1 Chronicles 7:1

1 Chronicles 7:! says, Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimrom, four.  Next, we have a list of the descendants of Issacher.  Verse two adds, And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.  The sons of Tola, one of Issachar's sons were known as valiant men of might and by the reign of David had grown to twenty-two thousand, six hundred in number.  It would be nice if we could multiply the number of Christians, God's people, by that number and that we would be valiant in our faith.  Verse three continues, And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.  We are given a list of the sons Uzzi, one of the sons of Tola and told that they were chief men in Israel.  Verse continues, And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.  We are told these sons of Uzzi, who were said to be bands of soldiers of war, numbered thirty-six thousand, since they had many wives and sons.  Verse five concludes, And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.  We are then told that the total of the rest of the family of Issachar was eighty-seven thousand men.  Matthew Henry says the total of all the descendants of Issachar was one hundred forty-five thousand men.  Verse six states, The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three. Next, we have the list of the descendants of Benjamen. Verse seven adds, And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.  Then we have the number of the sons of Bela, the firstborn of Benjamin.  There were twenty-two thousand and thirty-four of them, and they were known as men of valor.  We need to be known as people of valor for God.  Verse eight continues, And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.  Then we have the descendants of Becher, Benjamin's second born.  Verse nine concludes, And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour, was twenty thousand and two hundred.  There were twenty-two thousand, two hundred of them, also known as men of valor.  Verse ten says, The sons also of Jediael; Bilhan: and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.  Verse eleven adds, All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.  They were also known as men of valor, soldiers fit to go to war, and numbered seventeen thousand, two hundred.  Verse twelve continues, Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim, the sons of Aher.  Matthew Henry says these were the sons of Dan, who had worshipped the golden calf instead of God.  If we want to be counted among God's people, we must not worship anything or anyone else, but must put our faith in Jesus Christ alone.  If we don't, we can never be a part of God's family, no matter who our parents may be.

1 Chronicles 6:66

1 Chronicles 6:66 says, And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim.  We continue with the listing of the cities controlled by various descendants of Levi.  Verse sixty-seven adds, And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs,  The cities of refuge are also listed.  Verse sixty-eight continues, And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs,  Verse sixty-nine states, And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs:  Verse seventy adds, And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath.  Verse seventy-one continues, Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs:  Verse seventy-two says, And out of the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,  Verse seventy-three adds, And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs:  Verse seventy -four continues, And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs,  Verse seventy-five concludes, And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs:  Verse seventy-six states, And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs.  Verse seventy-seven adds, Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs:  Verse seventy- eight says,  And on the other side Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs, Verse seventy-nine adds, Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs: Verse eighty states, And out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,  Verse eighty-one adds, And Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs.  This was just a listing of the cities of the Levites throughout the tribes of Israel.  As Christians, we should have a presence throughout all the world, though we may not control any cities in some of the places.  

1 Chronicles 6:49

1 Chronicles 6:49 says, But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.  Aaron and his descendants were appointed to offer the sacrifices on the altar and were also appointed to the work in the most holy place and to make atonement for the people of Israel.  The Levites were priests, but they served under the priests who were Aaron's descendants.  As part of the priesthood of believers, there is no one who stands between God and us.  We all have equal access to God through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse fifty adds, And these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son.  These next several verses list Aaron's descendants.  Verse fifty-one continues, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son.  Verse fifty-two says, Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,  Verse fifty-three adds, Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.  Verse fifty-four states, Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot.  These next verses give the cities of the descendants of Aaron throughout Israel.  Matthew Henry says that these cities were particularly under the providence, or protection, of God.   We as followers of Christ, no matter where we live, are equally under God's protection.  Verse fifty-five adds, And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it.  Verse fifty-six continues, But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.  The sons of Aaron had possession of the city of Hebron, but not the fields around it, because they were to rely on God to provide for them.  Verse fifty-seven says, And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs,  Aaron's descendants were also given other cities in Judah, including Hebron which was a city of refuge.  God will provide for those who are doing His work, no matter where they are, and our refuge is in Jesus Christ and not a place.  Verse fifty-eight adds, And Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,  Verse fifty-nine continues, And Ashan with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs:  Verse sixty states, And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. Verse sixty-one adds, And unto the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, namely, out of the half tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities.  They were given ten cities in the half of the tribe of Manasseh.  Verse sixty-two continues, And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.  This is a continuation of the list of the cities in various parts of Israel or Judah, after the kingdom was divided.  Verse sixty-three concludes, Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.  Verse sixty-four states, And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs.  This verse seems to divide the cities given to the Levites from those given to the descendants of Aaron, though Matthew Henry lists them all as cities of the Levites.  Either way, they were given to the priests throughout all of the land of Israel and Judah.  Verse sixty-five adds,  And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names.

