Day 13/365- Genesis 36

These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). (Genesis 36:1)

Genealogies. Our favorite readings. It's ok to skip them right? God's word is inspired, without error but that doesn't include these, does it? And those names! I can barely read them much less pronounce them!

God's revelation to us is complete.

God doesn't waste words.

So there must be a purpose for these, right?

The first reason for these genealogies is to reveal our humanity. These are essentially graveyards. One person after another lives, has children, then dies. This happens over & over again. We are again reminded that all of us will die. One out of every one person dies.  Life seems kind of meaningless when we read this (to steal the words of the writer of Ecclesiastes). If we just live, make the most of it, & die anyway, what's the point? The writer of Ecclesiastes gives us some good insight. He lived for wealth, pleasure, happiness, success, & just about anything else that one can give himself to & still he felt empty. He concludes that life with God (lived with & FOR God) is the only life worth living. It gives the purpose & meaning to our lives that nothing else can. Everything else falls short. Everything else makes promises that it can't keep. Everything else can't bear the weight of human hope. Everything but Jesus.  Jesus creates our hope. Sustains our hope. Defines our hope. Fulfills our hope. We have only a few years here, what are we giving our lives to that will last forever?

A second thought about what genealogies reveal is our need for grace everyday. In Matthew chapter 1 we are given the genealogy of Jesus. It's quite shocking. The list includes deceivers, liars, murderers, adulterers, thieves, idolators, & prostitutes just to name a few. Now, bear in mind, these are God's people!! These are the individuals that God used to bring about the salvation of all mankind. It's a list of one massive catastrophe after the other. How could these be God's people? How could God use these people? How can God be God and associate his name & purposes with such filth?

Grace.

Just grace.

It's all grace.

God's grace.

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Genealogies point us to a God who is gracious beyond our imaginations. We too are murderers, liars, thieves, deceivers, rebels, haters of God, adulterers, idolators. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. How can God call such people his people? Grace. Just grace. His grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin.
God has chosen to save sinners to the praise of his glorious grace. So that he gets all the credit for saving them & they get none. So that not one of God's people can ever say, "Yep, I did that."

It's all about his grace. Have you experienced it?