Thoughts on the Chronicles
Unknown Author
Table of Contents
Thoughts on the Chronicles: Part 1
Of the family of Jerahmeel there is little but the names. The Ram here (1 Chron 2:25) is nephew to the Ram, son of Hezron, and brother to Jerahmeel (2:9). But there is in this branch of Hezron’s descendants one man most prominent on account of what he was and what he became through the favor of God, and in so sovereign a manner that, while Israel is under law, a Gentile is honored and prominent in Israel. Sheshan had no sons but daughters. Would not his name and family soon be lost among the thousands of Judah? Nay; for his daughter, though given to his Egyptian servant, stands at the head of thirteen generations (35-41).
When Israel came out of Egypt, a mixed multitude was with them, who became the means of temptation and led them to murmur (Numbers 11:4). But one of the Egyptians that followed Israel had learned to bow to Jehovah, and had found it for his honor to be a servant in the house of Sheshan. He is raised afterward to be a son in the house of his bondage. Thus a Gentile slave is brought into the commonwealth of Israel, and has inheritance among them, and is in touch not very remote with the family of David.
Is this a specimen of that grace which will come upon the Gentile, even upon Egypt, when the Son of David reigns over the whole earth? For here it is not, as of old, Egypt oppressing Israel, but Israel admitting Egypt to partake of his blessing. The day is coming when the Egyptian and the Assyrian shall serve, and Israel be a blessing in the midst of the land (Isa. 19:24). The Gentile shall serve Israel, and Israel shall bless the Gentile.
How sovereign the grace which will not overlook the outcast Gentile! The Gentile element is found in the direct lire of David’s ancestry, for Boaz is the son of Rahab and the husband of Ruth. But the collateral line has its Jatha. And how irrespective of persons, the low and vile, and the high and noble I Gentiles are interwoven with the two tribes, the most prominent as being leaders in the house of Israel: Joseph, through Ephraim, ruling in virtue of the birthright, and Judah, of whom is the true David; Egypt’s noble daughter, Asenath, with Joseph; the ignoble Thamar, with Judah; lower down the line, Rahab, of the doomed city; and Ruth, a Moabitess. Here too in a collateral line to that of Ram, an Egyptian slave is found. God would not be limited to Israel when it was a question of showing grace; He was as to law, but even under the old covenant, which was special to Israel, He chooses from among the Gentiles whom He will bless. Now that the work of the cross is done, how much more is the illimitable character of grace—God’s grace—proclaimed. From Ephesians we know how it brings poor outcasts now into—not the commonwealth of Israel, but more—the enjoyment and possession of highest privilege, far beyond that of the favored Israelite. Once we were aliens to the commonwealth, but now we are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and—what Israel was never called, and never was as a nation—we are of the household of God.
In chapter 3 we return to 2:15 and David’s sons and successors are given down to Josiah in regular succession from father to son. It was God’s order, and was maintained even when the father was slain by conspirators. So that the interruption of this orderly succession would be strong evidence that God had cast off the nation. And as a fact that order was broken in upon after the death of Josiah, and the wrath began to be poured out as it had not been before. And God no sooner ceases to appoint to the throne than Satan steps in, and by his emissaries, the kings of Egypt and of Babylon, sets up men on the throne whom God rejected and gave up to judgment. Jehoahaz succeeded Josiah in the established order; but, not being confirmed on the throne by God, his reign only lasted for three months. The king of Egypt puts him down and carries him to Egypt, and sets Eliakim (Jehoiakim) on the throne. These were the immediate consequences of Josiah’s rashness and folly in going to fight against Pharaoh-Necho, king of Egypt. God had given victory to Israel over larger armies than that which defeated Josiah. But this was predetermined, and the Judge was at the door. See how God makes all to bow to His will. If Judah bows to the king of Egypt, then must both Egypt and Judah bow to the king of Babylon, for that is the place where their period of captivity is to be endured, and we can see now, the only suited place, for God was going to give rule and dominion to Nebuchadnezzar, and the people who had rebelled against God, as their king, would have to feel as captives the power of the world. For eleven years Jehoiakim—Egypt’s nominee—reigns. The king of Babylon appears and takes Jehoiakim to Babylon, and places a child of eight years on the throne. And after three years and ten days he also is carried to Babylon, being still a child. Zedekiah the third son of Josiah and uncle to the child-king taken to Babylon is made king. How like making a football of that throne which Jehovah claims as His own. We know Zedekiah’s rebellion and end; with him the semblance of the kingdom of Judah ceased, and Jerusalem was destroyed. Yet wonderfully is the royal line of David preserved. Satan was allowed by his instruments—yea the instruments of God’s wrath—the king of Egypt and the king of Babylon, to set aside God’s order.
