The genealogy of Simeon is recorded in 4:24-43. The remarkable thing concerning this tribe is that they had rich and good pasture, spacious, quiet, and peaceful, and that they defeated the Amalekites. We today should also have such a rich and spacious pasture. This means that our enjoyment of Christ as our good land should be spacious, quiet, and peaceful.
Next we have the genealogy of Reuben (5:1-10). Reuben was the firstborn son of Israel. Because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the two sons of Joseph for the inheritance of the double portion of the good land as the two tribes (vv. 1-2). This should be a warning to us that the birthright of enjoying Christ can be lost because of our failure.
The genealogy of Gad is recorded in verses 11 through 17.
Verses 18 through 26 are an insertion.
The children of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh defeated their enemies and possessed their land by the help of God, for they cried out to God in the battle and trusted in Him (vv. 18-23). This is a good example for us today. We should cry out to God, telling Him that we want to gain more of Christ, possess more of Christ, and enjoy more of Christ.
The children of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh trespassed against God and went as harlots after the gods of the peoples of Canaan. Then the God of Israel stirred up the kings of Assyria to come to capture them and bring them away from their land (vv. 25-26).
In chapter six we have the genealogy of Levi, the priestly tribe.
One of the sons of Levi was Kohath, one of the sons of Kohath was Amram, and Amram’s sons were Aaron and Moses, and his daughter was Miriam (vv. 1-3). This is the genealogy of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
A descendant of Aaron, Jehozadak, was captured to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (v. 15). It was most unfortunate that even a descendant of the priestly tribe was taken away into captivity in Babylon.
The prophet Samuel was a descendant of the great rebel Korah, who was a descendant of Kohath, the son of Levi (vv. 16-27); and the grandson of Samuel, Heman, was a singer in the temple and a psalmist (v. 33; Psa. 88, title). Korah, the forefather, was a great rebel, yet one of his descendants was Samuel and another was Heman. This indicates that God’s mercy and grace are unlimited.