Today, I am reading and commenting on  1 Chronicles 5-6.

And today we have another passage of genealogies.  The writer makes a point that Reuben lost his rights of first born because he slept with one of Jacob’s wives.  Interestingly, the writer thought it important to point out that even though Judah was the strongest of Reuben’s brothers and that the ruler came from the tribe of Judah, it was Joseph who received the rights of first born after Reuben lost them.  Was this included to explain how the Kingdom of Israel divided?  Or, does it serve some other purpose?  I find it interesting that the writer listed the places to which the Assyrians exiled the tribes who had lived east of the Jordan River.  After writing about the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, the writer goes on to outline the genealogy of the tribe of Levi.  The writer goes on to write about those who King David assigned musical duties around the Ark of the Covenant after he brought it to Jerusalem.  All of these genealogies had great significance to those who returned to Jerusalem and the land of Israel after the Exile.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.