1 Chronicles 7:20

1 Chronicles 7:20 says, And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,  Now, we have a list of the descendants of Ephraim.  Verse twenty-one adds, And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.  Some of Ephraim's descendants were killed by the men of Gath when they tried to take away their cattle.  Being a part of God's chosen people did not always protect someone from suffering defeat in this world, just as being a Christian doesn't protect us from suffering at the hands of the people of the world in this lifetime.  Still, if they were truly a part of God's people by faith, the defeat was only temporary and they are with Him forever, as we as Christians will be.  Verse twenty-two continues, And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.  Ephraim mourned for his descendants for many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.  If we lose a child today, no matter how old they are, we may mourn, but if they were a follower of Christ, we should also celebrate the fact that they are at home with Jesus forever.  I believe even more than friends and relatives, the Holy Spirit will comfort us, if we allow Him to.  Matthew Henry says this adds up to seven generations of descendants, but Ephraim was still alive.  Verse twenty-three states, And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.  Ephraim then had another son who he called Beriah, which means in trouble.  We really cannot replace one child with another and we should never attempt to.  Verse twenty-four adds, (And his daughter was Sherah, who built Bethhoron the nether, and the upper, and Uzzensherah.)  We are also told that one of Ephraim's female descendants built two cities, even though we don't usually hear much about daughters in the Bible.  Verse twenty-five continues, And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son.  Verse twenty-eight says, Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son.  Verse twenty-seven adds, Non his son, Jehoshuah his son.  Verse twenty-eight continues, And their possessions and habitations were, Bethel and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:  We are told of the land they possessed in this verse and the next.  Verse twenty-nine concludes, And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Bethshean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.