Genealogy

Genesis 2:7,18,22,&24 The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. This is origin of everyone on earth; one blood and one family.

My wife has found a new hobby of tracing and documenting our family trees and developed a love for genealogy research and networking in www.ancestry.com & www.findagrave.com. Genealogy is a chronological record tracing the descent of a person or family from an ancestor; lineage. There is even a television show titled “Who do you think you are? on NBC that traces the lineage of celebrities that is popular today. It’s fun to look back and follow our relatives to see where we came from. Where did the “house of Brian” come from, and who is in “the line of Brian”? We’re talking “family”.

Psalm 127:3-5 Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

The family was not man’s idea, but is God’s gift. The intent is a unique, tight-knit unit of mother, father sister, and brother extending back for care, love and support, which continues to extend forward and expand. “Blood is thicker than water”, means that the bonds of family and common ancestry are stronger than those bonds between unrelated people (such as friendship). But today, the roles of parents and children within the family are being reinterpreted by some to place higher value to friends and self than family in life. This is also true in the reinterpretations that place a higher value on fleshly & worldly pursuits and acceptance by peers than being a follower of Christ and a redeemed child of God. Honor and respect of both family values and biblical values are being challenged.

Proverbs 12:7 The wicked die and disappear (spiritually in this life and eternally in the next), but the family of the godly stands firm.
The Bible gives us genealogies also (i.e. Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1-12, Matthew 1:1-16) that we might also know history and enjoy the family lineage of the people of God and our Redeemer Lord Jesus in God’s plan of forgiving sin and bringing salvation to the world. I have both great family ties (though many of those are long distance) and great family of God ties that I cherish. The love of God develops the love for God and His perfect Word, Will and Way for our lives, which includes the family that He gave me and expects me to love and actively build in relationship; mentally, physically and spiritually. There is contentment, deep love, trust, peace, rest and security in pure family ties.

Ephesians 2:18-19 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

May we never forget our roots and our blessed “loved ones”, in family. May we recognize and value our Heavenly Father, our being a “Child of God”, and the family that the Lord has gifted us with. May we cherish every moment we have, in the time that we have to be a blessing to both. What pure joy I experience in family and I love them dearly. You have a great genealogy! Rejoice and give thanks.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

In Christ, Brian