[Reminder: "The Bible on Israel" articles are meant to comprise, over time, a protracted study that seeks specifically to understand more about Israel's place in God's plan for the world. We are not parsing Scripture verse by verse, or even chapter by chapter, but are specifically looking for instances that directly deal with the People, the Land, and the calling of Israel. As we will very soon discover, we will herewith be caught up with almost all the Bible anyway - because this Book is all about, and in one sense almost only about, this one nation and its land. As we progress, I will endeavor to confine comments to issues touched on in the passage I am busy with. This will not, however, be the case with this piece.]
“But they are so boring, so repetitive. Why bother reading, and why did God “bother” including, the long lists of family and tribal names, sizes and relationships in the Bible?”
It’s something you might well think or say when you come to the genealogies (pronounced genie-o-logies) - what someone has called “the begets” - in your scheduled portion as you read through the Word.
I must confess to similar sentiments in the past. And admittedly it’s still sometimes a slog so that the genealogies become something I would rather get done with; get out of the way.
And then there are all those other lists too. For example:
The sizes of the 12 Tribes according to “every male individually, from 20 years old and above, all who were able to go to war” and the leaders of each tribe (Numbers 1-2).
The lists of conquered Canaanite kings (Joshua 12).
The painstaking border outline of each tribe’s inheritance (Joshua 13 to 21).
The lists of families, divisions of Priests, Levites, Musicians, Soldiers, Gatekeepers (1 Chronicles).
The lists of families that came back from Babylon with Zerubbabel and with Ezra; the names of all the priests’ families who purified themselves and recommitted themselves to the service of the Lord; the families of the returned exiles who settled inside and outside Jerusalem (Ezra and Nehemiah).
What is their purpose; their value; their use? Are these just fillers that serve to puff out the pages of the Bible - make it bulkier, more “substantial?”
Hardly.
You will likely have your own answer to the question, and I am looking forward to the comments that will be posted in response to this. I am going to suggest one purpose it seems to me they serve, and this speaks directly to the very reason for this study (as reiterated in parenthesis above).
Have you ever watched a weaver at work; especially, perhaps the weaver of a tapestry?
You will know that a basic principle applies to all weaving: Two sets of threads are required - those that comprise the “warp” and those that make up the “woof” (or “weft”).
The warp is prepared first. Typically these threads are tautly tied at both ends to the loom so that they lie parallel to one another - somewhat like the strings of a musical instrument.
The woof thread, which unwinds off a shuttle as the weaver works his machine, is woven in and out of the warp. When enough of the woof has been threaded and tamped down, a piece of cloth begins to take shape. In the case of a tapestry, effort and great skill go into selecting and weaving different colored threads that, in the end, will combine to create the beautiful picture.
Depending on the item, the woof can eventually completely cover the warp. The cloth could not exist without the warp, but it need not always show it.
For me, these biblical lists are like the warp. They underlie and hold together the woof of the story – the woof being full of the color of characters, their humanity, their personalities, their physical locations, their experiences and their histories.
It is these lists that create the overall framework, weaving context, continuity and consistency through the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures or “Old Testament”).
Many people have demanded, or sought to find, “physical evidence” to verify the Bible. As recently as this past July, archeologists in Jerusalem were thrilled to discover a fully intact seal impression belonging to one of the biblical King Zedekiah’s ministers, “Gedaliah son of Pashur (Jeremiah 38:1).
“This proves the Bible is true,” enthused one.
Now, no question that this is an exciting and wonderful discovery - the thing is 2,600 years old, after all! I am not meaning to pooh-pooh it.
At the same time, as we consider how many authors wrote the Bible, and how many centuries it was written over; and then, as we read through these genealogies and lists and see how they weave all these books together into a single, unified and corroborating whole, how can we BUT marvel at the Divine Hand that ran the loom on which it was made?
And of course, what all the warp - all these vertical threads - and all the horizontal woof creates is the stunning tapestry of Israel’s history or, to change the analogy slightly, they paint the stage, the backdrop, the sets and the actors - all the central components at the center of the Bible story and around which it revolves: the authentic historical nation of Israel and their authentic geographical homeland.
Am I preaching to the converted already?
Then let me just say one more thing:
It is amazing to me how some “experts” - especially non-Jewish and non-Christian ones - speak in such hypocritically-hushed tones of different religions’ “holy books” - as if the Bible can be compared to any other publication!
The Islamic Koran is often referred to as “the Muslim Bible” but this is a preposterous appellation for a single book written by one mere man (even if his rantings, scribbled on scraps of paper, were cobbled together by a number of “scholars” after his death).
The Koran is a composite of many things, not least of which are many fundamental doctrinal differences with the Bible and numerous stark contradictions of what is contained in Scripture.
