Now we’re starting to dig in to the tiny details of each individual tribe of Judah, and if you’re a lot lost like me, yay. I tried not to get caught up in all the names of this chapter like I’ve done with past chapters and just concentrate on the overall message and find a few little details that give me some insight into what was happening during this time period. We read about the lineage of Judah and Simeon today, and one thing I noticed is that these names likely cover generations of families, so during this time, a whole lot was going on. For one, nations were being formed, and regions were gaining reputations for the things people did there. In verse 14, we see that the Valley of Craftsmen was established. Verse 21 talks about linen workers, and pottery workers were designated in verse 23. Some of Simeon’s ancestors spread into five towns (v. 32), and there were wealthy clans in Simeon’s tribe (v. 38). By the end of the chapter, the communities had grown so large that they were starting to spread out and encroach on neighboring lands. I bet when God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations, Abraham never envisioned all this. We can see from just Judah and Simeon’s line how chaotic the Promised Land starting getting after people started multiplying. Only 10 more families to go!
Writing prompt: bigger is better?
Write about the pros and cons of being the father of many nations. How do you think Abraham would have felt then if he had had the knowledge of what the world is like today?
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