I Chronicles 5
Reason Reuben not mentioned firstverses 1-2
Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel
(for he was the firstborn but forasmuch as he defied
his father’s bed – his birthright was given
to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel
and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
For Judah prevailed
above his brethren – and of him came the chief ruler
but the birthright was Joseph’s)
Territory and descendents of REUBENverses 3-10
The sons – I say – of Reuben the firstborn of Israel
were Hanoch –Pallu- Hezron – Carmi
The sons of Joel – Shemaiah his son – Gog his son
Shimei his son – Micah his son – Reala his son
Baal his son – Beerah his son whom
Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria
carried away captive
he was the prince of the Reubenites
And his brethren by their families
when the genealogy of their generations
was reckoned – were the chief – Jeiel
Zechariah – Bela the son of Azaz – the son of Shema
the son of Joel who dwelt in Aroer
even to Nebo and Baal-meon
and eastward he inhabited unto the entering
in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates
BECAUSE their cattle were multiplied in
the land of Gilead
And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites
who fell by their hand and they dwelt in their tents
throughout all the east land of Gilead
Descendents of GADverses 11-17
And the children of Gad dwelt over against them
in the land of Bashan unto Salcah – Joel the chief
Shapham the next – Jaanai
Shaphat in Bashan
And their brethren of the house of their fathers
were Michael – Meshullam – Sheba – Jorai
Jachan – Zia – Heber = seven
These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri
the son of Jaroah – Gilead – Michael – Jeshishai
Jahdo – Buz – Ahi the son of Abdiel
the son of Guni
chief of the house of their fathers
And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan – and in her towns
and in all the suburbs of Sharon – on their borders
All these were reckoned by genealogies
in the days of Jotham king of Judah
and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel
Hagarites defeated by tribes east of Jordanverses 18-22
The sons of Reuben – the Gadites – the half tribe of Manasseh
of valiant men – men able to bear buckler and sword
and to shoot with bow and skilful in war
were four and forty thousand seven hundred
and threescore that went out to the war
And they made war with the Hagarites with Jetur – Nephish –Nodab
and they were helped against them
and the Hagarites were delivered
into their hand – and all that were with them
FOR they CRIED to God in the battle
and HE was entreated of them
BECAUSE they put their trust in HIM
And they took away their cattle – of their camels fifty thousand
of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand
of asses two thousand
of men a hundred thousand
FOR there fell down many slain – BECAUSE the war was of God
and they dwelt in their steads until the captivity
Leaders of the east half of tribe of MANASSEHverses 23-24
And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land
they increased from Bashan unto Baal-hermon and Senir
and unto mount Hermon
And these were the heads of the house of their fathers – even
Epher – Ishi – Eliel – Azriel – Jeremiah – Hodaviah
Jahdiel – mighty men of valor – famous men
heads of the house of their fathers
Assyrians used as judgment against tribesverses 25-26
And they transgressed against the God of their fathers
and went a whoring after the gods
of the people of the land
whom God destroyed before them
And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria
and the spirit ofTilgath-pilneser king of Assyria
and he carried them away
even the Reubenites – the Gadites
the half tribe of Manasseh
and brought them to Halah – Habor – Hara
and to the river Gozan – unto this day
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defied his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. (2490 “defiled” [chalal] means profane, pollute, make common, dishonor, violate, to make morally or ritually impure, or treat with contempt)
DEVOTION: Here we have a son who had a sexual relationship with a concubine of his father. This is not something that was acceptable in the culture. He violated his father and this caused him to lose his rightful place as the firstborn of Israel.
Jacob or Israel chose his firstborn of his wife Rachel as the firstborn. Joseph was her firstborn and therefore became the firstborn in order of inheritance from Jacob.
What does this mean? Well we find that Joseph had two sons in Egypt and each of the sons received an inheritance in the Promised Land. So there was a double portion given to Joseph through his sons. Manasseh and Ephraim were each given an inheritance in the Promised Land.
