1 Chronicles 4:1-23--Descendants of Judah

1 Chronicles 4:1-23
English Standard Version

Descendants of Judah
4 The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2 Reaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. 3 These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi, 4 and Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. 5 Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah; 6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7 The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. 8 Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. 9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. 11 Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. 12 Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. 13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. 14 Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, so-called because they were craftsmen. 15 The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son of Elah: Kenaz. 16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married; and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18 And his Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19 The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. 21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22 and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to Lehem (now the records are ancient). 23 These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king's service.

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We've looked mostly at the lineage of David so far as we've been talking about the Tribe of Judah for the reasons we've discussed already (that the throne of Israel belonged to David's sons and the Messiah would be The Son of David).  However, there were other families and clans of Judah that needed to be counted in this census--not everyone in Judah was meant to be a king, yet all of them were called to be leaders to the Twelve Tribes.  I think of 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."  There are leadership qualities given to us that have nothing to do with our age or pedigree.  We may not be what we call "blue bloods" today (part of the royal family).  Judah still had some strong leaders like the families of Hur and Ashur.  Their families included Caleb and his son Othniel, the first judge in the book of Judges.  Jabez also came from Judah, but not form David's family.  Many of us have heard of "The Prayer of Jabez" that was made popular by a book written several years ago, but it is in this passage that prayer is recorded.  The priests thought it good that his prayer be recorded in the history of Israel for all Israelites to read and learn from.  Even though he was born in a place of difficulty and hardship, he did not simply look at himself as a victim of his circumstances that could never become anything.  He prayed to the LORD to give him a chance to become something better and greater, and for the LORD to bless him and extend his influence (not for his own glory, but for the glory of God).  This was something the LORD called honorable, and it is something the LORD calls on all of us to do.

Some of these men included master craftsmen that served the king and lived with him so they could serve him always.  It's okay to use your gift to the glory of God and for the good of others and never be the one who becomes "king" or "queen."  We should not envy or covet someone else's gift or calling or the responsibilities that someone else has to shoulder.  We should be the best at what God has called us and equipped us to be, and it may (or may not) land us in the palace in the service of the king in ways that we wouldn't expect.  These men must not have only been expert craftsmen, but men of good character that the king knew he would not be embarrassed by them and that they could be trusted.  Again, be that kind of person whoever you work for that you have a reputation of doing whatever you do for the glory of God and the good of others.  "Contentment with godliness is great gain."

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