David's Descendants

INTRO

This is one of the more exciting chapters in 1 Chronicles. This whole chapter is about the genealogy of David. Remember the word for Genesis is Seed. It is important for the chronicler to show the Seed from David back to the Promise Land. These genealogies express the line of the promise of God. Every name has so many stories and connections. It’s our job to highlight the line that leads to the Son of David.

TEACHING

The Direct Descendants of David (1 Chronicles 3:1-9):

1 Chronicles 3:1–2: David ruled for seven years in Hebron and had six sons. David had a lot of sons and a lot of wives. Each of the first six sons listed were with different wives. Amnon, David’s firstborn, raped his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13). While David was furious, he took no action against Amnon, but Absalom, Amnon’s brother, killed him in revenge and fled. David’s second born was Daniel, also referred to as Chileab or Kileab, which means “like his father.” There are lots of name variations in these genealogies. Rabbinic literature says the two names were because of circumstances of the relationship between David and Abigail. Abigail was the wife of Nabal, who refused to assist David’s men, and was later struck by the Lord and died (1 Samuel 25:2-42). Abigail befriended David and he later married her. These first four sons were not positioned in the line of the Seed. There was rebellion, rape, and death.

1 Chronicles 3:3: While Eglah and Ithream did not fit into the line, some Jewish scholars think Eglah was actually Michal. Michal was Saul’s daughter, whom some say was David’s only legal wife. But most point out that Michal, David’s first wife, was not represented. In fact, the relationship between the two was strained. Second Samuel 6:23 states Michal was “childless unto the day of her death.” I mention this because of the importance of the Seed and carrying of the Seed. The Seed carried on to David’s other wives.

1 Chronicles 3:4-5: David ruled 33 years in Jerusalem. In those 33 years, he married Bath-shua, an alternative pronunciation for Bathsheba—a wife who bore four sons! The first thing you’ll notice is that the son who died was not mentioned nor was the sin David committed with Bath-shua (2 Samuel 11—12) mentioned. The details were not important to the chronicler, but only where the Seed came through the line. We all know Solomon, but I don’t want you to forget Nathan. Nathan’s claim to fame is he is in the genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:31). Nathan’s heirs led to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Solomon was listed last as the son who followed David as king.

1 Chronicles 3:6-8: David’s other sons were listed and there were many. I want you to notice that the name Eliphelet was listed twice. This name could be repeated because there might have been a child who died in infancy and his name was passed on as a way to preserve the memory. The chronicler was making sure we understood that all were David’s sons.

1 Chronicles 3:9: Tamar probably wasn’t David’s only daughter. Women were not normally named in a genealogy unless they had an impact on history. Tamar had an impact on history. We don’t know how many concubines David had. He had at least ten (2 Samuel 15:16; 20:3). We know there were a number of concubines who dishonored David with his son Absalom (2 Samuel 16:22). Again, the focus on David’s line is the Seed. The chief reason for such detailed genealogies is that they affirmed the line of Christ from Adam (Luke 3:38) and through Abraham to David (Matthew 1:1), thus emphasizing the kingdom intentions of God in Christ.

Sometimes it is easy for us to lose track of the fact that these were real people. God uses amazingly flawed people for His purpose. David’s “family” was an unhealthy situation due to the consequences of sin. But God still used it (for example, Solomon, the son of Bathsheba, wife of Urriah the Hittite = line of Messiah). God also used these sins in the spiritual growth and formation of David. For example, David wrote the Psalms in the midst of turmoil and chaos, from a soul that could not find rest or peace but for the faithfulness of God. In the midst of his sin, David turned to God.

The Line of David (thru Solomon) until Judah’s Exile (1 Chronicles 3:10–16):

1 Chronicles 3:10–12: The chronicler made sure we saw the line of King Solomon, and that it was important. We’ve already looked at Solomon in the Book of 1 Kings. We saw the line of the kings of Judah. I confess, I sometimes find the names a tedious task. But these were real people God used to carry on the Seed. We swung back and forth between studying good kings and bad kings. Solomon’s son Rehoboam sealed the split of the kingdom. Then we moved to Solomon’s other sons. Remember there were so many name variations in these lists and with accounts elsewhere that it can be difficult to track sometimes. Carefully studying these allows us to see how the Seed was passed on time and time again.

1 Chronicles 3:3–14: In Solomon’s sons, Hezekiah and Manasseh, there was a crazy swing from wicked to good and back to wicked—father to son to grandson. Amnon was very evil, while Josiah was a very good king. Josiah’s sons are listed.

1 Chronicles 3:15-16: In verse 15, this whole sequence of the sons of Josiah had a crazy ending. Jehoiakim reined as king for 11 years and died in Jerusalem. His son Jehoiachin reined for three months. Jehoiachin was cursed by God and produced no royal descendants (Jeremiah 22:24–30). Even though Jeconiah was in the line of Christ, the Messiah was not a physical child of that line, thus affirming the curse. His blood birthright came through Mary, who traced her line to David through his son Nathan, not Solomon (Luke 3:31). The line of kingship came through Solomon. Both Mary and Joseph came from David, the line of Judah.

The lines will merge with Shealtiel and Zerubbabel in Luke and in Matthew. Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin) was captured and led to Babylon. His uncle, Zedekiah took over the throne but was eventually blinded and taken into captivity by Babylon. Sin and idolatry ruined the kingdom of Judah and desolated the temple of God.

The line of David After Judah’s Exile ((1 Chronicles 3:17-19):

1 Chronicles 3:17–18: The names listed here were the descendants of the line of David born after the fall of Judah. They carried on the royal line of David.

1 Chronicles 3:19: The lineage continued through Zerubbabel. He led the first captives back to Jerusalem and would attempt to rebuild the altar to the Lord and a temple. But there is a problem here. According to 1 Chronicles 3:19, Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah. However, according to Ezra 3:2, Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Which is the correct genealogical relationship?

There are two options that both fit in the Pentateuch and the historical books. Option A is Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah and the nephew of Shealtiel, Pedaiah’s older brother. Although the Bible does not record the death of Pedaiah, it is reasonable to assume he died shortly after Shimei was born, and Shealtiel, the oldest of the sons of Jeconiah, adopted Zerubbabel as his own son. Option B is that Shealtiel died without a son. Accordingly, Pedaiah, his brother married his widow and gave birth to Zerubbabel. A Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) was to maintain the dead husband’s line. Hence, Zerubbabel was legally the son of Shealtiel. Why is this important? The genealogical lists of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38) find common ground in Shealtiel and Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12-13; Luke 3:27).

1 Chronicles 3:20-24 contain a lot of other names. They might be obscure but they were real people. And the chronicler was making sure we understand that they all fit together and that the line continues.

CLOSING

The list ends with Anani, born at the end of the fifth century BC at the close of the Old Testament Canon. As the family of David was the most considerable of any of the tribes of Judah, the genealogy of his descendants was preserved with great care and exactness. We know how messed up David’s own home life was, and Solomon’s marriage indiscretions have become as legendary as his wisdom. Furthermore, these kings were frequently either not intelligent or evil—or both. Yet the Seed and the promise moved from generation to generation. David’s line was, by the promise, to be continued forever in the Son of David, who yet was David’s Lord. This chapter points to Christ—in such a complex and wild route that only by God’s hand could it have come together!