1 Chronicles 5 Explained - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Chronicles 5 Short Summary:

The fifth chapter of 1 Chronicles is a record of the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh. These tribes lived on the east side of the Dead Sea, apart from the other Israelites. These tribes were taken into Assyrian exile between 740-730 B.C.

What is 1 Chronicles 5 About?

WHEN:

• 1 Chronicles is primarily a record of the reign of King David. 1 Chronicles 10 records the death of King Saul (David’s predecessor). The last chapter of 1 Chronicles records the death of David.

• Saul died in approximately 1055 B.C., after reigning over Israel for 40 years.

• David became king over Judah the same year. He reigned over Judah for 7 years and 6 months, before becoming king over all Israel. His reign over all Judah and Israel lasted 33 years.

• The Assyrian Empire sent a portion of the tribes of Israel into exile between 740-730 B.C. (1 Chronicles 5:26). They later returned and exiled the entire northern kingdom of Israel (721 B.C.).

CHARACTERS:

• Reuben – Jacob’s oldest son.

• Gad – Jacob’s son by Leah’s servant, Zilpah (Gen 30:10-11).

• Manasseh – The son of Joseph who was adopted by Jacob.

• The Assyrians – Their empire rose to be a world power in the centuries following King David’s reign.

WHERE:

• The Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh lived on the east side of the Jordan River. Moses granted them the land per their special request.

• The Assyrian Empire was based in Nineveh, which was around 550 miles from Jerusalem.

• When the Assyrians exiled the tribes of Israel, they scattered them throughout their territories.

OUTLINE:

• THE DESCENDANTS OF REUBEN (5:1-10):

  • Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn son, but he didn’t receive the birthright of his family because he did something dishonorable.

  • His crime was that he “defiled his father’s couch.” This most likely refers to the time when Reuben slept with his father’s concubine, Bilhah (see Gen 35:22; 49:4).

  • Reuben’s birthright was given to the sons of Joseph.

  • The next few verses document the descendance of Reuben leading up to the Assyrian exile (740-730 B.C.).

• THE DESCENDANTS OF GAD (5:11-22):

  • This section contains a genealogy of the descendants of Gad.

  • The Gadites lived to the north of the Reubenites on the east of Jordan.

  • The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh fought against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab and took their lands and considerable possessions.

  • The 3 tribes lived in their lands until the Assyrians exiled them.

• THE CHIEFS OF THE HALF-TRIBE OF MANASSEH (5:23-26):

  • Half of the Tribe of Manasseh lived to the north of the Gadites.

  • The leading men of their families are listed in verse 24.

  • Unfortunately, the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh didn’t obey God. They “broke faith” and started worshiping false idols.

  • Because of their unfaithfulness, God allowed the Assyrians to take them captive and exile them from their land.

APPLICATION:

• One deterrent to sin is to think generationally about the effects your sins can have on your family.

• We’ve probably all known families whose reputations have been generationally shamed because of the sins of one of its members.

• Reuben’s sin ended up costing his family in the long run. His family lost the birthright, and his sin was documented for future generations to read about.

• Your sins can tarnish your family’s reputation, and they can result in your children having to work harder to escape the disgrace you’ve attached to them.