Musicians, warriors, door-keepers and more

Many people have family trees which list current and previous generations. I Chronicles' family tree is huge! I Chronicles 4: 22, 23 says that "These names all come from very ancient records" and "These clans were noted for their pottery*, gardening, planting" and  "they all worked for the king" (The Living Bible). 

[For anyone interested, archaeological excavations have unearthed examples of such pottery, and if you're feeling rich, you can purchase your own recreation from Zaks Antiquities in Israel.]

There were a LOT of people. At I Chron. 5:18, the history records over forty-four thousand armed, trained and brave troops bringing back booty of 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. What's more "The family tree of every person in Israel was carefully recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Israel" (9:1) and "all of these families lived together near Jerusalem" (8:32).

I was interested to read the names of some of those people: 

Ram / Amminadab / Salma / Boaz / Obed / Jesse / Eliab / David.

I was also interested to learn that David (who became King) was the seventh son in his family and that he had two sisters, Zeruiah and Abigail.

Furthermore, David's sons from his official wives numbered 20, among them Amnon, Daniel, Absalom, Adonijah, Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. According to the record, David reigned for 7 and a half years in Hebrob and then he moved his capital to Jerusalem. See Chapter 3. One source relates the following:

The city of Jerusalem was first built on the hill south of temple mount by the ancient Canaanites in the 18th century b.c.e. David son of Jesse, King of Israel, conquered the small Jebusite (Canaanite) city and made it his capital, which he called - the City of David (2nd Samuel 5).

And then there was the music. "King David appointed song leaders and choirs to praise God in the Tabernacle after he had placed the Ark in it. Then, when Solomon built the Temple at Jerusalem, the choirs carried on their work there" (6: 31, 32). You can hear what David's lyre might have looked and sounded like here. 

The king made the appointments. Only Aaron and his descendants took on the role of priests and therefore could enter the Holy of Holies. Meanwhile, the 212 doorkeepers were appointed because of their reliability and worked under 4 head gatekeepers (9:22-26).

Apparently Jerusalem was previously called Jebus (11:4) and so Jebusites must come from Jerusalem!

My favourite passage in this afternoon's reading is at 11:14, where the story relates that "David held his ground". And isn't that just what we can do too? Hold our ground with unselfishness, joy, and hope, trusting God's all-power and presence.

I was mildly surprised at how much I enjoyed what I had feared might be a tedious read. Not so!! Family stories are always interesting.

Julie Swannell