1 Chronicles 6:31

1 Chronicles 6:31 says, And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had rest.  The Levites had been charged with taking care of the Tabernacle, and had grown in numbers, so David, as Matthew Henry points out, by God's direction now appointed some of them to other tasks, starting with some who were put in charge of the music.  We still have different roles in the church today, and need to pray that we are serving by God's appointment.  Verse thirty-two adds, And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order.  They first served before the tabernacle, and when Solomon built the temple, they continued to serve inside the temple.  The place changed, but their role in the congregation didn't.  Church buildings may change today, but what God calls us to do will still be what He calls us to do.  Verse thirty-three continues,  And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel,  We are then given the names of those who served the people in the temple services.  Heman is noted as being a singer, but the for the rest we  just given their names.  Heman penned the eighty-eighth Psalm, was a sorrowful man, the grandson of the prophet Samuel, and the son of Joel, who did not walk in God's ways, as Matthew Henry points out.  Heman followed his grandfather and nor his father.  We cannot skip a generation in following Christ.  Verse thirty-four states, The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,  Verse thirty-five adds, The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,  Verse thirty-six continues, The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,  Verse thirty-seven says, The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,  Verse thirty-eight says, The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,  Asaph was called Heman's brother, because they served in the same office, even though he was from a different tribe.  He was on Heman's right hand in the choir according to Matthew Henry.  He also penned several Psalms, Matthew Henry said either writing them or setting them to music, but since we don't have the music preserved, I would think he penned them under God's inspiration.  We as followers of Christ are brothers and sisters no matter where we were born or what our role in the church is.  Verse forty adds, The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah,  Verse forty-one continues,  The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,  Verse forty-two states, The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,  Verse forty-three adds, The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.  Verse forty-four continues, And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, Ethan stood on Hemans left side.  Verse forty-five says, The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,  Verse forty-six adds, The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer,  Verse forty-seven continues, The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.  Verse forty-eight concludes, Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.  Both Asaph and Ethan were traced back to sons of Levi.  Their brethren were also appointed to various place of service in the tabernacle of the house of God.  As Christians, we all have a purpose in God's kingdom. 

1 Chronicles 6:16

1 Chronicles 6:16 says, The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.  We have a repeat of the list of the sons and grandsons onward of Levi.  Again, these would be the priestly tribe.  Verse seventeen adds, And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; Libni, and Shimei.  First, we have a list of just their sons. Verse eighteen continues, And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.  Verse nineteen concludes, The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.  Verse twenty states, Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,  The, we start to have a listing of the children of Levi's sons, again, starting with the oldest. Verse twenty-one adds, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son.  Verse twenty-two says, The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,  Verse twenty-three adds, Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,  Verse twenty-four continues, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.  Verse twenty-five says, And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth.  Verse twenty-six adds, As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son,  Verse twenty-seven continues, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah.  Matthew Henry says Samuel was the first to be both a priest and a prophet.  As followers of Christ, we are part of the priesthood of believers, but the only prophecy that we can give is of His return.  Verse twenty-nine states, The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son,  Verse thirty adds, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

1Chronicles 6:1

1Chronicles 6:1 says, The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.  Levi was the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah, and he and his descendants became the priestly tribe.  As Christians, we become a part of the priesthood of believers today.  Verse two adds, And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.  Verse three continues, And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.  Levi was also the grandfather of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.  Verse four states, Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua,  These would be Aaron's grandchildren, and they were a part of a higher priesthood.  I don't believe any Christian is a part of some superior priesthood today, but we are called to different places of service in God's Kingdom, some of which are viewed as more important.  I believe that as long as we are doing what God calls us to do, we are all of equal importance to carrying out His work in the world.  Verse five adds,  And Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi,  Verse six continues, And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth,  Verse seven says, Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,  Verse eight adds, And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz,  Verse nine continues, And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan,  Verse ten states, And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:)  We are told that Azariah was serving as priest when Solomon built the Temple.  Since we are all a part of the priesthood of believers as followers of Christ and our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we should keep the temple holy unto God.  Verse eleven adds, And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,  Verse twelve continues, And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum,  Verse thirteen states, And Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah,  Verse fourteen adds, And Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak,  Verse fifteen continues, And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the Lord carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.  The list concludes with Jehozadak, at the time God allowed His disobedient people to be carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we should never again allow ourselves to be taken captive by sin.  Since we are forever saved, we should be forever obedient to God, but as long we are alive here on earth, we can still give in to the temptation of sin.

