How does this verse connect to God's covenant with Israel in the Old Testament? Locating the verse in its setting 1 Chronicles 8:12: “The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns.” • Chapter 8 is tracing the descendants of Benjamin, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. • The chronicler is writing after the exile, reminding the returning community of its unbroken bloodline and covenant heritage. • Verse 12 spotlights three grandsons of Benjamin who established towns inside the promised land—visible proof that God planted Benjamin’s tribe in territory He swore to give. Genealogies as covenant markers • Genesis 17:7—God made an “everlasting covenant” with Abraham and his “descendants after you.” Genealogies confirm who those descendants are. • Numbers 1:2–4—Moses is told to enroll Israel “by their clans and families,” showing that covenant blessings flow through identifiable lines. • 1 Chronicles answers that call, underlining that the same God who spoke to Abraham preserved each generation right down to the post-exilic period. Benjamin’s role in the covenant story • Genesis 49:27—Jacob foretells Benjamin will be a warrior tribe; the builders of Ono and Lod reflect that pioneering strength. • Deuteronomy 33:12—Moses blesses Benjamin as the tribe “beloved of the LORD,” dwelling “between His shoulders,” i.e., under God’s constant care. • 1 Samuel 9—Saul, Israel’s first king, comes from Benjamin, again showing covenant privilege flowing through this lineage. Ono and Lod—land promises in bricks and mortar • Joshua 18:11–28 lists Benjamin’s allotment; Ono and Lod lie on its western edge, near the coastal plain. • Every stone laid in those towns declared God had kept Genesis 15:18: “To your descendants I have given this land.” • Nehemiah 11:35 notes that after the exile, Benjaminites resettled “Lod and Ono,” proving God’s promise still held centuries later. Covenant perseverance through exile and return • Jeremiah 33:20–26 promised that Israel’s “offspring” would never be rejected despite exile. • By recording Benjamin’s sons—even during judgment—the chronicler shows God never severed covenant ties. • Ezra 2:33 lists returning families from Lod and Ono; they walk the ground their forefathers built, a living thread of covenant faithfulness. Takeaways • God’s covenant is not abstract; it is traced in names, towns, and family lines. • 1 Chronicles 8:12 stands as one more brick in the wall of evidence that the Lord’s land promise and lineage promise are literally reliable. • The same God who preserved Benjamin’s sons keeps every word He has spoken, inviting trust in every other promise He has made. |
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