Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Today we will read 1 Chronicles 5-9. I’ll have some comments after the reading, and I’m calling today’s episode “I Coulda Been A Contender.”

Comments on 1 Chronicles 5

Let’s look at the last three verses of the chapter, verses 23 through 26. Verse 23 says, “Now the sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land; from Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon they were numerous.” God had prospered them, and gave them a large amount of land.

But listen again to verse 25. “But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.”

So what happened? Verse 26 tells us that “ the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah , Habor, Hara and to the river of Gozan, to this day.”

There is a classic old movie from 1954 with a young Marlon Brando playing a boxer. The title of the film is “On the Waterfront”, and this scene has one of the most well-known lines of Hollywood history. “You don’t understand. I coulda had class.  I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody. Instead of a bum. Which is what I am, let’s face it.”

I’m reminded of this scene when I read the fate of the half-tribe of Manasseh. They coulda been somebody, but because of their unfaithfulness to the God of Israel, everything was taken away, and they were taken into captivity.

So much has been given to the followers of Jesus. Not only have we received the gift of eternal life, but we are grafted into the family. We have become the sons and daughters of God. However, some believers forsake their inheritance and voluntarily forfeit the rich relationship they could have with God. Addiction to pornography, drugs, alcohol, gambling and what have you are not unheard of in the Christian community. It’s tragic, but it is true. 

The thing that is so tragic is that Jesus came to set us free from bondage. Yet some choose to surrender themselves, just like the half-tribe of Manasseh chose to turn from God. 

It does not have to be that way, brothers and sisters. If you find yourself in bondage of any kind, you can be free. If you need help, ask your pastor or another trusted friend. Or write to me. I’ll do everything I can to get help to you. 

You don’t have to settle. You can be free. It’s part of your birthright as a child of God.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5-6 NASB; Ch. 7 CEV; Ch. 8-9 NCV

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Transcript

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Steve Webb  0:00  
We're children of the King. 

Well, hi there, good to see you. This is the Lifespring family Audio Bible and I'm coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I'm your OG God caster Steve Webb. I'm so glad you're here. Welcome. This is the daily show where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today we're going to read first Chronicles chapters five through nine. I'll have some comments after the reading and I'm calling today's episode "I could have been a contender". The show notes page for today's episode is that Lifespring media.com/s12e230. My email address if you'd like to write to me is St***@*************ia.com. Let's begin. 

Steve Webb  0:48  
Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; so he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, and Hezron and Carmi. The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, and Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria took into exile; he was leader of the Reubenites. His relatives by their families, in the genealogy of their generations, were Jeiel the chief, then Zechariah and Bela, the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. Toward the east he settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead. 

In the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand, so that they occupied their tents throughout the land east of Gilead.
Now the sons of Gad lived opposite them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah. Joel was the head and Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat in Bashan. Their relatives of their fathers’ households were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber, seven. These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their fathers’ households. They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon, as far as their borders. All of these were enrolled in the genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, consisting of valiant men, men who carried shield and sword and shot with a bow and were skillful in battle, totaled 44,760 who went to war. They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were handed over to them; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him. They took away their livestock: their fifty thousand camels, 250,000 sheep, and two thousand donkeys; and a hundred thousand people. For many fell mortally wounded, because the war was of God. And they settled in their place until the exile.
Now the sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land; from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon they were numerous. These were the heads of their fathers’ households: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, valiant mighty men, famous men, heads of their fathers’ households.
But they were untrue to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, that is, the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.

Steve Webb  4:38  
First Chronicles chapter six. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar fathered Phinehas, Phinehas fathered Abishua, Abishua fathered Bukki, Bukki fathered Uzzi, Uzzi fathered Zerahiah, Zerahiah fathered Meraioth, Meraioth fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Ahimaaz, Ahimaaz fathered Azariah, Azariah fathered Johanan, Johanan fathered Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem), Azariah fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Shallum, Shallum fathered Hilkiah, Hilkiah fathered Azariah, Azariah fathered Seraiah, and Seraiah fathered Jehozadak; Jehozadak went along when the Lord led Judah and Jerusalem into exile by Nebuchadnezzar.
 The sons of Levi were Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households. Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth. As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah were Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. The sons of Samuel were Joel, the firstborn, and Abijah, the second. The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.
Now these are the ones whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after the ark rested there. They were ministering in song in front of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon’s building of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. These are the ones who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. Heman’s brother Asaph stood at his right hand, Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. On the left hand were their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.
But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and to make atonement for Israel, in accordance with everything that Moses the servant of God had commanded. These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.
Now these are their settlements according to their camps within their borders. To the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot), to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its pasture lands around it; 56but they gave the fields of the city and its settlements to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. To the sons of Aaron they gave the following cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah together with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; and from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. Their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities in all.
Then to the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, from the family of the tribe, from the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, were given from the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the tribe of Manasseh, thirteen cities in Bashan. To the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. So the sons of Israel gave the Levites the cities with their pasture lands. They gave by lot from the tribe of the sons of Judah, the tribe of the sons of Simeon, and the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name.
Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. They gave to them the following cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer with its pasture lands, Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth-horon with its pasture lands, Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.
To the sons of Gershom were given, from the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands; and from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands; and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.
To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands, and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands; and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands.

