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Prepare: Reflect for a minute upon how much you have been blessed by your relatives.
The genealogy chapters in the Bible can seem dull but they are important. The lives of modern Christians are related to those of these patriarchs in several ways.
Our history
First, they are part of our history. We may not understand the extraordinary numbers but these are not fairy-story characters: the Bible presents them as real human beings, living and belonging to families. They show us that we are linked to the earliest of God’s people and that we and they (v 3) were intended to inherit something of God’s image.
By outlining individual lives rather than giving a summarised account, the Bible also shows us that we each matter: although we only have limited years to give (albeit some of us more than others!), unless we offer our own gifts, God’s plan cannot be wholly complete.
Life and death
The second connection we share with the ancients is through death. Death has no place in the creation story yet here the references are quite remorseless: after every life comes ‘then he died’.
The exception is the mysterious and wonderful life of Enoch, who somehow enjoys such friendship with God that he is simply ‘taken away’ (v 24). (The verb for his ‘walking’ is the same as that used for Adam and God in the garden.) Enoch offers early hope of the eventual conquest of death on the cross.
Respond: Imagine how Enoch went about his walk with God. Could you do something similar?
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-01-07
The genealogy chapters in the Bible can seem dull but they are important. The lives of modern Christians are related to those of these patriarchs in several ways.
Our history
First, they are part of our history. We may not understand the extraordinary numbers but these are not fairy-story characters: the Bible presents them as real human beings, living and belonging to families. They show us that we are linked to the earliest of God’s people and that we and they (v 3) were intended to inherit something of God’s image.
By outlining individual lives rather than giving a summarised account, the Bible also shows us that we each matter: although we only have limited years to give (albeit some of us more than others!), unless we offer our own gifts, God’s plan cannot be wholly complete.
Life and death
The second connection we share with the ancients is through death. Death has no place in the creation story yet here the references are quite remorseless: after every life comes ‘then he died’.
The exception is the mysterious and wonderful life of Enoch, who somehow enjoys such friendship with God that he is simply ‘taken away’ (v 24). (The verb for his ‘walking’ is the same as that used for Adam and God in the garden.) Enoch offers early hope of the eventual conquest of death on the cross.
Respond: Imagine how Enoch went about his walk with God. Could you do something similar?
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-01-07
Scripture
About this Plan
WordLive provides a daily slice of Bible reading and commentary that, over four years, covers most of the Bible. The commentary encourages the reader to engage with the Bible passage in order to deepen their relationship with God, through reflection and practical application. The WordLive website offers further multimedia content and group Bible study, while registration offers a daily email, journal and bookmarking, and community tools.
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We would like to thank Scripture Union England & Wales for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.wordlive.org/youversion
