What's In a Name?

I enjoy genealogy and trying to capture my family tree as well as my husband's. I love it when I can fill in one of the blanks. When we go to family reunions or functions, I can often be found with a notebook and pen jotting down family facts as told by others. Sometimes my head swims with all of the names, relationships, and stories just as it swims with these chapters in First Chronicles.

I am still trying to get my head around why all of this matters and what we can learn from it. Obviously it matters because God's Word includes many accounts of family lineage. I agree with Boots post from yesterday. People want to know where they came from and that they belong. God also made promises to men to bless (or curse) their children for generations to come. Genealogy provides a record of those generations.

In the New Testament, both Matthew and Luke provide the genealogy of Jesus in their gospels (Matthew 1:1 and Luke 3:23). Interestingly, as in most genealogy research done by different people, the "family trees" of Jesus were documented differently by Matthew and Luke. They took different approaches and at times their lists differed. Luke started with Jesus and Matthew ended with Jesus. Regardless of who is in our different family tree, Jesus is at the beginning and the end, isn't He? God tells us so...

"I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."
~ Revelation 22:13

The Israelites kept records of their ancestry and obviously wanted to know that their roots were in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We can imagine that the oldest sons wanted to make sure their names were recorded correctly! What a history these patriarchs have and what incredible promises God gave to each of them! We know God gave Jacob a new name after he "struggled with God and with men". (Gen 32:28) We know Jacob's new name was Israel, which means "he struggles with God." After reading what we've read so far this year, I have a fresh perspective on this name and believe it is very fitting. The Israelites continued to struggle with each other (man) and with God.

In the middle of these chapters, we learn about a man that is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. Jabez was given his name by his mother after she experienced painful childbirth. The word Jabez sounds like the Hebrew word for pain. Now, that's a name to live up to! Instead, Jabez prayed to God that he would be blessed and free from pain. We learn through these genealogy notes that "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers" and that "God granted his request." (4:9-10).

Regardless of our earthly family history and the roots that we have, as Christians we also know our spiritual heritage. We can claim God's promise that we are "sons [and daughters] of God... heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:14 and 17)

What an incredible promise and blessing each of us has received. May we each live up to our name as a Child of God!