There are consequences to our actions. Sometimes they happen in our lifetime and sometimes even our future generations are affected by our sins. This happened in this case.
We need to ask the LORD for forgiveness for our sins while we are still alive and continue to mature in HIS, so that, our future generations are not suffering the consequences of the sins of the father.
Now we are not to blame our parents for our problems as well. We are to recognize that we are responsible for our own actions in spite of the fact that we might not have been trained right by our parents. We can ask the LORD to give us strength to fight the sins of our family. HE will give strength to those who ask HIM.
CHALLENGE: Don’t give up on the LORD blessing you in spite of your family heritage. Our attitude and actions affect HIS actions toward us.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s. (1062 “birthright” [bakowrah] means firstborn, primogeniture, right of the first-born, an inheritance coming by right of birth, or firstborn offspring)
DEVOTION: In Genesis 49 we find that Moses blesses the children of Israel with a future promise. The promise to Judah was that “the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until SHILOH come; and unto HIM shall the gathering of the people be.”
This promise of SHILOH is interpreted as the coming of Jesus Christ for the redemption of Israel. The scepter meant that HE would be king. David was going to come into the tribe of Judah in the future. He was going to rule with the power of the LORD.
However, the future ruler that is coming is Jesus Christ. HE will rule over the world during the Millennium. HE will be the most powerful ruler the world has ever seen.
So birth order does mean something in the area of inheritance for the children of Israel but not in the area of service to the LORD. The LORD ordains the ones who are supposed to rule and they can come from any of the twelve tribes but HE chose Judah.
There is no blaming the LORD because of the order you were born into a family. We have many books written regarding the actions of sibling in their birth order that can cause problems when the children grow up. We are not fixed in our birth order regarding the blessings of the LORD.
If you are the firstborn, middle born or youngest you can have the blessings of the LORD on your life because of your obedience to the LORD not your birth order. You might have some tendencies because of your birth order but don’t give up because of your birth order. The LORD looks at your heart!!!! David was the youngest in his family and the LORD placed him as the example for the rest to follow. David was a man after God’s own heart.
CHALLENGE: What does the LORD see in our hearts when HE looks at us to decide if we should be leaders?
: 18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skillful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that were out to the war. (2428 “valiant” [chayil] means man of valor, exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger; especially in battle, might, efficiency, force, or efficiency)
DEVOTION: These two and a half tribes had men that were good in battle. They were fearless. They were confident in battle. They were willing to take on any force that came their way.
One and the best reason was that they had the LORD on their side when they went to battle. They were to follow HIS commands and HE would help them in battle against any enemy.
We read throughout the Old Testament that the children of Israel were great in battle when they served the LORD faithfully but when they were serving false gods they would lose because the LORD was not with them.
Today we find that we are in a battle. It might not be with swords and arrows but we are still in a battle against the devil and his army each day. He wants to see believers lose their battles in hopes that they will lose the war.
If someone is a genuine believer he can lose a battle but if they have made the commitment to the LORD they will never lose the war. However, the example of the believer will suffer if they continually lose the battles because they give in to the temptations of the devil and his angel.
Each day is a new battle and we need to have men and women who are valiant in battle against the enemies we are fighting each day against the world, the flesh and the devil. The battles are real.
The LORD has given us the armor to wear when we face each day. We need to be sure we put on the armor of the LORD, so that, we can be valiant in battle. The world is watching believers. Many want the Christian to lose the battle, so that, they can point to them and laugh. This happens all too often.
However, even when we lose a battle it doesn’t mean that we have lost the war. We need to keep fighting. The LORD will give us strength.
CHALLENGE: If a battle is lost we need to turn to the LORD for strength for the next battle as we confess our sin and ask for forgiveness again. Be valiant warriors for the LORD!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 And they were helped against them, and the Hargarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him. (5826 “helped” [‘azar] means to surround, protect, aid, support or succour.)
DEVOTION: In our world today, aid can be just a 911 call away. If we are having difficulty with something we can call a friend to come over and support us in our decision making process.