Steve Webb  13:35  
First Chronicles chapter seven. Levi was the father of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Kohath was the father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Amram was the father of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Eleazar's descendants included Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Ahimaaz, Azariah, Johanan, Azariah the priest who served in the temple built by King Solomon, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Shallum, Hilkiah, Azariah, Seraiah, and Jehozadak. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia took Jehozadak to Babylon as prisoner when the Lord let the people of Judah and Jerusalem be dragged from their land.
  Levi's three sons had sons of their own. Gershon was the father of Libni and Shimei. Kohath was the father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Merari was the father of Mahli and Mushi. These descendants of Levi each became leaders of their own clans.
Gershon's descendants included Libni, Jahath, Zimmah, Joah, Iddo, Zerah, and Jeatherai.
Kohath's descendants included Amminadab, Korah, Assir, Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, and Shaul.
Elkanah was the father of Amasai and Ahimoth. Ahimoth's descendants included Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath, Eliab, Jeroham, and Elkanah.
Samuel was the father of Joel and Abijah, born in that order.
Merari's descendants included Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, Shimea, Haggiah, and Asaiah.
The Temple Musicians
After King David had the sacred chest moved to Jerusalem, he appointed musicians from the Levi tribe to be in charge of the music at the place of worship. These musicians served at the sacred tent and later at the Lord's temple that King Solomon built.
Here is a list of these musicians and their family lines:
Heman from the Kohathite clan was the director. His ancestors went all the way back to Jacob and included Joel, Samuel, Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah, Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasai, Elkanah, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah, Tahath, Assir, Ebiasaph, Korah, Izhar, Kohath, Levi.
Asaph was Heman's relative and served as his assistant. Asaph's ancestors included Berechiah, Shimea, Michael, Baaseiah, Malchijah, Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah, Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei, Jahath, Gershon, and Levi.
Ethan was also Heman's relative and served as his assistant. Ethan belonged to the Merari clan, and his ancestors included Kishi, Abdi, Malluch, Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah, Amzi, Bani, Shemer, Mahli, Mushi, Merari, and Levi.
The rest of the Levites were appointed to work at the sacred tent.
The Descendants of Aaron
Only Aaron and his descendants were allowed to offer sacrifices and incense on the two altars at the sacred tent. They were in charge of the most holy place and the ceremonies to forgive sins, just as God's servant Moses had commanded.
Aaron's descendants included his son Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, and Ahimaaz.

Aaron's descendants belonged to the Levite clan of Kohath, and they were the first group chosen to receive towns to live in. They received the town of Hebron in the territory of Judah and the pastureland around it. But the farmland and villages around Hebron were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Aaron's descendants received the following Safe Towns and the pastureland around them: Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth-Shemesh. From the Benjamin tribe they were given the towns of Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth and the pastureland around them. Thirteen towns were given to Aaron's descendants.
The rest of the Levite clan of Kohath received ten towns from West Manasseh.
The Levite clan of Gershon received thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh in Bashan.
The Levite clan of Merari received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
So the people of Israel gave the Levites towns to live in and the pastureland around them. All the towns were chosen with the Lord's help, including those towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
Some of the families of the Kohath clan received their towns from the tribe of Ephraim. These families received the following Safe Towns and the pastureland around them: Shechem in the hill country, Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth-Horon, Aijalon, and Gath-Rimmon. And from West Manasseh they received Aner and Bileam, together with their pastureland.
The Gershonite clan received two towns from the tribe of East Manasseh: Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth, including the pastureland around them. The Gershonites also received four towns from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem, including the pastureland around them. The Gershonites received four towns from the tribe of Asher: Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob, including the pastureland around them. Finally, the Gershonites received three towns from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, including the pastureland around them.
The rest of the Merari clan received the towns of Rimmono and Tabor and their pastureland from the tribe of Zebulun. They also received four towns east of the Jordan River from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the flatlands, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, including the pastures around them. And from the tribe of Gad the Merarites received the towns of Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, including the pastureland around them.

