1 Chronicles 7

In the preceding chapters we have considered the genealogical records for Judah and Simeon, followed by the accounts for tribes on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and finally the detailed lists of the clans in the tribe of Levi. In this seventh chapter the remainder of the tribes of Israel are briefly listed with a focus on their previous military strength. Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Ephraim, Asher, and half of the tribe of Manasseh are mentioned here. There is no record included for the tribes of Dan and Zebulun.

In the days of David thousands upon thousands of men from these tribes went out to war in the Name of the Lord God Almighty. They had been given a divine directive of conquest in the time of Joshua, and David led them forward in accord with that Word. In the days of the Chronicler the survivors from all the tribes now received permission from their captors to return to Jerusalem. The idea that they could one day have a strong military presence again under the authority of the Lord was something to hope and pray for. The historical records of these tribes reminded the people that they would need to be strong and courageous for the new task ahead.

In these sparse records we have notes of death and loss that reminded the returning exiles of the difficulties that the people of God had faced over the centuries. Nonetheless they had their great men who had served the Lord in their day. Now it was time for any who could be found from these tribes and clans to remember the call of God who had given Israel the land of Canaan. Their day to serve the Lord with integrity had come.

When we considered the tribe of Judah in the earlier chapters of this book, we were reminded of Israel's need for a Messiah King. When we heard about the tribe of Levi in chapter 6, we thought about the coming King who would also be a great High Priest over all of the Lord's people. In this seventh chapter we remember the thousands of Israelites from other tribes that were once organized by their clans to serve the Lord in battle and we wonder what this teaches us about the Messiah who would come.

The New Testament church has been called to a life of serious spiritual warfare. The challenges that we face are not less formidable than the Israelites of old. We are thankful that we have a Leader who is not only a King and a Priest. He is also our Captain in the fight that we face, a new Joshua, who brings us into a far better Promised Land. The weapons of our warfare are not the latest technological achievements that make armies impressive among the fighting forces of the world. We have the power of gospel truth and the Word of God, which is called in the Scriptures “a double-edged sword.” This sword of the Spirit comes from our Commander-in-Chief.

Jesus is coming again one day to judge the living and the dead. As long as we still have life and breath it is our privilege to offer ourselves to Him in the battle of love that we are fighting now. We live in a time of both great difficulty and considerable opportunity. We are called to be strong and of good courage, but we know for certain that our Lord will win the battle. He is the Captain of our salvation.