1st Chronicles 8 A SECOND LOOK To a person who is looking for his roots by tracing the family ancestry, there are a number of places to look for information. There are places where people lived and occupations in which they were engaged that are recorded in various places. Military records provide the names of those who served their country in the military services. Tax records are kept regarding those who were in business, and property tax records or land surveys have the names of those who lived in certain places and worked at certain vocations. The list in the previous chapter of the tribe of Benjamin is probably a list of those who served in the military. In this long list are those who would have given an idea to those returning from exile as to who their forbearers were as families and where they lived. This knowledge gives to those who are curious a sense of belonging.
Those who returned from Babylon were mainly from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin that were more or less assimilated into one nation who lived in the south of Israel. 130 years earlier the northern tribes had been taken captive by the Assyrians who scattered the captives all over the empire so they could not unite against the government. It was because of this technique of keeping captives separate and moving strangers into the land captured, that the phrase "the ten lost tribes" came. It was different for those from the south who were taken captive a generation or two later. They were taken to Babylon and used for the benefit of the government. Daniel and those with him, Nehemiah and Ezra, others who were skilled and had natural ability were trained and used in Babylon. The Jews retained their identity in spite of people like Haman who wanted to have them all killed. When they returned from their exile, they needed these lists of names to provide a sense of unity and restore their identity and property.
Accountability among God's people is a good thing to practice in order to maintain a unified testimony to the truth of God in an area. Assembly life is not just an individual choice as to whether I want to be involved or not. It begins with God making a clear statement in that He says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..." We are accountable to God. We are also accountable to the assembly as to the activities in which we are engaged. Peter, Paul and Barnabas "rehearsed the matter," and "rehearsed all that God had done with them," to the Lord's people who were gathered together in order to maintain unity by the saints being informed of what was going on.
The tribe of Benjamin had a particular reason for tracing their linage because it was from that tribe from which Saul, the first king of Israel, came. In any family history there are people we would like to forget who have been an embarrassment to our family name. There are also noble souls we hope everyone remembers. Ehud of the tribe of Benjamin was a judge of Israel before they had a king, and many generations before the captivity and return of the captives. Shaharaim was an embarrassment to the tribe because he had divorced at least two wives and had children by another. There were industrious people who built towns and pressed ahead to claim their inheritance. Some of the tribe were militant people who took back by force what had belonged to their forbearers.
Women in the genealogical history stood out for one reason or another as the who should be remembered by the succeeding generations who needed to remember the cost that was paid for that which had been given to them. And then there was Saul: the son of Kish, who was both a reason for pride by the tribe - and also embarrassment. As the Benjamites either read or heard read this list of names, they would be made to realize that in spite of their checkered past, God was still interested in them and their future.
All of us have been involved in things we wish had never happened. We all know some of the bad points of our family tree as well as some of the good things. But we are not called upon to spend time worrying about things we cannot change, nor should we ignore lessons that can be learned from the events of the past. It is up to us now, to go forward in faith and commit ourselves again to following the path of life the Holy Spirit opens up before us.
Saul had his strengths and weaknesses. He was chosen by God to be the first king of Israel that the people had demanded. He was outwardly the kind of person people thought they could look up to. He was a big good-looking man who looked kingly. However, personally he was a very inconsistent man who could not be counted on to do the right thing from one time to the next. Inwardly he was weak and untrustworthy. There was no evidence of divine life in him although at times he could say the right words and do the right things. That was mainly for a show of authority or religion for the sake of the people.
Jonathan his son was also listed in the ancestry as one who was in line to be the king, but he knew David would be the king, not him and he died in battle at a comparatively young age. Mephibosheth his crippled son was in the list as well as those who came after him up to the time of the captivity. It is of interest that in the tribe of Benjamin there are those who were known for being particularly skilled with their left hand, and were able to use that to advantage. At the end of the list are bowmen or archers, who were brave men and would have tried to defend the people. They had large families that were obviously a source of wonder in that there were so many of them.
In our history there are reasons to ne glad as well as sad. Each of us should consider that we too are in an ancestral list, and our lives may be of some significance to our progeny after we have died. It may be, they will make decisions based on what they knew or heard about us. It is important for me to remember my children and grandchildren will wonder what made me do this, live there or believe that. It is the same with spiritual children. Some we may have taught in a Sunday School class or are friends of our children who came in and out of our houses. Some may have heard us preach the Gospel and have formed opinions and even convictions because of that. Their lives and actions may follow a certain course because of our influence. We need to take a serious look at ourselves and our lives. We may be found in a list of ancestors who have an impact for good or bad on future generations if our Lord be not come soon.