diff --git a/content/bible_journal/1chronicles_2:1-17.md b/content/bible_journal/1chronicles_2:1-17.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c9399d1 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/bible_journal/1chronicles_2:1-17.md @@ -0,0 +1,45 @@ ++++ +title = "1 Chronicles 2:1–17" +date = "2023-08-30" ++++ + +### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1Chronicles2.1-17) + +The genealogy continues with the sons of Israel. However the Chronicler's focus +is the line of David, so only Judah's sons are listed afterwards. Let me just +say, the Bible doesn't pull any punches when it talks about how bad people are, +and the patriarchs aren't very good role models. Judah's most important sons in +this record are actually by his daughter-in-law Tamar. She tricked him into it, +but it worked because he thought she was a prostitute, which doesn't make him +sound any better. + +Of the two sons of Tamar, Perez and his son Hezron are part of David's line, so +Zerah and his descendants are detailed first. The most famous of the Zerahites +was Achan, who took things from Jericho that were supposed to be devoted to the +Lord. + +The sons of Hezron are given next, and this time David's ancestors come first. +From here, we aren't given any names besides direct decendants from Ram all the +way down to Jesse, the father of David. We also learn the names of David's +brothers, when we only get three of them in 1 Samuel. But there's a problem. +David is listed as the seventh son born to Jesse, but 1 Samuel mentions a few +times that David was the youngest of _eight_ sons. This is especially strange +because 1 Chronicles 27 mentions Elihu, David's brother, who isn't in this +list. How do we reconcile this while maintaining the truthfulness and inerrancy +of the inspired word of God? By splitting hairs and saying Elihu was Jesse's +son but not begotten by him. In other words, Elihu was adopted. He was would +have older than David, but maybe joined the family after David was born. When +Samuel journeyed to Bethlehem to anoint a new king, Jesse brought out seven +sons, including Elihu, but not David who was out tending the sheep. + +No one ever talks about David's sisters, but apparently he had two. I learned +today that the commander of David's armies, Joab the son of Zeruiah, was thus +David's nephew. That puts a new color on all of their interactions in 2 Samuel, +particularly the incidents with Uriah and Absalom. + +And you thought genealogies were boring. + +* * * + +Your goodness is so amazing that it can take our colossal screw-ups and make +them work into Your plan.