Ephraim’s Grief

Synopsis     1Chron 7:10-27     12/10/2019

The chronicler gave a brief description of the tribal lineages of Dan and Naphtali. After this, he described the circumstances of Ephraim’s life.

Ephraim was the son of Joseph and the patriarch of the tribe of Ephraim. Apparently, two of his sons were killed in a raid on their cattle. Although Ephraim was deeply affected by the loss of his son, eventually he was comforted from his loss. After which, he and his wife conceived another child.

The chronicler points out that Ephraim’s offspring included Joshua, son of Nun, one of the greatest of all Israelite leaders.

Ephraim’s Grief

Ephraim experienced the terrible loss of a beloved son. And his loss grieved him so much that his family grew concerned for his well-being. And so, they came together to comfort him.

Through this intervention, his family helped him put the pieces of his life back together so that he could carry on. 

In a curious retrospective, the author seems to indicate that part of this consolation was that his line had been preserved. So the anticipation was for what Ephraim’s future generations might be. Accordingly, from this line came Joshua, one of the greatest leaders in the history of Israel.

Family Grief and Recovery

Raising children is not for the faint of heart. It is fraught with every kind of danger imaginable. And sometimes in the process of child rearing, our hearts become grieved. Of course, the unimaginable pain of losing a child is the extreme. But there are other losses that can be deeply grievous to parents.

Yet, most commonly, children survive childhood and go on to make make a positive contribution. And as they do, they become a hope for the future.

As a parent, I anticipate the contribution my children will make. And when I see actual evidence of their contributions, I rejoice both in their personal success and in their ability to make a positive difference.

As Christians, we are called to disciple others as they begin the process of entering into relationship with Jesus. But we do this with trepidation. The truth is, it’s a risky business to disciple other people. So when we do, it feels somewhat like natural child rearing. For this reason, we can, like Saint Paul, rightly call those with whom we invest our time and energy, “spiritual children”.

Of course, this doesn’t imply some special claim concerning the other person. After all, we are all children of God. No more, no less.

But when I chose to share my life and faith with others, I often experience a sense of anticipation at what might come from those that I have attempted to point toward Christ. And this consolation overcomes much trepidation. 

“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” Rom 8:28