Lessons from the genealogy of Benjamin

 Text 1 Chronicles 8 Time 14 10 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We are looking at the opening chapters of 1 Chronicles which are full of genealogies, making them hard to navigate. I remind you again, however, 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. 

I remind you that the book begins by giving us genealogies that go from Adam to Abraham to Jacob to David and on to the exile (Chapters 1-3). 

We then have the genealogies of the 12 tribes - Judah, the most numerous tribe (4:1-23) Simeon (4:23-43) the tribes east of the Jordan - Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh (Chapter 5) the priestly tribe of Levi (Chapter 6). Last week we looked at the five and a half tribes covered in Chapter 7 - Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, western Manasseh, Ephraim and Asher. 

I noted then that Dan is not there although it is probably alluded to. I should also say that Zebulun is also missing, presumably because it had so dwindled in size by the time of writing after the exile that there was nothing much to say about it or because their records had been lost. 

Tonight we come to Chapter 8 and the genealogy of Benjamin, especially focusing on King Saul after verse 32. First, we want to make some brief remarks about the chapter. 

1. Some introductory remarks on Chapter 8 

1. The Background

Again it seems to be presented in quite a higgledy-piggledy way. No doubt this is in part because different people kept their family trees in different ways, writing them out in ascending or descending order, sometimes with numbers affixed sometimes not, sometimes with places, sometimes not. Some had historical remarks intermixed perhaps. Some full, some less full. Perhaps some had parts missing or that were illegible. Moved by the Spirit the writer of Chronicles wrote them down as best he could. His purpose was to direct the returning exiles to their history so that they might try and settle back in the Promised Land in something of the order they had originally. Quite why what is in 7:6-12 matches so badly with what is in Chapter 8 we do not know. No doubt some things that don't make sense to us here would have made more sense to the original readers. 

2. The Book of life

We have made this sort of point before but perhaps it is worth saying again what a remarkable thing it is that the names of so many of the multitudes of Israel have been preserved in this way when so many names, even of the great and mighty have not. They are buried in oblivion but these names have been preserved - Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan and Huram, etc. Not that all of them were true believers but the names are symbolic of The Lamb's Book of Life where all the names of all the truly faithful are preserved. It is appropriate to remind you of the words Jesus spoke to his disciples (Luke 10:20) Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. 

3. The Benjaminites

It is perhaps a surprise to see that this chapter is all about the Tribe of Benjamin, which has already been covered (7:6-12). In fact, there is more on Benjamin than on any other tribe apart from Judah and Levi. The question arises then as to why he should cover it again and this time in so much detail. It is not too difficult to find the answer. 

1 Firstly, because the first king of Israel, Saul, was from the Tribe of Benjamin and it is Saul that our writer is about to deal with in Chapter 10. In fact Saul's genealogy is given twice - in 8:29-40 and 9:35-44. He had done something similar with David when looking at Judah. Our instinct is perhaps to say let's forget about Saul. His reign was a disaster. Benjaminites didn't think like that. Paul in the New Testament was a Benjaminite and his parents deliberately gave him the Jewish name Saul! This is how the chronicler sees it too - these people have a king among them! It reminds us again of what makes the Jews great - it is to them that Messiah, the King of the Jews, was born. 

2 Secondly, it is this tribe, with Levi, that stuck with Judah when the kingdom was divided after Solomon's time. Good old little Benjamin. Again and again God takes what is small and insignificant and makes something of it. Here again is a reminder of that. 

Perhaps this is a good point to remind ourselves that the Tribe of Benjamin did come to a very low ebb at one point, in the time of the judges. At the end of Judges we read of how because of the outrage that took place at Gibeah in Benjamin the other Israelites fought against Benjamin and only 600 men survived. From being very low in number Benjamin managed to climb so that they eventually flourished again and were numerous. God often helps the weak and the lowly and builds them up. 

2. Some brief lessons from Chapter 8 

1. Geba. Geba is one of the towns of Benjamin and it is mentioned in verse 6 as is the name of Ehud also mentioned in 7:10. This is presumably the judge mentioned in Judges 3:5. Verses 6-11 here say 

These were the descendants of Ehud, who were heads of families of those living in Geba and were deported to Manahath: Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who deported them and who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. By his wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam, Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. By Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal. 

It was Moabites that Ehud defeated. Perhaps that explains in part how Shaharaim came to divorce his wives Hushim and Baara and marry Hodesh in Moab. Even victory brings its dangers then, let's not forget. 

2. Moab. To take this further, surely there is a warning here. Deuteronomy 23:3 is clear that No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. Yet this man Shaharaim. already married, was so taken with this Moabite woman he met that he divorced his wives and married her and had children by her, even though she was a pagan. Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam, Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah are Moabite names. Yes, Moabites could become proselytes, as did Ruth, we are not ruling out grace but what a provocation this was. He is not the first man to do a crazy thing because he was obsessed by a woman and not the last. Take care you are not the next to do something so foolish. 

3. Gath. The sons of Elpaal are then mentioned in verse 12 The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its surrounding villages), and in verse 13 it says and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of families of those living in Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath a Philistine city, of course. We read in the last chapter of how some Ephraimites had been attacked by men from Gath so perhaps there was some revenge in this. Certainly it was a great victory over godless Philistines and we ought to seek spiritual victory always. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called ... (1 Timothy 6:12). 

4. Jerusalem. Verses 28 and 32 both refer to Jerusalem. Firstly, in 22-28 we have 

Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zikri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zikri were the sons of Jeroham. And then the note All these were heads of families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem. 

Then in verses 29-32 you have 

Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maakah, and his firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zeker and Mikloth, who was the father of Shimeah. They too lived near their relatives in Jerusalem. 

When the exiles returned to the Promised Land there was a problem getting people to live in Jerusalem. No doubt, because it could be a dangerous place. Nehemiah 11:1 tells us that they had a system that certain people chosen by lot had to live in Jerusalem. In 11:2 we read that The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. Here the writer no doubt is gently reminding people that historically many Benjaminites lived in Jerusalem and it would be good if the tradition was kept up.

I don't know if that teaches us anything about where we who are Christians should live today. You know that the London suburbs are full of Christians but as you move into the heart of the city they are quite thin on the ground although a number are willing to travel in for worship. Perhaps the more important thing is that if we know we have ancestors who live now in heavenly Jerusalem; we ought to be keen to join them there in due time.

I'm looking for a city not made by human hands

I'm longing for the garden where God once walked with man

For eternity is written on my heart, 

I'm longing for the day when we will never be apart

When every tear will be wiped away, 

There'll be no sorrow, hurt, or pain, There'll be no more night

All things will be made new, it will be a brand new day

And in righteousness He'll reign and the Lamb will be the light. 

Behold the tabernacle of God will be with men

And He will be our God, and we will be His people

And the bride she will marry the Lamb

But until that day I'm longing for the New Jerusalem.