Day 117. 1 Chronicles 8-10

We remember that in chapter 2 the chronicler lists the descendents of Judah first among the tribes of Israel because Judah is the royal clan. Judah is the first in precedence because it is the tribe from which David, the faithful king, and his house spring. Now in chapter 8 the descendents of Benjamin are listed last among the tribes. The order is not accidental. Saul, the first king of Israel, is a member of the tribe of Benjamin (8:33), so Benjamin is also a royal tribe. But Saul's unfaithfulness is being contrasted with the faithfulness of David.   Besides faithfulness and unfaithfulness, other important themes in the Books of Chronicles appear for the first time in our reading. Note that at the beginning of chapter 9 we are told that "all of Israel" is enrolled by genealogies. The unity of the people of Israel is an important element in the message of Chronicles. The people of Judah are carried off into exile "because of their unfaithfulness" (9:1), and when they return from exile the first to live again in their possessions are Israelites of several different tribes, as well as "priests, Levites, and temple servants" (9:2). There is unity among the people of God—they are all Children of the Promise, in spite of their differences. And there is continuity between the time before and after the exile. The God of Israel is unchanged, and he is always calling his people to covenant faithfulness. We are given a list of the priestly families residing in Jerusalem after the exile. These are the ones who are "qualified for the work of service of the house of God" (9:13), entrusted with the rituals of sacrifice. Then we are given a list of Levitical families, arranged according to the functions. There are gatekeepers (9:17-27)--these were basically security guards who watched the gates of the sacred precincts, opening and closing them in the morning and evening (9:27). There were those Levites who are entrusted with the care for the sacred vessels, who mix the spices and bake the bread that is laid on the altar, twelve loaves each Sabbath (9:32). Finally, there are singers, in charge of supplying music for the temple services (9:33). Now as we leave the genealogical part of 1 Chronicles—without many regrets-- and turn to the narrative, we are given a more extensive list of the family of King Saul, the failed king (9:35-44). Chapter 10 tells the story of Saul's final defeat by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. We have read this whole painful story before in 2 Samuel, but here it is retold in order to underline the message that unfaithfulness to the LORD leads inexorably to defeat and death. The chronicler makes his point explicit—"Saul died for his unfaithfulness" (10:13). Saul is unfaithful because he disobeyed the command of the LORD. He does not seek the LORD's guidance, but instead seeks counsel from a medium, in direct contradiction to the Law of Moses. And for that reason the LORD puts the unfaithful king to death and turns the kingdom over to a faithful king, David the son of Jesse (10:14), the ideal monarch, against whom the chronicler will compare all other kings and find them wanting.