Day 182
Matthew 1:1 (J.B. Phillips Version)
"This is the record of the ancestry of Jesus Christ who was the descendant of both David and Abraham:"
As Matthew recorded the earthly genealogy of Jesus, He began by pointing out that he was connected to two great men in Jewish history. Abraham was, respected among the Jews as the father of their faith. The religious leaders were proud to say, "Abraham is our father." David was an outstanding king. He was described as a man after God's own heart. He was of the tribe of Judah, and God promised that the Messiah would come through that tribe.
Both of these men had their shortcomings. David's were a lot worse than Abraham's. Still, the achievements of these men and their overall character and relationship with God made their names great. Paul said in Galatians 3:29 that as believers we are all descendants of Abraham through Christ. Through Jesus, we are connected with these great men. Spiritually, we are Abraham's seed and members of the tribe of Judah. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, according to the eighth chapter of Romans.
May we be proud of our spiritual heritage in a positive way today. May we show gratitude to God for the honor of being associated with Abraham, God's friend, and David, a man after His heart. Let us walk worthy of the names we are associated with through Christ.
I am thankful for the honor of having Abraham and David as a part of my heritage through Christ. With God's help, I will walk worthy of the names I have been privileged to be associated with, Jesus' name being the first.