Read 1 Chronicles 9:1-44
This is the final chapter of the genealogies compiled by the Chronicler. While we see some repetition in the data, this chapter connects the dots between the families before and after the exile. We’re told what happened to these families in the first verse. “The people of Judah were exiled to Babylon because they were unfaithful to the Lord.”
The decline in faithfulness took years, but it was the descendants we’ve just read about in the first part of this book who ended up in exile. The rest of 1 Chronicles will tell the story of King David’s reign, and we’ll see how God was moving at that point in history.
Of all the tribes we read about in the first eight chapters, only representatives of some will return from exile in the first round. I wonder what happened to the others. Making the trek back from Babylon would not have been easy. I suppose staying in the foreign land was more “convenient.”
It’s helpful to understand the roles the returnees played. How did it feel to return to a land that may have been strange to most. Over the seventy years of captivity, had families kept alive the memories of living in the land of Judah?
The Chronicler doesn’t take time here to speak of the ruins and desolation of Jerusalem the returnees found. We read about those accounts in the book of Ezra, also believed to have been written by the Chronicler. It’s good to see in this chapter how the leaders took control and re-established priestly practices back in their homeland.
I titled this reflection, “connecting the dots” because it seems like we needed to bring closure to the genealogies. To start talking about King David’s reign next takes us back many generations, into the middle of these genealogies. A bit like a game of “connecting the dots” when you move in many directions, not necessarily a straight line.
When we’re studying God’s word, it’s always a blessing to be able to “connect the dots.” When something clicks for the first time, and the Holy Spirit reveals a new truth, it’s exquisite. It’s helpful to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance each time we read a Scripture passage. I’ve had a few “a-ha” moments even with the genealogies in seeing who is related to who. Have you had any of those revelations?
Let’s pray. Lord, I thank you for how your word prepares us for everything. I love it when I feel like I’ve just connected a truth with my life or found a solution for one of life’s current challenges. You always provide the answer I need. Help me to keep my eyes open to be watching for those connections. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
