Day #120

Sermon - Audio
1 Chronicles 7-10 - Audio
1 Chronicles 7-10 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

7.2,7,11,40: The theme of the importance of a good society having mighty and brave warriors.

• 7.19: After several very short genealogies Ephraim’s is longer because of the tribes prominence. At times Israel is referred to as Ephraim.

• 7.21: This verse seems to refer to an Israelite raiding party that left Goshen (in Egypt) and attacked Gath (Philistine territory). This gives us a bit of insight into the life of the people of Israel in their early days in Egypt.

• 7.21: The rabbis point out that this raid showed an unfaithfulness or a running ahead of God. Ephraim and his family were not supposed to go back to the promised land until God led them there. Such disobedience was a hint of what would come when they actually went back to the promises land.

• 7.23: “misfortune in his family” is translated “disaster had befallen his house” in the ESV. This later translation gives us a sense that these words point to the ultimate disaster that will befall Ephraim because of the sin of Israel.

• 8.1ff: The line of Benjamin from whom Israel’s first king, Saul, will come.

• 8.8: We find in the book of Ruth that at times the people of Israel went to Moab during famines. Such famines were connected to covenant unfaithfulness. Here we may see a double covenant unfaithfulness: 1. Unfaithfulness leading to famine 2. Marital unfaithfulness seen in divorcing his wives and moving to Moab.

• 8.33: Saul shows up in the line of Benjamin. He is mentioned, but nothing of who he is or what he does is brought up at this point. The Chronicler is not concerned with Saul, except in terms of his unfaithfulness as will be revealed in chapter 10.

• 9.1: Because the Chronicler is most concerned about restoring the nation of Israel to its proper place in the world, he mentions the exile only briefly. He desires to move on so the people can see what God’s good society looks like.

• 9.2: The emphasis on worship (in a good society) leads the Chronicler to first mention the Levites.

• 9.3: The mention of the 4 major tribes of the previous nations of Judah and Israel point out that all tribes have returned (there are no “lost” tribes) and that they have all become one nation again. (In the New Testament this theme is shown again as we meet Israelites from different tribes such as Anna who is from the tribe of Asher. Luke 2.36.)

• 9.13: “Able men” NIV is translated “Mighty men” in the ESV. The later interpretation prepares us for other mighty men who will be men of war. Here, however, we discover that in a good society there are “mighty men” who serve God’s temple.

• 9.15-16: Those named are the temple singers. Their place at the front of the list of the Levites points to the importance placed on the singing part of worship. Later in 9.33 we find that the singers are exempt from other duties.

• 9.17: Gatekeepers. Gatekeepers were put in place by David. They become especially important during the Second Temple Period (From the exile to the destruction of Herod’s Tempe in 70 A.D. “The word “gatekeeper”, translated from the Hebrew word “show’er”, speaks of a porter or doorkeeper, one who guards the opening to the temple. They were men from the tribe of Levi, set apart by God to maintain holiness throughout the temple. Armed with swords and passionately focused these men were the last line of defense from the outside world to the holy place where the Lord dwelt among man. Their role was to keep out anything unclean from the holy temple of the Lord, from ill intentions of plunderers to unclean animals; these guys guarded the temple night and day with a steadfast rigor.”

• 9.20: Phinehas is mentioned here. He might be called, “The original mighty man” since his actions to bring holiness saved the nation of Israel. Out of his actions he receives a covenant blessing and promise from God (see Numbers 25).

• 9.26ff: The worship and service in the temple is very important to a good society. These verses reflect this importance.

• 9.33: The importance of song in worship is again brought to our attention. The work of the temple singers went on day and night. This probably means two things 1. God was constantly being praised in song. 2. Temple singers were busy writing new songs and

collating a collection of already existing songs.

• 9.34-44: Another genealogy of Saul is given as he is introduced as king. Many children are a sign of divine blessing. Saul’s many children tell us that God had richly blessed him. His betrayal, therefore, was all the more heinous. He had no reason to reject God. In Saul we see a picture of all Israel, that even thought they are blessed by God, the reject him.

• 10.1ff: The book of Samuel follows Saul’s kingship closely and with great detail. Chronicles gives us just the smallest of details focused in on Saul’s unfaithfulness and his loss of the kingship because of it.

• 10.1ff: After 9 chapters of genealogies we smile as we come to the story.

• 10.4: The idea of “abuse” means to torture.

• 10.4: “terrified” is “feared greatly” in the ESV. The ESV translation gives us a picture not of a scared armor bearer, but of a man like David who would not lay a hand on God’s chosen one for he feared (honored) God.

• 10.6: Not all of Saul’s house dies we know for the genealogies that he has descendants. The “all” means all who were with him in battle.

• 10.7: Without leadership the soldiers scatter and the people abandon the boarder cities.

• 10.9: The taking of Saul’s head is a picture of a curse coming on Saul.

• 10.9: In the middle of a gory and sad scene the author inserts humor. The Philistines have to carry the news of this victory to their idols. Apparently their idols don’t know what’s going on unless people tell them. This humor is also a reminder to the people to worship Yahweh, the God who knows all and is over all.

• 10.10: Ancient ways of celebrating victory seem particularly gruesome.

• 10.11-12: Saul had rescued the people of Jabesh-gilead in the early days of his reign.

• 10.13: The Biblical writers are always concerned not only with history, but especially with telling us the reason things happen. They speak from a religious more than an historical/political standpoint.