YEAR 2, WEEK 43, Day 6, Saturday, 25 October 2025

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=1+Chronicles+1

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 25 October 2025:

Here is a short video overview of 1 Chronicles 1 and 2 — https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/chronicles/

1 Chronicles 1:1-4 — Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Your family history begins with Adam and creation. Your family includes members of all the tribes and nations of the world. So, God wants you involved in his world mission of redemption. God’s purpose for you goes back to His purpose in creation.

Humanity’s story does not begin with the rise of nations or kings, but with the hand of God forming life from the dust. From Adam to Noah, the genealogy reveals the continuity of God’s purpose through generations despite sin’s corruption. Enoch, who “walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24), stands out as a testimony that intimacy with God, not human achievement, is the measure of a life well-lived. Noah represents salvation through judgment, a reminder that grace is found in obedience and reverent fear (Hebrews 11:7). Each name carries divine significance, showing that God’s purposes endure even when human righteousness fails.

1 Chronicles 1:5-7 — The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

From Noah’s son Japheth came many of the Gentile nations, peoples who would later fill the Mediterranean and European world. This record shows God’s care for all humanity, not only Israel. Every nation descends from the same divine source, and every people group ultimately belongs under the sovereignty of one Creator (Acts 17:26). God’s plan of redemption, therefore, was never narrow or exclusive, it was global from the beginning.

• Matthew 28:18-20 — And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
• Mark 16:15-18 — And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
• Luke 24:44-49 — Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1:4-8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1 Chronicles 1:8-16 — The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan…

Through Ham came many nations associated with rebellion and pride, including Egypt and Canaan. Yet even among them, God’s hand is evident. The chronicler’s inclusion of these lines affirms that no people exist outside God’s knowledge or reach. Though sin multiplied, so did God’s patience and mercy. Even Egypt and Canaan, nations once enslaving or opposing Israel, were part of His providential plan. The genealogy reminds us that human power rises and falls, but the Lord “rules over the kingdoms of men and gives it to whom He will” (Daniel 4:17).

1 Chronicles 1:17-27 — The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram… Abram, that is Abraham.

The line of Shem leads to Abraham, through whom God’s covenant of grace would be revealed. While the world scattered and divided, God narrowed His redemptive focus through one man who “believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). These verses trace the line of promise that would ultimately bring forth the Messiah. The chronicler highlights that faith, not ancestry, defines God’s people, that those who share the faith of Abraham are counted as his true offspring (Romans 4:16–17).

1 Chronicles 1:28-33 — The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael…. The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah…

Even outside the covenant line, Abraham’s descendants are named and remembered. God’s blessings extended to Ishmael and to Keturah’s children, once again, demonstrating that His compassion and providence are not limited to one nation. Yet the line of promise continued through Isaac, showing that while God’s mercy is broad, His covenant is specific and purposeful. This reminds us that divine election does not negate human worth, every person matters to God, but only faith in His revealed promise brings righteousness.

How many lives have been lost throughout history due to strife between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael? The Bible says that Christians are descendants of Abraham, but this is not a blood relationship, but rather a spiritual one – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:28, 29) “…for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3:26) “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7) “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:6-8) Ultimately, what divides the world is not race, ethnicity, genetics, nationality, political philosophy, or culture but faith – those who reject the salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ are at enmity with God and therefore His children as well. There can be no unity apart from Jesus Christ, and what God desires for mankind is oneness (unity) with Him and in Him, which is Paradise (see John 17:3, 22-23)

Many are seeking some sort of unity under man-made social stratifications, but this is foolish and hopeless. Many have sought unity by marginalizing faith, but this too is foolish and hopeless. There will be no peace between God and man and no peace on earth apart from Jesus.

• Acts 10:36 — As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all).
• Romans 3:17 — and the way of peace they have not known.
• Romans 5:1 — Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Romans 15:13 — May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
• Romans 15:33 — May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
• Romans 16:20 — The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
• 2 Corinthians 1:2 — Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Ephesians 2:14 — For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
• Colossians 1:20 — and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
• Colossians 3:15 — And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:3 — While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:16 — Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
• 1 Timothy 1:2 — To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Titus 1:4 — To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
• 2 John 1:3 — Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

1 Chronicles 1:34-54 — Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel…

The contrast between Esau and Israel (Jacob) runs through Scripture — one lived for temporal appetite, the other for eternal blessing (Genesis 25:29-34). Esau’s descendants became the Edomite chiefs and kings listed here, showing how worldly power flourishes for a season but fades in light of God’s eternal kingdom. The chronicler records even these names because they too played roles in redemptive history, both as adversaries and as instruments of divine testing. Every name in this record testifies that God is sovereign over history, nations, and individuals. The story of humanity is His-story — written from Adam to Christ, “the last Adam,” who redeems what the first Adam lost (1 Corinthians 15:45).

1 Chronicles 1:50 — Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pai; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

The Bible places women in critical roles for His purposes. Women have always played in important role in history. But while the world tends to focus on differences of race, ethnicity, and gender, God focuses on fidelity and unity. Race and gender are not virtues.

“Mehetabel (מְהֵיטַבְאֵל, Meheytav-el) literally means ‘God does good,’ ‘God makes happy,’ or ‘Whom God benefits.’ Her name contains the theophoric element ʾēl (‘God’), signaling an acknowledgment of deity even inside an Edomite setting historically at odds with Israel. By preserving the name, the chronicler declares that Yahweh’s goodness reaches beyond covenant borders and that every human life, male or female, Israelite or Edomite, derives identity in relation to the living God…. Mehetabel’s solitary appearance is no narrative accident. Her name affirms God’s goodness, her lineage authenticates Edom’s monarchy, her inclusion dignifies women, and her record contributes to the seamless historical tapestry that culminates in Christ. By noting Hadad’s wife, the Holy Spirit verifies the meticulous reliability of the biblical record and reminds every reader that God’s redemptive eye rests on each individual, inviting all to the gracious salvation secured by the resurrected Lord.” (Bible Hub online)

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 25 October 2025: Live each day conscious of God’s redemptive plan and your role in it. The genealogy of nations reminds us that the Gospel is for all people, and our calling as followers of Christ knows no boundary. As Jesus said, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). If even one soul outweighs the worth of all creation, then we must carry Christ’s compassion into every conversation and every relationship. Seek today to proclaim the Gospel, not as an obligation, but as an overflow of His heart for the lost.

Pray: “Lord God, thank You that from Adam to Abraham, from Israel to Christ, Your plan of redemption has never failed. Open my eyes to see people as You see them, eternal souls of infinite worth. Give me the courage and compassion to proclaim the Gospel faithfully, to reach across every barrier, and to love as Jesus loved. Let me live each day mindful that Your story continues through those who hear and believe. May my life bring glory to Your name and hope to the lost. In Jesus’ name, amen.