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1 AND 2 CHRONICLES: GAINING DIRECTION OUT OF THE AIMLESSNESS OF APOSTASY
Part I: Gaining Direction From God's Work In Our History From Furthest Antiquity, 1 Chronicles 1-9
C. Gaining Direction From Noting God's PRESERVING His People Through Their Spiritual Defeat
(1 Chronicles 9:1-34)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the greatest evidences for the validity of the God of the Bible and our faith is His preservation of His people regardless of their immense spiritual weakness and defeat!
    2. This fact of great encouragement is highlighted for us in 1 Chronicles 9:1-34 (as follows):
  2. Gaining Direction By Noting God's PRESERVING His People Through Their Spiritual Defeat.
    1. Having supplied the genealogical history of Israel prior to the Babylonian Captivity in 1 Chronicles 4-8, the author of Chronicles updated Jerusalem's genealogical history after that captivity in 1 Chronicles 9.
    2. In 1 Chronicles 9:1, he noted the people of Israel had gone into captivity "for their transgressions"!
    3. Yet, the author of the Chronicles ended his record on the hope of God's grace to Israel in that God had determined this national judgment would end after 70 years, 2 Chronicles 36:21, 22-23.
    4. This theme is noted in 1 Chronicles 9:2: the author there described how God had both preserved the nation's key religious segments and caused each one to return after captivity. Thus, we focus on each segment to note and appreciate God's faithfulness and grace to keep His Abrahamic Covenant with Israel:
      1. First, the people from all of Israel's twelve tribes returned to the land, 1 Chronicles 9:2a, 3-9:
        1. The author of Chronicles refers to the "Israelites" returning to the land, so the 12 tribes returned; this claim is contested by the British Israelism cult that holds only the 2 tribes of Judah, not the 10 tribes of Northern Israel returned, Jan Karel Van Baalen, Chaos of the Cults, p. 163-168. Though the list of people in 1 Chron. 9:3-9 describes settlers who came from just the four tribes, Judah, Benjamin, Ephraem and Manasseh, the latter two tribes were part of the Northern Kingdom, so the list includes only those who settled in the city of Jerusalem, Bible Knowledge Commentary, O. T., p. 602.
        2. Yet, the fact that people from all 12 tribes had returned is noted in other Scriptures: (1) Ezra 6:17 KJV states the returned exiles offered 12 male goats as sin offerings "for all Israel . . . according to the number of the tribes of Israel." (2) Since the sin offering for a tribe required its elders be present to lay hands on the head of the goat offered for the tribe (Leviticus 4:13-15), people from each tribe were in the land! (3) Also, Paul in Acts 26:7 referred to Israel in the land as "our twelve tribes".
        3. Thus, God in grace and faithfulness to His covenant with Israel had preserved and caused to return people of all 12 tribes though they had been sent to Babylon in discipline for their transgressions!
      2. Second, the priests of Aaron's line from within the tribe of Levi had been kept by God in faithfulness and grace in Babylonian Captivity, and they had returned to the land, 1 Chron. 9:2b, 10-13; Jer. 2:8.
      3. Third, the Levites as a tribe had been preserved by God in faithfulness and grace in the Babylonian Captivity, and they had returned to the land, 1 Chronicles 9:2c, 14-34 with Ezekiel 44:10.
      4. Fourth, the "Nethinim" had returned, a huge display of God's faithfulness and grace, 1 Chron. 9:2d:
        1. The Nethinim were the Gentile descendants of the ancient Canaanite city of Gibeon, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftns. to 1 Chronicles 9:2 and Ezra 2:43.
        2. They should have been killed when Israel first invaded Canaan, Jos. 9:1-3. However, in tricking Joshua into promising by God's name to protect them, he made them temple slaves, Jos. 9:19, 27.
        3. God honored Joshua's faithfulness to this oath given in His name, and gave him great victory over other Canaanites who attacked Gibeon in retaliation for its peace treaty with Israel, Jos. 10:1-15.
        4. Well, over the centuries, the Gibeonites had sinned and gone into captivity with Israel. However, in great grace, God had preserved them and brought them back to Israel with the returning Hebrew exiles so that they, the descendants of pagan Canaanites, could still serve as temple servants in accord with the initial pledge Joshua had made with God in His name, 2 Chron. 9:2; Ezra 2:43-54!
Lesson: God displayed great faithfulness and grace toward His people, Israel regardless of their sin as He kept them in captivity and returned them to the land to keep His unconditional covenant with them.

Application: May we rest in the unconditional faithfulness and grace of God to us, knowing that what He has begun in us as believers He will fulfill in His infinite faithfulness and grace, Philippians 1:6!