Here (1 Chronicles 3) we appear to have all the sons of Josiah; 2 Kings 23 and 2 Chronicles 36 give the names of those that were made kings. But Matthew gives the right line from Josiah, omitting collaterals, down to Joseph the husband of Mary. “And the sons of Josiah were the first born Johan-an, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum” (Ver. 15). Not the first-born who died in Egypt (2 Kings 23:34) but the second carries on the line, and he is carried to Babylon, and his son Jeconiah who was born previous to the carrying away. This grandson of Josiah is the one that the Spirit of God singles out of all Josiah’s sons and grandsons to maintain the true genealogy from David to Messiah. All the rest are, we may say, lumped together by Matthew. “And Josias begat Jechonias [Jeconiah] and his brethren about the time they were carried away to Babylon.” (Matthew 1).
Then after that, while in Babylon, Salathiel is born. Whatever changes in name may be as regards the others, there is nothing surprising in it, for the king of Babylon might as a matter of policy change their Hebrew names to Babylonish, even as he did in the case of Daniel and his three companions. He would, not unnaturally, seek to efface from their minds all remembrance of what they were, and all thought of their country, and of God’s temple; and if so, equally an attempt on Satan’s part to swamp God’s line of kings in the common mass of Gentile names. God, who holds all in His hand, may have led the writer of the Chronicles and Matthew to give, the one their own names as Jews, the other the names as they were known among the heathen. Yet in that confusion when driven as captives to Babylon, the Spirit of God connects the last real king of Judah—Josiah—with his descendant born in Babylon. So Matthew has Josias, Jechonias, Salathiel, (the dark time of Josiah’s sons is abridged): compare 1 Chron. 3:15-17 with Matt. 1:11, 12. It is enough for the true believer to know that both Chronicles and the Gospel are inspired. Scripture is inspired by God, the foolish criticisms of learned infidels notwithstanding. The genealogy in Chronicles terminates of course with the return from Babylon. In Matthew the promised Seed appears, the last of the line. He will have no successor, for He lives forever. And though the outward link between Jehovah and the throne of Judah—of Israel—is broken, and man appears to control the destinies of that land, the due time is coming when the Son of David will assert His rights to the throne and kingdom. The kings of the earth will resist His claim, as they have: Jehovah has them in derision.
But what a principle of exceeding grace it is that made all Israel’s blessing to hang upon the king Most were bad, and chastisement fell on the nation. Some were good, none perfect, anti prosperity followed. When He comes of Whom the prophet says, “Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins” (Isa. 11:5; 32:1), who can compute the blessedness of all Israel, when the Perfect MAN sits on His Throne? yea, who can tell the joy of the Whole earth when God says of Him that He reigns in righteousness? When Matthew wrote his Gospel, the throne was occupied by an enemy. The might and prowess of a David was a thing of the long past, the splendor of Solomon too was all gone, and the true Heir of their power and glory (yea, of much more) was in appearance a poor carpenter, the reputed son of a carpenter. But the crown is His; the royal title is, through Joseph, legally vested in Jesus the Son of Mary, and in Him it remains: and soon He will take the kingdom which is His both humanly and divinely. “For thine,” O Lord, “is the kingdom and the power and the glory, Amen.”
R. B.
Thoughts on the Chronicles: Part 2
The main object of the Chronicles is now accomplished. The King is revealed, typically by David, who is brought to the throne by the same power which will ere long make the enemies of Christ to be His footstool (Psalm 110); thus David becomes the pledge of the fulfillment of the promises of God to Israel.
Now that the purposes of God concerning His King are made known, the children of the kingdom are named through the heads and chiefs of families. The tribes are given in the appointed order, first, the royal tribe of Judah (chap. 4). Judah was mentioned before in chap. 2 because David is of that tribe: not the families of Judah, but David’s genealogy is the point there. Here in chapter 4 it is the tribe that comes first, having the preeminence as being the royal tribe, next in importance to the royal family of David. Most of the great and honorable names of that tribe are in connection with his family.
