Creating A Genealogy

From the beginning of the Bible right there in the Garden of Eden God had to show us our need for a Savior.
Have you ever given any thought to how Adam and Eve reacted to the first sacrifice? Remember everything was perfect for them in the Garden. Adam named all the animals, they were tame and if your a pet lover you have to assume he liked them. They didn't hurt him and he didn't hurt them. There was no hunting or killing or shedding of blood.
Can you imagine how they must have felt when God scarified the first animal? Not only did He kill it in front of them but He skinned it so they would have something to wear? That must have been a pretty brutal scene for them the first time. How much more horrific was it going to be when the sacrifice was God's only son?
In Genesis 4 & 5 the Bible gives us a genealogy from the creation of Adam. This in not unusual, we see it often in the Bible as God is showing us the blood line from Adam to Jesus.
In Bible times a persons name had a meaning that correlated with what was going on at the time.
I'm going to list the names shown in Genesis 4 & 5 and the Hebrew meaning of these names.
Adam- man
Adam son Seth – appointed
Seth son Enosh- incurable, miserable
Enosh son Kenan – sorrow
Kenan son Mahalalel – Blessed God Praise
Mahalalel son Jared – Come Down
Jared son Enoch – teacher
Enoch son Methuselah – His death shall bring
Methuselah son Lamech – dis-pairing
Lamech son Noah – to bring relief, comfort
Now I wish I could take credit for the information in this jewel but I can't. I learned it at a Bible study I attend on Friday nights, however, I love to share with you what I learn.
Right here in the meaning of these names is the plan of salvation.
Watch what happens when we put the meaning of the names into a sentence.
Man appointed incurable sorrow, blessed God came down teaching his death shall bring despair to bring relief and comfort.
Is God amazing or what? Nothing is by accident or coincidence. He was giving us the plan of salvation in chapter 4 of Genesis!
It was God's choice from the beginning of time to save us from our sins, He didn't owe us He bought us. He is the creator we are the creation. Our creator, God, gave us the Bible to show us how we are to live. Our life here on earth is to daily look more and more like Christ.
But are we looking more and more like Christ? Do we even think about what Christ endured for us on the cross?
“One of the reasons we are not as Christ-centered and cross-saturated as we should be is that we have not realized that everything - everything good, and everything bad that God turns for the good of his redeemed children- was purchased by the death of Christ for us. We simply take life and breath and health and friends and everything for granted. We think it is ours by right. But the fact is that it is not ours by right. We are doubly undeserving of it.”
Quote from Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper.
We have become a generation that thinks we are owed something and have taken words out of our Christian vocabulary like judgment, holiness and obedience.
As in any parent child relationship there are blessings when your obeying and discipline when you're not.
Christ died for our sins because God decided at the beginning of the world it would happen that way but we have a responsibility to strive to live an obedient life for Him.
What are some of the reasons we refuse to do something God specifically commanded us to do? Pride, doubt, bitterness or resentment over our past and selfishness are a few that come to mind.
These may be our justified reasons in our minds but they are in no way acceptable excuses.
God is always willing to forgive us when we ask Him but today most people don't even feel it necessary to ask for forgiveness.
I think some people don't ask for forgiveness because they don't think they'll get it and some don't ask because they compare themselves to others and think their not as bad and then there's the ones that just don't think they need forgiveness.
How you feel about it doesn't change the truth that all have sinned all fall short of the Glory of God Romans 3:23
My grandsons are going through a tough time right now and they sometimes act out their emotions in a negative way.
For example, their school had a breakfast for Grand Parents day on Friday and I was so excited about attending. We counted down the days together and they seemed as excited as I was. The day before the big event they had something happen that caused them understandable stress so unfortunately the next morning they were not on their best behavior. The morning did not go at all as I had hoped and I had to be stern with them at the school. I let them know we would talk about their behavior when we got home that night.
I totally understood why they were having trouble with their feelings but I could not ignore their behavior.
That night we talked about what transpired at the school. When we finished talking I told my older grandson I wanted him to write me an apology letter and my younger grandson to draw me one since he's only 5. They went to their room with heads hanging down and two very sad faces.
I wanted to make sure they understood why I was unhappy with how our morning went.
When they came out with their letters/pictures I just about cried. Anthony the 7 year old wrote his apology but then he had a picture at the bottom of the page of him and me. He had those little bubbles over our heads where you write what your saying. The picture of him said “sorry Nanna” and my picture said “It's OK” and we are both smiling in his drawing.
Lucas the 5 year old also drew a picture of the two of us and in his picture we are also both smiling and holding hands.
I loved these pictures because even though this was a discipline moment and they knew they had misbehaved they also knew I would forgive them. They had no doubt of my love for them but they also had no doubt I wouldn't put up with disobedience.
They knew if they said they were sorry and really meant it Nanna would say OK.
It made me stop and think of my relationship with Jesus. I know He loves me but I also know and have experienced His discipline.
This relationship was only made possible by the cross. It's not because I'm such a great person or because I have had a sad past or because I tithe it's all because of the salvation plan that was designed way back in Genesis, I can't take any credit for it.
Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Why would Paul boast about Jesus dying on the cross? The same reason we should, if it wasn't for what Christ did on the cross I would have no relationship never less forgiveness from God.
My grandsons had no problem asking for forgiveness because they knew I wanted to give it to them, not because their behavior deserved it but because I love them and want us to get back on track. Our fellowship was broken because of sin but it was restored because of love.
It's the same with our Heavenly father, our fellowship is interrupted by our sin but it is restored when we repent and ask forgiveness.
I am making a conscience effort to boast in Christ crucified to remind myself and share with others the unexplainable love of God.
It is my prayer that later in life if someone were to do my genealogy and give meaning my family names it would read something like this.
Gena daughter of God – forgiven
Anthony son of Gena – walking with God
Amanda daughter of Gena – understanding true love
Nathanael son of Gena- sharing the gospel
Jessica daughter of Gena – boasting in Christ crucified
Anthony & Lucas grandsons of Gena – carrying on the message
You have a chance to write part of your genealogy as well. What will yours read?