Matthew 1:7 – 15 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jesus’ genealogy holds kings and commoners alike. Despite the diversity they all had one thing in common. Each one was another step toward God fulfilling His promise to send a Savior.
The kings of course were the pinnacle of their society. They had power, wealth, and prestige. They were important men who did important things. They built monuments and directed the fortune of their nation. History was expected to take notice of them. Yet except for a few ancient historians, these men are only remembered for their roles in God’s plan.
The commoners may have had a royal bloodline but they had no position in society. Most of them have been completely swallowed up by the tides of time with their mention in these verses their only legacy. They lived their lives in obscurity and were barely remembered a generation after their death.
It does not matter if you are important or insignificant in today’s world. Your accomplishments, big or small, will eventually be torn down and burned up. The only thing that will stand the test of eternity is what you do in obedience to God.
Whatever else God planned for each of these men to do, He gave them the responsibility to carry on the next generation. This side of heaven we will never know what those commoners did with their lives. What we do know is that each one of them brought the world one generation closer to its Savior. Nothing those kings did matters anymore other than each of them was one more link in the chain to the Messiah.
God has work for each of us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We may not recognize its significance, but if God called us to do it then it is part of His plan. Listen for His voice and follow His leading. You will end up part of something awesome!
Dear God, give us spiritual eyes to see what You are doing in us and through us. Give us spiritual ears to hear Your call. Give us an open heart to discern Your will. Give us clarity so that we will know our role, even if we cannot see the bigger picture.