1 Chronicles 5:18

1 Chronicles 5:18 says, The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.  We are told that the descendants of Rueben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, forty-four thousand, seven hundred sixty in number, were valiant men who were skilled in the use of weapons and waging war and engaged in war with those around them.  We are at war spiritually with the world today, and we need to put on the armor of God and be skilled in using it as we engage in that war.  Verse nineteen adds, And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. They went to war with the Hagarites. Verse twenty continues, And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.  The help that they received was the help of God, which He gave them because they put their faith in Him, and they were successful in the war.  Our help as Christians today will come from God, as long as we are faithful to Him.  Verse twenty-one states, And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.  They took a lot of livestock from those they had defeated in the war, and also took a hundred thousand men as captives.  That was over twice as many as the number of Israelites fighting against them.  It doesn't matter how badly we are outnumbered, as long as we remain faithful to God, He will always give us the victory spiritually.  As followers of Christ, we are not at war with the world for material gain, but to bring honor and glory to God and to reach others with the gospel of Christ.  Verse twenty-two adds, For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.  Many more of the enemy were killed in the war, because God was behind the war.  The victory over sin and evil in the world was defeated by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and we simply have to accept that victory by putting our faith in Him.  Verse twenty-three continues, And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.  The half the tribe of Manasseh took possession of the land, and through our faith in Jesus Christ, we already have possession of a heavenly home.  Verse twenty-four says, And these were the heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of the house of their fathers.  We are given a list of some of the heads of the house of the families.  Verse twenty-five adds, And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.  Unfortunately, they did not remain faithful to God, but started putting their faith in other gods.  God had given them the victory, but they did not continue to be faithful to Him.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we should never allow anything to become more important to us than our relationship with Him.  If we do, we are guilty of chasing after other gods, I believe.  Verse twenty-six continues, And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.  When the people abandoned God, he no longer gave them His protection and they were defeated and taken away captive.  If we fail to put our faith in God in every situation, we may find ourselves defeated by sin, even though through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ it has been defeated.  As I have stated many times, I believe that once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that we are forever a part of God's family, but if we fail to put our faith in Him, we may suffer defeat spiritually until His return.  Being a part of God's family in name only did not save these two and half tribes from being defeated, and being a Christian in name only without having truly put our faith in Jesus Christ will never save us today.

1 Chronicles 5:11

1 Chronicles 5:11 says, And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salcah:  Now, we have the descendants of Gad listed.  Verse twelve adds, Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.  Verse thirteen continues, And their brethren of the house of their fathers were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.  Verse fourteen states, These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;  Here, the genealogy seems to be reversed, tracing from the most recent backward.  Matthew Henry says it was during the reign of Jeroboam II the that genealogies really became important, being used to prove that they were children of the Covenant and taking pride in it, even if they weren't obeying it.  Our earthly lineage will never save us.  Verse fifteen adds, Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house of their fathers.  Ahi was listed as the chief of the house.  Verse sixteen continues, And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon their borders.  Then, we are told the area they lived in.  Verse seventeen concludes, All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.  As already stated, these genealogies were completed during the reign of Jeroboam II in Israel and Jotham in Judah, shortly before the people were taken away captive in Assyria.  Relying on being people born to those who made the covenant with God did not keep them safe when they had refused to follow the covenant, and being born to Christian parents or maybe even farther back to grandparents will not save us today.  We must personally have a covenant relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.

