From Abraham to David - Salvation by Grace

Text 1 Chronicles 1:28-2:17 Time 24 06 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I want to begin this week in a similar way to the way I began last week 

I want you to be convinced that a list of names can be interesting. If I give you another random list of names 

Dafydd, Kevin, Dominic, Jordan, Talha, Joss, Steven, Cohan, Owen 

it is only mildly interesting, if at all. But what if I give you this list? 

Mike, Ibrahim, John, Mike, Gary, Paul, Philip, Lukman, Kema, Owain, Eduardo

Much more interesting perhaps. (If you know these are (male members of our church)

Or what about? 

Edward, Richard, Henry, Henry, Edward, Jane, Mary, Elizabeth, James, Charles 

Anyway we'll come back to that. 

We began to look last week on 1 Chronicles. We pointed out that one of the problems of studying the book is that it begins with nine chapters of what is basically a list of names. Not easy to study and benefit from. 

Last week we looked at the first 27 verses of the book, from Adam to Abram. Adam to Noah reminds us that we all descend from the same man. After Noah the focus is on the descendants of Shem and especially Abram, the one who is promised that all nations will be blessed through him. This week I want us to go all the way from 1:28-2:17, from Abraham to David, who is the individual that the anonymous writer is particularly interested in. Again, we can begin by saying some general things about these names. 

1. They demonstrate the Lord's concern for individuals.

When you see a list of names it holds little interest in and of itself but if your name is on it or that of someone you know, it makes all the difference. I remember going as a child on a day trip to Dunkirk. There are many graves there and monuments remembering those who died in the war. You see grave after grave and name after name. You can only get your head round it if you remember that each one is a real person made in the image of God. 

2. Even a list of names evokes some response in us.

We know nothing about Sheba and Dedan perhaps but again they were clearly real people who lived their lives out, here on earth. They lived, they loved, they had their joys and sorrows; they died. 

3. They demonstrate the divine purpose being worked out until Christ's coming.

They help complete the Bible story of the Saviour, who is the son of David, the son of Judah, the son of Abraham, the son of Adam.

4. There is this constant narrowing in these lists.

There is no escaping that God's purpose for this world is not to save everyone but to save only some. Yes, he loves all, that is clear, but he only saves some, his elect. 

5. We noted last time that no women were mentioned.

This time there are some - 1:32 mentions Keturah, Abraham's concubine; 1:36, 39 name Timna as a wife of Kenaz and as Lotan's sister; 1:50 says King Hadad's wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. Then in 2:3, 4 it mentions The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah and says These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua ... and then that Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah which alludes to a whole story in Genesis. 

This reminds us again that the Bible is patriarchal. It has a place for women but clearly under the leadership of men. Tamar is mentioned on the first page of the New Testament where women are raised to an even higher status than under the old covenant. 

We noted too last time how in many cases the meanings of names have significance. Isaac of course means he laughs and that reminds us of how Abram and Sarah both laughed in unbelief at the idea they would have a son in their old age. When they did, they laughed with delight. Esau means rough or hairy, which he was. His other name Edom means red, which again he was but it also reminds us how Jacob which means twister stole the birthright from Esau with some red stew. The name Jacob does not appear here - rather his new name Israel, prince with God. Judah means praise. Perez means to break out, which Perez did to get out of the womb before his twin brother, if you recall the story. Baal-Hanan means Baal has been gracious, which doesn't sound right. What sort of syncretism was going on there? 

1. Consider Abraham's sons and the kings of Edom 

If we begin with 1:28-58 you will see that there are about 75 individual names plus the 10 kings and nine chiefs of Edom. 

Now most of these names will be unfamiliar to you and the great news is that you do not need to worry about that. The only names that really count are those of Abraham, Isaac and Israel mentioned in verses 28 and 34. Yes, the others were important and lived out their lives on this earth as God planned. It is even suggested that the Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah may in fact be Job but this seems unlikely. The point is that the writer's focus and God's focus is on the line from Abraham to Isaac, the child of promise, to Israel and on to Judah the ancestor of King David, to whom great promises were made and who, as you know, is the one from whom the Lord Jesus was descended. 

After announcing (28, 29a) The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. These were their descendants you have Ishmael's descendants first (there are 12) Nebaioth ... Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. Ishmael was born to Abraham's surrogate wife Hagar. Despite Abraham's efforts, this was not part of God's plan for Messiah to come. 

After Sarah died he took Keturah as a concubine and the 6 children he had with her are also listed Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. The Midianites, sometimes known as Ishmaelites for obvious reasons, became a tribe and they are mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament. We are told about 5 sons of Midian (Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah) and also Jokshan's sons Sheba and Dedan. 

Then in verse 34 we come to what the writer is really interested in Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: the twins Esau and Israel. 

And here again the real interest is not Esau the eldest but the younger twin Israel. 

He is fair handed, however, and so he lists, yes, five sons of Esau and ten grandsons (including the fact that Esau's grandson Eliphaz married Timna daughter of Lotan to produce Amalek, the Amalekites growing to be a wicked people who were more than once a thorn in Israel's side). 

Also a man or a city called Seir who had 7 sons and at least 10 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. And then 8 kings of Edom and 11 chiefs: The phrase (43a) These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned is based on Genesis. 

43b Bela son of Beor, whose city was named Dinhabah. 

44 Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah 

45 Husham from the land of the Temanites 

46 Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab ... His city was named Avith. 