But what is significant in the light of this article, is the book’s total lack of, you guessed it, genealogies.
Enough said, for now.
Let us finally turn, then, to the next passage in our study: Genesis chapter five.
Very well written. You are totally right. Yes, you preached to the converted already (at least in my case) but it’s also good to get some reconfirmation, knowing that I’m not the only one who can see the beauty of those portions. =)
Really well written post. And you’re right- it’s the minutiae that make the Bible such a fascinating book. Those things mattered to the authors, and they mattered for a reason.
The importance of the ‘lists’ is not to be underrated nor underestimated, for as is noted in the article, the weave is incomplete without them. In review of many of the important facts they contain, one reason of their necessity as evidence to humanity is the dual lineages leading to the Messianic claim to the Davidic throne. Once the blood lineage was lost through the male lineage after David, it continued down though the ages to, who might remember, that the young woman who became the handmaiden to the LORD, was of the lineage of David. By dual lineage, Yeshua HaMashiach, makes claim to the throne, to be fulfilled at His return.
The lists also indicate that in the same lineage, the succession from Isaac to David to Yeshua is scripturally determinant as it pertains to the imminent fight over Jerusalem. It can be generally argued that the sons of Ishmael (the Arabs) could conceivably make some claim by Abrahamic descent to the land owned by Israel, the ‘Palestinians’ trying to make the point ever since the revitalization of Israel according to Ezekiel 36, 37. They fail, (partly because of one reason pointed out in the article, there is no genealogical connection in the Quran), but even if there was, Sarah’s son was the son of the promise, and not Hagar’s (though most if not all Muslims will argue this through corrupted scriptural understanding).
We find that there is typically a wrong mention in ascribing to anyone else than our LORD being in charge of the details, for as we read the Hebrew Holy Scriptures, if there is anything that seems to be relevant to our need for salvation and assurance in Yeshua HaMashiach, it can be found there and is made a part of our relationship through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
This point has been made in the past by better scholars than this reader, and is about to be made fully real to us as we see the events surrounding Israel, the Middle East and the adjoining regions come alive in scriptural fulfillment, before our very eyes. Even so, come LORD Jesus.
Genealogies and Time-Lines can not only be long and tawdry, but mighty boring and confusing sometimes, as well ! However, as GOD Has Superintended over the formation and preservation of the Written Scriptures throughout almost 2 centuries - despite inaccurate and misleading ‘translations and versions’ - HE Has Also Preserved them for HIS - and our - Posterity.
As it is written, ‘Out of HIS Mouth come wisdom and understanding.’ Usually what comes out of ppl’s mouths are words. And, so HIS Words are Part and Parcel of of WHO HE IS - Truthful, Particular Subject Matter emphasized, HOLY and ETERNAL.
To say that GOD has changed HIS Opinions on matters and issues - and Israel - is not only disingenuine, but UTTERLY FALSE.
Again, ‘the one who despises the word will be indebted to it, yet the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.’ Not a’ talkin @ the stone tablets here - but HIS Written Record.
While studying ‘endless’ genealogies, I discovered 5 women in Y’eshua’s Line. Only 1 a virgin. I discovered that before Abraham departed earth, Isaac’s twins - Jacob and Esau were 15, and obviously knew their grandfather. Ahitophel, apparently the grandfather of Bathsheba, assisted in Absalom’s coup against David the king.
Years ago, a messianic jew asked the attendees had they ever been in a forest fire? He had. He stated that although things were bleak on the ground, the pilots of helicopters and planes overhead indicated that the fires were almost 100 % contained.
Russell shared that GOD’s Perspective of events and nations of peoples is vastly different than our own, and HE IS to be implicitly and explicitly trusted.
Weave on, Stan !!
Hi Stan
I confess to usually ‘leaping’ over the geneologies and lists - not being able to pronounce half the names doesnt help - but I will try in future! Talking of lists and tribes,can anyone tell me why Dan is left off the tribes in Revelation?
Linda
It has been some time since this was addressed in Bible studies this reader attended, but there was a teaching that due to the blessing of Jacob upon his children, there were also pronouncements. Dan is missing, replaced by Mannasas, due to the association of Dan to the figure of the serpent and Baal worship became their downfall. In the upper room meeting, the twelves tribes were represented, except one, that Judas left before Jesus Christ shared the seder meal. A replacement was made for him also after the resurrection.
Yet another reason that trusting in the LORD makes every sense, to the last detail.
Shalom
Linda, I’d say it is due to Dan’s abomination in Northern Israel as told in 1 Kings 12. It is mentioned clearly in two passages:
2Ki 10:29 However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.