1 Chronicles 5:1

1 Chronicles 5:1 says, Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.  Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, defiled his father's bed so his genealogy is counted as less important since his birthright passed to the sons of Joseph.  Since the firstborn birthright included a double portion, it was passed to two of Joseph's sons.  Matthew Henry says sin diminished Reuben, but it did not exile him forever.  As Christians, if we sin, we will always be diminished in the eyes of the world at least, but we will never be exiled from the grace of God.  Verse two adds, For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)  Joseph became a part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ because the physical birthright had passed from Reuben.  It is our spiritual birthright that counts, and no one is above another in our relationship to Jesus Christ because of who our parents are.  Verse three continues, The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.  Then we have a list of Reuben's sons.  This follows for several generations until the people of Israel were carried away captive to Assyria.  Verse four states, The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,  We follow through by the listing of the sons, grandsons, and farther, of Joel.  Matthew Henry says there were no doubt many descendants who weren't listed.  The only thing that is important in a person's life today that makes them a part of God's family is their rebirth through their relationship to Jesus Christ, yet people still look for their genealogy, which the Bible refers to as a vain thing, or something of no value.  Verse five adds, Micah his son, Reaia his son, Baal his son,  Verse six continues, Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites.  As stated earlier, this follows Reuben's descendants until their captivity by the Assyrians. Verse six concludes, And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,  Then, we are told that the chief of his descendants when the genealogy of the generations was listed were Jeiel and Zechariah.  Verse eight says, And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baalmeon:  Then, we have the area controlled by Bela, the great-grandson of Joel.  Verse nine adds, And eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.  Verse ten concludes, And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.  As they cast out the people already in the land, God was fulfilling His promise to them by casting out their enemies little by little.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. the power of our spiritual enemies is cast out, and can only have power in our life once more if we allow them to. 

1 Chronicles 4:34

1 Chronicles 4:34 says, And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah, the son of Amaziah,  These next several verses just continue with genealogies, so there is little to say about them. Verse thirty-five adds, And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,  Verse thirty-six continues, And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,  Verse thirty-seven concludes, And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah;  Verse thirty-eight adds, These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly.  We are told that these men were princes in their families and that the house, or numbers of descendants, increased greatly.  What we need today is for those in the spiritual family of God to increase greatly.  Veres thirty-nine adds, And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.  This family went to Gedor seeking pasture for their flocks.  People today still relocate sometimes looking for a better or easier life, but more than anything, we should be willing to go where God calls us.  Verse forty continues, And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.  They found a good pasture where the land was quiet and peaceable.  We are told it is the land where Ham dwelled long ago.  We may or may not find a place of peace where life is easy, but if we do, we need to make sure that it is where God wants us to be.  Verse forty-one says, And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.  This was during the reign of Hezekiah, and these princes destroyed the people there, where there had been peace and quiet, and took possession of all that they had, since it was good pastureland.  They saw what someone else had and killed them to take it for their own, without any command from God to do so that we are given.  People still too often see what others have and take or try to take it for their own, but this should not be the action of God's people.  We are to rely on God to supply us with what we need, but we too often want more.  Verse forty-two adds, And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.  The sons of Simeon took five hundred men to Mount Seir.  I don't think they went there for pastureland, but because the rulers of the area were there.  Verse forty-three continues, And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.  These five hundred killed the rest of the Amalekites living there and took possession of the land.  We can never justify taking what belongs to others just because it is desirable, and we want it.

1 Chronicles 4:24

1 Chronicles 4:24 says, The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:  We have the list of Simeon's sons.  Matthew Henry points out that God blesses some families with more children than others.  I believe all children are a blessing from God.  Verse twenty-five adds, Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.  Then we are given some of his grand children's names.  Verse twenty-six continues, And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.  Verse twenty-seven states, And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters: but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.  If all Simeons descendants had as many children as Shimei, that would explain why they were a large part of Israel.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And they dwelt at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,  Verse twenty-nine continues, And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,  Verse thirty says, And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,  Verse thirty-one adds, And at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.  Verse thirty-two continues, And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:  Verse thirty-three concludes, And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.  It is mentioned that they were devoted to Baal, and not to God.  Matthew Henry says that when David became king, they left these cities when ten tribes revolted, since these cities were a part of Judah.  We should never abandon our place in God's kingdom, and if we are a born-again believer, we never really will.  God secures us as His, but this isn't a license to sin.