There is honorable mention made of one man for his piety. Jabez is named, not because he had possessions, but in that he prayed. “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, O that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me and that Thou wouldst keep me from evil that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested” (4:9, etc.) His prayer was in keeping with God’s promises and Israel’s relationships. This is the character of acceptable prayer, and the action of true faith which rests and builds upon the revealed word of God. Earthly prosperity was the unerring mark of God’s favor to an Israelite. So witnessed the Psalmist. “I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread” (Psa. 37:25). It is not so now. The Lord Jesus himself was here as a poor and dependent man. He had no possessions in this world. Certain women ministered to Him of their substance (Luke 8:2, 3). And the word for us who now believe is, “having food and raiment, let us be content, therewith” (1 Timothy 6:8). The Christian’s thought, even when having possessions here, if true to his heavenly calling, is, that he is only a pilgrim...a sojourner here below, and looks not at earthly possessions great or small. There are earthly wants to be supplied, and our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of these things (Matthew 6:22). The foundation of faith is the same now as then—the word of God. If the word promised every earthly good, contingent upon their obedience, the same word gives us the assurance of heavenly blessing through Him Who has secured them by His death. The pathway to glory may be through poverty, reproach, and much tribulation; but the heavenly inheritance, reserved in heaven for us, is beyond the reach of thieves, or the touch of moth and rust.
“Jabez was more honorable than his brethren.” Is this an intimation that his brethren had forgotten that God was the Giver of their good things? Here they are not said to pray, and they have no such answer. God grants him (Jabez) that which he requested. Among that rebellious and stiff-necked people there were men of faith, and Jabez was one.
Hezron and his children were given in chapter 2 because David was of that line. In this chapter (4) we seem to have the descendants of Zerah. “These are the families of the Zerathites.” But whether children of Zerah or Pharez, they are of Judah. And besides Jabez we have Caleb, a well-known name, the son of Jephunneh, the son of Kenaz, if we may so conclude from Numbers 32:12. “Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenazite.” He was the companion of Joshua in faithfulness, and they were the only two who left Egypt and reached the promised land. All others who entered Canaan were born in the wilderness. Then comes Shelah (verse 21). So the three branches from Judah, Pharez, Zerah, and Shelah have a place here. But though Shelah was the eldest (Er and Onan being slain in judgment), there is no name of note among them such as Jabez and Caleb; they are workers in fine linen, as others were craftsmen (verse 14). There were princes among them “who had dominion in Moab,” perhaps those who were appointed to gather gifts (tribute) from Moab (18:2). But “these are ancient [past] things.” Let us remember that this genealogy was written after the return from Babylon. What honor they had was lost through their sin, and “These were the potters and those that dwelt among plants and hedges, there they dwelt with the king for his work” (verse 23). These descendants of princes seem to be gardeners to the king of Babylon.
“The sons of Simeon” (verse 24). Wily is this tribe in such close communication with Judah, coming before Reuben and Levi who for different reasons (Reuben losing the birthright, Levi gaining the temple service) are both prominent after Judah? The reason is found in Josh. 19:1, “their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah;” and turning to Gen. 49:6, 7, both Levi and Simeon were to be scattered in Israel. Truly Levi was scattered, but how honorably and blessedly! appointed to maintain the worship of Jehovah; no care nor anxiety but that which pertained to the worship of God. Simeon was small in Israel. “Neither did all their family multiply like to the children of Judah.” Notwithstanding, those mentioned by name were princes, and the house of their fathers prospered (ver. 38). Five hundred of them smote the remnant of the Amalekites that had escaped and dwelt in their cities. This down even to Hezekiah’s day. But the word of Jacob at the close of his life was prophetic of the future of each tribe. Simeon and Levi were sons of Leah, and were bound together in the wickedness which caused Jacob to say, “cursed be their anger for it was fierce, and their wrath for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” (Gen. 49) Simeon was the elder, and, may be, compelled Levi to share in his cruelty. They were scattered in Israel. But how wondrously and graciously fulfilled in Levi! His scattering was his exaltation. Simeon on the other hand dwindles down to little more than one-third of his number (compare Numbers 1:23; 2:13; 26:14). Zimri, a prince in that tribe, was a ringleader in the iniquity of Peor. The plague that followed slew twenty-four thousand of them and made a terrible breach in that tribe. After the plague, the Lord bids Moses and Eleazar to “take the sum of the congregation;” and Simeon is found to be twenty-two thousand, instead of fifty-nine thousand as at the beginning.
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