“His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.”
– 1 Chronicles 7:24
Hi James and Ellen,
Ask your dad if he knows who Bilhah, Maacah, Hammoleketh, Sheerah, Serah and Shua are? Bilhah, Maacah, Hammoleketh, Sheerah, Serah and Shua are included in the Israelite people groups tribal clans’ genealogy ‘trees’ that the Chronicles Books’ historian recorded in his tome. Bilhah, Maacah, Hammoleketh, Sheerah, Serah and Shua are gals. The Chronicles Book historian randomly – in what became the first Chronicles Book – in 1 Chronicles 7, mentions six Israelite people group tribal clans. The six Israelite people group tribal clans that the Chronicles Book historian cites are the Issachar. Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher tribal clans. There is a sense that the data that the Chronicles Book historian chronicled in the Chronicles Book was told to him by other historians. It seems like to your grandpaa that the chronicler of the Chronicles Book – when he was chronicling the genealogies of six Israelite people group tribal clans, wrote verbatim what had been passed on to him by other Israelite people group tribal clan historians. The Chronicles Book historian recorded information that is specific to the gals that are in the genealogies of the Issachar, Benjamin and Asher tribal clans by recording the ‘son of’ and the ‘sons of’. The only genealogy information that the Chronicles Books’ historian recorded for the Naphtali tribal clan are four names of guys who are stated as Bilhah’s descendants. The information that Chronicles Book historian recorded for the genealogies of the Manasseh and Ephraim tribal clans has a arbitrary feel about it. The Chronicles Book historian begins the Manasseh an Ephraim tribal clans’ genealogies with the ‘descendants of’ instead of using the ‘sons of’.
Gals who are identified by name as having a place in Biblical history are more often than not ancillary players. Bilhah was Rachel’s handmaid. Because Rachel could not have any children with her husband Jacob – who would have his name changed to Israel, Rachel had her shy maidservant become Jacob’s concubine or conjugal partner so that she could have kids by association with her husband. Bilhah had two kids with Jacob. Their names were Dan and Naphtali. Bilhah is given the matriarchal position in Naphtali tribal clan’s genealogy. None of the other Israelite people group tribal clans placed in their genealogies a gal in a matriarchal role. Maacah was Makir’s wife. Makir was a descendent of Manasseh. Makir may have had a sister whose name was Maacah. Because there are more gals listed in Manasseh’s tribal clan genealogy than there are in the other Israelite people group tribal clan genealogies, Manasseh tribal clan may have elevated a gal’s role of prominence. Hammoleketh was another gal mentioned in Manasseh’s tribal clan genealogy. Hammoleketh may also have been a sister of Makir or she may have been the sister of Gilead. Gilead was one of Makir’s kids. Sheerah is a granddaughter of Ephriam. Sheerah’s dad was Beriah. Beriah’s dad was Ephraim. Before Beriah was born, two of Ephraim’s kids – Ezar and Elead, were killed while they were rustling near the town of Gath. Verse 24 hints at why Sheerah is included in Ephraim’s tribal clan genealogy, “His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.” Serah and Shua in an addendum kind of way made Asher’s tribal clan genealogy. Serah is mentioned as being a sister to four bros. Shua is mentioned as being a sister to three bros.
Your grandpaa thinks that a wife is too often perceived as being secondary to her husband. What do you think? Your grandpaa believes that a guy and a gal – at the moment when they exchange rings and say to each other “I do”, begins a ‘one person’ marriage relationship/partnership with the guy always assuming the responsibility and the accountability of insuring that there is always intimacy happening between him and his spouse. Because a guy is hardwired to thrive from being given respect and because a gal is hardwired to thrive from sensing being loved, the guy needs to every moment of every day genuinely communicate to his wife that he passionately loves her. Your grandpaa believes that a wife will always communicate an unreserved respect towards her husband if her husband is constantly courting her. During a morning meeting that your grandpaa was leading – when he and your grandmaa were living in Guatemala as missionaries with the OC International field missionary team, your grandpaa mentioned to a guy who was sitting in on the meeting that he wished that the guy could meet your grandmaa. Your grandmaa could not be in the meeting because she was recouping from hepatitis. The guy was from Europe. The guy had come to Guatemala to try to recruit more Guatemalans to be missionaries with his European mission agency. It was after the European guest mentioned in the meeting that your grandpaa was leading– in which there were at least 15 other guys and gals, that his wife has a Dutch heritage and that he has a Scotch/Irish heritage, that your grandpaa told the guy that he wished that he could meet your grandmaa – as her heritage is also Scotch/Irish. Your grandpaa asked the guy what his thoughts are of a guy who has a Dutch heritage marrying a gal who has a Scotch/Irish heritage. The guy immediately told your grandpaa – in front of everyone, that it is good to have a good fight once in a while. A gal with Irish blood can be testy for a few seconds if . . . while a guy with Dutch blood can be stubborn. Your grandpaa believes that a wife is the finest incomparable earthly gift that God gives guys to enjoy, to explore and to learn from.
1 Chronicles 7 (1037)