Within just ten generations, the world had become so evil and corrupt that God decided to destroy all mankind, except for Noah and his family, through a global flood. After the water subsided, Noah's family began to repopulate the earth and nations were birthed from each of Noah's three sons. The nation of Israel would eventually arise from Noah's son, Shem. Following Shem's lineage, Abraham was born and eventually given a unique promise from God. This promise was that through Abraham's son, God would set apart a nation that would demonstrate the relationship between God and mankind. As other nations would see this love relationship, they too would want to know the one true God. God also told Abraham that the promised redeemer would be born out of his family heritage. This chosen nation would be called the nation of Israel.

Abraham and Sarah could not have children and began to doubt God's promise. They would eventually grow weary in waiting for God's timing and unfortunately felt the need to "help God out" by having a son through their maidservant, Hagar. This son was named Ishmael. The lineage of Ishmael would grow to become the Arab nations who would war for all time against the nation of Israel. The promised son given to Abraham and Sarah late in life, twenty-five years after God made that promise, was named Isaac. Next, Isaac had a son named Jacob and his name would later be changed to "Israel" (which means, "one who strives with God") after wrestling with the Angel of the Lord in a dream. Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons, each son representing a tribe of Israel in the nation's future. One of the sons, named Joseph, was sold into slavery by his brothers and was taken to Egypt. There, God allowed Joseph to rise to power under the Pharaoh. Eventually his entire family would move to Egypt because of Joseph's ability to keep his family alive during the seven years of famine in the region. Later, these Israelites would become enslaved to the Egyptians and cry out for a redeemer.

Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land so that they could worship Yahweh God alone. However, due to their disobedience and grumblings, that generation would spend the next forty years wandering in the desert wilderness. A new generation would grow up in the wilderness with a new respect for God and His power. This generation did not grow up being seduced by the powers of thousands of Egyptian gods, but rather seeing the work of the one and only true Yahweh God daily in the provision of food, water, and guidance. In fact, the only food they had ever eaten was supplied in the form of manna and quail each day by the hand of God Himself. Led by God, in the form of a pillar of clouds by day and a pillar of fire by night, this new generation grew to know and trust Yahweh God alone. Joshua was anointed leader of this young new generation in order to conquer and take ownership of the Promised Land that God had set aside for His people.

Through years of battle the Israelites would take claim to their land and settle down to raise families. (Today, this is the country of Israel occupying the land east of the Mediterranean Sea and northeast of Egypt.) Eventually these people would cry out to God asking to have a king like all other nations, and God would say, "No". They would disobey and wander away from Him and so God would rise up other nations to bring punishment against their sin. Israel was governed by different judges during these times to help them prevail against their enemies, and for a time they would remain faithful to God. Soon, they would return to their wicked ways, until calamity struck again. This time of the judges, which included such leaders as Gideon, Deborah, Samson, and Samuel, lasted for over 450 years.

Ready to elect a king despite God's warning, the people propositioned to have what would eventually take their money through taxes, their daughters off as wives/slaves, and their sons off to war... a monarchy instead of theocracy! Saul was first to reign as king but was quickly rejected by God because of his pride and disobedience. David, who was a humble shepherd boy who knew and loved God, followed as the second king. He would sometimes stumble and fall, but remained "a man after God's heart" because he was humble and loved to worship. His son, Solomon, would become the third and final king of the united twelve tribes. Solomon's son soon found rebellion in the land and the nations split in two: ten tribes in the north (Israel) and two tribes in the south (Judah). The line of the promised Christ would now follow the tribe of Judah in the south.

Israel (the ten tribes in the north) had only evil kings who led their people into great sin. Israel would eventually be taken captive by Assyria, even after many prophets pleaded with them to repent. Although Judah (the two tribes in the south) had a few good and righteous kings and even several revivals, they too ended up in captivity by the hands of the Babylonian Empire because of their disobedience. Soon, the city of Jerusalem, the home of God's people, was utterly destroyed.

Faith was kept alive in some of the people of Judah, even in Babylon. We know of Daniel and his righteous acts of prayer in the midst of hungry lions, and of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and how they stood strong in the face of compromise. Eventually, Babylon would fall to the Persian Empire, and Esther (who was a Israelite now called a Jew) became the Queen of Persia and was used to save her people from death during captivity. Also under the Persian rule, Nehemiah (a Jewish cupbearer for the Persian King Artaxerxes) was convicted to return to Israel to rebuild the Jerusalem City and its walls. The Persian king not only allowed for this to happen, but he paid for it too! In all, one of the greatest construction projects of the ancient world was completed in a mere 49 days, even in the midst of a great opposition in the land! The lineage of the promised Christ was now back in the mother land of Israel and the Old Testament comes to a close.

Then something strange happened... God was silent. The promise was still alive, but it was hidden and still. Nearly 400 years passed before the opening words in the New Testament. The lineage that is recorded for us through the pages of Matthew and Luke shows us that the same promise that began in the garden remained true throughout the passing of over 4,000 years. Despite Satan's efforts to eliminate the race and the people of God, they had prevailed. That which was prophesied hundreds of years before was about to make itself known in an obscure town of Bethlehem.

Jesus was born, the awaited Messiah promised in Genesis, predicted throughout history, and here on earth in the flesh. Born of a virgin, Mary, and raised by she and her eventual husband, Joseph, in the town of Nazareth, Jesus grew up living in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. It was at this time that John the Baptist, a voice in the wilderness, was preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah's ministry. Soon after Jesus called Peter, James, John, and the remainder of the twelve disciples. He began to minister to the poor, heal the sick, raise the dead, and redeem the outcast. Jesus lived and proclaimed the Kingdom of God, demonstrated His divine power over creation, and taught His disciples and the world a new radical way to live.

Jesus grew to become a man, entirely for the purpose of being the sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice that would satisfy for our sin. The Jewish people were well aware of sacrifices. They remembered their traditions. They were instructed to make offerings of pure, undefiled lambs for the sins that were committed against God, just as it were outlined in the Law of Moses. Jesus would be the once and for all sacrifice that would give every man, woman, and child access to God for all time. This would be the final sacrifice. This would be the sacrifice that would satisfy God's wrath for all time should anyone accept it.

Jesus' death gave way for forgiveness of sin. His resurrection gave way for victory over death. His accession into Heaven gave way for the coming of the Holy Spirit and His Spirit gave way for the power to live out the message of salvation. The book of Acts details the history of the very early Christian church throughout the first century including the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys. Today, the Holy Spirit continues to work in each of our lives for the glory of God, allowing each one of us to be a part of His Big Story, until He returns.

The exciting part is that the story doesn't end with us! It is much bigger than that! Jesus does return. He returns in all of His glory, not shrouded by His humanness, but completely unveiled in all of His glory, riding in victory on His white horse to proclaim that He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, forever. He will judge the nations and eventually send Satan and his followers to an eternity of suffering and separation. Those who love God and who have accepted His son Jesus will live with Him in the New Heaven and New Earth forever, in relationship with God... the way that it all began in the garden. The way that it should be. And from that day on... for all of eternity, we will be with the promised Lord and redeemer forever, and ever. Amen!

©2009 RH Families. All rights reserved. Republished by NoisyStreets with Permission.