Bible

The two books of the Chronicles are special books as they present to us the men, women, and families who were responsible for preserving and growing that small community of individuals who were, and are, God’s Chosen People – the nation which became known as Israel.

Here in the Bible room today, we will read the summary of 1 Chronicles in three sessions, beginning with Part 1, chapters 1 through 10.

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1 Chronicles – Part 1

Introduction to 1 Chronicles:

Author: Jewish tradition says Ezra, a scribe by trade, and a priest of the family of Aaron, probably wrote the book. Born in Babylon during the exile, Ezra is allowed by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, to return to Jerusalem to teach the Torah to the Jews who had been repatriated. Ezra is also credited with writing the book of Nehemiah in addition to the book bearing his name.

Scope:  The two books of Chronicles, 1 and 2, were originally one scroll, divided into two at the time of translation from the Hebrew into Greek for the Septuagint, the Bible used by Jesus. In the Chronicles, Ezra places emphasis on theological significance in the reigns of David and Solomon, particularly from the perspective of the time many years after the Babylonian exile, around 430 b.c. Much of his writing relies on historical documents, including earlier works of Samuel, Moses, and others. 

Chapter 1. Genealogies

The family of Abraham, starting with the first man, Adam:

• Adam, his son, Seth; Seth’s son is Enosh;
• Enosh’s son is Kenan; Kenan’s son is Mahalalel;
• Mahalalel’s son is Jared; Jared’s son is Enoch;
• Enoch’s son is Methuselah; Methuselah’s son is Lamech;
• Lamech’s son is Noah;
• Noah has three sons:  Ham, Shem, Japheth;
• Japheth has seven sons – the Japhethites;
• Ham has four sons:  Cush, Mizraim, Put, Canaan;
• Ham’s descendants are known as the Hamites;
• Canaan’s families are the Canaanites of the Promised Land;
• Shem has five sons:  Father of the Semites;
• His son, Arphaxad, fathers Shelah; Shelah fathers Eber;
• Eber fathers Peleg; Peleg fathers Reu; Reu fathers Serug;
• Serug fathers Nahor; Nahor fathers Terah;
• Terah fathers Abram (Abraham;)
• Abraham has six sons by concubines;
• He has one son, Ishmael, by Hagar, his wife’s servant;
• He has one son, Isaac, by his wife, Sarah;
• Isaac has two sons, Esau, and Israel (Jacob;)
• Esau has five sons; they settle in Edom.

Chapter 2. Twelve

Israel (Jacob) has twelve sons:

• Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, Asher;
• Judah has five sons:  Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, Zerah;
• Er is very wicked, executed by the Lord;
• Perez has two sons, Hezron, Hamul;
• Hezron has three sons, Jerahmeel, Caleb, Ram;
• Descendants of Ram: Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse;
• Jesse has seven sons, the seventh is named David;
• Caleb has five sons; his descendants settle Gilead.

Chapter 3. Royalty

Royalty in Judah:

• At Hebron, David, king of Judah, has six sons:
• Amnon, Daniel, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, Ithream;
• David reigns in Hebron seven years, six months;
• At Jerusalem, David reigns thirty-three years;
• There, he has thirteen sons, one daughter, Tamar;
• He has four sons by Bathsheba, one named Solomon;
• The kings after David: His son Solomon, his son Rehoboam,
• Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash,
• Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh,
• Amon, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah;
• King Jehoiachin is captive in Babylon during the exile;
• He has seven sons, none of whom become king.

Chapter 4. Descendants

Judah’s families, branches, and clans are named:

• Perez, Hezron, Carmi (Caleb), Hur, Shobal;
• Hur is the father of Bethlehem;
• Jabez is a known follower of the God of Israel;
• He is blessed by God who answered his prayer:
• “I pray your special blessing for me, that I would have more land, that you would be with me, that you would keep me from evil, and that you would keep me from harm;”
• Kenaz, grandson of Caleb, has two sons: Othniel, Seraiah;
• Othniel becomes the first of the judges in Israel;
• Seraiah is the father of Joab, David’s army commander;

Descendants of Simeon:

• Simeon has five sons; grandson, Shallum, is king in Israel;
• (See 2 Kings, chapter 15)
• The clans of Simeon are not as numerous as Judah;
• The territory for Simeon is carved out of Judah’s territory.

