The list in Matthew chapter 1 ought to hit us like a 10-ton truck as we read through the names. In comparison to the lists already mentioned, this list is relatively short in length, but big on meaning. Nearly every name has multiple scriptural references if not outright explicit narratives about the names mentioned. The reader of Matthew 1 who has familiarity with the names of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Rahab, Boaz, Ruth, Jesse, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, and Zerubbabel all ring like a VIP list of persons throughout the OT. These aren’t just mention-able, worthy names with neat little parable-style stories, these are the names of a lineage of Kings with direct connection to the great God who promised himself to Abraham, who rescued Noah, and who made all things good in the beginning.
We recently received a question asking, “What are some reasons for believing in the bible that is ofc, independent from the bible? I’m not asking why Christianity over other religions. I’m interested in why people believe in the bible, to begin with.”
I thought this was an exceptional question, and I found myself giving a strange answer that I wouldn’t have thought possible a few years ago. As a missionary, I was asked to speak at a church while the Pastor was gone on vacation. The pastor was a dear friend of mine, and I was humbled and honored at the opportunity to preach. I asked if there were any series or scriptures that the Pastor would like me to preach on, and it just so happened that the church was going through the book of Genesis and had come to the list of names in Genesis 11. My friend encouraged me that I didn’t have to preach that passage if I didn’t want to, I was more than welcome to pick another passage. Perhaps out of ignorance or some other motivation, I simply accepted the text and began studying the genealogical passage. This set me on a small quest that has over the years developed into a love of the lists of the bible. These lists have been a tremendous help in my faith, even as I have conversed, shared, and preached Christ crucified to many.
Genesis 11
The genealogies that are given throughout scripture are meticulous regarding the authenticity and historical validity of the text. A few quick examples:
The list in Genesis 11 brings us up from the time of Noah and Babel to the time of Abram. This gives us a significant claim regarding the continuity of the story of creation, rebellion, and scattered humanity. This list of names then gives us a reason for why the story of Genesis shifts from a general story of humanity to a particular story of a given family. The names given in Numbers help to solidify a sense of the people of Israel as they emerged from Egypt and lived in the wilderness. These lists of names are often skipped or glossed over (with some understandable reasons as many of the names are strange to us and have almost zero meaning at first glance). However, these names stand as a timeless recounting of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 and 17-18 that he would make Abraham into a great people. The lists of places given by allotment to each of the tribes and families of Israel in Joshua are then verified and juxtaposed with the failures of Israel in Judges chapters 1-2. It’s a tremendous case-and-point comparison between the texts.