Lessons from the lesser known tribes in Israel
Text 1 Chronicles 7 Time 7 10 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)
We come this week to 1 Chronicles 7 and once again we are confronted chiefly by a list of names and very little narrative. That makes it difficult to appreciate but we remember that this is part of Scripture and although not all Scripture is equally useful, it is all useful to some extent, so it is right that we give it our attention and see what there is to learn.
What the chapter does is to give us a little about the genealogies of the tribes unconsidered so far. The book begins with the genealogy of Israel in general - from Adam to Abraham to Jacob. then from Jacob down to David and on to the exile (Chapters 1-3).
We then begin on the genealogies of the 12 tribes. We have looked at Judah, the most numerous tribe (4:1-23) Simeon (4:23-43) and (Chapter 5) the tribes east of the Jordan - Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh. Last week we looked at Chapter 6, the priestly tribe of Levi. To make twelve that leaves five and a half tribes and they are covered in Chapter 7, the chapter we will look at this evening. Here we read about Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, western Manasseh, Ephraim and Asher.
Two tribes are not mentioned. Which ones? Zebulun. It is not clear why. Also Dan. So let's begin there.
1. Lessons from the Tribe of Dan unmentioned and the other tribes in 1 Chronicles 7
1. Dan. Revelation 7:5-8 refers to the 12 tribes with 12,000 in each, making 144,000 altogether. Instead of Ephraim it says Joseph and the tribe of Dan is missing entirely. Clearly, one needs to drop out but why Dan? Why is Dan missing?
What do we know? Dan was Jacob's fifth son, the first born to Leah's handmaid Bilhah, rather than Leah. He's one of the ones about whom Joseph later gave his father a bad report. Of the Danites Jacob on his death bed prophesies (Genesis 49:16-18) Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward. He adds I look for your deliverance, LORD.
In the wilderness the Danites became the second largest tribe. Oholiab who helped Bezalel build the Temple was a Danite. In Leviticus we read of a man whose mother was from Dan being stoned for blasphemy.
When land was allotted to the 12 Tribes by Joshua, Dan was last to receive its portion. They were assigned a small coastal area south of the port of Joppa. It was west of Ephraim, south of Manasseh, north of Philistia and Judah with Benjamin on its east. Judges 1:34 says The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain by the coast. Later in Judges we meet the most famous Danite, Samson. He leads them against the Philistines. We learn too how they end up going far north to find more land - leading to the expression Dan to Beersheba to describe Israel's northernmost and southernmost points. We read also of their idolatry. When the kingdom split Dan went with the 10 Tribes and there was an idol at Dan as well as Bethel in the south. These tribes were carried off by the Assyrians in 722 BC.
Coming back to 1 Chronicles 7, interestingly verse 12 says The Shuppites and Huppites were the descendants of Ir, and the Hushites the descendants of Aher but that name Aher may not be a name but the word "another". It could be ... and the Hushites the descendants of another (ie Dan) See Genesis 46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 1 Chronicles 7:13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem which ends - the descendants of Bilhah could be referring also to the Hushites.
Among the 12 disciples there was one who proved untrue. Perhaps it is right to think of Dan as an Old Testament Judas. Born out of wedlock, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward. Likely to blaspheme. liable to idolatry; unpredictable, dangerous; one a writer like the Chronicler would rather not mention.
It is a reminder that not all who are of Israel are Israel. There are hypocrites. There are false believers. We must all examine our own hearts.
2. The other tribes. The other thing here is to remind ourselves that we are not all Judah or Simeon or Levi. About some, as here, there is not much to say. God does not give the same space to all the tribes. My wife was talking to me today about Old Testament studies and how some characters are presented in quite a round way while others are quite flat. That is how the Bible is and how life is to some extent.
Some of us are rather obscure, a bit flat. So again with the disciples there was Peter and James and John and to a lesser extent Andrew and Thomas, for that matter - quite rounded - but also Matthew and Philip and the other Judas and the other James - much flatter. We are not all as important as one another, even though many people like that idea.
Be content to be nobody special. How does Paul put it in the New Testament? Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:10, 11)
2. Lessons from what is said of Issachar and Benjamin in 1 Chronicles 7
1. Issachar, There are two things to notice about Issachar.
1 They were a numerous tribe. Verse 4 says they had many wives and children. Issachar himself had four sons (1 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron - four in all - in Judges 10:1 we read of ... a man of Issachar named Tola son of Puah, not the son of the Tola or Puah here but the son of Dodo, he rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.) Izrahiah (3) also had four sons - The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Ishiah. All five of them were chiefs. ie Izrahiah and his sons.
