In this great kaleidoscope of names, the people of God see their family tree. As the Chronicler lists the sons of Israel, he begins with the family of Judah, through whom God’s blessing would come to the whole world (4:1-23). Simeon and his descendants come next (4:24-43), probably because the family of Simeon shared the territory allotted to Judah’s family (Joshua 19:9). Now in 1 Chronicles 5, our attention is drawn to the trans-Jordan families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. As Israel gained possession of the Promised Land, these two and a half tribes had settled along the eastern banks of the Jordan River (Numbers 32; Joshua 13:8-33). Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob, but he forfeited his birthright through immorality (Genesis 35:22; 49:4). To possess the birthright meant to have a position of preeminence among the families. The sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, now enjoyed that privilege. In spite of that right of the firstborn, however, it was from the house of Judah, David’s family, that the true leader of Israel would come, for Jesus Christ was born into this line (v 1-2). These opening verses of the chapter thus highlight a central theme of the book: God’s grace, and His faithfulness to His promises. Throughout 1 and 2 Chronicles, God’s choice of David as king is seen as a matter of sheer grace. Likewise, that the house of David would become God’s channel of salvation owes nothing to his own merit, but can only be attributed to the sovereign favor of the LORD. Salvation is not a natural right that one acquires at birth. Birthrights come and go; what ultimately counts is God’s grace. The birthright belonged to Joseph; the Prince will come through Judah. The chapter ends with another reminder of God’s faithfulness, but in this case, the result is not salvation, but judgment. God’s faithfulness cuts both ways: He is gracious and forgiving to those who put their trust in Him, but He will punish those who forsake Him to follow other gods. The families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh learned this lesson the hard way. Unfaithful to the LORD, they were taken into exile by Assyria. The Assyrian king was a violent and idolatrous man. He certainly would not have known he was a tool in God’s hand, but God used him to punish His own people who had forsaken Him (v 25-26). In this way, God was acting out of faithfulness to His covenant with Israel. According to the covenant, obedient trust would bring blessing, but disobedience would result in exile (Deut. 28). For further meditation: