The Puzzle of the Nations

Do you even look at a box of pieces and wonder how they all fit to make a puzzle?

A couple years ago I received a request through social media. I responded and found out that I am related to the beautiful lady that wrote me. She works in ministry and used to pick my father up for meetings as he served on a board for a Christian organization. They had discovered they had family in common but weren’t really sure how it all worked. After his passing, she found out exactly how her family was related to our family. How thrilling to find our roots!

It was amazing to see how much we had in common even though we have never met before. We have the same roots and are part of the same “Family Tree”. Both of our families are very involved in serving God. That faith has been actively passed down in our family for generations.

In fact, my husband is a pastor. My dad was a pastor, and both of my grandpas were pastors. That is really quite amazing and unusual. I was going to “bust out of the family tree” and marry a baseball player who wanted to coach and be a campus minister. Guess what? God had other plans for him. Who knew?

The Levites and priests were actually like that in Bible times. In order to be a priest, you needed to be of the lineage of the Levites. They had a very special calling!

There were blessings attached to lineage also. Abraham was given the great blessing of God. Through him, God would make a great nation, give him a great name, curse whoever cursed him, and all the peoples of the earth would be blessed through him. (Gen. 12:1-3)

Now, you know why the genealogy listed in I Chronicles is so important. Everyone wanted to be related to Abraham.

Then there was David and his lineage…Jesus is the Davidic Messiah who will not only rule over Israel but over the whole world. (Rev. 19:15). “The Family Tree” was the lifeline through which God would bring his son to bring redemption to the world.

As you can see from the promise given to Abraham. It was also the lineage through which families and nations could be “cursed”. I don’t know about you, but I have a difficult time understanding this at times.

Have we stopped to think about how this curse of sin first came into our world?

Adam and Eve sinned and the entire world is still paying the price for the “fall of man” that came through one man and one woman. Generation effect generation…

Throughout the studies of I and 11 Samuel, and 1 and 11 Kings we have seen all of the king's families be wiped out due to their sins. We have seen groups of people pay the price as well. Most recently we have seen entire nations be given over to captivity by God’s own hand due to their long-term sin.

The sin that came into the world demanded death from the very onset, but mercy was given. The law was given and a covenant was made with the people. It was always based on conditions. Covenants run two ways; the people did not keep their part.

In the Old Testament, we see that God deals with people as nations. There were twelve tribes, then one nation of Israel, and then a division that put them into the Nation of Judah and the Nation of Israel.

There was also “NOT” separation of church and state.

When they began their journey, Judges were ruling the land. They heard from God and the judges told the people what he required of them to do. Before that time there was Moses leading the people and then Joshua… The people were to be led by God’s voice. That was always God’s plan.

Then, the people demanded to have a King. If you recall, God was not in favor of this. If you look at how the kings all turned out, you will quickly understand why. They brought idol worship to the people and they did not seek God to lead the nations. Often, they led out of pride.

As you read through the genealogies, I would encourage you to highlight in one color the faithful that come to mind as you read their names. Use another color for those that were not faithful.

Then go back and look at the long list through new eyes. How many stand out to you?

What is amazing to stop and think about is how that long list is made up of “Scoundrels” and “Saints”!

God used BOTH to bring about his sovereign plan of a Savior for the people.

Some he used to bring judgment through their evil, and some he used their faithfulness to bring about reform and repentance. In any case, He is unstoppable!

“The Puzzle of the Nations” contains all of the small images of the people whose names fill the pages of the genealogies…Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon, and on and on and on. Each of them represents one little piece of a gigantic puzzle.

When you look at all the little pieces you wonder how it could make any sense at all. But, when you get “The Big Picture” you won’t see all of their names or images anymore…

Just stand back a little bit and gaze at the big picture.

Can you see it?

All of the names, images, and questions just fade into one glorious image…His name is Jesus!

One day at the “Great Family Reunion” I will see all of their faces and the ONE face that calls us HIS very own, and on that day all my questions will fade into glory as well…

That, my sweet friends, will be the revelation of...

“The Puzzle of the Nations”.