Hey there!
Hope you had a blessed and fruitful week indeed! Well I thank God for my life even as I spent most of this week unwell and had to take time off work. The headache still present as I type this but I know my God is faithful. I guess that is what is called encouraging yourself in the Lord 🤒😇😉!! So here we go! Karibu sana (You are welcome in Swahili)
As I finished the Book of Ezra in my personal reading, I felt the Spirit move me to proceed to the New Testament instead of the next book of Nehemiah. It was a push to help me also appreciate the life of Jesus on earth just as I have done with the kings and events in the Old Testament. So obedience was a virtue that needed to rise to the occasion 🙂😊!!
Did you know that there were 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus? Distinctively, there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to Christ…Matthew 1:17.The first chapter of Matthew clearly details them by name. Moving to chapter two and three only made me more curious and thus took me back to chapter one, specifically to the genealogy of Jesus. There should be some significance to this list as it begins the history of a new era. A new dispensation of the impact of the Son of God here on earth 🙌🙏!!
It was quite conspicuous to me that the end of each set of fourteen generations, began and ended with such a significant happening or descendant. The first set began with Abraham, the Father of Faith and ended with Jesse, the father of King David who was the man after God’s own heart. The second set began with David and ended with Josiah at the time of the exile to Babylon. Remember King Josiah was the one stated in 2 Chronicles 35:18 as: The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. He was key to many reforms in his time and the Book of the Law given through Moses was found during his time. The third and final set began with Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), son of Josiah and ended with Jesus Christ.
It is without a doubt that God orchestrated this list for His glory. Yes, it does point out that God is in control of our lives and He knew us before being created in our mother’s womb but what else does the list show us? That God’s ways are better than ours. Yes, what else? That He is the Creator and Giver of all things; that He is mindful of man despite our failures; He still works out a plan for our salvation. That it was never a mistake that we were born in the family lineage we currently come from, whether evil or good, whether rich or poor, whether famous or unknown, whether religious or not. Rahab was the prostitute in Jericho who aided Joshua’s spies to bring down its walls and she became the great great grandmother of David. Am sure you heard a preaching of Rahab by now but that is not entirely my focus in this post.
What is the message that the word of God exactly trying to pass across by deliberately listing down the family lineage of Jesus Christ even before it details his birth and life? After reading this post, it confirmed my thinking that genealogies were important to Hebrews as it served as identification for them as Jews and the related inheritance of their specific tribes. I now recall Ezra 2:61-63
61 And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:62 These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
Yes, it was that serious then 😱😨😮😉😊!! What of today? Do we know our ancestors past our grandparents names’? Of what importance would it be to know your family lineage? It is vital to note that the ancestry line of Jesus was not full of perfect people. Not all of them had their lives detailed past the mention of their names. Your family lineage does not have to be perfect, for me it matters that it is a line. That is what stands out for me. Let the line of history exist whether of good people or not. As long as I am confident in God’s wisdom in placing me in that specific lineage, then I choose to remain hopeful. Hopeful for significant happenings in my lineage. Hopeful of the future. Since I have no control of my ancestor’s actions, my heart believes in hope for my descendants.
God is my witness of the number of times I have prayed for my generation who will come before me one after another until the day Jesus comes. That is how far my faith and my eyes see. I see my descendants being used of God way after my death and the lineage will never be cut even after the last trumpet call 🙌🙏!! My purpose in life will transcend from generation to generation, all the to the glory of the Author and Finisher of my faith. My purpose needs therefore be combined with actions to keep this hope alive. Tragedies will come for sure but the victories will definitely override the pain and loss💃💃!! What do you desire for your descendants?
Am amazed at how much grace has been released for me as I type this on my bed this Friday morning. Read a Biography on Queen Victoria and Lee Kuan Yew, great leader in Singapore yesterday and I guess their resilience is rubbing on me. It may also be my current reading of the expeditions of Alexander, the Great of Macedonia which inspired me so very much this morning. Hope to write a post once am done. Was actually tempted to repost a previous post or share another blogger’s post but God is faithful!! Thank you Jehovah Rapha for your healing over my body. Am grateful for you are ever watching me to ensure your word that you sent fulfills its purpose in my life. You have brought me from this far, my Ebenezer and greater is my future in you Oh Lord. Thank you for being my Heavenly Father who never gives me a stone when I ask for bread or a snake when I ask for fish. After all is said and done you still remain to be God.
Am a lover of tea and need I mention the main ingredient of milk is vital☕🤣😂😁😊!! So the kitchen is where am heading next after clicking “Publish Now” on this post. Thank you for your time. God bless and see you next week Friday🙋😉🤗😇!!
#Hopeforyouandme #FamilyLineage #Geneology #Abraham #David #Jesus #Abraham#UnchangeableGod
