Study 6
1 Chronicles 5 - The
LORD was intreated of them; because they put their trust in Him
a. Chapter 2:3-4:23
recorded the royal tribe of Judah. The section begins with a list of Jacob’s
twelve sons.
- Then the attention
is turned to the tribe of Judah, and not the tribe of Reuben, Jacob’s first
born. Most attention is devoted to the royal tribe of Judah.
- In the royal tribe
of Judah, many interesting and important people are mentioned; they left their
mark on the history of the nation. The section ends with a significance note:
“there they dwelt with the king for his work.” They were indeed a royal people,
dwelling with the king and serving their king.
## Are you a royal people, of the King of kings, the exalted Lord Jesus Christ?May the same be said of you.
b. Next to be
mentioned are the frontier tribes:
- 4:24-43: the tribe
of Simeon (south, west of Jordan river)
- 5:1-10: the tribe
of Reuben (south, east of Jordan)
- 5:11-22: the tribe
of Gad (central, east of Jordan)
- 5:23-26: the tribe
of Manasseh (half-tribe, north, east of Jordan).
1. The tribe of
Simeon (4:24-43)
a. Simeon was one of
the smaller tribes. Only one family line, that of Mishma > Shimei is
recorded (v24-27).
- Two kinds of
information mark this section: places and numbers.
- There is a list of
their dwelling places (v28-33).
- There is also a
note of two military campaigns that enabled them to increase their territory
(v39-43). This expansion of territory is related to an increase in their
numbers (v38).
- Shimei is singled
out as the fruitful father of many children in this generally unfruitful tribe
(v27).
b. Their main towns
were originally allocated with the tribe of Judah at the time of the conquest
of Canaan (Josh 19:1-9). They were located at the southern frontiers, towards
the Negev desert.
- They continued
until the time of David (v31) when they joined the tribes that rejected David
as king (2Sam 2:10); they chose Saul’s son, Ishbosheth.
- After that they
were scattered among the tribes who rejected the king of God’s choice,
fulfilling the prophecy of Jacob concerning him (Gen 49:7).
c. The remnant that
remained loyal to the house of David retained their identity as a sub-group
within Judah.
- They fought
alongside their brethren during the reign of Hezekiah, doing great exploits in
the expansion of the kingdom in the south – attacking Gedor (Gaza) in the west
which was occupied by the Philistines.
- They also drove
out Meunites, the descendants of Ishmael, and the Edomites, the descendants of
Esau.
## Those who do not
abide by the King of God’s appointment shall be scattered. Beware! The
company we keep will have a profound effect on the lives we lead and the
character we develop. 1Cor 15:33.
## Blessing comes to
those who remain with Judah, the royal tribe. And they make great exploits with
Judah. What a lesson to those who still remain.
2. The tribe of
Reuben (5:1-10)
a. Reuben was the
firstborn of Jacob, but is listed in the third family tree (5:1-2). Only ten
verses are devoted to Reuben. A line of Reubenites is traced right down to
Beerah (v4-6) who was carried into exiled by the Assyrians (732BC) and
scattered among the heathen. The tribe ceased to exist as a separate entity.
- Reuben committed
sexual immorality with one of his father’s concubines (Gen 35:22; 49:4),
attempting to lay claim to his father’s authority and wealth (cp. 2Sam
16:21-22). This offense transgressed the fifth & seventh commandments. As a
result, the two sons of Joseph’s, Ephraim and Manasseh, stood as patriarchs in
Israel instead of Reuben (5:1-2). His birthright was forfeited and given to
Joseph’s sons.
- The reason for the
downfall of the tribes east of Jordan in the days of Tiglath-pileser is spelled
out plainly in 5:25-26: “And they transgressed against the God of their
fathers, and they went a whoring after the gods of the people of the lands,
whom God destroyed before them. And the God of Israel…” He who has ears to
hear, let him hear.
- The coming of the
Saviour-King from the royal tribe of Judah is repeated in v2. (cp Gen 49:8-12)
b. From the conquest
of the land to their exiles by the Assyrians, the Reubenites enjoyed great
blessings from the hands of God. Their territory was expanded eastward away from
the east of the river Jordan and northward to the east of Gilead (east of Gad).
Enemies were subdued. The Hagarites were the Arabs who descended from Hagar.
- The reason for
their blessings is stated plainly in v20 (cp v10), “for they cried out to God
in the battle. He was intreated of them; because they put their trust in Him.”
## Here we are
presented with an abiding spiritual principle of cause and effect: faith
results in blessing; sin leads to judgment. Both physical and spiritual
pedigree will guarantee nothing.
## There are safety
and blessings in the shadow of the Almighty. The Lord alone is our refuge and
strength.
3. The tribe of Gad
(5:11-22)
a. The descendants
of Gad are listed in v11-15, and their territories in v16, north to the
territory of Reuben.
- They occupied the
fertile farming land of Gilead and the rich pasturelands of Bashan, (cp Amos
4:1). The Gadites were very privileged people. In cooperation with the other
tribes that dwelt in the east of Jordan, they were able to defeat their
enemies, v18-19.
- There was
spiritual unity among them in fighting against their enemies. The Lord’s
blessings were among them, “for they cried to God in the battle because they
put their trust in him..” They were trusting in their Jehovah to drive out
their enemies, and entering into their inheritance allotted to them.
- Note carefully
that the character of their men: they “were valiant, men able to bear buckler
and sword, and to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war… that went out to
war.” They were men who trusted in God, but they were at the same time
responsible men – well trained, well-armed, and went to engage the enemies.
## Men who trust
rightly in the sovereignty of God will also act responsibly, knowing that the
sovereign Lord always expect men to be a responsible instrument in His hands.
## What kind of men
and women are we – valiant, skilled in spiritual weapons, prepared for
spiritual warfare?
## There is strength
in unity, but unity must be based on God’s truth, not on pragmatic reasons.
4. The tribe of
Manasseh, the eastern half - (5:23-26)
a. Manasseh was a
big tribe. Only half the tribe of Manasseh settled on the east of Jordan. Their
territory stretched from the Yarmuk Valley in the south to Mt. Hermon in the
north (southern border of Syria).
- They were “mighty
men of valour, famous men…” However, their gifts of character, physical
strength, and leadership were of no lasting value without consecrating them to
the King’s cause. O what a waste! What a pity that such gifts were squandered.
- They transgressed
against the God of their Fathers... and went a whoring... (v25).
- Without God’s
blessing, they came to nothing – they too were exiled and scattered throughout
the four corners of the earth by the ruthless Assyrians.
b. 5:25-26 summarises the character of the two-and-a-half tribes east of the Jordan River.
- Their
unfaithfulness to God, despite all His blessings and mercies upon them, is
regarded as spiritual adultery. They continued to provoke God by turning to the
heathen gods and refused to repent despite the constant warning of God-sent
prophets.
- Since they have no
desire to be as God’s people, they are scattered among the heathens.
## “For to everyone
who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does
not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Beware, lest, for want of
faithfulness, even the little that you have will be taken away. Let no one
tempt God with presumption.
## God’s people
continue to face hostility as they strive to enter their inheritance in heaven.
Let us be loyal to our King, owning Him as our hope, strength, and shelter.
Questions
1. 5:22 says, “…
because the war was God’s.”
- In what sense was
the war God’s?
- How did it become
His? What are the lessons for us today?
2. The men of
Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were described as “…valiant men,
men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war…
that went to the war.”
- What are the
lessons for us today?
3. “…. The cried to God in the battle, and He was intreated of them; because they put their trust in Him.” 5:20
