Do humans still make bad decisions? Did polygamy bring family problems? Can a perfect Savior descended from a sinful family save a sinful church? Let’s look at 1 Chronicles 2.
Did Israel (Jacob) have twelve sons by four women? Were they lonely women, barely having a quarter of Jacob’s attention? Was there rivalry between them?
These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. (1 Chr 2:1-2 NASB)
As we look at Judah, do we remember the sorrow of a neglected wife, Leah, who bore 6 sons and a daughter to Jacob? Do we begin to understand God’s grace in using a very faulty family for a future Savior?
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah. He had five sons in all. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda—five in all. The son of Karmi: Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things. The son of Ethan: Azariah. The sons born to Hezron were: Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb. (1 Chr 2:3-9 NIV)
Did David come from this family? Did he also take multiple wives? Was it forbidden for kings to multiply wives (Deuteronomy 17:17)?
Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, leader of the children of Judah; Nahshon begot Salma, and Salma begot Boaz; Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse; Jesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, and David the seventh. Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three. Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. (1 Chr 2:10-17 NKJV)
Who were the descendants of Hezron, grandson of Judah?
Hezron’s son Caleb had sons from his wife Azubah and from Jerioth. Her sons were named Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. After Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrathah, and they had a son named Hur. Hur was the father of Uri. Uri was the father of Bezalel. When Hezron was sixty years old, he married Gilead’s sister, the daughter of Makir. They had a son named Segub. Segub was the father of Jair, who ruled twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead. (But Geshur and Aram captured the Towns of Jair and also took Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages.) All these were descendants of Makir, the father of Gilead. Soon after Hezron died in the town of Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah gave birth to a son named Ashhur (the father of Tekoa). (1 Chr 2:18-24 NLT)
Who were the descendants of Jerahmeel, great grandson of Judah?
The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were Ram the firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah. She was the mother of Onam. The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. The name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail; and she bore him Ahban and Molid. The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim; but Seled died without children. The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan; and Jether died without children. The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. Now Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. (1 Chr 2:25-33 WEB)
What happened to the lineage of Sheshan, who only had daughters?
Sheshan had no sons, only daughters; but Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha his servant, and she gave birth to Attai for him. Attai was the father of Nathan, Nathan was the father of Zabad, Zabad was the father of Ephlal, Ephlal was the father of Obed, Obed was the father of Jehu, Jehu was the father of Azariah, Azariah was the father of Helez, Helez was the father of Eleasah, Eleasah was the father of Sismai, Sismai was the father of Shallum, Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama. (1 Chr 2:34-41 CEB)
Who were the descendants of Caleb, another great grandson of Judah?
Caleb, Jerahmeel's brother, had the following descendants: Mesha, Ziph, Mareshah, Hebron, and Hebron's four sons, Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. Shema was the father of Raham and the grandfather of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai, the grandfather of Maon, and the great-grandfather of Bethzur. Ephah was one of Caleb's wives, and their sons were Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran named his son after his brother Gazez. Ephah was the daughter of Jahdai, who was also the father of Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, and Shaaph. Maacah was another of Caleb's wives, and their sons were Sheber and Tirhanah. Later, they had two more sons: Shaaph the father of Madmannah, and Sheva the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Achsah. All of these were Caleb's descendants. (1 Chr 2:42-50a CEV)
Who were the descendants of Hur, great great grandson of Judah?
The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, Salma, the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had other sons: Haroeh, half of the Menuhoth. And the clans of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. The clans also of the scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. (1 Chr 2:50b-55 ESV)
Do humans still make bad decisions? Did polygamy bring family problems? Can a perfect Savior descended from a sinful family save a sinful church? You decide!
