Family Tree

Have you ever tried to trace back your family tree past your grandparents? I think some of us have seen those type of things in our families but most of us would just see them as names. We don’t know much beyond our grandparents and parents. I know understanding where and how my dad grew up in Tianan, Taiwan allows me to understand so much more about him. He worked diligently from a family that wasn’t very well off to get a good education and make a “better” life for himself and his family. Understanding that about my dad allows me to have a much better context of who he is and why he does certain things.

Read Genesis 11:10-32

We hit another genealogy in Genesis. It seems like just a bunch of names but here’s the significance of this genealogical record - the family tree of Abraham. As a descendant of Shem, his ancestors had settled in Ur, a city located in the southeastern part of current-day Iraq. We see in this passage that his father (Terah) took the family and migrated northwest to Haran, a city close to the border of current-day Turkey and Syria. We'll see in Genesis that God led Abraham southwest from Haran to the land of Canaan. Incidentally, Abram's father, Terah, began this move to Canaan according to verse 31. They traveled along the Euphrates to get there, a trip which led them to Haran where they settled. It would not have been feasible to head directly west across the mountain range to go to Canaan. Abraham finishes the trip to Canaan from Haran in Genesis 12. Altogether, through Haran, the trip to Canaan would have been approximately 1,500 miles. As for the religious affiliation of Terah, notice the comment Joshua makes about Terah and Abraham's ancestors in Joshua 24:2, " 2 Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.” Prior to Abraham, his people were polytheists, meaning they believed in many gods.

This is important for us to understand who Abraham is and in what ways he was growing up. He was being taught to follow many gods and they traveled many places together as a family. He needed to depend on family and trust them. But in the next chapter in Genesis 12, God would establish a very important covenant (promise) with Abraham. I hope this gives us lots of hope in the God that takes a hold of our lives. I know we think that since we were raised a certain way, or we were brought up in a certain way, that our lives will be dictated by that. Although that does shape who we are and what we do, God’s plans and calling for us are so much greater than those things. When we understand our context, it is an even stronger understanding of what God is doing in our lives. So take some time to understand your context, your story and how God has called you. Trust in God and His plan and it will hopefully enrich your understanding of God and what He desires from you.