Usually when I get to a genealogy in the Bible, I skim it over making sure I'm not missing any specific text and don't bother reading all of the names. I don't have enough Biblical knowledge to be able to connect most of them to anyone I've read about elsewhere in the Bible, so I just make sure I don't miss any context clues that might connect someone to a different story and then move on. I'm sure in those times a lot of people were more familiar with the families represented in some genealogies, but I get lost after the twelve tribes.
Today I decided to read through it though! It wasn't easy to skip when my whole reading out of Luke 3 today was the list of Jesus' ancestors, so I decided to read through it and see what names I recognized. Matthew had written a similar list, and there are some differences. It may be that one traces back through Mary or maybe no one really cared to know Joseph's lineage until Jesus showed up. Even with today's technology, I know it would be tough for me to go back more than 4 generations!
Many would actually point to the fact that many women in that day would remarry after their husbands died, and that the differences are due to Joseph's father possibly being in that category.
Regardless, there is a difference, but they both come together in the same place - King David. What got my attention in Luke that isn't taken into account in Matthew is the genealogy before Abraham. I believe that I'm most likely a descendant of Abraham, but if I'm not, I'm definitely a descendant of Noah. There aren't really many other choices since he was the father of the only other men who were on his boat during the flood.
A few names stuck out to me before Noah. Noah's grandfather was Methusaleh - who lived 969 years!!! He was ready to go home to the Lord. It's hard to believe that he didn't die wiser than Solomon. I definitely would have been asking him for advice anytime something came up. He was probably a great hunter/gatherer.
Noah's great-grandfather - Enoch. Enoch and Elijah were the only two people mentioned in the Bible that didn't die, but were instead just taken into Heaven.
I've thought previously about how cool it is that Abraham and Isaac may be my ancestors, but to know that the oldest man who ever lived, and a man that was so loved by God that he was taken into Heaven without dying are my ancestors is pretty special!
No comments:
Post a Comment