Oatmeal Again!?!

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. (Mat 1:17)

This morning I ate my oatmeal, but felt a little ungrateful.  I wasn't satisfied.  I still wanted something else. Perhaps an apple.  Still hungry. I ate a handful of nuts.  And I am still not satisfied.  I slow down. I feel the food in my stomach.  It feels full, so why am I not feeling satisfied? Something is incomplete.

I opened my bible and read the beginning of Matthew's account of the gospel.  It begins with a genealogy of Jesus from Abraham the first to call on Yahweh, (The LORD) to Christ (The Anointed One).  It's one of those boring unsatisfying lists.  It's boring unless... you know the stories behind the names.

For instance five women are referred to in the genealogy.  That is very uncharacteristic of Israel's lineage lists.  Tamar was a daughter-in-law to Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob.  Jacob prophesied on his death bed that the scepter would never leave Judah, meaning kings would come from his descendants.  Tamar's husband, the son of Judah, died.  So did his brother who took Tamar as his wife as was his lawful duty.  Tamar was denied any sons.  So she waited for one of Judah's sons to grow up and give her sons, but Judah never allowed this to happen, fearing that he would lose another child through a marriage to Tamar.  So Tamar dressed up as a pagan shrine prostitute and tricked Judah into sleeping with her.  This lead to the birth of twins of which the younger Perez becomes the ancestor of King David.  His twin Zerah had burst his arm out through the womb first and a red string was tied around his wrist to mark the babe as firstborn, but then he pulled his hand back into the womb and out came Perez. (Gen 38)

Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho who hid the Israelite spies Joshua had sent, was spared during the siege on her city. She married an Israelite named Salmon and gave birth to Boaz.  Boaz  married Ruth the Moabitess who showed great love and loyalty to her Bethlehemite mother-in-law Naomi.  Boaz and Ruth are the great grandparents of King David.

David committed adultery and murder in the case of the wife of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba.  She is not mentioned by name.  And of course Mary, the mother of Jesus, was married to Joseph from the line of David. She was pregnant by some kind of spiritual hokey pokey.  Joseph didn't buy it and was going to divorce his betrothed.  Only when he was visited by an angel in a dream did he believe that she was innocent of adultery.

I can see all this scandalous stuff behind the names.  Both men and women failing to meet God's holy requirements.  And yet, God is at work in them and through them and their many generations.  All through the lineage of good and bad kings God remains faithful to His work to redeem Israel and the world.

His work was complete in Christ, the messiah.  Matthew notes 6 sets of 7 generations between Abraham and Jesus.  I see the pattern of creation. In six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, but on the 7th day God rested making the Sabbath a holy day.  In some sense Matthew is noting through the ages a work of re-creation, of salvation.  After 6 sets of 7 generations, God brings Messiah into the world.  Messiah announces the year of the Lord's favor, an age of grace.  It is akin to Sabbath. The work is complete and a holy time of joy and restful repose dawns.

Back to oatmeal...if I am not satisfied with a stomach full of wholesome food, my need is not physical.  It's spiritual.  Oftentimes in life we are not satisfied.  Even when we have everything we need, we feel like something is missing.  That something is the first thing. Truly it is the ultimate need for all humans.  That need is God.

And this boring unsatisfying list of names points to the quiet and wonderful salvation work of our God. Underneath ordinary and imperfect lives, the Lord is piecing together His plan.  I find that satisfying.  When my eyes are too big for my stomach, when I am feeling unfulfilled, may I always be reminded that God is up to something wonderful underneath the names and the ordinary things.  I find this hopeful, exciting and deeply satisfying.

Funny!  I am not hungry anymore.

Lord, thank You for oatmeal and names and ordinary days and duties.  Thank You for the wonderful works You do among us ordinary folks.  Thank You for bringing Jesus and opening heaven to us all through this Sabbath generation, this age of grace. Amen.