The first thing that you discover about today’s reading is that there are gaps in the genealogy. I wonder if that’s because they wanted to “forget” they were related to some of their ancestors….
Yesterday was a hard day. Not physically so much, but I just couldn’t seem to get anything done. Ironically I didn’t get my devotions done in the morning like I normally do. So, as I sit here this morning with lots to do….I remember the illustration of putting the largest things into the bucket first, then the smaller things…so everything eventually fits. Devotions are larger, and should go in first. It seems that when they don’t; the day doesn’t fit together as well.
I read and re-read the first paragraphs of chapter 5, believing that I had missed the part where they tell us who Joel is descended from. Once I realized that his name just “pops up”, I went online to find out why. As it turns out this section has either one large gap, or several smaller gaps in the genealogy. That little tidbit made me appreciate the section below it a little more. I notice that the priestly line in Chapter 6 is very complete. Why the difference? Then I re-read the end of Chapter 5, and noticed that although the tribe of Reuben was very powerful, it was also corrupt spiritually. In spite of their great power, they were conquered by the Assyrians (before the rest of Israel eventually fell). They were first to fall because they lived on the eastern side of the Jordan river (closer to Assyria), but also because they were disobedient to God.
I find myself wondering this morning if the gaps in their lineage and their disobedience had anything to do with each other.
Did the Reubenites “forget where they came from”? For Israel especially their genealogy is tied to their claim to land rights, and to their spiritual inheritance. For Israel, you had to trace your roots back to Jacob’s sons in order to know where you were supposed to live, and in some cases, what your career was going to be. If you couldn’t ground yourself in Jacob (Israel), you were like a ship with no anchor. I wonder if Reuben began to drift, and no longer cared as much about their genealogy? I’m theorizing that it was a symptom of a larger problem…a desire to be known independently from Israel.
Taking that thought to today, we have rights and inheritance only as long as we can trace our family tree back to Jesus. Without Jesus Christ we are never grafted into the tree, and we have no inheritance. Jerusalem is just another town in the mountains of a different country. All religions seem the same when you don’t belong to Christ. And, isn’t it in Christ that I discover my life’s work, and my life’s purpose? What if I decide to b known independently from Jesus? How long can I expect to be successful? Would I make it one generation or maybe two? Maybe not even one…but either way, failure to associate with Jesus is the turn downward that eventually leads to ruin and defeat.
“Lord, this passage is filled with victories and defeats, family trees that are both complete and some that have branches missing. I pray this morning that if I learn one thing from this reading, it’s that I must remain grounded it you in order to remain at all. May I never grow so confident that I believe I can negotiate a day without talking to you first. So…
Thank you for making yesterday so difficult.”
Faithfully,
PR