Why are all the genealogies in the Bible?

[Michael]

A quick question:

If we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, why are all the genealogies in the Bible even there?

Jesus' genealogy might be an exception since his Dad is the Father, but why is it all so important?

Before you answer my question, here you go: :doh

I know enough to know that I don't know much. Ha! Thanks.

[Michael]

In my first sentence I said, "If...", but I meant, "Because." (I believe that Adam and Eve were two actual "persons" from whom all others came.)

If that is not the case it wouldn't change my faith one bit, but just so you know....

[Zaphnathpaaneah]

OK, I'm no scholar, but I think the genealogies are very important in the Bible.

One, they act as a calendar. Someone lived ______ years and begot someone else. That person lived ______ years, and begot ________.

By adding up these years, you can get an idea of how long it was say, from Adam to Noah.

Of more importance I think though is the genealogy of the Messiah. The prophecy is that the Savior will come from the tribe of Judah (the tribe of royalty) and be a descendant of King David.

So if false Messiahs came along, if they can't show their lineage, then it's obvious they aren't the one. (Like someone right now in Florida, for example).


The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1 (ASV)



So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations.
Matthew 1:17 (ASV)


:israel

[Michael]

Great. Thanks! :wave

[Ryan]

[QUOTE=Michael;55011]A quick question:

If we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, why are all the genealogies in the Bible even there?

Jesus' genealogy might be an exception since his Dad is the Father, but why is it all so important?

The genealogies are not for us to trace our genealogies but the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The genealogy in Matthew is the genealogy of Joseph, he is in the line of David, he is of royal blood. In chapter 1 verse 1 " the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" Jesus is being present in the book of Matthew as the Messiah, the one who is King, the one who is to establish the kindom of heaven on the earth. David is the kingly line Jesus has the legal title to the throne so Jesus must be in the line of David in fulfillment of the prophecies that God made to David.

He must be the son of Abraham because God said to Abraham " in thy seed shall all the nations of the earthbe blessed" Gen. 28:18

This genealogy was kept in the temple and we can be sure that the Pharisees and the Scribes checked the genelogy of Jesus to see if He was in the line of David and Abraham.

In the book of Luke chapter 3 there is another important genealogy. This is the geneaalogy of Mary. She has the royal blood flowing through her views also. Luke makes is very clear that Joseph was not the father of Jesus. This genealogy is in reverse and goes all the way back to Adam. This is the human line. In Genesis 3:15 God said to Satan "I will put enmity between you and the women, and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel" In this verse God said the womens seed the is a prophecy of the virgin birth. The reason the genelogy goes back to Adam, is becasue Adam was given dominion or rulership over all the earth, when he sinner Satan gain the rulership. Jesus is the second Adam and He has redeem those who will receive it and reclaimed the earth nad will rule it when He retuns and sets up His kingdom.

Jesus also had to come through the line of Judah the son of Jacob to fulfill the prophecy in Genesis 49:9-10

Yes these genelogies are very important.

[Hootmon]

Its part calendar, an part 'proof of worthiness'.

Only decendants of Aaron are able to be High Priest.

Messiah can only come from the line of David,

[CelticMist]

I think they are there to show us the purity in Christ Jesus.

[Kliska]

This genealogy was kept in the temple and we can be sure that the Pharisees and the Scribes checked the genelogy of Jesus to see if He was in the line of David and Abraham.

Excellent answer! :thumb

One of the ways the Jewish people were to know the Messiah was his ancestry. They keep many many many genealogies in the temple to prove messianic lineage. One of the most asked questions to practicing Jewish individuals (non-messianic) is, "all the genealogies were destroyed, and you say that the messiah has not come, so how will you know him if all the lineage records are gone? How would this person prove their lineage?"

The answer of course, is that Jesus was Messiah, and His lineage is recorded in the scripture for us.