Chapter 5. Firstborn

Reuben is the firstborn son of Jacob(Israel):

• He defiles his father’s marriage bed, loses his birthright;
• His rights are transferred to sons of Joseph;
• Reuben’s clans occupied the land east of the Salt Sea;
• During Saul’s reign, they expanded east beyond Gilead;

Gad’s clans inherited the region north of, adjoining, Reuben’s land, east of the Jordan River, through Gilead;

• The chief of the Gadites is Joel;
• East of the Jordan River are the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh;
• 44,760 fighting men come from these three tribes;
• They conquered all the land east of the Jordan and Salt Sea;
• They trusted in the Lord God of Israel who helped them;
• They ruled the entire region until they turned against God;
• Assyria took them into exile, scattered them to many cities.

Chapter 6. Priesthood

The tribe of Levi are the priests:

• Kohath is a son of Levi, Amram a son of Kohath;
• Children of Amram:  Aaron, Moses, Miriam;
• Sons of Aaron:  Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar;
• Eleazar is the father of Phinehas;
• From Phinehas, twenty-two generations to Jehozadak;
• Jehozadak is among the exiles taken to Babylon in 586b.c.;
• Elkanah, descendant of Levi, is the father of Samuel;
• Joel is the firstborn son of Samuel, Abijah is second;
• Haggiah, descendant of Levi, is a prophet;
• Levites are also in charge of music in the tabernacle:
• Heman is a musician; Asaph and Ethan, assistants;
• Other Levites have various duties in the temple;
• Aaron’s descendants offer the burnt offerings;
• The tribe of Levi does not receive a homeland in Canaan;
• Instead, Levites are dispersed throughout the land;
• They are given various cities and pasturelands.

Chapter 7. Tribes

Issachar has four sons:

• During David’s reign this tribe has 87,000 fighting men;
• Benjamin has three sons;
• During David’s reign this tribe has 59,434 fighting men;
• Naphtali has four sons with concubine Bilhah;
• Manasseh’s descendants are mixed races;
• Ephraim’s descendants include Joshua, son of Nun;
• Bethel, Shechem, Megiddo are cities in Ephraim’s region;
• The descendants of Joseph live in Ephraim;
• Asher has four sons, one daughter;
• 26,000 fighting men of war are listed from this tribe.

Chapter 8. Benjamites

Benjamin has five sons:  Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, Nohah, Rapha:

• King Saul of Israel is the son of Kish, the son of Gibeon, the son of Jeiel, descendant of Benjamin;
• Saul is the father of Jonathan, the father of Mephibosheth, the father of Micah, the father of Ahaz, the father of Jehoaddah, the father of Zimri.

Chapter 9. Repatriation

The exile has ended, Judah is freed from Babylon:

• The Israelites turned away from the Lord God of Israel;
• He sanctioned their captivity, deportation to Babylon;
• Now, the first of many are allowed to return to their land;
• Jerusalem is being repopulated after repatriation;
• Priests, Levites, temple servants are coming back.
• Included: Some from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh;
• These people were all residents of Jerusalem, Levites.
• From Judah: 690; from Benjamin: 956; Priests: 1760.
• Gatekeepers (guards): 212; all heads of families.

King Saul’s family:

• Ner has a son named Kish; Kish has a son named Saul;
• Saul has four sons: Jonathon, Malki-Shua, Abinadab,
• Esh-Baal (Ish-Bosheth) is a son by a concubine;
• Jonathon’s son is named Mephibosheth; his son is Micah;
• Micah has a son named Ahaz (future king;)
• Ahaz has a son named Zimri (future king.)

Chapter 10. Casualties

A major battle rages between Israel and the Philistines:

• The Philistines have Israel’s army on the run;
• On Mt. Gilboa, Israel takes heavy casualties;
• Three of Saul’s sons die in battle; Saul is wounded;
• Saul asks his armor bearer to take his life;
• Unwilling to kill his king, the armor bearer refuses;
• Saul falls on his own sword, commits suicide;
• His armor bearer does likewise;
• The Philistines take Saul’s head and his armor;
• They hang his head in the temple of Dagon, their god;
• Men of Gilead retrieve the bodies of Saul, his sons;
• They give them a proper burial in Jabesh;
• Saul dies because of his unfaithfulness to the Lord;
• His kingdom is taken from him, given to David.

END OF 1 CHRONICLES – PART 1