More crazy ancestors!

Back to the first chapter of Matthew to learn more about the crazy of stories of Jesus's ancestors.

Perez and Zerah - twins sons of Judah (4th son of Jacob) and Tamar (his daughter in law), when they were born Zerah put his hand out first but then pulled it back in and his brother came out.  Zerah is therefore the oldest... moved to Egypt with their father Judah, uncles, etc. (over 70 - people in all) to be with Joseph and lived there until they died.  Both had clans named after them (the Hezronite clan and the Perezite clan) caounted in the census as part of the clans of Judah 76,500 men the largest clan at the Plain of Moab before the Israelites entered the promised land.
Hezron - son of Perez, must have lived in Egypt, a part of the growing Israelite population soon to terrify the Egyptians.  Out of fear the Egyptians organized the Israelites into work groups to control them, a pharaoh even ordered midwives to kill boy babies during childbirth or drown them : (
Ram - ?
Amminadab - only reference I could find was as father as Nahshon
Nahshon - chosen to help Moses and Aaron register every man in the tribe of Judah for the census help in the wilderness of Sinai, a military leader as well (Numbers Chapter 1.7)  The tribe of Judah was the largest tribe at 74,600 men of the 603,550 total warriors.
Salmon and Rahab - Rahab, another woman! and referred to as a harlot..., lived in Jericho before the Israelites arrived, and when they approached the country was in an uproar.  Two scouts came to her house and she hid them with the promise that when the Israelites took over her family would not be harmed.  (Joshua 2)  After Joshua and his army took the city, Rahab and her family were the only ones spared, well them and the gold, silver, and bronze.  *personal issue - Joshua's genocide?  hmmm...  : (  The couple would have been part of the clans of Judah that settled in the area described in Joshua 15 from the great sea to the salt sea south of the tongue... etc.  must include in part or whole, Jerusalem
Boaz and Ruth - The beautiful story of Boaz and Ruth is told in the book of Ruth. During the time of the judges a family had left Israel, and the 2 sons took wives from the area they moved too.  Then the husband died.  Then the sons died.  The 3 women were left wondering what to do.  One daughter in law returned to her family, the other, Ruth refused to leave her mother in law and the two went back to Israel.  Ruth was not an Israelite by birth, but accepted it "your God is my god" she said.  In Israel she walked through the fields picking up what had been left behind for the poor and the prominent owner noticed her - Boaz.  (good guy too, he fights for her and everything)
Obed - only mentions him as a baby and as part of the lineage
Jesse - had 7 sons, lived near Bethlehem.  After King Saul lost God's favor, his family was invited to a feast with the priest Samuel (yes the little boy in the temple who heard God calling him).  God told Samuel he would point out the new king.  Jesse left his youngest son David at home with the sheep, but that's the one God wanted.
King David and Uriah's wife - David the same harp playing little boy who defeated the giant Goliath.  Became the next King of Israel.  His best friend was the last king (Saul's) son... put a damper in their friendship when Saul tried to kill him... But an interesting note that Solomon was David's son with Uriah's wife.  Well, David saw Uriah's wife (Bathsheba) bathing on the roof of her home and just had to have her, so he did.  When she became pregnant, David had her husband brought back from war but he wouldn't sleep with her because his men didn't get the privilege either.  Then David had him sent to the front lines where he died, then he took on Bathsheba as another wife.  All to cover up his sin... despite it though he was a great King and musician, he wrote many of the Psalms.  and he had at least 6 other sons (2 Samuel 3:2)... and 11 more including Solomon were born in Jersualem ( 2 Samuel 5:13)
Solomon - became the next King after David, but was not the eldest... actually his older brother held a coronation and everything, but it didn't turn out.  (1 Kings 1) he married the pharaohs daughter and was considered a very wise man.  He ruled Israel and Judah in peace and built The Temple of God in Jerusalem.
*musical reference:  Fiddler on the Roof, If I was a rich man "like Solomon the wise man"

15 (13 if you don't count the women paired with their men) more ancestors explored, 13 more before the Babylonian exile
13 to Mary and Joseph

So much wisdom in these stories that has inspired many for centuries.  Leadership, honor, friendship, commitment, true dedication to God, as well as the mistakes.  Sin.  Failure to put God first.  Greed.  Lust.  Disobedience.  Many lessons to learn we still teach our children today.

