What is the theological import behind genealogies?
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I'm not Catholic, but the Catholic Encyclopedia does a good job of outlining the importance of the genealogies here.
There are several purposes for including the genealogies in Scripture, some theological, some merely cultural.
On the cultural side:
The Hebrews shared the predilection for genealogies which prevailed among all the Semitic races. Among the Arabs, for instance, no biography is complete without a long list of the hero's ancestors.
On the theological side:
The priests and Levites had to prove their legal descent in order to fulfil the honourable and remunerative functions of their respective offices. On returning from the Babylonian Captivity several were excluded from the priestly class because they could not prove their Levitical pedigree (Ezra 2:62; Nehemiah 7:64).
Finally (and most importantly), the genealogies help to establish Jesus as the Messiah, since the Messiah was to come from the line of David.
As for how to use them from the Pulpit, use them as they were intended, and don't fall into the trap of making more of them than what they really are. It's very easy to take a few verses and read a whole lot of meaning into them that aren't there. Stick to the Word, and what it says, and you can avoid a whole lot of confusion.
Upvote:-2
There are a lot of things about the numerology of the Bible which have been lost to time. The genealogy of Matthew actually has a good deal of this (see pg. 224). (Note the repetitions of 14). As Matthew has traditionally been seen as the Gospel "to the Jews" it is also noteworthy that his genealogy starts with Abraham (while Luke, writing to the gentiles, goes all the way back to Adam).
As far as the pulpit is concerned, I've only ever heard these used as a gloss: "notice the saints and sinners" type stuff. It would have been more significant at the time, but most of us are not big genealogy buffs.
Upvote:0
First we must understand that the Bible is not a collection of disjointed stories. Rather it is a single narrative about One person, that is the God-man Christ Jesus (Luke 24:25-27,44). The scriptures are about Him, from the first verse to the last. The genealogies show that He was truly man (Lk.3:23-38) but also God who eternally existed (Jn.1:1-18). Ultimately everything will be summed up in Christ (Eph.1:9-10, Col.1:15-20) and through Him the Father brings the fallen creation back to Himself and elevates it to a place far higher than it was before the fall (1Cor.15:28). That verse is actually the last genealogy when the Father is all and in all. For the understanding of this see Jn.17:1-2 icw Jn.6:37 ICW Jn.12:32 icw Rom.5:18-19. I could go on and on but sufficient to say in this short response Rev.21:3 when the dwelling of God is with man is only due to Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross for all mankind 1 Cor.15:22.
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