo and Baal-meon, over 20 miles to the north, and eastwards up to the entrance into the wilderness which reached to the River Euphrates. And all was needed because of the multitude of their cattle in ‘the land of Gilead’. He was clearly a very powerful and wealthy man.
10 Now in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead.
Back to the days of Saul they were suffering from incursions by the Hagrites, a desert tribespeople (Psalm 83.6), and had to fight back, subsequently defeating them and possessing their land to the east of Gilead. To those who had the desert on their border such incursions by Arab tribesmen were a way of life, and in the end they had to be severely dealt with. This gaining of additional land to add to their inheritance appears to have been an important emphasis, giving great encouragement to future readers that they too would be enabled to expand in the same way because God purposed it.
11 And the children of Gad dwelt next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salcah:
‘Over against’ the sons of Reuben lived the sons of Gad. They lived in the southern part of the land of Bashan as far as Salcah indicating the land north of Heshbon (Joshua 13.26). It included parts of Gilead (verse 16). Salcah marked its eastern boundary (Deuteronomy 3.10).
12 Joel was the chief, Shapham the next, then Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan,
Three or four leading men who lived in Bashan are listed. Chief over them was Joel (not the Reubenite Joel), with Shapham second. ‘Shaphat’ meaning judge could be the name of a fourth.
13 and their brethren of their father’s house: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all. 14 These were 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;
We now have the names of seven of their kinsmen (Gadites). Seven is an indication of divine completeness, and these thus represent the whole of Gad, under the three/four leaders. They were the sons of Abihail who could trace their descent back many generations to Buz.
16 And the Gadites dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its villages, and in all the common-lands of Sharon within their borders.
These Gadites dwelt in Bashan and Sharon, within its towns and encampments. This is mentioned to emphasize that God had provided land and cities for His people, as He had promised. This brings out that those mentioned are intended to represent the whole of Gad for whom God had made provision. Sharon may be the name of a town, or of a plain on which they built their encampments and pastured their herds and flocks. The impression given is that they dwelt in safety with secure borders.
17 All these were registered by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
These limited details were the result of an attempt to record their genealogies in the days of Jotham of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel (around 750 BC). With Jotham being mentioned first this may indicate a combined reckoning of genealogies in both kingdoms, Judah and Israel, at around the same time, or it may be that there were two separate registrations, that of Jeroboam II (782/1-753 BC?) coming first.
18 The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war.
We are informed that together the three tribes were able to put together a fighting force of 44, 760 warriors. All these were men skilled in the use of weapons, whether shield, sword or bow, trained in the art of war, and ready for battle. And they would need to be because they would face over 100 military units of the enemy.
19 They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.
With their powerful forces they were able to make war with the marauders who would continually sweep in from the desert, the Hagrites (see verse 10), the Jetur (later the Itureans), the Naphish and the Nodah. Jetur and Naphish were the names of two of the sons of Ishmael and of their tribes (Genesis 25.15). Nodah was also a desert tribe.
Such wars were inevitable. The Reubenites, Gadites and Manassites had large herds and flocks which were jealously eyed by the desert tribesmen who wanted to supplement their own herd and flocks. Sometimes their incursions would be limited, as with the Hagrites in verse 10, but at other times, as here, the Arab tribes would gather together for a large-scale incursion. The war was probably not of Israel’s making, but, once it began, the three tribal groups fought it to the end. They had little alternative.
20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.
The Israelite alliance ‘were helped’ (by God) against their enemies, for they cried to Him in the battle and He responded to their prayers because their trust was in Him. Because of looking to God and trusting Him, the Hagrites and their allies, who outnumbered the Israelites in military units, were delivered into their hand. The thought is that that was the way of success. Verses 25-26 will warn of what would be the way of failure.
21 Then they took away their livestock—fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand of their sheep, and two thousand of their donkeys—also one hundred thousand of their men;
The result of their defeating the enemy they took much spoils. Fifty herds of camels, two hundred and fifty flocks of sheep, and two large herds of donkeys. They also captured, presumably as slaves, a hundred thousand captives.
Verse 23 probably connects back to what has just been described, their expansion of their territory into lands previously occupied by Arab tribesmen. Like Reuben and Gad they ‘dwelt in the land’ which God had allotted to them at their request, and they increased their allotment because God was with them. And they lost it when God was no longer with them because of their idolatry and breach of covenant.
23 So the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land. Their numbers increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir, or Mount Hermon.
The sons of the half tribe of Manasseh who are about to be described, dwelt in the land which God had given them. And because God was with them they extended their territory in the northern part of Bashan as far as Baal-hermon, Senir and Mount Hermon. Baal-hermon was a mountain near mount Hermon in the Hermon range, probably famous for Baal worship. It may possibly have been contact with Baal-hermon that hastened on the Manassites in their going astray after false gods. Senir was probably another mountain in the Hermon range.
24 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers’ houses.
Instead we are given a list of the names of the heads of their (Manasseh) fathers’ houses, thus: Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. All these were mighty warriors, renowned for their exploits, and heads over their fathers’ houses.
25 And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
The ‘they’ here are the three tribal units of Reuben, Gad and East Manasseh. They openly rebelled against ‘the God of their fathers’, and broke His covenant, and they chased after other gods and indulged in sexual perversions in the worship of the gods of the peoples of the lands which God had enabled them to destroy and take over their lands.
26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.
Because of their apostasy ‘the God of had stirred up the spirit of a foreign conqueror, Pul, the king of Assyria, who was also called Tiglathpilneser, so that he carried them away into exile, ‘to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan’. And that was where they still were when the record of Chronicles was made. Halah is almost certainly the Assyrian city and district of Halahhu, a city to the north east of Nineveh. It is referred to in 2 Kings 17.6; 18.11. ‘Habor’ was the name of a river, and the district around that river (modern Habur), which drained the waters of the Mardin area into the middle Euphrates. It ran through the Assyrian province of Gozan, to which also the exiles were taken.
The chapter ends with a stark warning of what would happen to all who broke the covenant and ceased the true worship of YHWH, a warning which contrasts with the benefits and provision which would be made available to all who trusted in Him. This is the major point in which we all need to take