1 Chronicles 4:11

1 Chronicles 4:11 says, And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.  Matthew Henry says these are the family of craftsmen.  Today, children sometimes follow in their parents' footsteps in what they do as an occupation, but what we need to pray for is that they will follow in our footsteps as Christians.  Verse twelve adds, And Eshton begat Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Rechah.  These first few were called the men of Rechah, which was a city about three miles from Jerusalem.  Verse thirteen continues, And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath.  Verse fourteen states, And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen.  Here, we are first told that these people became craftsmen, though Matthew Henry had already stated that they were.  Verse fifteen adds,  And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz.  Verse sixteen continues, And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.  Verse seventeen says, And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.  Verse eighteen adds, And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took.  We are told of one of the men of Judah who married the daughter of Pharoah, which I don't believe would have been in God's will.  The people of Israel were to keep themselves separate from the rest of the world. We today are to go into the world, but we are still warned to not marry non-Christians.  Verse nineteen continues, And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.  Verse twenty concludes, And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth.  Verse twenty-one states, The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,  These men were said to have worked in fine linens, which would be a craftsman trade.  Verse twenty-two adds, And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.  This group was said to have dominion in Moab in ancient times.  Matthew Henry says it was probably during David's time that they moved to Israel.  None of us are born Christians, but we must become a part of God's family by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. So, we all come from somewhere other than God's family and then become a part of it and this has been true from the beginning.  He has always been the only way to salvation.  Verse twenty -three continues, These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.  These men were noted for being potters and they dwelled with the king to do his work.  Whatever God calls us to do in life, we must dwell in His will and do everything for His glory.

1 Chronicles 4:!

1 Chronicles 4:1 says, The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.  Matthew Henry gives Ezra credit for listing the descendants of Judah, since they lasted longer than the rest of Israel in the Promised Land and were the ones to return out of captivity while the others were lost in the kingdom of Babylon.  We should hope that as followers of Christ, we would never lose our obedience to Him, but if we do that we would be the first to return to Him and not be lost to the world of sin.  Of course, if we are truly saved by faith in Jesus Christ, we will never be spiritually lost forever.  Verse two adds, And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites. Verse three continues, And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi:  Verse four concludes, And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem.  We are told that these are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, and his descendants, and that he was the father, or establisher, of Bethlehem.  Verse five states, And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.  Once more, we have one of the men of Israel having more than one wife.  This seemed quite common in the Old Testament, though it was never God's plan, and was even in opposition to His plan.  We cannot justify going against God's commandments just because everyone else may be doing it.  Verse six adds, And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.  First, we are told the sons of Ashur with Naarah.  Verse seven continues, And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.  Then, we have the sons of Ashur and Helah listed.  We really aren't told which one he married first.  Verse eight concludes, And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.  Verse nine says, And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.  Matthew Henry points out that we are not told the name of the father of Jabez, but are told that he was more honorable than his brethren.  Again, I will say that who our parents are is unimportant in our relationship to Jesus Christ, but once we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, we need to be known as honorable men and women.  Verse ten adds, And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.  We hear a lot about the prayer of Jabez, usually to promote asking God for more in life, but I believe the key to his prayer is asking that God be with him and keep him committed to God to keep him from doing evil things.  Material things would just pass away, but his relationship with God will last forever, as will ours.

1 Chronicles 3:10

 1 Chronicles 3:10 says, And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,  The next few verses list the descendants of Solomon, which makes them also David's descendants, and a part of God's people through whom He was going to bring everlasting salvation.  As Christians, we are also a part of that family.  The crown passed through seventeen descendants of David, starting with Solomon. Verse eleven adds, Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,  Verse twelve continues, Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,  Verse thirteen states, Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,  Verse fourteen adds, Amon his son, Josiah his son.  Verse fifteen continues, And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.  Verse sixteen says, And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.  Verse seventeen adds, And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son,  Verse eighteen continues, Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.  Verse nineteen says, And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister:  In this verse we are given the name of one of the female descendants.  The fact that most are not listed does not mean that they are less important to God.  Jesus Christ died for all, both male and female, and we are all equally important to Him. Verse twenty adds, And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushabhesed, five.  Verse twenty-one continues, And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah.  Verse twenty-two states, And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.  Verse twenty-three adds, And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three.  Verse twenty-four continues, And the sons of Elioenai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Dalaiah, and Anani, seven.  Solomon had many descendants, but not all were king and part of the lineage of Christ, just as all people today are God's people by fact of their birth, but not all are a part of His spiritual family, which comes by rebirth individually through putting their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.

