Author: Bill Hall

Luke 3:35 “the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,”

   We don’t know much about this group of early ancestors of Christ. They come between Noah and Abraham. In the time of Peleg the earth was divided. This most likely refers to the confusion of languages at the tower of Babel. Though it could refer to some other significant event.

Heavenly Father, Your peace is so precious to us! You have given us satisfaction in the midst of this world of evil, sickness, and death. Joy is possible because of Your will. You have made the path for hope. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:34 “the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,”

   In just this short span of generations a shift in the course of humanity was affected. And why? Because of the work of the LORD Almighty in the life of a man of faith. Abram was just another step in the line, but his reliance on the God of his distant ancestors changed him. And that is the key for all of the generations of man, allowing the Almighty One to intersect with us and control our destiny.

Heavenly Father, it us not we who change our future, but You. You are the Great Change Agent. You bring about the differences that make our lives significant. Only You know what difference a day can make. Only You know the significance of a moment. We will trust to Your our yesterdays, our tomorrows, and our now. They are all Yours anyway! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:33 “the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,”

   Notice now the short lineage between David and Judah. We sometimes obfuscate the timeline of Christ by failing to calculate in our mind’s eye the length of the lineage from David to Christ as compared to the length of this portion. Though Judah is still a popular moniker today, the man behind it was not perfect, as were none of the physical ancestors of Christ. But, this is what contributes to the stunning authenticity of the Divine record. It is altogether apropos that persons in the line of Christ were guilty sinners in need of the salvation His cross-work provided.

Heavenly Father, thank You for clarity! You have given us the plain record of Your Son. You have not hidden it, but have given us abundant and adamant evidence of Him and His incarnation. We will never cease to praise You for Your amazing plan. You have beautifully woven together the fabric of history according to Your own will and way. All glory to You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:32 “the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,”

   Imagine the stories the David heard as a boy. To hear the story of Ruth told by one of her descendants was surely a treat. This genealogy helps us to understand how much that the Scripture is the history of Jesus, more than just the history of the Jews.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word! It is a book like no other, and it reads us as we read it. Thank You for making it available to us! We praise You for Your wisdom. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:31 “the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,”

   Solomon was not the only child of David and Bathsheba. Nathan was one of three other sons. The Davidic line, of course, was royal and Jesus could trace His lineage back to David. Jesus was, in every respect, exactly what the Messiah should be.

Heavenly Father, thank You for getting everything exactly right. You don’t mess anything up like we do. You have it all figured out. We will praise You for Your greatness! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:30 “the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,”

   It is a good exercise to think about the ancient times. Before the time of Christ, the people of God looked forward, rather than back, to the promised Messiah. Many people nowadays don’t want to out their faith in One Who was on this planet over 2000 years ago (though He is still with us). But, they had to believe in Him, and He had not arrived yet, at least not in that way.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your power! You have provided what no human would have expected. Your goodness is amazing! You know exactly how and when to do everything. And, You know us, You know how we think, and what we will believe. You are not mocked by man, You have it all figured out. We praise You for Your magnificent wisdom and holiness. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:29 “the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,”

   The meaning of the name ‘Jose’ here is interesting. It means to be sustained by Yahweh. That should be our prayer in life! His Almighty hand alone may help us, and we should trust Him completely to sustain us.

Heavenly Father, there is never anything to limit You. You are not lust limitless in Your existence, but in Your goodness. Nobody will ever be as good as You, Your holiness is absolute! For all of eternity we will be in awe at You. What a joy and wonder it is to know You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:28 “the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,”

   I used to know a fellow named Addi. It is so very interesting to see the history associated with God’s Word. This isn’t a fairy tale, it is a real record from real people that live on our planet. The oracles of God were supplied predominantly by the Jewish people. And, even today they have a huge role in the affairs of Earth. It is important to understand that marginalizing God’s Word isn’t a sign of intelligence or modernity, it is a sign of foolishness and ignorance of the real history of the human race.

Heavenly Father, we will praise You with our mouth. We will hear Your praise with our ears and agree with our hearts, You are truly worthy, and You are our Hope. You can show our eyes the way, and our feet the path of life. Give us today a mind that knows Your power, for Your influence must not be missed. We dare not live without acknowledging Your mighty Name! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:27 “the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,”

   We always ask ourselves why there are genealogies in the Bible. And yet, wouldn’t it be strange if there were not? Genealogies have been an important part of any historical record for thousands of years. For he Bible to be seen as a historical resource worth anything at all, it would have to have genealogies in it. And it does!

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us an accurate record of the past. You love us so much and have given us Your book to show us how to live for You. Thank You for salvation and all that it means in our lives. We will praise You for all of eternity for this abundant life that You have given us by Christ. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 3:26 “the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,”

   Semei is an interesting name. It means ‘hearers, my report’, so it is a call to listen. The gospel message is not a report that anyone can afford to ignore.

Heavenly Father, You know how to handle us. You have give us the truth directly. You don’t play around with us. You give it to us clearly. There is no side dealing with You. There is only one way to You. Thank You for Your great wisdom! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.