A large family is a blessing, something to be thankful for. Pray that our numbers will grow as a church.
2 They were brave fighters. See verses 2-5 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel - heads of their families. During the reign of David, the descendants of Tola listed as fighting men in their genealogy numbered 22,600. The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Ishiah. All five of them were chiefs. According to their family genealogy, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children. The relatives who were fighting men belonging to all the clans of Issachar, as listed in their genealogy, were 87,000 in all.
The numbers could have been taken when Joab numbered the people in David's time but perhaps it is more likely that it was some other time as in 1 Chronicles 27:24 it says this number was not recorded in David's chronicles because what David had done displeased God.
We must not be proud but we must be brave and ready to fight in the spiritual battle that is the Christian life.
2. Benjamin. Matthew Henry notes that Israel's first king Saul was from the tribe of Benjamiin, Even more important, they stuck with David when the kingdom was divided.
He is very brief here on Benjamin as he has more to say in Chapter 8. He names three sons of Benjamin, 6 Three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker and Jediael. The third name is Ashbel in Genesis (Fire of Baal). Here it is Jediael (known to God). It is not clear why he makes that change but it is known to God and hopefully Ashbel was known to God rather than being one who served Baal.
There were less than 60, 000 fighting men in Benjamin altogether. They are mentioned in three lots
1 Verse 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri, heads of families - five in all. Their genealogical record listed 22,034 fighting men.
2 Verses 8, 9 The sons of Beker: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Beker. Their genealogical record listed the heads of families and 20,200 fighting men.
3 Verses 10, 11 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. All these sons of Jediael were heads of families. There were 17,200 fighting men and look what it says of them - they were ready to go out to war.
Jacob had prophesied (Genesis 49:27) Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder. Again, let's be brave.
3. Lessons from what is said of Manasseh, Ephraim and Asher in 1 Chronicles 7
1. Manasseh, The eastern half are treated in 1 Chronicles 5. Here we focus on the western half. Note
1 Verse 14 The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel was his descendant through his Aramean concubine. She gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead. So even quite early on they were intermarrying with foreigners. Not a good sign.
2 However, verses 15, 16 Makir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister's name was Maakah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters. Makir's wife Maakah gave birth to a son and named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. Makir did not make his father's mistake - a lesson for us all.
3 Verse 17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh. There is a Bedan also mentioned in 1 Samuel 12:11. It is presumed to be Balak but could be another name for Jair who was from Manasseh (Judges 10:3)
The other two verses (18, 19) say His (Bedan's) sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.
2. Ephraim
1 There is slightly more of a story in verses 20-22 The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the native-born men of Gath, Philistia when they went down to seize their livestock. (Or it could be that the men of Gaza attacked them). Their father Ephraim (still alive or does it refer to the tribe) mourned for them many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.
Ephraim was destined for great things but what a disaster came at this point. It caused great sadness. Parents expect to see their children and grandchildren grow to a good age not to have to bury them, especially if it is the result of a disaster like this. Pray for grieving parents. We know how hard it can be. Here we read how relatives came to comfort him. We do not know what they said but they were able to comfort him somehow. Perhaps they reminded him of Jacob's words Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. (Genesis 49:22).
2 In 1 Chronicles 7 it goes on (23-29) Then he made love to his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his family. His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah. Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Nun his son and famous Joshua his son. Their lands and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages all the way to Ayyah and its villages. Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.
There was some comfort in this too - a son in his old age. In his providencem God has his ways of making it up to us. Not that his grief was completely forgotten. He deliberately calls this new son Beriah - in trouble. It's like calling a child Crash or Paine or Tristan say.
The other things here are that a daughter of that tribe, Sheerah, at the time Israel settled in Canaan, built some cities, either at her own charge or by her effort; one bearing her name, Uzzen-sheerah, As we have said before, if you read the Bible properly there is plenty about women being active and doing things. There is also the reference to Joshua here.
3. Asher. Verses 30-40 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel, who was the father of Birzaith. Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham and of their sister Shua. The sons of Japhlet: Pasak, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were Japhlet's sons. The sons of Shomer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram. The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera. The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara. The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel and Rizia.
All these were descendants of Asher - heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders. The number of men ready for battle, as listed in their genealogy, was 26,000.
Some 45 different names there! A rather small militia with only 26,000 men in all, but again heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders which makes up for a lot. Quality as we say is more important than quantity. Let's again remember that.
