Journey of the Word

Yes, I just said “fun” and “genealogies” in the same sentence. I don’t know about you, but if I skim over anything, it’s the genealogies. The “so-and-so-begat-so-and-so’s” that go on for pages and pages. {Well, those and the ark measurements and the temple décor.}

If the Bible is the inspired, holy Word of God preserved for us, every word of it, for a sacred purpose, then why does it include genealogies?

One thing’s for certain. We’ve decided those run-on lists of names and titles and places aren’t very important. Really – when’s the last time you read them slowly, pondering each one? It’s almost laughable.

Now of course you know those genealogies must be important {though you may not be able to explain their importance}. But would you believe me if I told you that even those boring, pointless lists of names can be transformed into something quite purposeful and fun?

Well, believe it. {Or stop wasting your time reading this post.}

I’ve yet to dig into very many of those fascinating genealogies myself, as I haven’t exactly jumped into an in-depth study of the book of Numbers or
1 Chronicles {I will one day, you just wait and see}. But I thought I’d pass along a few ideas. Most of these are not original with me. Just sharing the bursts of creativity I have witnessed.

1. Chart It – This is the most helpful, I think, because then you can actually attempt to sort out who’s who. Start a Genealogy Notebook, and every time you come across a list of names, map it out, family-tree style. Then you can easily refer back to it when you can’t remember who’s related to whom.
2. Sing It – Match a short, familiar tune with the sons of Jacob, for example, and now it’s getting to be really fun. “Dan, Reuben, Benjamin; Levi, Simeon; Issachar, Naphtali, and Judah. Asher, Zebulun; Gad and Joseph; these are the sons of Jacob.” Sing it to the tune of “Yankee Doodle.” {My friends have a better version, but there’s my quick attempt.}
3. Save It – The point of all of this is to remember people, places, relations, titles, etc. Quiz each other. Create a memory game. When you read a genealogy in the Bible, you want it to be familiar. When you see the name of a person, you want to know some things about that person.

Why? Because, as strange as it may seem, there’s something important about it. God preserved all those genealogies for a reason, and the reason is not so that we can skim over chunks of the Bible or avoid them altogether. So get to work learning what you can.

Did I say “work”? Well, I guess it might take a little work, but it’s also loads of fun. Awesome. Delightful. Entertaining. A good ole time. Etc.

One day, I’ll show you my charts, songs, quizzes, and games. For now, I’ll be nice and give you a head start.

 [image credit: pixabay.com, journeyoftheword.com]