Names

I finished the first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles last week.

Whew.

Have you ever read through the first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles?

That’s a lotta names.  Lot of names.

Why are there so many and such long genealogies in the Bible?  I can’t explain the whole counsel of God. But working through those lists impressed on me two things.

One, God’s covenant was passed down through a lot of generations.  Father to son, parent to child, the promises of God were transmitted.  Some of the men listed were famous, some were nobodies, some were wise and good, and some did wicked things.  Some were kings, some were warriors, some were priests.  But all of them had children and passed on the covenant promises.  Very little, if anything, is known about most of them, except that:  they passed on the covenant.  

The most important thing I can do is pass on the covenant promises of God to my children.

Two, God’s people waited a long time for the fulfillment of the promise.  To Adam it was first promised that the “seed of the woman” would redeem mankind from the curse.  But alas, Adam’s first son was by no means the Messiah.  Nor was his second, or third, or fourth son.  Nor his grandson, or his great-grandson.  Generation after generation arose, grew old, and died, without ever seeing the rise of the promised Redeemer.  

No wonder the skies burst open and the shepherds ran when the Hope of the ages was born.  He was a long time coming.

It’s been 2022 years, give or take, and where is the promise of His coming again?  God’s people are again…waiting.  Generation after generation after generation.  Passing on His promises to the children and their children.  Waiting.

1 Chronicles can give us hope.  God was faithful to Adam and Noah and Abraham and David, though they did not live to see the Messiah’s redemption accomplished.  He didn’t forget them.  

He didn’t forget Hazarmaveth, Chelubai, Johanan, Chelub, Jahdo, Libni, Zethan, Eder, or Ebiasaph either—and He hasn’t forgotten me.  He was tracing His promise then, through the years, as He is doing now—until on one final glorious day, hope turns to glad fruition.