Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (where the Philistines came from), and Caphtorim. Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth, the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.”
(1 Chronicles 1:1-16)

“Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.”
(Luke 3:23-38)

Not the most gripping part of the Word. Names. Lists of names. Chapters of lists of names. Yet Chronicles are Holy Spirit’s highlight reel. It is the history of Israel (and Judah) that we saw in the historical books (Judges, Samuel, Kings, etc), but from God’s point of view. The things HE thinks are important to know and focus on. It gives us a fuller picture of what happened. So what is so important about these names? That they weren’t an ACCIDENT. It’s not simply a genealogy to show us that we are interconnected. Or that the patriarchs had extensive families. Or that other characters of the story that we don’t follow (like Esau), had full lives and achieved the things that God said they would. The lists of names show that God is following a thread. A connected and INTERconnected thread running through humanity from the very beginning. It started with the first Adam. It ends with the last Adam. From the beginning, Jesus was the finish line. The finish line that opens the whole of the Kingdom of God to ALL of humanity (Jew and then Gentile). He never left us. He never forsook us. He walked with us, hand in hand, through it all. Right from the beginning. God was – and is – WITH us.

Summary

God has a plan whether we see it or not. God is always pointing us to Jesus, because Jesus is THE Way we get back to God. He is the link from which we forge our relationship. His is the spirit we’re given. His is the Fruit we are allowed to grow. His is the Armour we have permission to wear. His is the Name we have authority to wield. He is our root. Our lifeline. Our Saviour, redeemer, God, King, and friend. He’s been there from the get go. We need to recognize that God has a plan. That it exists and it weaves its way throughout our lives, situations, nations, and events. We might not always see it. We might not feel it. But it is there. He is in charge. He has a plan. And He’s asking for our cooperation. To lean into His timeline. His will. And His moral character. Not to worry about the nuts and the bolts of it all, but to accept His point of view as worthy of trust. To believe what He says, and obey what He gives us. We don’t need to see the whole. We only need to see Him, and do what He asks. To believe it and to obey it. If He is God, we need to let Him be God and humbly submit to Him.