It's hard to love God and always put him first, we are often tempted.  Stories like those found connected with these people help us remember and keep God first.  Stories much more than commands perhaps?

In peace and love,
your sister in Christ~Erin

Wisdom

 “It’s gotta be more like falling in love, than something to believe in

More like, losing my heart, than pledging my allegiance”

“Cause all religion ever made of me was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet”

These words are from a popular Christian song by Jason Grey that I have struggled with a bit.  Simply because a song is sung by a Christian artist doesn’t make it true or theologically sound… personally religion has given me some of my greatest role models and hero’s as well as an enormous amount of encouragement and traditions to help me understand my walk. 

God, the creator of the universe, made the human race, to quote Desmond Tutu “The Rainbow People of God”.  Not simply are we different by our physical looks, but through and through.  I have written before on personalities and ways to label them which gives people the tools to understand what makes them who they are. 

For example, my spirituality type is a “prophet” described as someone who has a passion for people and loves to teach.  Other spiritual types are “sage”, “lover”, and “mystic” each with their own interests, passions, and gifts.  Other ways to describe our personalities can be learned from the “True Colors” test, “Learning Styles”, and found in the bible even- “Spiritual Gifts”.  We are truly a rainbow people of God with an array of gifts, talents, interests, passions, and views. 

These differences mean when listening to a story, we can all hear the same words and take away different lessons and meanings.  Our knowledge also plays a huge role as well.  Paul says to the Corinthians “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”  (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). 

In the words of Jesus there are many messages.  There are some for those who are still young in their faith, basic Christian values and ideas.  There are other lessons though for those who have more knowledge (not necessarily more faith) and are more mature in their faith. 

I hope to explore more about who Christ was and is through taking a closer look at his wisdom through his teachings in stories, parables, and sermons. 

Jesus’s heritage:  Matthew Chapter 1

The wisdom of our ancestors.  There are stories here, so many stories.  Typically when given a lineage the male members of the family are mentioned, not the female.  Yet here, Matthew mentions several women, some by name, other’s by association.  These stories are important and Jesus will grow up learning about many of them. 

Abraham – a common man born Abram, but with his faith in God became Abraham the father of Israel. 

Issac – the son we remember from Abraham, however his half brother creates an interesting story.

Jacob – the father of 12 sons, and 1 daughter.  Soon to become the 12 tribes of Israel.  And father of Joseph, soon to become a  Broadway Musical inspiration! 

Judah – the oldest of Jacob’s sons, he had3 sons with his wife Shua, Tamar is his oldest son Er’s wife.  When Er died tradition dictates that the next sons marries that wife and gives her children, but he didn’t (on purpose) and so Tamar waited until the youngest son grew up, but was burned there as well.  So she tricked Judah and had twins from him, she and her two sons are mentioned here.  Quite the story!  (Genesis 38)    

The list and stories associated goes on.  When first read it can be a boring list of names that don’t mean much.  There is a little name dropping – Abraham and King David are some pretty important guys.  That would be like saying my great great great great grandfather was the King of England.  Through association it makes you cool. 

But as we mature and LEARN, we see that these names and their stories have meaning.  We often think that Jesus was just an infant born to a poor couple of little consequence – but with this lineage – it is not so, and his family would want him to know that. 

We are all children of God.  We can all look back to Abraham and his descendents and the Jewish people of Matthew’s audience definitely did.  Many of us today have knowledge of our families roots, yet many do not.  But there is much to learn about the wisdom Jesus was born into through this list of ancestors. 

Always,

Your sister in Christ~Erin

Habits

Habits... sometimes I wonder if it's the Achilles heel of many of us.  I unfortunately am not one of those personality types that is all that good at habits.  This fall with more flex time I had hoped to get some more habits into my schedule, yet... November and still not there as I would like them to be.

Helping a friend with youth group this week the theme was creating habits.  Many of the youth had asked questions about how to read their bible or where to start and other things that really have no specific answer so his response was pick something and create a habit with it.  It doesn't matter so much what you do, but that you do it and regularly.

For a while about a year ago I blogged almost once daily.  It was a great habit.  I felt closer to God and I was learning alot.  Lately I have been struggling to blog once a week - mostly because of internet access, but excuses excuses.  The busier I am I find the better I have habits - they tend to to along with the schedule.

