The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 27

two Ycrscs of the second chapter we have the names of the family of Israel. 'l'he sons of Israel arc mentioned in their order of natural birthright. llut immediately in the same charter, in the family enumeration, this order is set aside, and instead of be- ,::inning with Reuben, according to the natural order, the record begins with Judah. Thus grace is set in the forefront, and nature put into the backo-round. The Dible i_s not the record of nature, but of grace. 'l'he history of on; little tribe, occupying a str;p of land not larger than Wales, fills the entire pages of the Old 'l'esta- rnent, while huge empirc~ are passed over in silence. This is in accordance with tha character of the Book. The history of this little tribe fills its pages because it is the history of the kingdom of God. Its design was to manifest Christ. Apart from him the Word does not acknowledge history in any sense. Neither a. nation nor an indi- vidual has any history before God, except as connected with him. Heuce Assyria and Babylon are comparatively overlooked, and all record is centred in Jerusalem. Hence Sennacherib is barely mentioned, while whole chapters are filleu. with Abraham and Moses and Joseph. Hence Reuben is put into the background and Judah into tho forefront. This prominence given to Judah over Reuben was because the right and privileges of primogeniture had been given to him, and! because from his tribe Christ was to spring. Thus in the very foreground of this book Christ is placed. Judah is also shown to have pre-eminence simply because of Christ. It is so now. Christ must be first; be is the Alpha. and Omega. The opening chapter of every history, every event, every duty, every pleasure, should be him. If be be not in the forefront of each one and the centre round which everything converges, there is no history there worthy of the name; there is no record there before God, however great it may be before men. There is no name in heaven without this, though it may be emblazoned on the marble tablets of the world for ever. But only Christ is true, There is a blot on every escutcheon but bis. Scarcely is Judah's pre-eminence brought before us ere we see the dark picture of sin in it. Er and Acha.n stand out pre-eminently as blots on Judab's fair fame. Yes, on the very lineage of the Messiah himself there is written, as with a sunbeam, "Cease ye from man." Lust and murder are the dark lines drawn by the Holy Spirit on the beautiful picture. Only the Spirit of God can make a Christian. And the man may put on all the garments of a Christian-the knowledge of truth, the doctrines of truth, the zeal for truth, the profession of truth in its holiest and purest form, and yet carry through life an unchanged heart, the very light which be possesses so dazzling him with its brightness as to keep him from seeing his terrible depravity and feeling bis need of a Saviour. Reader, are you one of these?-W. Vers. 1-27.-Natural and spiritual paternity. There may not be much that ie positively t'.nstructive in these geoealogies; yet there may be found that which is sug- gestive in them. They invite us to think of- L THE ADAMIC, on NATURAL, FATHERHOOD. (Ver. 1.) It is a high distinction to be the progenitor of an illustrious "family" or of a powerful tribe; still more so of a. whole nation; and the highest of its kind to be the father of the human race. But the honour is not without its serious qualifications. 1. It is of an inferior order. It is "after the flesh;" it pertains to the lower kingdom; it does not stand in the firs~ ran_lc in the sight of Divine wisdom. 2. It involves shame as well as honour. If m his later u.ays Adam could boast of the happiness and triumphs which bis descendants enjoyed, he must have been covered with confusion as he witnessed the sorrow and the humiliation which they endured. By his fatherhood of our race be ~ecame the pa.rent of guilt and shame as well as of virtue and honour. They who sigh for the honour and joy of parentage may well reflect that, if our first father CO?-ld have foreseen the misery and degradation to which his sons and daughters would smk, he would (or might well) have shrunk from the high distinction be enjoyed. lI. THE AllBAHuuc, on SPIBITUAL, FATHERHOOD. (Ver.28.) ItistruethatAbra.ham, as his name suggests, was the father of a multitude, and that it was of him, as con- cerning the flesh, the Messiah came. But it is also true that our Master taught us to think of the Hebrew patriarch as the father of all faithful souls rather than as the mere progenitor of a people. The true children of Abraham are those who "do his works" (John viii. 39)-those who hear and heed the Word of God. Not they who are" the 011, I, 1-54.] 'l'llE FlllST BOOK OF 'l'HE CIIItONICLES. 17