1 Chronicles 1:28

In God's eyes Shem, chosen by grace, has the first place. But in the natural order what is spiritual does not come first, as we have already pointed out. It is the same with Abraham's offspring: "The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael" (v. 28). Isaac is named first, seen as first in God's thoughts. But Ishmael, the elder, comes first in the list (v. 29) as the seed according to the flesh.

In the nine chapters that make up this opening section we have the principle that the apostle Paul stated long afterwards: not first the spiritual but the natural, then the spiritual. Even the general genealogy of 1 Chronicles 1 follows this divine purpose.

God has ordained it so. The whole question of man's responsibility had to be settled before the Man of God's purposes of grace would appear. In fact, grace could not be unfolded until it was first made clear how deep man had fallen when left to himself. This great truth is the foundation of all Scripture. All Scripture presents man's ruin, which nothing can repair, as the basis of the gospel of grace.

The apostle quotes the saying recorded in Genesis 21:12: "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." His inspired comment on this is: "it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring." The flesh can produce nothing except what is flesh… God knew it was a corrupt source, and so a source of nothing but corruption. That is why He passed by Ishmael, the child of the flesh. His election rested on Isaac, the child of promise, the son whose origin lay in the resurrection power of God, shown in His promise years before.

It was not Ishmael changed, but it was Isaac born. The son of the slave woman could never be anything else. He might become a great nation. He might live in the wilderness and become an archer. He might become the father of twelve princes. But he was the son of the slave woman all the while. On the other hand, no matter how weak and despised Isaac might be, he was the son of the free woman. His position and character, his standing and prospects, were all from the Lord.

In verse 32 the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine, are listed as we find them in Genesis 25:1-4. In our chapter they come after Ishmael's descendants (vv. 28-31), to show that they too belong to the line according to the flesh.

But someone may still challenge us like this: "Do you believe that the long string of names in the opening chapters of 1 Chronicles — those lists of family lines — were inspired by God? Were they written for our learning? And if so, what are we to learn from them?" We say without hesitation that we believe, with reverence, that God inspired all of these. And we have no doubt that their value, interest and importance will be proved in full later on, in the history of the people they especially apply to.

As to what we are to learn from those records of family lines, we believe they teach us a most precious lesson about the Lord's faithful care of His people Israel, and His loving interest in them and in all that concerns them. He watches over them from generation to generation, even though they are scattered and lost to human sight. He knows all about the twelve tribes. He will bring them into view in due time, and plant them in the land of Canaan, the inheritance meant for them, according to His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.