02/19/2025 – Day 220 – 1 Chronicles – Chapters 1 – 4 / “The lists and genealogies make up between 25 – 30 percent of Chronicles, based upon actual word count… Why did the Chronicler devote so much space to them?
The title and this explanation originates from the commentary on Chapter 1, verse 1 of “The Apologetics Study Bible:
“1:1 – … In the ancient world one’s identity was rooted in one’s family and then in one’s clan or tribe. Ethnicity was the essence of one’s public and private loyalties. The Chronicler’s primary purpose in writing his book was to impart a sense of unity and loyalty to a scattered and demoralized nation. The genealogy shows one’s place, who is family, and who is not. To whom am I obligated, and to what degree? Once cannot deny family relationships, wrote the Chronicler to his brothers… Clearly, ancestry and relationships are a major part of the Chronicler’s message: the importance of Israel in world history and it’s essential unity.”
Soli Deo Gloria!