The genealogies written by Moses

Exodus 6:14-30; 1/4/2026; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

Moses, as the spiritual leader chosen and sent by God, nevertheless faced a situation in which the Israelites were unwilling to listen to him. What was he to do?  Let us pay close attention to the interaction between God and Moses.  Immediately, we see that the LORD spoke to Moses—that is, God’s word came to Moses.  Following this, the Holy Spirit moved Moses to present selected portions of the genealogies of the twelve tribes of Israel, with the purpose of proclaiming to all the spiritual lineage of Moses. Let us look at the first point:

Surprisingly, Levi was chosen among the three eldest

Frankly speaking, there is little about the conduct of Jacob’s twelve sons that can be commended.  Among the first three sons—Reuben, Simeon, and Levi—each had his own weaknesses and failures.  Yet God raised up chosen tribes and spiritual figures entrusted with great responsibility from among lives that were deeply flawed.  First, the lifelong disgrace of Reuben.  When Jacob’s youngest son, Benjamin, was born—and his mother Rachel died as a result of difficult childbirth—something happened to Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob’s household, and it was no small matter.  The name Reuben means ‘See, a son.’  Scripture records: ‘While Israel was living in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now Jacob had twelve sons’ (Genesis 35:22).  Bilhah was the maidservant given by Laban, Jacob’s uncle, to his daughter when she was married to Jacob.  She bore Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali.  Because of this incident, Reuben lost his birthright—the privilege of receiving a double portion of the inheritance.  Reuben committed the sins of incest and adultery; underlying these acts were the deeper sins embedded in his nature—pride and a lack of emotional self-control.

 

Second, the cruelty and deceit of Simeon.  Simeon was Jacob’s second son, and his name means ‘heard’ or ‘one who hears.’  After Leah had already borne Reuben, she continued to pray that God would hear her and grant her another son.  God indeed heard her prayer and gave her Simeon.  Yet this also reveals the inner struggle and greed in Leah’s heart—an unceasing desire for more, always wanting and wanting.  Children who grow up in such family environments often develop volatile temperaments;  cruelty and deceit became the underlying traits—the default background—of Simeon’s spiritual life.  In order to avenge his sister Dinah, he deceived the men of Shechem into being circumcised and, together with his brother Levi, slaughtered all the male inhabitants of the city of Shechem (Genesis 34).  The tribe of Simeon is the only tribe in Deuteronomy that did not receive a blessing from Moses.

 

Finally, Levi was set apart as holy.  Like Simeon, Levi took part in the massacre at Shechem and was likewise a ruthless figure.  In Jacob’s deathbed prophecy, he shared the same curse as Simeon—‘they will be scattered throughout the land of Israel.’  Yet in God’s sovereignty, the Levites were chosen by Him.  God said, ‘I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites in place of every firstborn of Israel; the Levites belong to Me.’   In the history of God’s chosen people, Israel, there are five clearly defined roles: Levites, priests, judges, kings, and prophets.  Notice that the Levites stand at the forefront, listed first.  At the same time, the Levites were ordinary people.  Their duties included caring for the tabernacle and managing the various tasks of the sanctuary—such as carrying, setting up, and cleaning.  Let us now turn to the second point:

The three sons of Levi

Clearly, Levi is the central figure in the genealogy recorded by Moses.  Reuben, Simeon, and the descendants of the other sons serve merely as a backdrop to this genealogy.  In order to bring forth Moses and Aaron, the three sons of Levi were included in the genealogy that God placed in Moses’ heart at this particular moment.

First, Gershon was a large clan.  The name Gershon means ‘driven out,’ ‘sojourner,’ or ‘exiled.’   Why do we say that he was a large clan?  Because when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, the number of males in the Gershonite clan one month old and upward totaled 7,500.  Numbers 4:39 records: ‘From thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who came to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting numbered 2,630.’ Because Gershon was the firstborn, his clan was entrusted with important responsibilities.  During the wilderness journey, they were responsible for transporting and guarding the components of the tabernacle, including “the curtains of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of durable leather over it, and the curtain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 4:25).  During the reign of King David, the Gershonite clan was primarily responsible for service in the temple.

