Civilization

We have all heard the saying “All roads lead to Rome” and It’s true the Roman highway system is some ways was unparalleled even when compared to our own modern highway systems. Many of these road sections, which were constructed in the third and fourth centuries BC, are still in existence, surviving over 2000 years of wind, rain and sun not to mention all that foot traffic. These civil road projects began in and around Rome itself and slowly spread out to neighboring cities and states. Eventually, these roads reached around the entire Mediterranean world of that day from Africa counterclockwise all the way to the present day United Kingdom. It was the way the Roman government was able to mobilize her military troops, collect taxes and increase the import-export of goods and commodities. All roads indeed led to Rome.

As we travel through the book of Genesis the first 6 chapters detail how the entire earth was populated. The genealogy in this section, while not being exhaustive or in any way complete, was inspired by God to illuminate or illustrate through which family line the Messiah would be born. God promised the world, as He spoke to Satan in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Right here in chapter three of the first book of the bible is the first mention and promise of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

As God sees sinfulness, wickedness and violence increase He decides to start over with only 8 people in the gene pool. He commands Noah to build an ark out of Gopher wood and causes the great expanse in the heavens and the floodgates under the sea to be opened. The earth is completely flooded, killing everything that walks on the earth or flies in the air.  One conservative estimate is that over one billion people died that day with only Noah, Noah’s wife, their three sons and wives escaping the global deluge. Two of each unclean animal and seven of each clean animal were also brought on board, along with all the food and water necessary to sustain all life on board. One quick aside here, how did Noah know what was clean and unclean?  God would not give the dietary laws to Moses for another 2100 years. The answer must be that the law had been demonstrated by God in the Garden of Eden.

The rains stop, a rainbow appears in the sky and eight people walk out from the protection of the ark and into a brand new world. As these families begin to grow, the post flood genealogy continues and the new world is populated by Noah and his three sons Shem, Ham and Japheth. Out of Adam’s three sons God chooses the family of Shem to continue the Messianic line. As we follow the family’s line the Messianic thread continues via Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his twelve sons. In Jacob’s twelve sons we see the birth of the twelve tribes of Israel.  

We watch in total amazement as God further narrows down the 12 tribes of Israel to the one tribe of Judah. Now within this tribe, God further slices it down to the single family clan of King David.  God reveals the “Line of David” through the “Root of Jesse” the Bethlehemite and establishes the Messiah’s royal ancestry. Keep in mind this was all prophesied and planned out by God thousands of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

King David’s life was full of so many victories as well as many failures. He triumphs over the giant Goliath and is anointed king of Israel by God through the prophet Samuel. Just as in Noah, God saw something in David’s heart that caused Him to have grace and mercy on this ruddy young man. Even when this great king has a moment of weakness with Bathsheba, God uses their sons Solomon and Nathan to eventually arrive at the home of Joseph and Mary, the father and mother of Jesus.  

 

It’s hard to explain the wonder of this intricate plan in an 800 word column; just how precisely the Old Testament genealogy comes to a climax in the fulfillment of the Messiah, Jesus Christ in the New Testament. So Just as all roads led back to Rome in the ancient world, the selected family line that started with Adam and Eve in Genesis can be traced straight through to the fulfillment of God’s promise in Genesis 3:15. A Messianic crescendo can be heard as Jesus takes His last breath from the cross; where an omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent Creator gives Himself as The Lamb to be slain for the sin of the world. And what started in Eden with the death of two lambs to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, ended on a wooden cross on Calvary. Behold Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.