You know, if we're honest with ourselves, whenever we come to genealogies in scripture, most of us simply skip over them to get back to the ‘good stuff'. I think we do this for a couple of reasons: first, because many of the names contained in Biblical genealogies are nearly impossible to pronounce (face it, we just don't have that many people in our day named Zerubabel, Mephibosheth, or Maher-shalal-hash-baz). Secondly, I think we skip over them because, quite frankly, they can be pretty boring. We need to realize, however, that, just like everything else in God's word, these genealogies are there for a reason. The genealogy in our study this morning is no exception. Not only does it trace for us the royal line of Israel but, if diligently examined in light of redemptive history, it also outlines in stunning detail God's dealings with His people, namely how His sovereign hand has ordered human events to fulfill His own purposes despite tremendous, seemingly insurmountable obstacles. |
