I Chronicles 7
Descendants of ISSACHARverses 1-5
Now the sons of Issachar were = Tola – Puah – Jashub – Shimrom – four
and the sons of Tola = Uzzi – Rephaiah – Jeriel – Jahmai – Jibsam
Shemuel – heads of their father’s house – to wit – of Tola
they were valiant men of might in their generations
whose number was in the days of David
two and twenty thousand and six hundred
And the sons of Uzzi = Izrahiah and the sons of Izrahiah = Michael – Obadiah – Joel
Ishiah – five – all of them chief men
And with them – by their generations – after the house of their fathers
were bands of soldiers for war – six and thirty thousand men
for they had many wives and sons
And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of
might – reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand
Descendants of BENJAMINverses 6-12
The sons of Benjamin = Bela – Becher – Jediael – three
and the sons of Bela = Ezbon – Uzzi – Uzziel – Jerimoth – Iri – five
heads of the house of their fathers – mighty men of valor
and were reckoned by their genealogies
twenty and two thousand and thirty and four
And the sons of Becher = Zemira – Joash – Eliezer – Elioenai – Omri
Jerimoth – Abiah – Anathoth – Alameth – all these are the sons of Becher
And the number of them – after their genealogy by their generations
heads of the house of their fathers – mighty men of valor
was twenty thousand and two hundred
and the sons also of Jediael = Bilhan
and the sons of Bilhan = Jeush – Benjamin – Ehud – Chenaanah
Zethan – Tharshish – Ahishahar
All these the sons of Jediael – by the heads of their fathers
mighty men of valor – were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers
fit to go out for war and battle
Shuppim also – Huppim – the children of Ir – and Hushim the sons of Aher
Descendants of NAPHTALIverse 13
The sons of Naphtali = Jahziel – Guni – Jezer – Shallum = the sons of Bilhah
Descendants of MANASSEHverses 14-19
The sons of Manasseh = Ashriel – whom she bare
(but his concubine the Aramitess bear Machir the father of Gilead
and Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim
whose sister’s name was Maachah)
And the name of the second was Zelophehad – and Zelophehad had daughters
and Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son
and she called his name Peresh
and the name of his brother was Sheresh
and his sons were Ulam – Rakem
And the sons of Ulam = Bedan
These were the sons of Gilead – the son of Machir – the son of Manasseh
and his sister Hammoleketh bare = Ishod – Abi-ezer – Mahalah
and the sons of Shemidah were = Ahian – Shechem
Likhi – Aniam
Descendants of EPHRAIMverses 20-27
And the sons of Ephraim = Shuthelah – Bered his son – Tahath his son
Eladah his son – Tahath his son – Zabad his son – Shuthelah his son – Ezer
Elead – whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew
because they came down to take away their cattle
And Ephraim their father mourned many days
and his brethren came to comfort him
And when he went in to his wife – she conceived and bare a son
and he called his name Beriah – BECAUSE it went evil with his house
(and his daughter was Sherah – who built Beth-horon the nether
and the upper – Uzzen-sherah)
And Rephah was his son – also Resheph – Telah his son – Tahan his son
Laadan his son – Ammihud his son – Elishama his son – Non his son
Jehoshuah his son
Territory of Ephraimverses 28-29
And their possessions and habitations were – Beth-el and the towns thereof
and eastward Naaran – and westward Gezer – with the towns thereof
Shechem also and the towns thereof – unto Gaza
and the towns thereof
And by the borders of the children of Manasseh
Beth-shean and her towns – Taanach and her towns
Megiddo and her towns – Dor and her towns
In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel
Descendants of ASHERverses 30-40
The sons of Asher = Imnah – Isuah – Ishuai – Beriah – Serah their sister
and the sons of Beriah = Heber – Malchiel – who is the father of Bir-zavith
And Heber begat = Japhlet – Shomer – Hotham – Shua their sister
and the sons of Japhlet = Pasach – Bimhal – Ashvath
these are the children of Japhlet
And the sons of Shamer = Ahi – Rohgah – Jehubbah – Aram
and the sons of his brother Helem – Zophah – Imna – Shelesh – Amal
The sons of Zophah = Suah – Harnepher – Shual – Beri – Imrah – Bezer – Hod
Shamma – Shilshah – Ithran – Beera
And the sons of Jether = Jephunneh – Pispah – Ara
and the sons of Ulla = Arah – Haniel – Rezia
All these were the children of Asher – heads of their father’s house
choice and mighty men of valor – chief of the princes
And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war
and to battle was twenty and six thousand men
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 9 And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valor, was twenty thousand and two hundred. (2428 “valor” [chayil] means heroic courage when facing danger, efficiency, army, power, physical strength, or all the armed hose of people and satrapy)
DEVOTION: Each clan or family had leaders who were fighters for the rest of the people in the clan or family. Each generation needed to have those who had the ability to lead their families into battle against any enemy that came against the family.
