As I read through today’s chapters I took some time to stop and reflect on all that has transpired thus far in the book of Genesis. I was drawn back to read through the genealogies that are listed in chapters 5, 10, and 11, as well as skipping forward to Matthew 1. I also went back to chapter 3 to read through verses 14-19 when God pronounced his judgment on Adam, Eve and the serpent.
We have to remember that the Bible is the story of how God created the world and everything in it. God created man in his image. And his creation was good – perfect. But sin entered in, and the perfect creation of God – both the world and man was marred by sin from that point on. But the One who created it all was not caught off guard. From before time began, he knew, and he already had ordained his purposes and plans in all of it.
In Genesis 3:15, God is addressing the serpent after the fall of Adam and Eve. He says,
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
This is our first glimpse of the promise of the coming Savior. While his (the promised offspring) heel would be bruised (blood would be drawn), he would have ultimate victory over sin and Satan (a bruise to the head would be deadly). And from there the rest of the story begins to unfold.
As I looked at the genealogies listed in the above chapters, I was struck by the twists and turns it takes by the time we get to where we are now in the book. One would assume that Cain, being the first child born to Adam and Eve would be first logical choice to kick things off in the lineage of Jesus, but we see that isn’t the case. It would be Seth. From there we see Noah, and then his son Shem, and the lineage of Shem, we see Terah who was the father of Abraham. God makes the covenant with Abraham, which is then passed on to his son Isaac and then Jacob (Israel). Jacob has 12 sons (though thus far in our reading it is only 11). And through the story of Jacob, we see how he loved Rachel and worked hard to have her as his wife. She is barren for years before she finally has a son, Joseph (and later Benjamin). We read about Leah who was not the wife he loved, but that she wanted desperately to bear him sons and does just that. We also see the manipulation of the times of barrenness of both women with offering their servants as wives to Jacob, and they also bear him children.
In our finite minds, at least for me the first time I read this book, I assumed that Rachel would be named in the lineage of Jesus. It only makes sense, right? She was the one that Jacob loved. But we see that it is actually Leah who gives birth to Judah. While God uses Joseph in an amazing way, he is not the in the line of the promised Seed.
What’s my point in all of this? I am reminded again that God’s ways are not our ways. I am reminded that we are finite in our thinking and faulted in our perspective. But God is infinite in his knowledge. He is the Author of the entire story. He knows the beginning and the end. Every detail of history has been written by him. Every decision we make, ever action, every word – is being used by him for his purposes. How? Because he knows it all. It’s mind blowing, really. I am grateful that as I read these chapters today that he drew me to pause and think about these things. I am in awe. We all should be in awe. What a majestic, awesome, and powerful God we serve. I am in awe and once again humbled to know that this Holy and Perfect God would offer his Son to be the sacrifice for my sin. That before the foundation of the world he had chosen me to be holy and blameless before him (Ephesians 1:4). I am in awe as I read his Word and see the whole story unfolding.
I needed this reminder today. It is so easy to get in the habit of just reading the words on a page and going about my day. Thank you, Lord, for the reminder of who you are, what you have done and are still doing. Thank you for Jesus and thank you for your grace through him. Thank you for the reminder that you will accomplish your purpose.
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