How Genealogies Reveal God’s Character

Am I the only one who gets bored while reading Old Testament genealogies?

I started reading 1 Chronicles, which is full of genealogies in the beginning. It’s hard not to skim through them. 

1 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” If all scripture is useful, then the beginning chapters of 1 Chronicles--slightly boring and full of genealogies--must also be useful. 

But what does a list of names teach us about God?

I’m sure there are many reasons genealogies are included in the Bible. They were probably very meaningful to people in the Old Testament. They help us trace back Jesus’ lineage to Adam and Eve. They show that God remembers people, even people who didn’t have their stories included in the Bible. 

But lately, one particular aspect of genealogies has stood out to me: they show that God fulfills His promises. 

Back to Genesis…

Abram and Sarai were faithful followers of God. They were righteous because of their faith, and they were blessed by God, but they had one thing missing: a child. 

Sarai was barren and, unless she had a male child, the couple would have to choose someone unrelated to them to be their heir. They wanted their goods to go to a son once they died. There wasn’t much chance of Sarai having a child. She was getting old and if she hadn’t borne children by now why would she think she’d be able to in the future?

God had good plans for the couple, however. In Genesis 5:15, He told Abram, “‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” God promised Abram, an again man with a wife past the (normal) age of childbearing, that he would have too many children to count. 

Abram and Sarai, later renamed Abraham and Sarah, eventually did have a child. Sarah bore a son named Isaac, who had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The genealogies in the Bible show that God continued (and is still continuing) to give Abraham descendants and thus fulfill his promise. 

Promise-Keeper

There are so many other promises that God fulfilled. Think of all of the prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament that He fulfilled in the New Testament. I think back to Genesis 3, where God says that woman’s offspring would bruise Satan’s head while Satan would only bruise His heel. Isaiah 53 comes to mind, where Jesus’ crucifixion is prophesized. 

If God kept His promises in the past, He will continue to keep His promises in the future. Here are some of the promises you have to look forward to:

• Jesus will return one day (Acts 1:11)

• God will sanctify us (Philippians 1:6)

• Christians will be persecuted, but have a great reward (Matthew 5:10-12)

• If we have faith in Jesus, we will get to spend eternity with Him (Romans 10:9-10)

Because we know that God has a track record of keeping His promises, we can trust that He’ll keep promises He made that aren’t fulfilled yet--just like you can trust a friend who is always there for you will support you when you’re going through something hard. Just like you can trust a computer that always gives the right answer. In fact, you can trust God a lot more than these things. 

Are there promises God has made that you haven’t been fully trusting in?

I’ve cared too much about what others think of me lately, and that stems from not truly trusting the promise that God will love me the same no matter what. I also need to more fully trust that my place in Heaven is guaranteed, and even if I fail everyone on Earth, it is God who defines my worth. 

Genealogies aren’t so boring anymore when we see all that they show. They reveal God’s character and glorify Him just like the rest of the Bible. 

God keeps His promises. You don’t have to worry, because He is holding you in His hand and He never fails.