Today we need leaders to come out of every family in our nation. There has to be individuals who show a talent to lead. Leadership is not easy. Many times, family members fight against one another instead of looking for a leader to lead them in the right direction.
What direction is the right direction according to the LORD today? It would to lead the family into a closer walk with HIM. That would take courage. That would take intestinal fortitude. It is hard today to lead not only your own family but those who are related to you to a closer walk with the LORD. Everyone is independent now.
Families today are not really getting together like they used to in previous generations. We have family reunions but very few show up and when they do it is a group of individuals who are not united in their faith in Jesus Christ.
This has been happening for generations and it doesn’t seem to improve or want to improve in the near future. Should we give up? The answer is always NO. We need to be a witness to our families and extended families because that is what the LORD expects of us. It doesn’t mean that we are going to force our faith down their throats but it means that we are going to live a life as consistent as we can for the LORD. Some will listen others with not.
Our battles are different today because we are fighting against the standard of society over against the standard of the LORD. Society seems to be winning but that doesn’t mean we stop fighting. Those who are genuine believers know that the battle isn’t over until we are in the presence of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We have been chosen by the LORD if we are a believer and others are not.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.
: 21 And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elad, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle. (3947 “take away” [laqach] means grasp, seize, to fetch, to take or capture by force or without consent, lay hold of, or take in the hand)
DEVOTION: A father loses two sons in a battle between those men of Gath and his sons. The deaths are all over cattle that are being taken from one group by another. It is hard to find out all the details of this occasion but the end result is a father mourning for his children.
It could have been the men of Gath that were stealing the cattle from the Hebrew Ephraim who is the son of Jacob or it could be the Hebrew sons of Ephraim stealing the cattle from the men of Gath.
Whichever it was it was an occasion where someone was killed over property of another. We have to defend our property today as well as they did in those days. There are people who want to come into houses and take possession of someone else’s possessions. This happens on a regular basis today.
Sometimes people are killed during this act of stealing. It is a loss for the family that is involved. They have to grieve over their loss and move on with their life.
This is what Ephraim did. This is what we need to do as well.
If there is a tragedy in our family we need to make sure that we don’t dwell on the tragedy but move on and continue to live our life in a way that is pleasing to the LORD.
All families face tragedies in their life but what they do with the tragedy is what makes the difference. We can learn from a tragedy or we can continue in sorrow over a tragedy.
The LORD wants us to move on and continue to live a productive life after someone we love dies. We witness many deaths today on television in many countries but the people involved usually move on to continue to lead productive lives. We need to do the same which will bring glory to the LORD.
Dwelling on a past death or tragedy will not cause either to go away. We can learn and move on to lead a life that will help others who might face the same types of tragedy that we have faced. We can give a testimony as to how the LORD helped us through that time period in our life.
CHALLENGE: Help others who have faced or are facing difficult times in their lives.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 23 And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house. (7451 “evil” [ra‘] means misfortune, bad, calamity, distress, harm, mischief, trouble, sorrow, or wrong)
DEVOTION: The names of children reflected the parent’s thoughts at the time. When there were times of true worship of the LORD, there were children named in relationship to the LORD. When people were not worshiping the LORD properly, they could name their children after false gods.
This descendant of Ephraim named his son “trouble or misfortune” because he was having trouble during this time period of his life. What was the misfortune? He had two sons killed. His sons came and comforted him. After this event he had another son and therefore gave him a name to commemorate an event in his life.
We don’t name our children according to our present situation usually today. This was a practice in Israel. If they didn’t name the children after their father, they named them for their circumstances.
Praise the LORD that we can live above our circumstances if we trust the LORD. Even when we trust there are circumstances that make us wonder. When calamity comes into our lives, we need to trust MORE. We need to trust that the LORD is sovereign and is causing our circumstances to work for our good. HE loves us and wants us to mature in HIM. HE wanted Ephraim to look to HIM for guidance in his daily walk with HIM.
The death of a child is hard on any parent. Some of us have lost a child early in their lives. Some have lost children who are older. Here are two sons who were lost in battle.
Our soldiers are dying on a regular basis to protect our liberty. This has happened for generations. We need to be thankful for the liberty we have because of our soldiers. The world is full of calamity. There are physical enemies, as well as, spiritual enemies we are fighting on a daily basis. We need to put the Armor of the LORD on for our daily spiritual battles.
As parents we need to remember that our children are a gift from God. We need to raise them properly in the fear and admonition of the LORD. Once they are grown, we need to keep them in prayer.
Then the grandchildren arrive that we have to pray for and encourage in the LORD. Our responsibility as a parent never ends. When our children hurt, we hurt.