Steve Webb  18:41  
First Chronicles chapter eight. Benjamin was the father of Bela, his first son. Ashbel was his second son, Aharah was his third, Nohah was his fourth, and Rapha was his fifth son.
Bela’s sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
These were the descendants of Ehud and leaders of their families in Geba. They were forced to move to Manahath. Ehud’s descendants were Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera forced them to leave. He was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.
Shaharaim and his wife Hushim had sons named Abitub and Elpaal. In Moab, Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. Shaharaim and his wife Hodesh had these sons: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah. They were leaders of their families.
Elpaal’s sons were Eber, Misham, Shemed, Beriah, and Shema. Shemed built the towns of Ono and Lod and the villages around them. Beriah and Shema were leaders of the families living in Aijalon, and they forced out the people who lived in Gath.
Beriah’s sons were Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ishpah, and Joha.
Elpaal’s sons were Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab.
Shimei’s sons were Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath.
Shashak’s sons were Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah, and Penuel.
Jeroham’s sons were Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zicri.
The family histories show that all these men were leaders of their families and lived in Jerusalem.
Jeiel lived in the town of Gibeon, where he was the leader. His wife was named Maacah. Jeiel’s first son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zeker, and Mikloth. Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. These sons also lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.
Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.
Jonathan’s son was Merib-Baal, who was the father of Micah.
Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Raphah’s son, and Azel was Eleasah’s son.
Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were Azel’s sons.
Azel’s brother was Eshek. Eshek’s first son was Ulam, his second was Jeush, and Eliphelet was his third. Ulam’s sons were mighty warriors and good archers. They had many sons and grandsons—one hundred fifty of them in all.
All these men were Benjamin’s descendants.

Steve Webb  22:30  
First Chronicles chapter nine. The names of all the people of Israel were listed in their family histories, and those family histories were put in the book of the kings of Israel.

