Today’s reading: I Chronicles 1-2; John 7:32-53
43 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city being Dinhabah. 44 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. I Chronicles 1:43-44
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39
The genealogy of the Bible shows us that our lives matter, people live, die, and are remembered, but the deceased, although they were great in their time, do not leave much of a legacy. Jesus calls us to believe in Him, the One who gives the Spirit, the living water, that flows our of our hearts.
In our reading today, we find a long list of those who were born, lived, and died. Some, like the kings of Edom, ruled for a time, but they died and someone stepped up to rule in their place. One after another, they ruled, died, and were replaced. You might wonder, “Is this all there is to life?” You and I may be less significant in our time than these Edomite kings were in theirs. Will we leave anything for future generations? Will our life really have long term significance?
Jesus called His disciples to come to Him, to believe in Him, to receive the Spirit, and to know the living water that flows out of the believer’s heart. He has been promising eternal life for those who eat His flesh and drink His blood. He calls us not to live and die and be forgotten, but to live, believe, and live forever.
The history leading up to Christ’s coming is important. It shows the need for something more than ruling for a time in this world. It shows the sinful relationships that existed along the genealogical lines which point to the fallenness of man and the need for a savior. Fellow believer, do not think your life is of no lasting importance. You have the living water that wells up to eternal life (John 4:14). Rejoice in His mercy and goodness to you. No wonder the officers who failed in their attempt to arrest Him said, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
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