Today I'm writing about something I never thought to journal about - all those "begats" in the Bible! (You know, this person begat that person begat another person.) I started reading this morning at the beginning of 1st Samuel:
"Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite." (WEB)
Though in this case it used the phrase "the son of" rather than "begat", I caught myself thinking "Here we go again. All these begats. Why waste time & space with this stuff instead of getting on with the story?" Immediately the answer came. "Roots. Family history is important. It's important to understand where you come from." Of COURSE there's a REASON! It's not wasted time or space!
In the past, when I've tried to gain some meaning from similar passages, I've done so by looking up the meanings of the names to see what that might tell me. While that can be an interesting exercise that sometimes brings intriguing insights, it was something like focusing on the trees and missing the whole idea of the forest. While there's something to be said for tree study, today was time for me to see the forest.
The reading of this passage and the focus on roots and family came to me in the context of a question I had been sitting with about time devoted to extended family. It was as though God Himself was saying to me, "Cheryl, family history is important. Roots are important. Think of all those passages about family heritage in the Bible. You've wondered about them for so long, but totally missed the point. Time was taken to list all of that heritage because it's IMPORTANT!"
I find myself wondering why. Why is it important to note the family relationships with people that are no longer living or are more distant relations? Why not focus on immediate family and those nearby? Anyway, isn't the most important family history my adoption as a child of God? These are questions I still sit with, but I know I don't need to know why. I just need to move forward as directed. If the time comes when it is helpful for me to know why, I will be given those answers. They're not important before then.
Father, thank you for your guidance and your love. May I fully understand and act on that which is important for me for now. I trust you with that - and with the rest of it Father! Thank you for the family I have. Too many people have such challenging family relationships! Father, thank you for bringing my daughter back to me and for the love you put in each member of my family. Again today may I be filled with your love such that it overflows to each person I interact with. I ask Your blessing on each family member and friend in a special way, Father. Once again I thank you for all you do for each one of us. Thank you for peace and joy and love. I love you, Father.
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This blog is simply a sharing of my "daily bread" - my daily walk with God. If something I've said has touched your heart, or sparked a new thought, I'd love to hear from you.