"What Does It Matter Who My Ancestors Were?"

Image from genealogy.about.com

I used to ask that very question to my dad as a kid, because he used to tell us that our family tree was important. Spending hours going over paper work from his family history. Looking back now I smile because I realize how important it really is. I'm not saying I'm going to be spending money on Ancestry.com, because for time the being, I won't. The important thing to realize is that each one of those people, may or may not have made history, but in the end it lead to you being created. A you are very special person, you have traits, characteristics, and genes from all of those people.

Matthew 1:1-17 is a passage in the Bible that most people glance at and skim over.

"1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 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." —  BibleGateway, NIV Version

When was the last time you heard the names Amminadab, Nahshon or Zerubbabel? There aren't many kids or adults named that these, if at all. Nor are there sermons about Jeconiah, Shealtiel, or Zadok. Not many of the people listed in the verses above are well known Biblical figures. Though, in the end God used them for an extremely, important purpose. They are the ancestors of Jesus. Each one lived, served God, and did His will. These people helped give life and passage to the One that brought us Salvation.

God has a purpose for each person, they don't have to be famous, wealthy, or powerful. God just wants his people to be faithful to him. Faithful characteristics like those had by; Job, Noah, Ruth, Mary and many more in the Bible.

Never feel like your life has no purpose. You are breathing at this very moment, then you still have a purpose. Its will all work out in the end.