Amo 8:14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, Who say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan!’ And, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives!’ They shall fall and never rise again.”
Never rise again. Did Israel foretell this when he said in Gen 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.
weaving: Two sets of threads are required - those that comprise the “warp†and those that make up the “woof†(or “weftâ€)
(hint: warp can never equal woof)
No matter what translation appears throughout history, what better way is there to verify/identify the “warp and the woof” without names and numbers. We are told that the Bible is written so that even a child can understand. Let the census continue I say!!!
A study I did by A.W. Pink, a long time ago, said that he believed the anti-christ will come out of the tribe of Dan, just as Judas did.
I just thought the generations of Genisis 5 were to 1. trace the godly line to Noah and Japeth 2. Show the ages of these men and the fact that they knew God well and interacted prior to the flood 3. Make sure it was very clear that this line was protected from the flood and God’s wrath and would be the beginning of the repopulation 4. Even with a fresh slate it wasn’t very long for the world to get ugly and forget God once again. Japeth is the obvious start of the godly line post flood. Doesn’t much matter how you brand the Patriarchs, they have the goods . Think how much these men must have known about God and the earth after living the lenghty lives they did.
Stan and Linda, the analogy of the warp and the woof of a tapestry makes me think that those who believe Israel is done and the Church has taken her place have utterly ruined the tapestry. These geneologies have been used every time Israel has reassembled as a nation, even today.
I too used to be one of those who found the genealogies and lists boring, sometimes forcing myself to painstakingly read through them and other times quickly skipping over them – until I realized that if they were there, they had to have a purpose. Since then I have found them strangely interesting, and not nearly such a challenge to read through. And, yes, I have even learned things from them!
Your comparison to the warp and the woof of weaving was very helpful for me to understand the full extent of their purpose. I also now have a picture in my mind to better help me understand/explain, not only their purpose, but also to help me explain to the ‘unbelieving’ how ‘Israel, Israel, Israel’, is the very heart (warp) of the Father and the very heart (warp) of His Word. I have found that most believers don’t like to hear how the Bible is written primarily about and to Israel. It offends them. They like to think it is all about them – about “The Gentile Churchâ€.
I also appreciate the significance of your comment: “But what is significant in the light of this article, is the [Koran’s] total lack of, you guessed it, genealogies.†A short comment which speaks volumes!
Sorry if I’m jumping ahead here, but the part I like best about genealogies is when something out of the ordinary crops up, like in Gen. 5:22 where the pattern is broken, and instead of it saying: “And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch lived 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years and then he diedâ€, it says:
“And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch WALKED WITH GOD 300 YEARS and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD; THEN HE WAS NO MORE, BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM AWAY.â€
Wow! Now there’s something to think about! Up until Enoch, men “lived†and they “diedâ€. But Enoch “walked with Godâ€â€¦!! Someday I want to meet Enoch and learn what it means to truly “walk with Godâ€!
This is a new area for me. The article and comments have really helped make meaning for me of those ‘endless lists’, so thanks. Is it okay to jump out of Genesis for a moment to add an extra thought? What I love about the early genealogies is that there they are, in place, for the most important genealogy of all, that of Christ who is Yeshua…and that His genealogy forms the opening verses of the New Testament. That the ‘Gentile’ part of the Word of God begins in such a Jewish way- it’s like the glue that says that the two parts of God’s Word really do belong together and that it’s the whole Bible, and not just the first part, that is speaking to God’s people Israel.
Jim 8-14-18
Japheth is not the beginning of the messianic lineage. He is the progenitor of many ungodly cultures, including greece. All of Japheth’s decendants are finally revealed in the book of revelation as leading many armies against the G-D of Israel. Noach’s blessing on Japheth is conditional. Only if Japheth “dwells” in the “tent of Shem” will his seed have g-dly meaning. The Hebrew root for “to dwell” (v’yishkon) is also the root for mishkan and shechinah. Japheth stands for the man centered heresy of the greco-roman west. Shem represents the G-D centered truth of scripture and his lineage leads directly to Messiah.
Our earlier comment (8/13) regarding Dan’s absence in the tribal list in Revelation failed to metion the great sin of Dan in Judges 18 which ends with this statement: Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. (Jdg 18:30-31) This account in Judges 18 is of Dan doing whatever was “right in his own eyes”, Dan’s error is old.
And thank you, konakofe, for the Japeth/Shem clarification. We must examine the Scriptures. What a reminder this is!
