Incredibly, the genealogical record of 1 Chronicles ENDS with a revisit to the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin with particular reference to Israel's first king, Saul. We are meant to see the specific emphasis the Chronicler makes of both the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, the only tribes that gave Israel her appointed kings.
1 Chronicles 8:1–2 (ESV) Benjamin fathered Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, 2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
The list of names the Chronicler runs through are filled with good men and women, pagan followers and worshippers of Baal, and of course, Israel's most notorious king Saul.
1 Chronicles 8:33–34 (ESV) Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal; 34 and the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal was the father of Micah.
Why the emphasis on Benjamin? It could be because of their prominent place in the rebirth of the nation as worshippers of Yahweh. Ezra records:
Ezra 1:5 (ESV) Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem.
Benjamin and Judah along with Levi played a key role in pointing God's people to the Lord and His presence among them. The heads of Benjamin were stirred by the Spirit of God along with Judah and Levi to go rebuild the Temple. In other words, Benjaminites knew what we were made for.
What we also see here is that the people of Israel were cared for and preserved through the exile in spite of the great amounts of idolatry and immorality throughout their generations. Even those generations of pagans had sons and daughters who were counted. I began this study of the 1 Chronicles genealogies talking about how we find our way back to God by understanding where we came from. The writer puts the tribe from which the people's king came - Saul - to remind them not to repeat the same mistake again. God gave them what they wanted in king Saul but ultimately they were going to be given Jesus.
So too in our world, there is the "king" we think we need, the one we perceive can change our lives for the better and make our situation more prosperous. Then there's the king God knows we need. In our world, a highly contested and contentious Presidential election is upon us. More than any time in my life I see people putting all their faith in a man who will hold a temporary office with very limited power in a democratic republic with the means necessary to remove him from office should he go beyond his rightful duties. Yet we are so convinced he is the one who can save. We think we need Saul but we really need Jesus.
I wonder if we could look at the genealogy of Benjamin as a picture of ourselves? We are a multi-generational litany of good and bad, pagans, and God-fearers with a failed concept of what we need. Graciously and compassionately God lets us get what we think we need so it can fail and then open our eyes to the one we truly need, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Has that happened in your life? Have you seen friends, jobs, family members or plans and agendas fail you? Could it be you put faith in something that cannot save you? Now God is waiting for you to see in the failure of that precious thing His gracious love for you that never fails.
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