The Lord Is My Banner

1 Chronicles 4:18-31 – And his Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to Lehem (now the records are ancient). These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king's service. The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul; Shallum was his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah. They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David reigned.

Exodus 17:15 – And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Application:

• ·         My Banner testified to the power of God displayed in defense of His people when Moses held his hands up to the throne of the Lord to defeat the Amalekites.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Historical Notes

1 Chronicles 4:7-17 – The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, so-called because they were craftsmen. The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son of Elah: Kenaz. The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married; and she conceived and bore^[g]Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa.

Genesis 4:23-24 – Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”

Application:

• ·         The practice of inserting short historical notes into genealogical records is common in other Biblical genealogies, such as the genealogy tied to Lamech: Lamech proudly claimed to be master of his own destiny, thinking that he and his sons, by their own achievements, would redeem themselves from the curse on the line of Cain.
• ·         Lamech’s vicious announcement of personal revenge found its counterpoint in Jesus’ response to Peter’s question about forgiveness.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Zerubbabel

1 Chronicles 3:16-20 – The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; and the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son, Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah; and the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five.

Jeremiah 22:30 – Thus says the Lord: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.”

Ezra 5:2 – Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Zechariah 4:6 – Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Haggai 1:12 – Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.

Haggai 2:23 – On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

Application:

• ·         Jehoichin’s grandson Zerubbabel became governor of Judah, but not king.
• ·         Zerubbabel was a Babylonian name meaning “offspring of Babylon,” referring to his birth in exile. Zerubbabel was the last of the Davidic line to be entrusted with political authority by the occupying powers.
• ·         The angel encouraged Zerubbabel to complete the rebuilding of the temple and assured him of the Spirit’s enablement.
• ·         Feared the Lord means showed reverence, respect and obedience.
• ·         Signet ring was a kind of seal that functioned as a signature and was worn on one’s finger. Like other seals it could be used as a pledge or guarantee of full payment. Zerubbabel would then be a guarantee that someday the Messiah descended from David will come.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Manasseh

1 Chronicles 3:10-20 – The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, Amaziah his son, Azariah his son,Jotham his son, Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, Amon his son,Josiah his son. The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son,Zedekiah his son; and the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son, Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah; and the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five.

2 Kings 21:14-15 – And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.”

Jeremiah 22:30 – Thus says the Lord: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.”

2 Kings 25:28 – And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

Application:

• ·         Upon the destruction of the northern kingdom (Israel), Judah had become the remnant of the Lord’s inheritance.
• ·         “As if childless”, not in the sense of Jehoichin’s having no children at all, but of having none to sit on the throne of David in Judah. Jehoichin’s grandson Zerubbabel became governor of Judah, but not king. Zedekiah was a son of Josiah, not of Jehoichin, and he and his sons died before the latter. Jehoichin therefore was Judah’s last surviving Davidic king—until Christ.
• ·         The judgment of exile did not destroy the people of Israel or the line of David. God’s promise concerning David’s house remains.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Abijah, Asa and Amaziah

1 Chronicles 3:10-14 – The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, Amon his son, Josiah his son.

1 Kings 15:3,19 – And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father…“Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”

2 Chronicles 25:7 – But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites.

Application:

• ·         Although David fell into grievous sin, his heart was never divided between serving the Lord and serving the nature deities of the Canaanites.
• ·         Asa saw no hope for success against Baasha without the assistance provided by a renewal of the old treaty with Aram. Although his plan seemed to be successful, it was condemned by Hanani the prophet as a foolish act and a denial of reliance on the Lord. The true theocratic king was never to fear his enemies but to trust in the God of the covenant for security and protection.
• ·         The story of Amaziah, where he purchased the military personnel of non-Judahites, is another instance of condemnation of alliances that imply lack of trust in the Lord.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Rechab

1 Chronicles 2:55-3:9 – The clans also of the scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter ofAmmiel; then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. All these were David's sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.

Jeremiah 35:4,8-10 – I brought them to the house of the Lord into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold…We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed,but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

Application:

• ·         Man of God was a synonym for prophet, emphasizing his relationship to the One who has called him.
• ·         Contrast Judah’s disobedience toward God with Rechab’s obedience regarding the use of wine.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Eliab Rejected

1 Chronicles 2:8-18 – The son of Ethan: Azariah. The sons born to Hezron were: Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb. Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, the leader of the people of Judah. Nahshon was the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite. Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah (and by Jerioth). These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon.

1 Samuel 16:7 – But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Application:

• ·         Samuel was not to focus on appearance of height, which had characterized Saul. The Lord is concerned with man’s inner disposition and character.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV