The son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor.
Luke 3: 31-34 (NIV)
Scripture: Matthew 1: 1-16
The genealogy lists at the beginning of Matthew and Luke are usually killers. Many times we just skip over them because they are hard to read. Those lists include valuable information. Why is it so important to list all of these people who are not listed other places in the Bible? This devotion discusses how God used every one of those people for His purpose.
We usually think of To-Do lists, but, Luke gives us another kind of list. He gives us a people list. This list tells us several things.
When I was younger, it always amazed me that they could remember that many begats. But that is coming from someone who could only go back to great-grandpa on my dad’s side.
Family always mattered at my house. We concentrated mainly on, though, the ones who were here with us and those who my parents called Mom and Dad. Maybe back then they just put more emphasis on from whom you came.
Has life changed so much that we question whether my great-grandparents would have any sage advice to give my son? I know the world is a totally different place. However, didn’t they have pearls of wisdom that they told us? Like “We should believe only half of what we see, and none of what we hear.”
Here is generation after generation of “was the father of.” God didn’t forget anyone. Every one of those dads had a job to do. God was working through them, and they probably didn’t even know it. We all have a job to do. It may take several generations for “the event” to happen, but God’s plan is working through the years.
It wasn’t all just dads, either. Remember Tamar? She tricked Judah into sleeping with her (Gen. 38: 13-16). Remember Rahab? She was supposedly a prostitute (Josh. 2: 1). Ruth went and laid at Boaz’s feet (Ruth 3: 1-4, 7). God uses everything and everyone to further His plan. We are just human, and God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, uses us.
So many generations! You mean, God takes His time? But we want everything NOW!!! We don’t want to wait. How many times did Mom tell me anything worth having is worth waiting for?
For some, things we have to confirm are our own commitment. Other times we may have to grow first. In everything, God has a plan, and in the fullness of His time, His plan will be accomplished.
Yes, so many generations. That’s a long time. Look at it this way. A lot of people were used in preparing for an eternity.
God wasn’t in this for the short haul. He was and is preparing us for life with Him in eternity. He knew it would take a while for all of the people who are going to ask Him to be their Lord and Savior to do so. Some had to learn through their families. Some had to see their family lifestyle and decide there was something more.
God took His time. Eternity was worth it.
Loving Father. It is good to call you Father. You have allowed us into Your family. You have given us earthly families. You do this because You care about people. You use us for Your service, but You care for our souls. You know we are human, and You love us anyway. Father, help us to trust You as Father. Show us Your plans for our lives and our jobs in Your kingdom. Help us to not grow weary when we expect results on our timetables. Help us to keep faith when those results don’t appear in our lifetimes. In everything, may Your Will be done. Amen.
What do you think? How can we remind ourselves that God is working even when we don’t see Him actively involved in our lives and projects? Leave me a comment below on this (or any other topic) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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