The people of Judah were captured and forced to go to Babylon, because they were not faithful to God. The first people to come back and live in their own lands and towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and Temple servants.
People from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem. This is a list of those people.
There was Uthai son of Ammihud. (Ammihud was Omri’s son. Omri was Imri’s son. Imri was Bani’s son. Bani was a descendant of Perez, and Perez was Judah’s son.)
Of the Shilonite people there were Asaiah and his sons. Asaiah was the oldest son in his family.
Of the Zerahite people there were Jeuel and other relatives of Zerah. There were six hundred ninety of them in all.
From the tribe of Benjamin there was Sallu son of Meshullam. (Meshullam was Hodaviah’s son, and Hodaviah was Hassenuah’s son.) There was also Ibneiah son of Jeroham and Elah son of Uzzi. (Uzzi was Micri’s son.) And there was Meshullam son of Shephatiah. (Shephatiah was Reuel’s son, and Reuel was Ibnijah’s son.) The family history of Benjamin lists nine hundred fifty-six people living in Jerusalem, and all these were leaders of their families.
Of the priests there were Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin, and Azariah son of Hilkiah. (Hilkiah was Meshullam’s son. Meshullam was Zadok’s son. Zadok was Meraioth’s son. Meraioth was Ahitub’s son. Ahitub was the officer responsible for the Temple of God.) Also there was Adaiah son of Jeroham. (Jeroham was Pashhur’s son, and Pashhur was Malkijah’s son.) And there was Maasai son of Adiel. (Adiel was Jahzerah’s son. Jahzerah was Meshullam’s son. Meshullam was Meshillemith’s son, and Meshillemith was Immer’s son.) There were one thousand seven hundred sixty priests. They were leaders of their families, and they were responsible for serving in the Temple of God.
Of the Levites there was Shemaiah son of Hasshub. (Hasshub was Azrikam’s son, and Azrikam was Hashabiah’s son. Hashabiah was from the family of Merari.) There were also Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica. (Mica was Zicri’s son, and Zicri was Asaph’s son.) There was also Obadiah son of Shemaiah. (Shemaiah was Galal’s son, and Galal was Jeduthun’s son.) And there was Berekiah son of Asa. (Asa was the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.)
Of the gatekeepers there were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their leader. These gatekeepers from the tribe of Levi still stand next to the King’s Gate on the east side of the city. Shallum was Kore’s son. Kore was Ebiasaph’s son, and Ebiasaph was Korah’s son. Shallum and his relatives from the family of Korah were gatekeepers and were responsible for guarding the gates of the Temple. Their ancestors had also been responsible for guarding the entrance to the Temple of the Lord. In the past Phinehas, Eleazar’s son, was in charge of the gatekeepers, and the Lord was with Phinehas. Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Temple.
In all, two hundred twelve men were chosen to guard the gates, and their names were written in their family histories in their villages. David and Samuel the seer chose these men because they were dependable. The gatekeepers and their descendants had to guard the gates of the Temple of the Lord. (The Temple took the place of the Holy Tent.) There were gatekeepers on all four sides of the Temple: east, west, north, and south. The gatekeepers’ relatives who lived in the villages had to come and help them at times. Each time they came they helped the gatekeepers for seven days. Because they were dependable, four gatekeepers were made the leaders of all the gatekeepers. They were Levites, and they were responsible for the rooms and treasures in the Temple of God. They stayed up all night guarding the Temple of God, and they opened it every morning.
Some of the gatekeepers were responsible for the utensils used in the Temple services. They counted these utensils when people took them out and when they brought them back. Other gatekeepers were chosen to take care of the furniture and utensils in the Holy Place. They also took care of the flour, wine, oil, incense, and spices, but some of the priests took care of mixing the spices. There was a Levite named Mattithiah who was dependable and had the job of baking the bread used for the offerings. He was the first son of Shallum, who was from the family of Korah. Some of the gatekeepers from the Kohath family had the job of preparing the special bread that was put on the table every Sabbath day.
Some of the Levites were musicians in the Temple. The leaders of these families stayed in the rooms of the Temple. Since they were on duty day and night, they did not do other work in the Temple.
These are the leaders of the Levite families. Their names were listed in their family histories, and they lived in Jerusalem.

Jeiel lived in the town of Gibeon, where he was the leader. His wife was named Maacah. Jeiel’s first son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. Mikloth was Shimeam’s father. Jeiel’s family lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.
Ner was Kish’s father. Kish was Saul’s father. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.
Jonathan’s son was Merib-Baal, who was the father of Micah.
Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. Ahaz was Jadah’s father. Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was Moza’s father. Moza was Binea’s father. Rephaiah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Rephaiah’s son, and Azel was Eleasah’s son.
Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. They were Azel’s sons.

Steve Webb  29:25  
Well, beloved, let's look at the last three verses of chapter five. That would be verses 23 through 26. Verse 23 says, "Now the sons of the half tribe of Manasa lived in the land from Batian to Baal Hermon, in Siena and Mount Hermon, they were numerous." So God had prospered them and gave them a large amount of land. But listen again to verse 25: "But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them." So, what happened? Well, verse 26 tells us that "the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and he carried them away into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan to this day." There's a classic old movie from 1954 with a young Marlon Brando playing a boxer. The title of the film is On The Waterfront, in this scene has one of the most well known lines of Hollywood history:

Clip: "You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it."

I'll bet you've heard that before. Well, I'm reminded of this scene when I read the fate of the half tribe of Manasseh. They could have been somebody but because of their unfaithfulness to the God of Israel, everything was taken away, and they were taken into captivity. I'll tell you, beloved, so much has been given to Christians. Not only have we received the gift of eternal life, but we are grafted into the family. We have become the sons and daughters of God. We're children of the king. We're children of a king, but some believers forsake their inheritance and voluntarily forfeit the rich relationship they could have with God. Addiction to pornography, to drugs to alcohol, gambling, and what have you are not unheard of in the Christian community and it's tragic, but it's true. The thing that is so tragic is that Jesus came to set us free from bondage. Yet some choose to surrender themselves just like the half tribe of Manasseh chose to turn from God. It doesn't have to be that way. If you find yourself in bondage of any kind, you can be free. If you need help. Ask your pastor or another trusted friend, or write to me, I'll do everything I can to get help to you. You don't have to settle. You can be free. It's part of your birthright as a child of God. I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to hear your comments. Go to Lifespring media.com/s12e230. Or send me an email at Steve@Lifespring media.com. Tomorrow we'll read Psalms 99 through 101.

