Descendants of Simeon
24 The sons of Simeon were [l]Nemuel and Jamin, [m]Jarib, [n]Zerah, Shaul; 25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. 26 The sons of Mishma were Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. 27 Now Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many sons, nor did all their family multiply like the sons of Judah. 28 They lived at Beersheba, Moladah and Hazar-shual, 29 at Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. 32 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan, five cities; 33 and all their villages that were around the same cities as far as [o]Baal. These were their settlements, and they have their genealogy.
34 Meshobab and Jamlech and Joshah the son of Amaziah, 35 and Joel and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, 36 and Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah; 38 these mentioned by name were leaders in their families; and their fathers’ houses increased greatly. 39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. 40 They found rich and good pasture, and the land was broad and quiet and peaceful; for those who lived there formerly were Hamites. 41 These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and [p]attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 From them, from the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir, with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, as their leaders. 43 They [q]destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day.
Here we see the sons of Simeon, though they did not “multiply like the sons of Judah”, also expanding further into the land that God had told the Israelites to conquer. In the process, some of the sons of Simeon finished what King Saul had failed to do and destroyed the remnant of Amalekites.
It’s interesting that this was in the days of Hezekiah, because the tribe of Simeon did not follow the kings of Judah. But it would seem that the godly influence of Hezekiah trickled over even still. Whatever the case, these men, though few in number, took on the task God had set before them centuries before, and claimed the land that had been promised.
We may not feel qualified, and we may even feel downright discouraged about the mission God has set before us. But if we listen for His voice, and follow His will, God will be with us. God himself will be our helper. We will not want for strength and courage through the journey when we lean on the One who called us by name.