Let us come back to the posting of Jan Unger, where the exposition of Enoch, who ‘walked with God’, and make the connection that he is one of two prior to the appearance of Jesus Christ that did not have a normal exit from this earthly realm, namely, the other being Elijah. It is this reader’s position, derived and developed from others that hold the same view; that these are the two witnesses of the Revelation, for their taste of the death that must befall all of humanity is postponed to their time in the not too far future, where they pronounce the judgment of sinful humanity of their time to the time of the Revelation. They are then killed by the beast, only to have their resurrection, days later, become the witness of the truth of the Word of the LORD, broadcast the world over.
This and so much more (like Russia rearing its prophetically pronounced head)is the cause for all who have faith in Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ our LORD, to raise unending halellujahs to Him as brings about His purpose and will for Israel in these Biblically energized times.
Shalom
the “problem” with the chronologies and geneologies is they don’t fit into neat little boxes and unraveling the threads is time consuming. add the context of the scriptural “snap shot”. add the definitions of the places, people, routes, how they inter-weave and their relationship to the snap shot. add the confusion created by defective and deceptive translations/transliterations. now try punching all this through a greco-roman mind set. my suggestion is to examine scripture through an hebraic/israelite lense so you can tell the difference between a zircon and a d+ untreated canary diamond, an onion and the rose of sharon. you might find my two cents worth less painful.
dear konakofe, we were not offended, but genuinely grateful. We need your two cents — as we rarely have two of our own. Even in these Judges verses posted above your new comment bears out — Gershom was not the son of Manasseh, but the son of Moses.
“In the Hebrew text the name here rendered Manasseh is written MN)- SH. Without the “N†(nun) suspended over the line, the word may be read: Moses, whose son was Gershom Exo_2:22, whose son or descendant Jonathan clearly was. The Masoretes, probably grieved that a descendant of Moses should have been implicated in idolatrous worship, adopted this expedient for disguising the fact without absolutely falsifying the text. The Vulgate has ‘Moses’, the Septuagint ‘Manasses’.” (Albert Barnes’ (798-1870) Notes on the Bible) The Septuagint and the Vulgate can both be found online.
Tired of the lies, thankful for Hebraic lenses, taking nothing for granted anymore — may this be us!
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/433230.aspx
Another concession that will serve absolutely no purpose IMO. Where is Shalit
Last update - 07:19 25/08/2008
Gilad Shalit becomes punchline for jokes in the Gaza Strip
By Haaretz Staff and Channel 10
Tags: Gilad Shalit, Gaza Strip
Not to insult nor demean anyone…I must say that anyone who thinks that those names are without meaning or that they add nothing to the scriptures, then may I propose that you suggest the same thing concerning the names that are held in reverence in the memorial for those who died in the holocaust…Oh, they have meaning. More than anything the lists of names prove the reality and truth of the scripture. These are real people with families and…yes…Genealogies. Historic families, God saved those names for us to share with him in his own memorial. Some of them are my own family members, I cherish them..
Genealogies! It is an amazing subject. I read the whole Bilbe every year. Sometimes it is so difficult to read those names, the same list in Ezra and Neemiah … I remember a couple of times when I searched the names lookinf for “who was who” and the result was very pleasant. Sometimes I read the names aloud in order to not fall asleep. But God knows, all these names are for our eternal benefit. What a joy to be remembered by God in His book, someone from the past could say if he could be alive for a moment today. (Sorry for English mistakes).
Wouldn’t you have to say that the men prior to the flood are all of our family members. I know you were thinking further along than this and I congratulate you on your heritage.
Wow. Another fine article. There is a reason why G-d has the names listed in the first five books (the Pentateuch/Torah/Tanach). The Woven Cloth is of the Families of Yhwh G-d!
Not surprising, the ‘other book’ excludes the list names related to its god.
The Truth is held in Scriptures (The Bible, which holds the first five books and contains both the complete prophecies for the future of the Families and the new covenant for the Families).
All Praises and Glory to G-d.
assisted living association…
The TrackBack specification was created by Six Apart, who first implemented it in their Movable Type blogging software in August…
Shaom Stan,
Yes you are so right. In my Bible studies I often consult the genealogies and name lists to help keep everything straight in my studies. They are indeed a huge help and do prove Biblical historical veracity. Despite its many authors, the Bible is so interconnected it is indeed a miracle book and had to be God inspired. I know I am also preaching at the choir but I love to tell the truth!!!
Thanks for pointing out that the Koran is minus the warp. The Koran is a miserable literary work which reveals that Muhammad, who could neither read nor write, had some rudimentary Hebraic Biblical knowledge. This knowledge was probably gained by listening to campfire stories along the caravan trade routes his tribe worked on. His convoluted accounts have time inconsistencies like Abraham and Noah living at the same time. The Koran has so many contradictions that it is a tedious chore to read it… No serious scholar would ever put the Koran next to the Bible as an example of literary legitimacy. You have added another nail to its coffin .. Bravo!