The Antioch Anchor: ISRAEL'S POSTEXILIC HISTORY: LESSON 2 NOTES PART 3

WHY STUDY THESE GENEALOGIES AND LONG NAMES?

Since we have had a break from the study, let us remind ourselves why we need to study these things, the Old Testament and this list of long, unpronounceable, and seemingly unimportant names to those of us that are in the New Testament church.

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:4).

What was written "aforetime" that Paul could refer to? The Old Testament. What "scriptures" existed for Paul to refer to? The Old Testament. Reread that verse using our terminology: For whatsover things were written in the Old Testament were written for our learning, that we through patience [work] and comfort of the Old Testament might have hope.

We must WORK at LEARNING from the Old Testament in order to find the COMFORT that gives us HOPE.

Again Paul says, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor. 10:11).

Read 1 Cor. 10:1-10 and we find the "them" of Paul's statements. He has referenced many of the things concerning the exodus. Where are these things written? The Old Testament. Why are they written? As examples. To whom are they examples? To those "upon whom the ends of the world are come." Today we live in that period of the the end is the end of the world and so Paul's instruction is applicable to us just as it was to those Corinthians.

One last reason for studying these things: "And he [Jesus Christ] said unto them, These are the words which I [Jesus Christ] spake unto you, while I [Jesus Christ] was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses [the first 5 books], and in the prophets [Joshua-Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve], and in the psalms [Job-Song of Solomon, Daniel, Esther, Chronicles, Ruth], concerning me [Jesus Christ]" (Luke 24:44).

What is Jesus Christ telling us in this passage? That Old Testament--the whole thing, every last part of it--is about me. If we want to know Jesus then we MUST (not an optional matter) know the Old Testament. Even these genealogies and unpronounceable, and seemingly unimportant names: they are because of this one statement of Christ they become some of the most important things one can know!

CHAPTER 3:1-9: THE SONS OF DAVID

This chapter is only concerned with the families of David and Solomon. “All that has gone before in the record in Chronicles is preparatory for this account.”[1]

VERSES 1-4: Is the listing of David’s wives and sons born to him in the 7½ years of Hebron. The account lists six wives:

· Ahinoam

· Abigail

· Maacah

· Haggith

· Abital

· Eglah

Each of these wives bore David a son in Hebron:

· Amnon

· Daniel

· Absalom

· Adonijah

· Shephatiah

· Ithream

Of these sons, Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah are prominent characters in David’s reign as king.

VERSES 5-9: This is a listing of the sons born to David in Jerusalem:

· Shimea of Bathsheba

· Shobab of Bathsheba

· Nathan of Bathsheba

· Solomon of Bathsheba

· Ibhar

· Elishama

· Eliphelet

· Nogah

· Nepheg

· Japhia

· Elishama

· Eliada

· Eliphelet

A daughter, Tamar, was born in Jerusalem to Maacah. The record in II Samuel 3:2-5 and II Samuel 5:13-16 lists seventeen sons of David and states that he was also the father of “daughters”. The record here says that David had sons of the concubines. Of the children of David born in Jerusalem, Solomon and Tamar are the most important in the Bible records. Tamar was humiliated by her half-brother, Amnon (II Samuel 13:14). Solomon succeeded David on Israel’s throne.[2]

CHAPTER 3:10-24: THE DESCENDANTS OF SOLOMON

The descendants of Solomon are listed in 3:10-24. Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (I Kings 11:3). Only one son, Rehoboam, is identified in the Bible as Solomon’s son. Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Ahaziah, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah make up the roll-call of the kings of Judah. Josiah’s sons were Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Shallum. Jehoiakim’s son was Jeconaiah. Redaiah, Jeconiah’s son, was the father of Zerubbabel, the Davidic prince who led the Jewish refugees back from Babylonian captivity. Zerubbabel’s descendants figured prominently in the history of the post-exilic period.[3]

Each of these kings will be studied more in-depth as we look at the book of 2 Chronicles.