CHALLENGE: Human fathers hurt for their children. Our heavenly Father also knows what is going on in our lives and in the lives of our children. HE understands hurt. HE sent HIS Son to the cross for our sins. Remember what HE has done for us.
: 40 All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men. (1305 “choice” [barar] means to be picked out, select, choose, chosen from a number of alternatives, sort, proven or tested)
DEVOTION: Here we have a tribe that isn’t mentioned much but had a great group of men who proved to be mighty men of valor. They were good fighting men. They had proved themselves on the battle field.
We need to prove ourselves to be good men of tested valor when it comes to our witness for the LORD on the battle field of our nations. We need men and women who are willing to fight for the faith by the use of their words and actions.
Living the Christian life is not easy but if we are consistent over the years our witness will cause others to listen to us and respond either in a positive way or a negative way. The choice is given to each individual regarding their response to our witness for the LORD.
This passage is talking about men from this tribe that proved themselves to be great warriors for the nation. We are not fighting for a nation but for a people who are the people of God.
The battle is real. The LORD wants us to fight with our armor on against all the wiles of the devil. If we are successful warriors, we can show the next generation how to fight as well. We are the chosen ones for the fight today. If we are not willing to fight – who will???
CHALLENGE: Each nation needs individuals who will fight the good fight for their faith in Jesus Christ.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Aramitessverse 14
Men of Gath verse 21
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Stealing cattleverse 21
Evilverse 23
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Comfortverse 22
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Issacharverses 1-5
Valiant menverses 2, 5
22,600 soldiers
87,000 valiant men of might
Chief menverses 3, 40
Benjaminverses 6-12
22,034 men of valor
Soldiers of warverses 4, 11
Mighty men of valor verses 7, 9, 11, 40
Naphtaliverse 13
Half – Tribe of sons of Manassehverses 14-19
Sons of Ephraimverses 20-29
Sons of Asherverses 30-40
Mighty warriors
Outstanding leaders
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
2 Among the valiant descendants of Tola may have been the later judge who bore that clan name (Judg 10:1). (Payne, J. B. (1988). 1, 2 Chronicles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 357). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
7:2. whose number was in the days of David, &c.] The writer would seem by this passage to have had access to the statistics of the tribes collected by David, when he sinfully “numbered the people” (marg. ref.). The numbers given in vv. 4, 5 probably came from the same source. (Barnes, A. (1879). Notes on the Old Testament: I Samuel to Esther. (F. C. Cook, J. M. Fuller, Eds.) (pp. 330–331). London: John Murray.)
Ver. 2. And the sons of Tola, &c.] The eldest son of Issachar, whose posterity are only reckoned by name: Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father’s house, to wit, of Tola; the principal man of his family: they were valiant men of might in their generations, famous for their courage and military exploits, though they sprang from Tola, whose name signifies a worm; and which name Bochart conjectures was given him by his parents, because he was so weakly that they had no hopes of raising him; and yet from him sprung such mighty men, and from them such a numerous race, as follows: whose number was, in the days of David, 22,600; besides those of the posterity of Uzzi, after mentioned. This was at the time Joab took the number of Israel, by the order of David, ch. 21:5. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 15). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
Ver. 2. Valiant men of might. 1. Times of conflict. Days of war in Israel many. Thank God for peace and advance of civilisation and humanity. 2. Men fitted by God to engage in conflict. “Apt to the war and to battle” (ver. 40). Physical strength, skill in command, statesmanship, and success. The gift of God needful, and should be consecrated to holy purposes. (Wolfendale, J. (1892). I & II Chronicles (p. 28). New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
When Ephraim’s two sons, Ezer and Elead, tried to seize some cattle, they were killed, and their father was plunged into grief. He found solace in loving his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom Ephraim named Beriah, which means “misfortune.” He and Jabez and Benjamin (Benoni) could have formed a fellowship of men with miserable names. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (1 Ch 7:20–23). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
purge, purify, remove, rid, i.e., have a condition or state no longer exist, with a focus on the action that causes the new state of non-existence, as a figurative extension of physically cleansing an object, removing impurity (Eze 20:38+)
3. LN 30.86–30.107 (qal) choose, select, make a volitional preference of one object over another (1Sa 17:8+), note: for another parsing in 1Sa 17:8, see 1357; (qal pass.) be chosen, be selected, implying that the object is choice and desireable (1Ch 7:40; 9:22; 16:41; Ne 5:18+); ((Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
False teachers were a major problem in the early church, and many of the epistles deal with them. Jude offers scathing rebukes and warnings to false teachers, but in addition he offers insights on how we can protect ourselves from them. In verses 20-21, Jude uses four phrases which are instructive: “building yourselves up” (studying and doing things to encourage your spiritual growth); “praying in the Holy Spirit” (cultivating a healthy prayer life); “keeping yourselves in the love of God” (monitoring your lifestyle and guarding against sin); and “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (cultivating an eternal perspective). (Quiet Walk)
FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS IN PRAYER
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:15
One sees the very Son of God Himself at prayer. So if you are interested in the philosophical aspect of prayer, go immediately to the case of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is the only begotten, the eternal Son of God; there is the one who says of Himself that though He is upon earth, He is still in heaven; there is the one who says, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Why had He any need to pray? Why, before choosing His disciples, did He spend all night in prayer? If you are interested in philosophical problems, answer that. Why was it ever necessary for the Son of God to pray so much while He was here on earth? And yet He did.