47 Samlah from Masrekah 

48 Shaul from Rehoboth on the river 

49 Baal-Hanan son of Akbor 

50 Hadad ... His city was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. 

51-54 The chiefs of Edom were: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom. 

Four things here 

1. Edom proved to be not only a neighbouring country but an enemy at times. It reminds us that there is always opposition to God's people. There is a word of comfort here, however. It is only when he lists the kings of Edom that the writer includes those important words and he died. See verses 43-51 

These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned: .. When Bela died ... When Jobab died ... When Husham died ... When Hadad died ... When Samlah died ... When Shaul died ... When Baal-Hanan died ... Hadad also died .... 

God's enemies do not last. They all die in the end. 

2. There is an interesting story to be told regarding the history of Israel's neighbour Edom but that is not the focus, the focus is relentlessly on Messiah. For despite all this detail about Edom the writer's real interest, as we shall see, is Israel. 

3. Do notice how it is not the kings and the chiefs who are important in God's sight but ordinary obscure men and women. That is how God works. 

4. Jacob is called Israel here and the whole story of how he gained his birthright and blessing as firstborn is glossed over. This is not because Jacob's devious ways are being condoned but because in the Providence of God there are many twists and turns and by no means all things are done as they should be. Sometimes it is messy. 

2. Consider the sons of Judah down to Obed father of Jesse 

Next we come to 1 Chronicles 2:1-17. Having dealt summarily with Esau and his offspring the focus is now on Esau's younger twin brother Israel. Chapter 2 begins These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 

So having narrowed down from Noah to Shem to Abram to Isaac to Israel it is now to Judah he turns. Why? Because it is from the tribe of Judah that David and then Messiah will come. Judah became the biggest tribe, the one that had the most land - so much Simeon could be incorporated within it. However, Judah is not the oldest son but the fourth son. Reuben, Levi and Simeon all messed up in one way or another and so are overlooked and it it is a younger brother, once again, as with Jacob and Esau already and later with David, who is the chosen one (although in this case Joseph is also singled out, but more on that later). 

So watch the dividing pattern again 

3, 4 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah. He had five sons in all. 

God's interest is not in Er the firstborn, a man so wicked that the LORD put him to death. So who then? The next born Onan? The writer is rushing on too quickly to say that Onan was put to death too. It wasn't Shelah either. And then, as happened with Jacob and Esau, there are twins. Again unexpectedly God chooses Perez. 

In verses 5, 6 we then read how The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul but first note that The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda - five in all. In that line came (7) The son of Karmi: Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things. Also (8) The son of Ethan: Azariah. 

The story of Achan is in Joshua, the word Achar suggests troubler so that the Hebrew reads acher ocher Israel something like Achan heartacher of Israel, Achan the troubler of Israel. 

Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda are also mentioned in 1 Kings 4:31 where it says of Solomon He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite - wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of not of Zerah but Mahol. Ezrahite is very like Zerahite but it is more likely that these are a later Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda but perhaps in that same line. 

But then back to Perez's line the real focus (9) Hezron first. Hezron has three sons: Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb. The writer than follows through with those three. 

First Ram. And now we read some familiar words found on the first page of the New Testament too 

Ram was the father of Amminadab, 

and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, the leader of the people of Judah. 

Nahshon was the father of Salmon, 

Salmon the father of Boaz, 

Boaz the father of Obed 

and Obed the father of Jesse.

Remember then that God is sovereign. He chooses who he will save or not save, who he will use or not use. He is not bound. Notice too that although there are godly people in this line of Judah - there are people like Achan too and Judah's immediate sons, Er and Onan, who the Lord slew. Judah himself left a lot to be desired. As with Jacob his actions - marrying a Canaanite woman, seeking a prostitute, sleeping with his neglected daughter-in-law - are not condoned at all but reminds us that salvation is all of grace. Nothing can save but that. 

3. Consider King David and his family 

If we just focus on verses 13-17 to close, here we have the names of Jesse's family and it is useful to have this, as it identifies a number of David's relatives who are important in the later story. So first there is (13) Jesse the one descended from Judah through Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz and Obed. This Jesse had seven sons and they are all listed in verses 13-15 ... Eliab his firstborn; the second ... Abinadab, the third Shimea, the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. 

Then it says Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite. Some of David's brothers are mentioned later on but more important still are his nephews Abishai, Joab, Asahel and Amasa. Shimea had a son Jonathan who, like David, killed a giant Philistine. Joab was, of course, the leader of David's army and a great asset but also a liability at times. Asahel, a fast runner was killed by Saul's general Abner and so (we read in 2 Samuel 3:30) Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon. Abishai is known as the chief of the three and does great exploits. Amasa joined in Absalom's rebellion and was also killed by Joab, his cousin, in cold blood. 

Again the same themes are there - God's sometimes surprising choices. You remember when Samuel went to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king. He assumes it must be Eliab. He looks every inch a king. But no it's not him - not any of the others. No, of all people it is the every youngest brother, David! And then again, as we have noted before, what wickedness at the heart of the chosen people. Joab, yes an excellent fighter, a great general but his thirst for revenge, his determination to stay on top. It was not good. And so we say again that salvation is by grace and grace alone. It cannot be earned. Baal-Hanan, Yahweh-Hanan, rather. He is the God of all grace. 

A lot of people these days are interested in finding their roots. If you are a Christian - here are your roots. If you want to be a Christian here they are. There's a lot of history but there's one Saviour, Jesus the Son of David.