1 Chronicles 2:1–2: “These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.”

August 21st, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The statement, “These were the sons of Israel,” begins the genealogy of the sons chosen to inherit the covenant Abraham made with God. Here begins the line of Judah that leads to David and ultimately to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, our only hope of salvation.

We do not put our hope in religion or possessions, nor do we trust in our nation or pedigree. Eternal life is available only through the second birth, a spiritual birth. No matter how great our first-birth privileges or heritage are, they will not help us secure our salvation. The only help we have is in surrendering to Jesus Christ our Redeemer and what He has done for us. However, there is a heritage that is important for us all—the example of a personal, spiritual relationship with Jesus that we pass down to our children.

Two brothers grew up in a country home. When they were adults, they moved away and became wealthy. They occasionally visited their father and mother; but when their parents went to heaven, they did not know what to do with the old house. One said to the other, “If you’ll sell out your interest to me, I’ll tear down the house and build a summer home there, and let you come out to it whenever you want.” The brother agreed, and they took a trip to the old homestead to tear it down. But when they went into the house, they were struck with many sacred memories. One walked up and down in front of the old fireplace, while the other sat down. Finally one said to the other, “You know what I’m thinking about? I’ve changed my mind since I’ve been sitting here. We’re not going to tear down this old house.” “That is a strange thing,” said the other brother. “Because as I’ve been walking up and down, that is exactly what I was thinking.” He looked around and said, “Here is the old chair that father sat in as he read the Bible to us during family worship—the chair around which we knelt as he lifted our hearts to God.” They stayed there 2 hours talking things over, and then they both got down on their knees by the old chair, repented, and wept their hearts out before God. They went back to their lives, saved men. They gave much of their old-god money to God and began to live for their new God, the God Almighty. The old house still stands today. Not a single thing was moved out because the family altar had been established there. May we also come to know and experience that kind of spiritual heritage for our children and grandchildren, down to many generations.

“LORD, please give us the long view of eternity as we serve You this day.”

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1 Chronicles 2 KJV

¹ These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,  ² Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. ³ The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: whichthree were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him. ⁴ And Tamar his daughter in law bare him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five. ⁵ The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul. ⁶ And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all. ⁷ And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.  ⁸ And the sons of Ethan; Azariah. ⁹ The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai. ¹⁰ And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah; ¹¹ And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, ¹² And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, ¹³ And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, ¹⁴ Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, ¹⁵ Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: ¹⁶Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three. ¹⁷ And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite. ¹⁸ And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon. ¹⁹ And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur. ²⁰ And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel. ²¹ And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he wasthreescore years old; and she bare him Segub.  ²² And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead. ²³ And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead. ²⁴ And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-ephratah, then Abiah Hezron’s wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa. ²⁵ And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah. ²⁶ Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. ²⁷ And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker. ²⁸ And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur. ²⁹ And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid. ³⁰ And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children. ³¹ And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai. ³² And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children. ³³And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. ³⁴ Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. ³⁵ And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai. ³⁶ And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad, ³⁷ And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed, ³⁸ And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah, ³⁹ And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah, ⁴⁰ And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum, ⁴¹ And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama. ⁴² Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were , Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron. ⁴³ And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema. ⁴⁴ And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai. ⁴⁵ And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Beth-zur. ⁴⁶ And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez. ⁴⁷ And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph. ⁴⁸ Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah. ⁴⁹ She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. ⁵⁰ These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim, ⁵¹ Salma the father of Beth-lehem, Hareph the father of Beth-gader. ⁵² And Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites.   ⁵³ And the families of Kirjath-jearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites. ⁵⁴ The sons of Salma; Beth-lehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.  ⁵⁵ And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.