And These are the Generations… that matter

THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF YOUR LIFE (FUTURE) 

 Genesis 10; 11:27; 37

Interspersed through he narrative of Genesis is a repetitive phrase that captures my interest. The author could have simply noted the passing of time by noting another name. In fact, it does that… Such and such is the father of such and such… But notably different is this wording. It appears in Genesis 10:1, 11:27, and a host of other places; its significance resonates far beyond the characters that dominate the narrative. It adds a certain personality and vitality to the lives being described. 

Consider the people so described in the texts where it appears. Characters that rise to great heights, and similar characters that sink in moral quicksand to unbelievable lows. They are all here, and reveal certain constants throughout the narrative of the OT.

And these are the generations… 
1. These are Generations of Growth

For all of them, they are generations of growth; learning the fine art (skill set) of walking with God. Trusting finally in the living God, and not mere idols… Taking their pleasure in God’s name, rather than building our own! Learning the joy of “truthing” and abandoning the little white lies. Making worship their trusted friend and prayer their constant companion– in short, looking more like Abraham than lot, An air of Godliness rather than the stench of rotting life in the flesh!

And (2), These are Generations of Promise
Generations of promise: Regularly unpacking the promises of God.

1. Build this, and I’ll save your family;
2. go here, and I’ll make of you a great nation;
3. Obey me and you’ll enjoy my preservation forever.  

Most of us have experienced the joy of opening a gift, and inside the gift is a “sheet of paper”; the paper itself having no value, only the PROMISE OF something better…

Always looking forward to the eternal city, never succumbing to the fascination of the present glitter associated with Times Square!

Psalms 31:15: “My times are in your hands.”

And (3) These are Generations of choices  
Generations of choices: We decry a world where God offers us no choices, we have no freedom, and yet at every turn we fail to make the decisions that would suggest we know God; we make choices of selfishness over selflessness; Attitude over honestly, deception over decisiveness; even pride over purity. 

What Now?  

Many are aware of the Apollo 8 mission to the moon in which Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, and Bill Anders, while peering out the tiny window of their Apollo capsule read the first chapter of Genesis as they circled the moon. “In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. These were their generations. In 1969, as Buzz Aldrin contemplated his upcoming walk on the moon, he decided to leave a tangible symbol behind of their momentous journey. After discussing the mission with his pastor they decided to take the communion elements into space and celebrate their landing by sharing in communion with His Lord. Afterwords, Aldrin remembers,

 ” It was interesting for me to think, the first liquid ever poured on the moon and the very first food eaten there were the communion elements.”  

Eric Metaxas concludes, 

“its fascinating to think that some of the first words spoken on the moon were his words, the powerless newborn in the dirty manger who came to earth from heaven, and who made the earth and the moon, and all of us in his own image.”

These are the generations of Aldrin!

• So what will your generations reveal?
• What shall we make of your generations?
• What story will they tell?
• What narrative will they highlight? What truth will they resonate? 

MJC