1 Chronicles 1: Adam to Abraham

Key Verse
Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
 
Meditation
Ezra wrote Chronicles to remind the people of Judah of their heritage as God’s people, the Lord’s covenant commitment, and their need to trust God for their future. The Judeans were resettling the land after exile and God’s covenant faithfulness recounted through Chronicles would have given them strength for the day and hope for their tomorrow.
 
In today’s reading, Ezra begins with names. God’s faithfulness goes back to the first person, Adam, because through Adam God made the first gospel promise. After the fall, God promises a seed (offspring) of Adam and Eve would crush the head of Satan and reverse the curse (Genesis 3:15). Ezra reminds us, the seed came through Seth as opposed to Cain and Shem as opposed to Ham and Japeth (it gets confusing in parts of the genealogy). God’s covenant promise extended through Abraham and his son Isaac as opposed to Ismael.  God’s promise is a particular people (Deuteronomy 7:6-8) who will give birth to a particular person, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the second Adam who crushed the head of Satan and gives life as our faithful covenant representative (Romans 5).

Genealogies weave the story of redemption together and for this reason the New Testament begins with a list of families (Matthew 1:1-17). The structure of 1 Chronicles 1-9 highlights continuity, covenant, and consecration. We are all rooted in humanity, beginning with Adam (1:1). God’s people remain in God’s family with continuity through Abraham to Jacob. 
 
Jesus is the fullness of our heritage, the highpoint of God’s covenant commitment, and the focus of our trust for the future. 
 
Today’s Reading

aAdam, Seth, Enosh; 2 bKenan, Mahalalel, Jared; 3 Enoch, Methuselah,Lamech; 4 Noah, cShem, Ham, and Japheth.
5 dThe sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, andTiras. 6 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath,1 and Togarmah. 7 The sons ofJavan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.
8 eThe sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush: Seba,Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.10 Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man.2
11 fEgypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12 Pathrusim,Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.
13 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 14 and the Jebusites, theAmorites, the Girgashites, 15 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16 the Arvadites,the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
17 gThe sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. And the sonsof Aram:3 Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 18 Arpachshad fathered Shelah, andShelah fathered Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one wasPeleg4 (for in his days the earth was divided), and his brother’s name wasJoktan. 20 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram,Uzal, Diklah, 22 Obal,5 Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all thesewere the sons of Joktan.
24 hShem, Arpachshad, Shelah; 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu; 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah;27 Abram, that is, Abraham.
From Abraham to Jacob28 The sons of Abraham: iIsaac and jIshmael. 29 kThese are their genealogies:the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma,Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are thesons of Ishmael. 32 lThe sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran,Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba andDedan. 33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. Allthese were the descendants of Keturah.
34 Abraham fathered iIsaac. The sons of Isaac: mEsau and nIsrael. 35 oThe sonsof Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman,Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and of Timna,6 Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel:Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
38 pThe sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Hemam;7 and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 40 Thesons of Shobal: Alvan,8 Manahath, Ebal, Shepho,9 and Onam. The sons ofZibeon: Aiah and Anah. 41 The son10 of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon:Hemdan,11 Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, andAkan.12 The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
43 qThese are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any kingreigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city beingDinhabah. 44 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of rBozrah reigned in hisplace. 45 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the sTemanites reigned in hisplace. 46 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in thecountry of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. 47 Hadaddied, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 Samlah died, and Shaul ofRehoboth on the Euphrates13 reigned in his place. 49 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan,the son of Achbor, reigned in his place. 50 Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned inhis place, the name of his city being Pai; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, thedaughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 And Hadad died.
 
The chiefs of Edom were: chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 52 Oholibamah, Elah,Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs ofEdom.
 
 
Richly Dwelling
-How does understanding God’s redemptive story provide beauty to otherwise boring genealogies?
 
-Why is it significant that the Chronicler highlights the distinction between family lines to promote a particular people?
 
-God is faithful to his covenant promises and will satisfy our hopes of restoration and renewal through His beautiful and bountiful return. How can you hope in His faithfulness today as you wait for Christ’s second advent?
 
Key Verse
Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.