Looking forward
Somewhere in time, ten days ago, we celebrated a new
year. Many people make resolutions for
the New Year. I don’t, I make goals and
plans. If I don’t make it in a year,
it’s still a goal and I will make it eventually. Plans don’t always work out, but I guess that’s
part of life.
With the New Year and the resolutions we can make, it’s a
time of looking forward. For some
people, this is a time of great anticipation.
Others have a hard time looking forward, because when they look back –
well – what’s back there couldn’t possibly lead to a brighter future.
I have an App from Bible Gateway and it gives me a section
of the New Testament to read each day.
On January 1st, it took me to the first chapter and book of
the New Testament. It went through the
genealogy of Jesus Christ.
If I was God and I was planning my family tree, I would try
to get all the heroes of the faith in it. The family tree of Jesus has some
illustrious figures and some notorious ones.
Of course, there is Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – but no
Elijah, or Enoch, or Jeremiah. There is
Rahab – she was the temple prostitute that hid the Jewish spies. Then there was
Ruth, she was raised in a pagan culture.
Of course David – well he was a King, but Jesus didn’t come from one of
the wives known for something wonderful.
His family tree includes Bathsheba and if you remember her, she and
David and an adulterous affair.
What is wonderful about each person I mentioned is this is
what they were, not how they stayed.
Rahab knew the Jewish God was God, which is why she hid the spies. This knowledge revolutionized her world. She no longer worked in the Pagan temple, she
became a wife and a mother and a follower of Jehovah.
Ruth also followed Jehovah.
She wasn’t raised to, but she saw God reflected in the family she
married into and she was smart enough to not turn back when times get tough.
Bathsheba gave birth to Solomon. He is remembered as a
wise king. I don’t think he would have
turned out as good, if his mother didn’t instill some good qualities in him.
When we look back at the rubble of our lives, don’t lose
heart. It matters not where you have
been, or what you have done – it matters what you choose to do now and who you
choose to follow.
Matthew 1
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of
David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham
begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah
begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram
begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon
begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and
Jesse begot David the king.
David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife[a] of Uriah.
7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah
begot Asa.[b] 8 Asa
begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah
begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah
begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon,[c] and Amon
begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about
the time they were carried away to Babylon.
12 And
after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel
begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot
Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok
begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar,
Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob
begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So
all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from
David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from
the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