Second, Kohath glorified and praised God.  One could say that this is the central focus, the very heart, of Moses’ genealogy.  The name Kohath means ‘assembly.’ He was the second son of Levi and the grandfather of Moses and Aaron; Samuel also descended from the Kohathite line.  Scripture introduces Kohath as follows: ‘The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The length of Kohath’s life was 133 years.’   In Moses’ genealogy, only three individuals have their lifespan recorded: Levi lived 137 years, and Amram 137 years.  During the wilderness journey, the Kohathites worked together with the Gershonites and were responsible for the southern side of the tabernacle.  They were even entrusted with the sacred duty of carrying the Ark of the Covenant and other holy objects on their shoulders.  When King Jehoshaphat was weak, the Kohathites led the people in singing songs of praise, encouraging the nation.

 

Finally, Merari: The ordinary one.  Merari’s name literally means “bitter” or “bitterness,”   though the original root also conveys strength or blessing.  Taken together, Merari’s name suggests experiencing God’s power and blessing through suffering.  Why is Merari considered ordinary?  Because his descendants’ service was more mundane.  They were responsible for carrying and managing the boards, bars, pillars, bases with tenons, and all the other ordinary equipment of the Tabernacle (Numbers 3:36–37; 4:31–33; 7:8; 10:17; Joshua 21:7, 34, 40).  During the Exodus, Merari numbered 6,200 men, making them a relatively small tribe.  When entering Canaan, they received 12 cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

 

The legacy of Aaron and Moses

Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, but the Bible places Kohath at the center.  Gershon, the eldest, and Merari, the youngest, each had two sons, yet the Bible gives them little attention.  Instead, the focus is on Kohath’s children: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.  First, the exceptional children of Amram.  Amram’s name means “exalted people.”  He is also known as Moses’ father.  Not only was Moses outstanding,  but his brother Aaron and sister Miriam were remarkable as well.  In fact, much of the story of Exodus revolves around Amram’s family.  During the wilderness journey, Amram’s family had responsibilities that included guarding the Ark of the Covenant, setting up the table for the showbread, the lampstand, the two altars, and other Tabernacle vessels (Numbers 3:27).  In the book of Exodus, which Moses wrote, he does not dwell much on his own achievements.  Yet as God’s chosen spiritual leader, God personally endorsed him: “The LORD said, ‘Bring the Israelites out of Egypt according to their divisions.’ This is what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron regarding Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of Egypt—that is Moses and Aaron.”

 

Next, Izhar’s family produces a Rebel.  The name Izhar means “tall and shining.”  I believe Moses highlights Izhar mainly because of his rebellious son, Korah.  If Korah lived today, he would likely be someone skilled at spreading false news, posting slogans, and creating rumors.  As Moses’ cousin, born a Levite and of high status, Korah was nevertheless filled with resentment because he could not serve as a priest.   What he failed to realize was that by openly opposing Moses and Aaron, he was essentially challenging God’s authority and twisting what is right and wrong.  Even today, those who act in the spirit of Korah in the church follow a similar pattern: their rebellion is driven by pride and greed, often deeply entrenched, and dangerously self-destructive.

 

Lastly, Uzziel: The youngest and his childlike sons.  The name Uzziel means “God’s strength.”  Uzziel was the youngest of Kohath’s children, making him Moses and Aaron’s uncle.  He had three sons: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri.  Among them, Mishael and Elzaphan joined forces with Aaron’s two sons to oppose Aaron’s authority.  Since Uzziel himself was already the youngest of Gershon’s line, his children can be seen as “the youngest of the youngest.”  What does this mean?  Some people never really grow up.  No matter their age, they continue to act like children.  In this case, Uzziel’s two sons sought out Aaron’s sons to rebel against Aaron’s authority—how utterly childish and ridiculous is that?

 

Conclusion

Praise the Lord!  The genealogy recorded by Moses unfolds before us a three-dimensional historical scroll.  It helps us see, from multiple perspectives, the fiery and complicated lives within God’s chosen people, as well as the call to vigilance and prayer, and the unfolding of God’s grace and mercy in the growth of their spiritual lives.

Let us pray together……

 

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon.

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years.

17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans.

18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years.

19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations.

20 Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years.

21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites.

25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.

26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.”

27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.

28 On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

29 the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.”

30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”