I am 74 years old and about two years ago, my longevity hit me between the eyes, my words are like Paul, “I’ve fought the good fight, have run my race, and I have kept the faith [1].” Since there are probably not too many years left ahead of me, I began thinking about those who I’ll leave behind. As I considered the quote, “Life goes on,” if I don’t do something, and do it now, the kids will not know who they are and from where they came after I’m gone. Their family history will die with me. I therefore searched out ancestry.com for their help and expertise.
The second biggest mistake I eve made in my life was not pulling my mom and dad aside to pick their brain in terms of my heritage concerning names relationship, dates, and many family stories before they passed. What a blessing that would have been, not only to me but to them; not to speak of all the information I could have gleaned from them. It haunts me to this day.
Family lineage was also important to God as the book of Matthew illustrates in His Word vv 1-25. There we find as the first order of business in the New Testament the evangelist/Apostle gives us the generations of Christ.
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. [Matthew 1:1 KJV]
What is the importance of these generations? Why do we have to know this information and why is it in the Bible? There are several significant reasons for listings these generation. Not one word or punctuation mark is useless in the Bible. Why didn’t God tell Matthew to list the genealogy starting at Adam?
For one, Matthew’s genealogy is not just a list of facts because we all come from Adam. The genealogy is there to legitimize Christ because Abraham was the father of Judaism. Mainly, it was to show that Christ descended from Isaac and not from Ishmael, the illegitimate son of Avram (Abraham) and Hagar, who was the handmaiden of Sarai (Sarah) [2]. The Bible also prophesies that Jesus must come from the line of David [3], which this genealogy provides fulfillment. This proves that Jesus is the Messiah.
Matthew 1:17 summarizes vv 1-16 as being three sets of 14 generations: Abraham to King David, King David to Josiah (captivity), Josiah (captivity) to Joseph. Abraham was the physical seed whereas Jesus was the spiritual seed. Fourteen has significance in and of itself in that it means deliverance and salvation. Fourteen is also the double of seven and seven means completion and perfection. Therefore, 14 is representative of a double portion of spiritual perfection, which is Christ. Two also represents incarnation (2×7).
There is a lot more to the genealogy and it constrains me to the limitations of this blog, but this should give you food for thought and further study. In the meantime, we can get with our heavenly Father and His Word and learn more from where we came and better yet, where we are going. Verse eight of 2 Timothy 4 gives us the answer, Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
In terms of my mistake, may I exhort you to get with your parents before they pass and pick their brain for the generations to come.
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[1] 2 Timothy 4:7
[2] This is the reason for ALL the trouble in the east today and ever since Ishmael’s birth, because Ishmael was actually the first born of Abraham. It was a lack of faith. However, the Lord gave the barren Sarah a child and would be the royal line of Christ.
[3] In Hebrew, Malkhut Beit David, John 7:42
STAYING ON COURSE 