In other words, the Scripture teaches that prayer is essential and vital to us, and everywhere we are exhorted to it. Not only that, but if you read the lives of God’s greatest saints in the long history of the Church, you will find that they were men and women of prayer. I believe I am right in saying that John Wesley used to say that any Christian worthy of the name should spend at least four hours every day in prayer, and he tended to judge his people by that. There has never been a man or woman of God who has been singularly used of God in this world, but that they spent much time in prayer. The nearer people are to God, the more they pray to Him; so the testimony of the Christian Church supports the teaching of Scripture itself.
Furthermore, we have numerous incidents in Scripture of what God has clearly done by way of answer to prayer, and it seems to me that the explanation ultimately is not really difficult. The God who determines the end determines the means; and if God in His infinite wisdom is determined that He is going to bring certain things to pass as a result of and in answer to the prayers of His people, I ask with reverence, why shouldn’t He?
A Thought to Ponder: The nearer people are to God, the more they pray to Him. (From Life in God, pp. 116-117, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones.)
Samuel publicly introduces Saul to the nation of Israel.
INSIGHT
Leadership is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Leaders like to have the allegiance and esteem of their followers, but such is rarely the case. Inherent in humanity are differences of opinion, and those differences cause some to be for certain leadership and against other leadership.
The day Saul is presented as king over Israel, a faction of “worthless men” grumble against him. If you are in a position of leadership, you should not be insensitive to dissension, but you must also realize that you will never make all the people happy all the time. (Quiet Walk)
OUTSPOKEN ABOUT SIN
It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. Matthew 18:8
All talk about sin, say the self-expressionists, is utterly foolish, leading to self-repression, which is, they aver, the only sin. What used to be called sin is just expression of self, the greatest and the most vital possession that man has, they say. Not to sin, according to the old meaning of the term, is to do violence to the greatest gift he possesses. They plead, therefore, for the abolition of the word sin in its earlier associations. They deplore what they term the tragic spectacle of mankind shackled against its highest good by adherence to the warnings of the Bible, the Church, and the saints.
We can best consider this human view of life, and show its complete fallacy, by contrasting it with God’s view as stated in the Bible. The teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are outspoken against sin. He said, “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire” (Matthew 18:8-9).
Now there we are reminded of the way in which every conceivable view of life and of men is invariably dealt with somewhere or another in the Scriptures. Modern man is constantly flattering himself and suggesting to himself that certain of his ideas are quite new. But here again we find an illustration of a view that prides itself on its modernity dealt with completely and exhaustively in the Bible.
A Thought to Ponder
The teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, are outspoken against sin.
(From Truth Unchanged, Unchanging, pp. 18-20, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The God Who Saves
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” (Psalm 18:2)
What a testimony given by David to his God! In this single verse, there is a sevenfold ascription of praise to the Lord for His great salvation. Each testimony can be appropriated also by all who trust Him.
My rock: The word used here does not mean a stone or even a boulder but a mighty monolith, immovable and impregnable.
My fortress: This word refers to a great bulwark—a stronghold. The Hebrew word is essentially the same as Masada, the high butte where the Jews resisted the Roman armies after the destruction of Jerusalem.
My deliverer: “Our God is able to deliver,” even from the fiery furnace, the den of lions, and from the armies of Saul.
My strength: This is another word often translated “rock,” this time a rugged, craggy one, most appropriate as a symbol of great strength.
My buckler: The small, movable shield used to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16).
The horn of my salvation: This striking Old Testament symbol is even repeated in the New Testament (Luke 1:69) and applied to the coming Savior, referring either to the “horns of the altar” where fleeing sinners could cling for refuge or to the fighting horns of a strong beast.
My high tower: Here the word is not for a man-made tower but for a natural, high, topographic eminence, suitable both for watching and for defense.
The great promises of salvation and security in Christ are timeless. The words that brought such hope to David are still a comfort to believers today. He is still “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10) to all who trust Him.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
The Goodness of God
I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God (yeah)
And all my life You have been faithful (oh)
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God (yeah)
‘Cause Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness… (Sent from our son Brian -sung at a Funeral)
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