REUBEN
Once more the natural law of the first-born is violated as the chronicler has already given attention to Judah and Simeon. Reuben was Jacob’s first son borne by Leah (Genesis 29:32). This son, who was the hope of Jacob’s family, proved unworthy of the trust when he dared to sin sexually with Bilhah, his father’s concubine (Genesis 35:22). In the patriarchal meeting (Genesis 49:3, 4), Reuben was disinherited… The names that follow in verses 4-10 are Reuben’s descendants. Reuben’s territory lay beyond the Jordan to the south and east. These tribes suffered at the hands of the Assyrians when Tilgath-pileser and his armies overthrew Samaria and scattered the tribes of Israel in 722-21 B.C. Aroer and Nebo were located beyond the Jordan eastward. Nebo was the region from which Moses once viewed Canaan. The Gilead country bordered the Jordan river on the east and pertained to the territory of Reuben. The Hagrites may have derived from Hagar. There was a tribe by this name in northern Arabia. At some time the Reubenites fought with these people and displaced them in the Gilead region.[1]
GAD
Gad shared the trans-Jordanic territory with Reuben and Manasseh. These three tribes were in a precarious position because of their nearness to the desert. They were always vulnerable to warring bands of tribesmen and were destined never to play a significant role in Hebrew history. These were the tribes that requested of Moses this part of Palestine for their homeland… they wanted this land east of the Jordan river because it was good pasture land. In making this choice, they also removed themselves from the main stream of Hebrew history. Bashan lay beyond the Sea of Chinnereth [Galilee] to the east. Salecah was a village on the far east boundary of Bashan. The names that follow in verses 12-15 are Gad’s descendants. We know nothing more about them in the Bible record.[2]
These tribes are very reminiscent of Lot and his attitude. This is what looks good for what we want right now! In America we have much this same issue and we must look back and understand the example that these tribes and Lot set for us. Notice what is recorded now in 5:18-26:
There is no indication here as to just when Reuben, Gad and Manasseh went to war against the Hagrites and their allies. It is of interest to note that in Joshua’s day when they sent warriors to help conquer Canaan; they sent 40,000 men (Joshua 4:12, 13). In this later day they are able to muster 44,760 men… Jetur and Naphish are named in Genesis 25:15 among Ishmael’s people. The name Jetur is preserved in the name Ituraea (Luke 3:l) . The Ituraeans were notorious warriors. As in all other military conflicts in which Israel’s cause was righteous and in which she trusted in Jehovah, God gave victory to the transjordanic Hebrew tribes in this conflict. That it was a significant event is evident from the tremendous amount of prey taken. The chronicler is concerned that the reader understand that Jehovah gave the victory-“the war was of God.” The land once owned by desert tribes is now possessed by the tribes of Israel.[3]
MANASSEH
A part of the tribe of Manasseh settled the Bashan country east of the Sea of Chinnereth. Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon all refer to the same area in the north-east corner of Palestine. The descendants of Manasseh (v. 24) are named only here. They were men of war, as was Machir, Manasseh’s son. An often used phrase, “played the harlot”, is employed here to describe the idolatry of these Hebrew tribes. Jehovah’s response to this breach of the covenant is to send “Pul”, Tilgath-pileser, of Assyria, to over-run and deport the transjordanic tribes. This took place about 722-21 B.C. These Israelites beyond the Jordan to the east joined their brethren from Samaria and Israel west of the Jordan in the captivity (II Kings 17:6). They were scattered in the regions of the upper Euphrates River.[4]
LEVI
We see the record of Levi in 6:1-30.
Levi attained a real importance among the twelve sons of Jacob. He and Simeon were guilty of taking vengeance upon the Shechemites (Genesis 34:25) for which action they were severely rebuked by their father. Jacob remembered this event (Genesis 49:5) at the time of the patriarchal blessing. Because of his share in the slaughter of the Shechemites, Levi was destined to be given the assignment of the priesthood and tabernacle service. His descendants would be scattered throughout Israel. The tribe of Levi was the smallest of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Levi’s sons were Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. The record here turns immediately to Kohath because his is the high priestly house. Kohath’s sons are named and the most important of these is Amram because he was the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Aaron was the father of four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu used strange fire in offering sacrifices and were struck down by Jehovah (Numbers 3:4). Aaron was the first high priest in Israel. He was succeeded by his son, Eleazar. The next twenty names in the list, from Phinehas through Seraiah, are believed to be names of high priests. Phinehas served as high priest in Joshua’s day (Joshua 22:l0-33). Seraiah (Jeremiah 52:24) was high priest in the days of Zedekiah, Judah’s last king…Zadok and Abiathar were the leading priests at the time of David’s flight from Absalom (I1 Samuel 15:24). Later, Abiathar cast his lot with Adonijah (I Kings 1 :7, 8); but Zadok remained loyal to David. Zadok probably died before the Temple was built. Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, was faithful to David in the Absalom crisis (II Samuel 15: 36) and is well known as a post or a runner. In bringing the news of Absalom’s death, Ahimaaz outran the Cushite messenger, but could not bring himself to tell David the bad news (II Samuel 18:19ff)…One of the most important names in this priestly list is that of Hilkiah. He was high priest when Josiah was king of Judah (640-609 B.C.). He was a leading spirit in the great religious revival of that era. This revival was launched with the discovery of “the book of the Law in the house of the Lord” (II Kings 22:8). II Chronicles 35:l-19 describes the great Passover in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign under the leadership of Hilkiah. Seraiah is identified as the high priest in the days of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 52: 24-27) when Jerusalem fell to Babylon.
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