Old Testament: 1Ch 2.3–8

To read the Bible in a year, read First Chronicles 1–2 on May 20, In the year of our Lord Christ 2022

By Don Ruhl 

There is the temptation to avoid reading the genealogies of First Chronicles 1–9, but I advise you to at the least run your eyes over the names, and you will discover interesting things. 

For example, as you know, Judah became the prominent tribe in Israel. However, the man Judah did not necessarily start out well. He was the one who suggested selling Joseph, his own brother. Also, read this: 

The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He killed him. And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara—five of them in all. The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the accursed thing. The son of Ethan was Azariah.

– 1 Chronicles 2.3–8 

It is amazing that Judah ever became a tribe, and even the kingly tribe, but the man did change (as Genesis 44 shows), although the brief description above does not cover all that he did that was questionable. 

You may remember his encounter with Tamar, which Ezra (the writer of Chronicles), alludes to. 

Then there is Achar, whom we know better as Achan, who caused Israel’s first defeat in the Land of Canaan. 

Judah changed, and the tribe went on to do wonderful things, because the Lord can take broken men and women, doing things with them that we never imagined. 

Place your life in the hands of the Lord and see what he does with it. 

Questions: 

• Do you know through whom Jesus descended, of the people listed above? 
• Have you prayed to the Lord, asking him to use you? 

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