An acronym he found to help the kids went like this:
H - hang time with God
A - accountability with another
B- Bible reading
I - involvement in church
T- tithing
S- Study scripture

All good places to start.  But like anything I think it is better to start with a little bit, a combo that fits you and try to commit to it.  I love devotional books that combine looking up the passage in your own bible and then comment on it.  Works well for me.  Praying with meals is another habit that is great to have.  So many good things it's easy to get overwhelmed and like a popular song out right now religion can become "a stone tied to my feet".

Obedience is important to God.  Too often we make God what WE want God to be... it's easier.  How do we get to know God?  Read the bible.  Daily.  It's hard.  But we sit and watch TV or movies for at least an hour a day, can't we give God a few minutes?

One thing I learned while reading Eat, Pray, Love is that you don't always love a habit when you try to start it, but after a while it can really become wonderful.  The author didn't like the mandatory early morning group meditation and got nothing from it.  But towards the end of her stay in the Indian monastery after taking to another she slowly grew to love the meditation and it became an important habit in her life.

I'm not saying we should all meditate (though I think we could all benifit) but some habits we don't pick up because we like them right away, but because they are good for us.  Later with an open mind we may discover something we never saw in them.

What are your habits?  What helps you keep them?

For me - an accountability partner is vital.

Wishing you the best in your struggles and your blessings.

Your sister in Christ~Erin

Oh Books... how I love you!!!! (dreamy sigh....)

I LOVE to read.  Just in case you didn't know.  LOVE IT!

It's a retreat into another world - wonderful, colorful, and full of all kinds of emotion and adventure.  I just finished reading Eragon, Eldest, and Brigsinger only to find out that their is a fourth book that concludes the story but isn't out yet!!!

I just started The Time Traveler's Wife.  Oh my goodness... (happy sigh...)  fabulous.

I was having a conversation with my grandmother (- who is also a reader) about what it is we love about books.  I love the characters - how you can relate, or not, but exploring who they are as a person and why they choose to do what they do with the situations presented to them.  Grandma loves the plot.  Very different from the characters, the story itself not necessarily who is caught up in it.  Finding that out is wonderful insight to my grandmother and what makes us different.  =)

I love people.  Young people - old people.  People in general.  Thank you God for giving me a love of your people.  I think it's where most of my patience comes from.  At the heart of the matter I do believe people are good, even though many times their actions are bad.  Due to circumstances unknown people make a lot of choices that don't make sense or get frustrated, but when you get to know someone you learn all the wonderful things about them.  Their likes and dislikes, how to encourage them or how to make them angry.  The little things - it's what I love about people and in connection - reading about people.

Often quoted from the bible is the saying "We were created in God's image".  People I get.  God?  Not so easy.  I can't just go over to God's place and hang out, learn the things that make God happy, the way God likes a sandwich or just watch the general day to day life of what makes God - well, God.  I want to know more - and all my questions point me to the bible.  But it's not the same.  It's like reading the diary of your best friend and wanting them to be there telling you about it instead.

Yet I was wonderfully warmed by the beginning of The Time Traveler's Wife.  In a way, I felt like it related to my relationship with God.  Sometimes I feel God's presence.  Sometimes I don't.  Sometimes I feel like I know God is with me and where we are going and other times I am alone and lost.  And often it happens abruptly.  I pray for the strength to keep seeking God.  To read and learn more.  To continue to deepen that relationship.

I love to refer to God as "the lover of my soul".  Most day's I can't imagine how anyone who has really seen my soul and who I am can love me, yet I am loved.  Loved and accepted and encouraged.  I also know love isn't just a feeling, it's a choice.  Many times when I am reading stories of what God has done I don't love God - I hate God.  Sodom and Gomorra?  Even the battle of Jericho?  What about the people who lived in that city?  What about the babies of Bethlehem?  It's complicated I know - sometimes it's about human free will... but sometimes it seems like it's about punishment and vengeance.  I have this love for people - all people, not just Christians, not just "nice" people - but all people.  I think if you get to know someone you can find redeeming qualities and pain that causes things that you don't like.  But we are called to love our neighbors.  Everyone.

Faith, Hope, and Love.  I've seen that if I share love, I can give hope, and eventually help teach faith.  But in that order.  Love someone first.  Not just the people who love you.  Love all of God's children.  and love God - even when it isn't easy.

That doesn't mean not to ask questions.  Niether does it mean in this relationship I will always understand or get my way.  But if God can love me with my flaws, I won't give up on loving God and trying to learn more and continue to seek.

In peace and love,
your sister in Christ~Erin