Genealogical research
1 Chronicles 1: Abraham’s family tree developed along these lines.
The books called 1st and 2nd Chronicles cover the same period of history that is covered in 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings. However, these books were written around 100 years after the others. Because of that we see a different perspective here. Not only are there different details, as happens any time two or more people tell about the same events, but the emphasis is different too. The books of the Chronicles are written for people whose ancestors were exiled from Israel and Judah two or more generations earlier. These people are in danger of being swallowed up by other cultures to the point that they’re forgetting that they’re “children of Abraham.” The writer (maybe Ezra) wants to reconnect them to their roots and to their God. He sets out to tell them their own story; where they came from and why they’re where they now are. With that in mind, he starts off with genealogy: page after page of names. He wants his readers to find their place in the story. Today, most of us skip through these pages of names. The writer, though, wants his original readers to see their own family record, and in connecting with their ancestry to reconnect their lives to the story of God. To some extent we all need to do some spiritual genealogical work once in a while. It’s to our benefit to remember how we’ve arrived at our current place among the people of God. I’m not just talking about that precious Sunday School teacher who showed an interest in us, but even looking farther back to those who served God and passed the faith along to our “spiritual ancestors.”
Take Away: While we can’t spend all our time looking back it’s not a bad idea to consider our spiritual genealogy once in a while.