Governments can get a group together to settle issues over nations. Here we find the children of Israel making a 911 call because they are in a battle that was going in the wrong direction. The LORD sent them an answer with a victory over their enemy.
The two and a half tribes on the other side of the Jordan were in battle and needed support. The army against them was strong. They knew the source of their support. It was not other human beings. It was not even the rest of the tribes of the children of Israel. It was the LORD.
In the middle of the battle the two and a half tribes prayed to the LORD for support. The LORD replied by providing aid to them. Why? The verse tells us that it was because they put their TRUST in the LORD.
The problem is that after the battle was over, they set up the false gods of the nations they had just defeated with the aid of the LORD. They didn’t honor the LORD. They were committed to trusting HIM things were going bad but when things got better, they worshipped false gods. In good times worship and prayer was forgotten. This caused them to go into captivity.
If we trust in the LORD to fight our battles, do we turn from HIM when the battle is won? Do we pray to the LORD for support and then turn away when we are having good times?
Our responsibility is to trust in the LORD in good times, as well as, bad times. When we put our trust in the LORD in the midst of our battles, HE will surround us with HIS army. HIS army is always stronger than the enemies, whether physical or spiritual. The key word in this verse is TRUST. We are at war with the enemy throughout our lifetime. It only ends when we arrive in heaven.
CHALLENGE: It is not easy to TRUST in the LORD when things are going well. Our human nature seems to lull us to sleep, as far as, our dependence on God. We need to fight this attitude. Our enemy is walking about seeking whom he might devour.
: 25 And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. (4480 “transgressed” [minniy] means to be untrue, violate one’s legal obligations, act unfaithfully, to do wrong by failing in a relationship or with regard to a standard; whether intentionally or unintentionally)
DEVOTION: The two and a half tribes that were on the east side of the Jordan River were not being faithful to the LORD in their worship. They were going after the gods of the people who remained in the Promised Land that were supposed to be killed because of their sins but were not. The children of Israel worshiped with them instead of worshiping the LORD alone. This displeased the LORD greatly. HE was longsuffering with them but eventually HE allowed them to be conquered for their actions.
HE wants absolute influence over our lives. HE doesn’t want us to worship HIM part time. HE doesn’t just want a part of us on Sunday and the rest of the week we serve the god of this world: money. HE wants us to depend on HIM completely every day of every week of every year. Total dependence on HIM requires us to understand what actions HE approves of and what actions HE disapproves of. This takes work on our part.
We have to be students of the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This means a willingness to take the time to meditate on the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Word.
This also means that we have to be willing to worship and serve the LORD in a local church for HIS glory. Our gifts are needed in a local church. It might seem that this is not true but from the LORD’S perspective it is true. If we are faithful in our service to the LORD with our gifts, HE will bless us in other areas of our life.
CHALLENGE: The best blessing is eternal life in heaven with HIM because our motives and actions bring HIM glory even if they don’t bring us glory here on this earth.
