Community

The people who had come back from Babylonian exile needed to rediscover their origins as God's people. They needed to connect again with their past as the nation called Israel. The record of these genealogies assist them in re-discovering their roots. Here are the records of the history of their families. Starting at the beginning with Adam, the first man. Then the list of the ten names from Adam to Noah. It is the same as the list in Genesis chapter 5. This was the peculiar glory of the Jewish nation, that they alone were able to trace their pedigree from the first man that God created, which no other nation can document. Israel's kingdom would be safe because God was looking after it. In time, God would establish it again. Our God rules all of history! This list tells us the Patriarchs of the whole earth (Compare with Genesis chapter 5. It is interesting that the first four verses exactly agree with the account of the pre-flood patriarchs in Genesis 5:1). God has created from one blood all the nations of men. At the Areopagus in Athens, Paul made it clear: "And He has made FROM ONE BLOOD every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings," (Acts 17:26) According to Jewish tradition Ezra compiled the Books of The Chronicles. Theses genealogies link our present with their past. God's grace and love for the restored community did not begin with David or the conquest or the exodus -- God's love for His chosen people (Jew and Gentile) began BEFORE creation! God's people were chosen before "the beginning"- before "God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) Consider the words of Paul," just as He chose us in Him BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will," (Ephesians 1:4-5) Yes, these seemingly meaningless and sometimes boring genealogies are for us, too. We are all descended from one Adam and one Noah. Their offspring had perished in the biblical flood, none remaining of the Adamic family except Noah, his wife, Noah's three sons and their three wives; and from these ALL THE NATIONS of the earth sprang: "and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;" (2 Peter 2:5). It is not just about those with Hebrew parents: "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; ...." (Romans 2:28-29); "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all" (Romans 4:16) The power of our justification is GOD'S GREAT GRACE, not man's faith. "those who are of the law" are believing Jews. "those who are of the faith of Abraham" are believing Gentiles. Abraham is the father of us all who have "believed God". "just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." (Galatians 3:6-8 ) Paul compares Gentiles to a "wild branch":"And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree," (Romans 11:17) The wild olive tree is the Gentile Christians. The olive tree refers to Israel, those who inherited the promises of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:1, 2; 17:7, 8; Hos. 14:6). Paul intentionally stretches the analogy of grafting in order to make the point that Gentiles have been supernaturally connected to the family of God. Gentiles, who have been "grafted into" the Abrahamic covenant and therefore become recipients of God's blessing. God told Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:3) It all points to Jesus! Jesus says, "You search THE SCRIPTURES, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which TESTIFY OF ME." (John 5:39) And we are ALL ONE IN CHRIST: "so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." (Romans 12:5) "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13) "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) "where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all." (Colossians 3:11) The history of the Bible was not designed as a history of the world, but as a history of God's people, and of the sacred promise of the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). It all points to Jesus!

Four key individuals mentioned in this verse, being Abraham, Isaac, Esau and Israel. We recall here, that Jacob, in Genesis, was renamed by God, as Israel. Gen 32:28  And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for like a prince you have power with God and with men, and have prevailed. 

It's beautiful that Abraham is called the father of Isaac. ( In this passage there is no mention made of Abraham being called the father of Ismael, Abraham's firstborn.) We, who accept the Son of God as our personal Savior, can rightly be called the children of God, with all the privileges and blessings of being sons of God. Ismael didn't have that privilege, he had to go away from Abraham's son, Isaac. We, as God's children can stay in the presence of our wonderful God, always. Amen.

God made sure His people kept accurate genealogical records so we could be assured His Word is true and accurate today.