1 Chronicles 3:1

1 Chronicles 3:1 says, Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:  The next few verses list the sons of David and their mothers.  Even though he was called a man after God's own heart, David certainly didn't follow God's law about marriage.  Verse two adds, The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith:  Absalom would certainly give David a lot of problems, but David didn't stop loving him.  Even if we are followers of Christ, our children may give us a lot of problems, but we should never stop loving them.  Verse three continues, The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife.  Verse four states, These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.  His first six children were born in Hebron, where he had reigned for seven and a half years.  Then, he relocated to Jerusalem, where he reigned for thirty-three years, and his other children were born there.   Verse five adds, And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel:  Bathsheba is called Bathshua here, and although born tenth, Solomon would follow David as king, Matthew Henry said more because of David preference than because of any great ability Solomon had, because he didn't ask for wisdom until after he became king.  Verse six continues, Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,  Verse seven says, And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,  Verse eight adds, And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.  Verse nine continues, These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.  Matthew Henry points out besides these sons, David had more by concubines, but they weren't listed because his concubines had acted treacherously toward him when Absalom had rebelled, but that still wasn't the fault of the children.  Even if someone we have a child by acts terrible to us, that still does not mean that we should not claim the child and love them, even if it causes us problems in life. 

1 Chrnicles 2:42

1 Chronicles 2:42 says, Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.  This not Caleb who was the good spy as far as I can find out, since they have different fathers listed, but we are still moving forward through the history of Israel. though.  Verse forty-three adds, And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.  Hebron would have been Caleb's grandson, and the other four his great-grandsons. Verse forty-five continues, And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai.  Then, we continue with further generations of the descendants of Caleb.  Verse forty-five concludes, And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur.  Verse forty-six states, And Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.   We have the children of Ephah included next, even though she was called his concubine not his wife.  Still, they were just as much Caleb's children as the others were.  Of course, the fact that he had a concubine was not in accordance with Gods' word.  If a man has a child with a woman other than his wife, this is not God's plan, but he is still just as much a father to this child, or these children if he has more than one, and is just as responsible for them.  Verse forty-seven adds, And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.  This was another wife or concubine and her children.  Verse forty-eight continues, Maachah, Caleb's concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.  Then, still another concubine and her children.  Verse forty-nine concludes, She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa.  Verse fifty says, These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim.  The last few verses of the chapter list the sons of Caleb, here called the son of Hur, once again, listing them not as fathers of children but of areas of the country.  Verse fifty-one adds, Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Bethgader.  Verse fifty-two continues, And Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites.  Verse fifty-three says, And the families of Kirjathjearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites,  Verse fifty-four adds,The sons of Salma; Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.  Verse fifty-five continues, And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.  I will state once more that today it doesn't matter who our parents are as Christians, only Who our Heavenly Father is through our relationship with Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, no matter what country we are from, we are spiritually brothers and sisters. 

1 Chronicles 2:25

1 Chronicles 2:25 says. And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah.  These next few verses tell us about the children and grandchildren and more of Hezron, starting with Jerahmeel, as we continue to move forward in the history of Israel.  Verse twenty-six adds, Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.  Jerahmeel had at least two wives, which as I have stated before is never in accordance with God's law.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.  Verse twenty-eight states, And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab and Abishur.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid.  Verse twenty-nine continues, And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children.  Matthew Henry points out that Seled had no children, so being childless is not something new.  Sometimes, for whatever reason, God just does not bless a couple with children, but that doesn't mean we are to try to have them with someone other than our spouse.  Verse thirty-one says, And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.  We are several generations into the descendants of Jerahmeel by now.  Verse thirty-two adds, And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.  Here is another person, Jether, who died without children.  I will say that as Christians, we will all die without spiritual children, since we all become brothers and sisters in Christ.  Verse thirty-three continues, And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.  Verse thirty-four states, Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha.  Verse thirty-five adds, And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai.  Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, and instead of marrying them to one of his fellow Israelites, he married one to an Egyptian, who was his servant, Jahra.  Arranged marriages were common then and still are in some countries and cultures today, but even then, God's people should marry God's people.  Matthew Henry says that Jarha, the Egyptian, was likely a convert to Judaism. We are to reach out to everyone with the gospel, and they may become a part of God's kingdom, but Christians really aren't supposed to marry them until they do.  Verse thirty-six continues, And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad,  Verse thirty-seven states, And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed,  Verse thirty-eight says, And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah,  Verse thirty-nine adds, And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah,  Verse forty-continues, And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum,  Verse forty-one concludes, And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.