Clip: "Boost."

Steve Webb  32:30  
I want to thank Kirsty for getting the newsletter out every week and Sean of San Pedro for putting the chapters in every day. You've heard me talk about time, talent or treasure, right? Well, both Kirsty and Sean are donating time and talent to do these things. And if you have time and talent that you'd like to donate to the show, I need someone to edit the transcripts I post for each episode. I use a service that transcribes using artificial intelligence, but it's not 100% accurate. It'd be really great if somebody would go through the transcripts and make corrections for me. And I'd also love it if some of you with artistic talent would do some chapter art for the show. As I move through the readings, and as I talk about various things on the show, how cool would it be if the art that shows on your podcasting 2.0 compliant podcast app will reflect what I'm talking about? You wouldn't have to do the chapters, Sean's got that covered, but just submit the art. If you'd like to contribute to the community in one of these ways, email me at St***@*************ia.com and I'll get you set up. So that's time and talent, but if you'd rather just donate the treasure part of time, talent or treasure, that'd be fantastic too. You can do that at Lifespringmedia.com/support. That's the part of the formula that really helps to keep the show coming to you seven days a week and 99.999% of the time the show has always been right on time. Contributing monetarily greatly helps to keep that going. Lifespringmedia.com/support. And whether you support the show with time, talent or treasure, I thank you and I think God will bless you.

Steve Webb  34:18  
On this date in church history, April 19 1836 Adoniram Judson Gordon was born he was an American Baptist clergyman educator and hymn composer. His better known works include my Jesus I Love Thee. He was active in missionary work and also founded what is now known as Gordon Divinity School.

Steve Webb  34:47  
You've recently heard me read some of those unusual Old Testament names on the show, including today's show. Well if you'd like to have these names roll easily off your tongue all you need is my book Webb's Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide. Right, I spent over two years compiling the book and pastors, students, teachers, and lots of others have given it an average of 4.5 stars on Amazon, and 79% of the reviews are five star ratings. Here's a review from Jay. He said, "get it, you need it. This is a must. As a preaching student, I find some names a bit challenging, but this book breaks them down into easy to pronounce sections. It's not a bunch of accent marks and stuff most people can't remember, this puts the names into plain English." Beloved, when you buy the book on my website, Biblenames.link, you'll get to know three things that you don't get on Amazon. Number one is my guarantee. If you don't love the book, I'll refund your money 100%. Number two, when you buy the book, you're helping to support this show. And because you're helping, I'll give you a discount since you're part of the Lifespring family. When you check out there on my website, be sure to use the discount code "podcast" and you'll get a 25% discount, but you only get that at Biblenames.link. And the third thing is when you buy Webb's Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide from Biblenames.link, you can get it in PDF, mp3 or softcover, you can't get the PDF or mp3 at Amazon. When you buy the softcover version of the book there at my website, I'll sign it for you if you want me to. Just drop me an email to let me know St***@*************ia.com. Thanks.

Steve Webb  36:39  
Let's pray. Our gracious heavenly Father, we praise you for who you are. We worship You, Lord, because you are worthy. We thank you for the time we had to celebrate this past Resurrection Sunday. Lord, I ask that you help us to remember that you have set us free from bondage. We are no longer slaves to sin. I pray for the Lifespring family members, Lord who might be struggling with habits and behaviors that they fallen into. And I ask that you help them to make right decisions. If they need to help break those habits, help them to get support or counseling or whatever they need to leave these things behind. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become your children, children of the king. And we don't have to be slaves to these things. Encourage them, Lord with this knowledge. I thank you so much, Lord, for each one who's listening right now. I ask that you bless them. And I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. If there's something in your life that you'd like us to pray with you about or if God has given you victory over something, or if he's doing something else you'd like to encourage the rest of the Lifespring family with, please go to prayer.Lifespringmedia.com and fill out the form you find there. My website will send me a notification. And I'll pray for you in my private prayer time and we'll share on the show. prayer.Lifespringmedia.com.

Steve Webb  38:08  
Comment on the show at Lifespringmedia.com/s12e230. Email me at St***@*************ia.com support the show please at Lifespringmedia.com/support. Share the show with people in your life and until tomorrow. May God bless you richly. Thank you for sharing your time with me. My name is Steve Webb. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye

Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Touched up by Sean of San Pedro