Friends,
Yesterday Dr. Nancy Dawson joined us to share some of the fruit of her two decades-long study of Biblical genealogies. If you missed it, I strongly encourage you to listen to the audio (linked above) or watch the video recording (linked below)! She also gave me permission to share her presentation slide deck (see below).
The end result of all this is going to be a massive volume to be published by Zondervan soon. An earlier version of her work was also published digitally by Accordance Bible in 2016. I’ve been an Accordance user for about a decade and a half and was delighted to discover that it is included with the bundle that I already own! I’ve got it open right now; I’m looking forward to making better use of it moving forward!
Resources
* Genealogies of the Bible by Nancy Dawson (Accordance Bible Software)
Recap
“All Scripture,” the Apostle Paul tells us, “is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV11). Many of us would mentally affirm this sentiment, but still have some segments of Scripture that we struggle to read as Scripture. The genealogies in the Bible are often among these troubled passages. What, we wonder, does this list of names I can’t pronounce have to do with me being faithful to God? What on earth is useful about these passages?
Enter Nancy Dawson. She suggests two different images for what genealogies are doing in the Bible. First, imagine the Bible as like a house, with God as the foundation and Christ the cornerstone. The Biblical genealogies are like the frame of the house. They create the structure that gives shape - indeed, that holds up - the rest of the building. The Bible is framed up by thousands of years of God covenanting with a people, planning to send his Messiah among humanity. That is represented by the genealogies, with all the stories, laws, poetry, wisdom, letters, apocalypses, etc. that make up the rest of the Bible hanging off the frame. The genealogies are like the load bearing structure that gives the Scripture shape. I thought that image was very helpful!
The second image is of a tree. The genealogies represent this huge structure that is always growing. Just like a tree has a ‘growing edge’, each new year adding a new ring to the trunk and new growth at the tip of roots and branches, so the genealogies place each new generation of God’s people in the context of the whole big picture of what God is doing in the world and among his people. The genealogies can then also remind us that now we live at the growing edge; the tree is still alive and growing to this day, and we are its buds! In Pauline terms, we have been grafted onto this ancient stock, and we are nourished by its deep root system (cf. Romans 11:17ff).
Both of these images are very Biblical. And both are very helpful. My hope going into this week was to get a clearer sense of how Biblical genealogies function as Scripture. Nancy did not disappoint!
For Next Week
We’ve got one more week left in Genesis 1-11. I’m thinking we’re going to take a look at how Genesis 1-11 echoes throughout the rest of the Bible. Though I reserve the right to change the plan if the Spirit so leads :)
Look back through Genesis 1-11 and review all that we’ve discussed, and maybe all that we haven’t discussed but that you are curious about. Come with questions and comments; we’ll talk!
See you next Wednesday!
In Christ,
Pastor Cabe