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)
Israel prayed in battle against Hagaritesverse 20
Answered prayerverses 20, 22
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 – Elohim (Creator)verses 20, 22, 25, 26
War was of Godverse 22
God of their fathersverse 25
God of Israelverse 26
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)
Tilgathpilneser – king of Assyriaverses 6, 26
Hagaritesverses 10, 19, 20
Pul – king of Assyriaverse 26
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Defiled father’s bedverse 1
Transgressedverse 25
Whoring after other godsverse 25
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Valientverse 18
Helpedverse 20
Cried to the LORDverse 20
Entreatedverse 20
Trustverse 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Reubenverses 1-10
Firstborn of Israel
Defiled his father’s bed
His birthright was given to the sons of Joseph
List of sons
Israelverse 1
Judah – chief ruler = Davidverse 2
Saulverse 10
Children of Gadverses 11-17
Land of Bashan
Jotham – king of Judahverse 17
Jeroboam – king of Israelverse 17
Group: Reuben, Gadites, and half tribe of Manassehverses 18-27
Valiant men
Able men
44,700 went to war
Cried to the LORD in battle
Manasseh described in detailverses 24-26
Transgressed against God
Whoring after the gods of people of land
God destroyed them
Carried away by Assyria
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Up to this point the Chronicler has dealt with Judah and Simeon. But following his scheme of giving the total tribal picture built around the three central tribes of Judah, Levi, and Benjamin who remained faithful to the Davidic kingship and the temple, he needed to give attention also to the other tribes. (Thompson, J. A. (1994). 1, 2 Chronicles (Vol. 9, p. 78). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
1–2. A special note explains why Reuben did not head the list of tribes, although he was the firstborn (v. 1; cf. Gen. 29:31–32). Inheritance customs in the ancient Near East were strictly observed, and a birthright was forfeited only for serious offences against one’s parents. Reuben’s crime was certainly serious, since going to bed with his father’s concubine (cf. Gen. 35:22; 49:3–4) was in effect a claim to his father’s property (cf. 2 Sam. 16:20–22; 1 Kgs 2:13–25). (Selman, M. J. (1994). 1 Chronicles: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 10, p. 109). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
1 Reuben’s crime of incest with his father’s subordinate wife Bilhah (Gen 35:22) cost him his rights of primogeniture (49:4), which involved a double portion of inheritance (Deut 21:17). This was transferred to Joseph, first son of Rachel, the wife whom Jacob-Israel loved (Gen 49:25–26; cf. 48:20–22, on Joseph’s double-tribed status, through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh). Joseph’s leadership was first exercised personally (Gen 50:21), then later through Joshua (an Ephraimite), and thus for three more centuries (cf. Judg 8:1–2; 12:1–6). (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. 345). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
5:1–2. The lineage of Reuben is introduced by an explanation of that tribe’s fall from divine favor and replacement by Judah. As Jacob’s firstborn, Reuben would ordinarily expect to be the son through whom the leadership and covenant blessing would be transmitted. But Reuben committed adultery with his father’s concubine Bilhah (Gen. 35:22), and so forfeited his privileges. The right of primogeniture then fell to Joseph (i.e., Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, Gen. 48:15–22), though through Judah came a ruler (David), and through him the Ruler, Jesus Christ (cf. comments on Gen. 49:8–12). (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 1 Chronicles. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 596). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
5:2 Judah prevailed. In accordance with Jacob’s blessing (Ge 49:10), the king of Israel is to come from Judah. This prophecy had historical reference to the Davidic Covenant (cf. 2Sa 7; 1Ch 17) with full messianic implications. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Ch 5:2). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 2. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, &c.] That is, the tribe of Judah prevailed above the rest in number, in valour, and courage, and in dignity; wherefore the genealogy is not reckoned according to birthright, but dignity and dominion; hence this genealogical account began with Judah, because of him came the chief ruler; David and the kings of Judah, his successors; and above all, from him the Prince Messiah was to spring, and did, according to Gen. 49:10. so both the Syriac and Arabic versions read, “out of Judah should go forth the King Messiah:” but the birthright was Joseph’s) or though it was; yet Judah having the dominion and dignity, that tribe is first genealogized. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 11). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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!!)
2 John 1
False teachers do not confess Jesus Christ as God incarnate.
INSIGHT The Bible teaches that Christians are to be tolerant, understanding, and compassionate. We are to go out of our way to be kind and loving to others; we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. However, how should we act toward false teachers who subvert our faith? The Bible teaches that while we should not be unkind, we should have no fellowship with them. John writes: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine (salvation in Christ), do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (vv. 10-11).
GOD’S WORK IN US
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13
I have the assurance that if God’s work in me has begun, the work will end. I “know” that if I have eternal life, I shall stand one day faultless and blameless, without spot and blemish, in the presence of God’s glory. So as I meet temptation and sin in this world, I realize that I am not left to myself. I cease to feel helpless and frustrated.I say, “If God is in me, if God has destined me for that, then He will come and hold me though all hell and the devils be opposed to me.” That was the mighty argument of a man like Martin Luther. It was because he knew he had eternal life that he could defy all those enemies the way he did, and all those who have this hope in them can say the same thing.
