How does this verse connect to God's covenant promises throughout Scripture? Setting the Scene “So Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore to him Attai.” (1 Chronicles 2:35) God Preserves the Promised Seed • Sheshan belongs to the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe selected for the line of the Messiah (Genesis 49:10). • With no sons, Sheshan’s branch looked ready to disappear, yet God ensured continuity by means of his daughter’s marriage. • This mirrors the wider covenant promise to Abraham that his “seed” would endure (Genesis 17:7). Even apparent dead-ends cannot thwart the Lord’s plan. Inclusion of the Nations • Jarha is identified as an Egyptian servant. His union with Sheshan’s daughter shows Gentiles being grafted into Judah’s family tree—an early picture of the nations being blessed through Abraham’s line (Genesis 12:3). • Isaiah foresees Egypt specifically turning to the Lord (Isaiah 19:19-25). Jarha foreshadows that future by stepping inside Israel’s covenant community centuries earlier. • The pattern continues with Rahab (Joshua 2; Matthew 1:5) and Ruth the Moabitess (Ruth 4; Matthew 1:5)—foreigners welcomed into the Messiah’s ancestry. Echoes of Covenant Protection for Daughters • Numbers 27:1-11—Zelophehad’s daughters receive an inheritance so their father’s name will not vanish. • Joshua 17:3-6—those same daughters are again protected. • 1 Chronicles 2:35 functions similarly: God keeps tribal land, name, and promise intact through a daughter when sons are absent. Link to David and the Future King • The Chronicler’s genealogies trace Judah’s lines to remind post-exilic readers that the covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) still stands. • Every preserved branch—Sheshan’s included—testifies that the ultimate Son of David will arrive. • Luke 3:31-34 lists Nathan (not Solomon) as an ancestor of Jesus; the Nathan named two verses after 1 Chronicles 2:35 (v. 36) keeps that messianic thread alive. Key Takeaways • God’s promises never fail, even when circumstances appear impossible. • He delights to draw outsiders into covenant blessings, previewing the gospel call to “every tribe and tongue.” • Genealogies are not dry lists but living proofs that the Lord oversees history to deliver the Redeemer exactly as pledged. |
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