What’s In Your Family Tree?
Have you ever been around people who seem to chatter on and on and in the end, you wonder what they said? Or heard people who have the appearance of knowledge yet when you check it out discover though it sounded right, it was off base? In the first century church, like in the 21st century church, it was a problem, and for all the ages in between. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:3-7 As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on where you are at Ephesus in order that I may warn and admonish and charge certain individuals not to teach any different doctrine, Nor to give importance to or occupy themselves with legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies which foster and promote useless speculations and questionings, rather than acceptance in faith of God’s administration and the divine training that is in faith, [in that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence]; Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith. But certain individuals have missed the mark on the very matter [and] have wandered away into vain argument and discussions and purposeless talk. They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law—teachers of the Mosaic ritual—but they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which they make [such] dogmatic assertions.
We often are confronted by people who desire the teaching position yet they are in need of a teacher, many with right hearts, others with personal ambition. The outcome remains the same, misunderstanding and wrong living. It is that very misrepresentation of God’s Truth that has lead the church down the path of being ineffective in totally reaching people for Jesus Christ. Not being grounded in the word has lead to groundless claims and few if any fruitful results.
I want to help you, through a variety of methods, to become more grounded in the Word. Anyone interested? Today I am beginning a series through the Bible, beginning with Matthew, and we will move around from book to book in the upcoming years, to help you gain a firm grip on knowing and practicing your faith. That however is not enough. That is why we have been writing Growth Seeds, to plant seeds of knowledge and faith in your life through a daily devotional you can print on line from our web site or pick up at the church. Even that is not enough, so we are creating small groups to go deeper in our faith, and you can tie into them through the area fellowship meetings held each month. If you want to live by faith as the Bible instructs us, you need to know faith. We are also making the messages available on cassette after the services, and you can subscribe monthly and have a tape available for your study during the week with a storage binder for $12. All this to safeguard you from teaching or being taught false doctrines. Now how do you know what I teach is right? Through all this, you can check me out, and you should do that.
If you have done the last three issues of Growth Seeds, you covered today’s text from Matthew 1:1-17, the genealogy of Jesus Christ. How many of your have done these Growth Seeds? Who found it interesting looking at the highlighted lives of various men and women mentioned? Who skimmed through it? You don’t need to raise your hand.
When we do a reading through of the Bible, genealogies are often skimmed over, with some obligations to say I have read the words though the mind and heart have disconnected waiting for something meatier to come up. Stay with me, don’t zone out and we will find a practical application in these first seventeen verses.
The Miss World pageant pulled out of Nigeria this past week because a writer said if Mohammad were alive today, he would take the winner of the contest as a wife. The Muslims were offended and the result was hundreds of deaths from the rioting. If they knew his genealogy, in fact if they totally knew his teachings, they never would have rioted but rather nodded in assent to the thought this is what he would have done in a contemporary society based on what he did in his day.
The genealogy of Jesus shows us how God responded in history and how God responds today. This can be broken down into three sections of fourteen generations each. They are not to meant to be taken as a parent to child accounting though some are. Mathew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, paints with a brush that paints in some names, and omits others but does include the family heritage with each stoke of the brush.
Lets read through the linage. It is at this point you are breathing a sigh of relief that it is I, not you reading the names.
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram. Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nashon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
These first six verses taken us from Abraham to King David, from the line of promise to the line of the royal king. It follows the line from the house of Judah, where Judah is the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother is Tamar.
Genesis 38 recounts the drama of Tamar’s life. She was wed to Er, Judah’s first-born who was put to death by God because of his wickedness. To carry on the family line through Er, Judah’s second-born was told to produce a child through her so the child could carry on the name of Er. Doing all but consummating the act, God put him to death also and Judah instructed her to hang around until his third son was old enough to fulfill the ancient law which required a brother to marry his brothers widow and provide an offspring. Tamar disguises herself, waits by the roadside for Judah to come by. He thinking she is a prostitute, has relations with her that lead to her pregnancy and twin sons who weave their way into the genealogy of Christ. This is steamier than General Hospital and as the Day Turns folks.