And were this world all devils o’er
And watching to devour us,
We lay it not to heart so sore;
Nor they can overpower us.
If we have eternal life and know that we have it, we know that God’s work in our souls will be carried on until it ends in ultimate perfection and glory. As Paul puts it in that mighty bit of logic in the middle of the eighth chapter of Romans, “Whom he called, them he also justified; and whom” “you see the jump” “he justified, them he also glorified.” If He starts, He will finish; so if the life is in me, I can be certain of the glory. Far from presuming on that in order to sin, while I am in this life and world I rather say with John, “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure”
(1 John 3:3).
A Thought to Ponder: God’s work in our souls will be carried on until it ends in ultimate perfection and glory. (From Life in God pp. 111-112, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Israel demands a king from the Lord
INSIGHT
The Lord intends to rule Israel by theocracy, which means that God will rule through a man who will be His spokesman. In rejecting this method, the Israelites are not rejecting Samuel but God. To be sure there is a problem with Samuel’s sons not walking after the Lord, but rather than ask God for another theocratic administrator, they demand a monarchy. In seeking to correct a legitimate problem, they make matters worse because their motives are wrong. They have a selfish desire for a king like the nations around them.
When we see legitimate problems, we must be careful that we do not demand wrong solutions. There is no substitute for pure motives when it comes to problem solving.
(Quiet Walk)
A RIGHT CONCEPTION OF GOD
Hallowed be thy name. Luke 11:2
When the disciples came to our Lord and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples,” He replied, “When ye pray say, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Luke 11:1-2). You must start, said our Lord, with a right conception of God. Now is this not where we all tend to go astray? So often our initial error and trouble is that our ideas of God are so loose. Let us be quite frank and honest about this. Most of us, before we listen to Jesus Christ, rather feel that we are in a position even to criticize God: “Why should God? Why this? Why that?” We are, we think, the judges even where God is concerned.
Now what our Lord tells us at the beginning is, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Can you imagine God, can you picture Him? God is utterly and absolutely holy, so much so that we cannot imagine Him, eternal in His holiness and His absolute perfection.
That is what our Lord taught about God, and we must start there. We have to realize that if to know God is the first essential thing in rest and peace, we must begin by knowing something of His nature and character, and that is what our Lord always taught about Him. Take His own attitude toward the Father. Look at the time He spent in prayer; observe the way in which He was always careful to say that He did nothing of Himself, that the works He did were those the Father had given Him to do, and that all the words He spoke were those that the Father gave Him.
A Thought to Ponder: You must start, said our Lord, with a right conception of God.
(From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 173-174, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Near to the Heart of God
“And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.” (Exodus 28:29)
The clothing of the high priest was made according to very specific instructions. Each piece of the garment both symbolized and preshadowed a ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ as the “one mediator between God and man” (1 Timothy 2:5).
The names of the tribes of Israel were engraved upon two stones (six names per stone), and they were to be mounted upon the shoulders of the ephod. The broad shoulders of a man are often used as a symbol of strength, particularly in carrying a heavy load. Illustrating His perfect faithfulness and capability, the burden-bearing work of Christ weighted with the sins and needs of His people is pictured through Aaron, who would “bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial” (Exodus 28:12). It is with great confidence in that capability that His people can therefore turn to Him, “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
As seen from the text verse, this work is not a drudgery but a labor of love. The names of the children of Israel were not only on the high priest’s shoulders but also carried “upon his heart.” In one sense this was a visible token of what He had said of old: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). For believers today, Christ’s high priestly ministry is explained more fully in the book of Hebrews, where believers are assured that “because he continueth ever, [he] hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:24). Therefore, “let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1), for He has your name upon His own heart “for a memorial before the LORD continually.” (RJG, The Institute for Creation Research)
Water Where We Need It
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