I. ISRAEL'S HISTORICAL ROOTS chs. 1--9

"The fact that the author of 1 and 2 Chronicles devoted nine chapters out of sixty-five to genealogies (1 Chr 1-9) makes clear that these were of great importance to him and bear significantly on his purpose in writing his work. This purpose needs to be understood by any commentator who would elucidate the nature of these volumes.

"We may define a genealogy as a written or oral expression of the descent of a person or persons from an ancestor or ancestors.'¹⁸They may display breadth (These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,' 1 Chr 2:1) and depth (the sons of Solomon: Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son,' 1 Chr 3:10). This latter genealogy and others of its type that display depth alone are termed linear.' Biblical genealogies, like the extrabiblical ones, are normally quite limited in depth, rarely extending beyond ten or twelve generations but often from four to six. In 1 Chronicles 2-9 we have an exception. Perhaps the writer sometimes joined separate genealogies.

"If a genealogy displays breadth as well as depth, it is termed segmented,' or mixed.' In Chronicles multiple descendants of an ancestor are frequently named, but not all the lives are pursued to later generations. Genealogies may proceed from parent to child (descending, as in 1 Chr 9:39-44) or from child to parent (ascending, as in 1 Chr 9:14-16).

"The two types of genealogy, linear and segmented, serve different purposes. The linear genealogy seeks to legitimize an individual by relating him to an ancestor whose status is established. The segmented genealogy is designed to express relationships between the various branches of a family."¹⁹

"Their function, broadly speaking, is to show that the promises and purposes of God continue."²⁰

The aim of the genealogies "is to paint a portrait of the people of God in its ideal extent as a symbol of both the particularity of his election and the breadth of his grace."²¹

". . . it should be noted that a further theme of Chr., that of the Lord's willingness to start afresh with his errant people, is also tucked away almost unnoticed in the genealogies."²²

 A. The Lineage of David chs. 1-3

The writer evidently chose, under divine inspiration, to open his book with genealogies to help his readers appreciate their heritage and to tie themselves to Adam, Abraham, and David in particular. Adam was important as the head of the human race. Abraham was important because of the promises God gave him and his descendants in the Abrahamic Covenant. David was important because of his role as Israel's model king and because of the promises God gave him in the Davidic Covenant. This section shows Israel's place among the nations. Both the Old and New Testaments open with genealogies in Genesis, Matthew, and Luke.

One of the major themes of Chronicles is that the Davidic dynasty would be the instrument through which God promised that salvation and blessing would come to Israel. It would also come through Israel to the whole world. The final Davidic king, Jesus Christ, was the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) as well as the Person who would fulfill the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants completely.

"The genealogy of David in the Book of Ruth and in 1 Chronicles 2:3-17 unambiguously establishes the connection between patriarchal promise and historical fulfillment and demonstrates once and for all Judah's theological primacy amongst the tribes despite its geographical handicap."²³

The writer probably also went back to Adam for another reason. He tied God's provision of salvation in David and his descendants to the first promise of salvation given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15.

In 3:19-24 the Chronicler traced David's descendants into the restoration period. David's kingdom ended with the Babylonian exile (cf. Amos 9:11), but by tracing David's line the writer was giving his original readers hope that God would fulfill His promises. The future did not depend ultimately on the decisions of Cyrus, king of the Persian Empire, but on the faithfulness of Yahweh (cf. Hag. 2:21-22).

In 3:19 the writer said Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah. Other references to Zerubbabel call him the son of Shealtiel (cf. Ezra 3:2; Neh. 12:1; Hag. 1:12; Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27; et al.). This may be a scribal error, or perhaps Shealtiel died early and his brother, Pedaiah, reared Zerubbabel.

The original readers of Chronicles, freshly transplanted into the Promised Land from Babylon, were having an identity crisis. They needed to remember what they were and what God intended for them to be in a culture that wanted to use them for its own ends. By piecing together name lists from the previous historical books of the Old Testament the writer was able to preach the meaning of his people's history. This he continued to do throughout Chronicles.

"The framework of history is . . . seen to comprise three pairs of events. God creates all things; in due course Adam procreates the rest of mankind. God calls Abraham; in due course Israel sires the twelve patriarchs. God calls Moses; in due course David sets up the kingdom. In each of these three pairs, it is with the second member that the Chronicler is concerned."²⁴

 B. The House of Israel chs. 4-7

The writer's next concern was to trace the line of people to whom and through whom God promised to bring blessing and salvation. That nation was Israel, the descendants of Jacob. The writer viewed Israel as consisting of 12 tribes, not just the tribes represented by the returnees from Babylonian exile. The nation as a whole would have a future.

 C. The Lineage of Saul chs. 8-9

This list obviously parallels to some extent David's genealogy (chs. 1-3). Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin, not from the tribe of Judah that God had promised leadership of the nation. One reason the writer had an interest in the tribe of Benjamin (ch. 8) was that it was the only tribe other than Judah to remain loyal to the Davidic line. The tribe of Benjamin "ranked second only to Judah in postexilic society."³³Furthermore Jerusalem stood in Benjamin territory.

In both chapters 8 and 9 the writer drew a distinction between those people who lived in Jerusalem (8:28; 9:34) and those who lived in Gibeon (8:29; 9:35). There were Benjamites who lived in Jerusalem and others who lived in Gibeon. Both these towns were important religious centers. Gibeon was where the central sanctuary stood during most of Saul's reign and from then on until Solomon built the temple. Nonetheless it was not God's chosen place of worship. The ark was never in the sanctuary at Gibeon. Rather the Gibeon site was the people's choice even as Saul was. God's choice was Jerusalem (2 Chron. 6:6). God did not choose Saul or Gibeon, but He had chosen David and Jerusalem. David and Jerusalem are the two major pieces in God's plan of salvation and blessing in Chronicles.

Chapter 9 brings the genealogical roots of Israel down to real life postexilic Jerusalem. The emphasis in this chapter is again on the temple: the priests (vv. 10-13), the Levites (vv. 14-19), and the temple servants (vv. 17-34).

"The Chronicler established Israel's place in the world through the lengthy genealogies of chaps. 1-9 so that his audience might understand anew their role among the nations."³⁴

These nine chapters of genealogy prepare for the narrative section of the book that follows and the very next section, the record of Saul's death (10:1-14). God permitted leadership by Saul and worship at Gibeon, but His plan called for leadership by David and worship at Jerusalem. Thus the Chronicler reminded his readers that their forefathers' premature insistence that God give them a king similar to all the other nations was a serious mistake. They should learn from their history and not seize the initiative from God again but simply follow Him faithfully.

"With his first nine chapters the Chronicler has introduced his ambitious re-presentation of Israel's history as a sermon. Drawing on ancient material, much of which is familiar to us from the earlier books of the Bible, he has already indicated his major concerns. He will be focusing on the kingship and the priesthood--that is, as it will turn out, on the throne of David and the temple of Solomon--and he will be selecting and simplifying, as he preaches on the story of these things, so as to bring out unchanging principles and ultimate truths."³⁵