Matthew verse 6, David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
This second list of fourteen generations takes us from David into the royal linage of the earthly kings. As you read the history of the kings you find leaders of good reputation and leaders who committed evil in the sight of God. Leaders who understood the true worship of God and those who tarnished it and replaced God with false idols and symbols of worship. This account does not whitewash the human nature, instead exposing it for its high points and low points.
King David, a man after God’s own heart opens this second section of accounting with the adulterous relationship he had with Uriah’s wife, Bethsheba. After David’s complicity in having Uriah sent to the front of the line of battle which resulted in his death, the pregnancy and death of his and Uriah’s wife child and the subsequent married to Bethsheba, the wisest man in history is born and is part of Jesus genealogy.
I like Josiah who has someone bring him a lost book, Old Testament writings, and at a young age brings the people to repentance and works on restoration. We could camp with each one of these names and learn from their success and their failure, and one day we will. For time sake, we need to move on…
After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Most the these names mentioned in the last section are relatively unknown to us except some were named for others in history and all make up the final leg of the genealogy of Christ.
In this day of women fighting for rights and recognition, we read of four women in history who achieved significance included in this record. Significant because women were not included but excluded in large part because of cultural tradition. Ladies, let this echo the role Christ calls you to, where he elevated you rather suppressing you. Jesus liberated women before any organization ever tried. Four women, three suspected of adultery, an good picture of God’s divine grace, all aliens in the land. Tamar I mentioned earlier along with Bethsheba. There was also Rahab the harlot at Jericho who helped the spies, saved her family and tradition says married Joshua. Also mentioned was Ruth, a Moabite woman, who was faithful to her Jewish mother-in-law and her faithfulness was rewarded.
So what do we learn from this listing of names and generations? We learn something important about God.
1. He is the God of different personalities.
Each of us in this room are different from each other. Just as no snowflake is the same, so neither are we. We bring different talents and gifts to the table and God uses them all for His creative purposes if we allow Him. Some are introverted, others extraverted, some with high IQ’s and others needing the questions repeated. Some of you are moody, others expressive, some bubbling over and others bubbling in. That is what this list contains, people with different personalities, all people used by God.
Lesson: You are unique and wonderfully made, and your personality can be used by God if you will let him. God used these different personalities because they were available, let God use your availability as well.
2. He is the God of varying circumstances.
And what a collection of circumstances. Abused by life’s circumstances, an abuser of circumstances, high society and no society. Some who did the right thing, and others the wrong. From royal births to a barnyard birth and places in-between.
Lesson: Your circumstances are not an obstacle to God’s purpose in your life. Allow God to use were you are right now, be part of His miracle as you see where He will take you when you focus on Him not on yourself.
3. He is the God of succeeding generations.
We have learned in worship, it is for God, to God and about God. This also holds true for all of eternity. God is a generational God. His truths unfold from one generation to the next. From Abraham to David to Jesus and all stops along the way, God had worked to do something awesome in the life of each generation. Some generations were more willing to receive than others, all had opportunities to be used as the genealogy demonstrates.
I want to conclude with some thoughts about each of us. Someone had outlined this genealogy as a faith listing.
a. Faith rooted in history
b. Faith expressing God’s grace
c. Faith recognizing divine providence
d. Faith focused on the Messiah
In so many cases, faith sees what the natural cannot. For generations faith saw the coming Messiah, and when Jesus came, those living in the natural missed the event. What was true then, is true today. Some here are missing what God is doing because of your focus, it is everywhere but on Christ, the Messiah. You let other people’s personalities keep you off track. You focus on the circumstances of your life instead of the one who can elevate you above the circumstances and do something new. And you have looked to your generation for answers and come up short instead of looking to the author of all generations, God.
As we begin this Christmas season, lets get our focus right, our faith in the proper direction, lets make Jesus Christ the object of our affection.
ALTAR---COMMITTMENT
