April 12, 2013

Matthew 1:4a
Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nashon...
Alright loving this genealogy stuff, because when I go back searching for information about these people, it's like getting the scoop on their lives. One thing I notice is not everyone has a lot said about them, but then when you get to the ones that do have something said about them, the ones before were important because these were their dads and grandpas prior that lead to this.
Couldn't find much on Ram, other than he was the father of Amminadab. I realized that this was the time period Israel's family is living in Egypt. Then this is what I read about Amminadab:
Exodus 6:23 Moses' brother Aaron married Elisheba who is the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nashon. This is during the days that Israel is going to be leaving Egypt.
So Nashon and Aaron are brother in laws.
Next, once in the wilderness after coming out of Egypt, in the second year of leaving, when they are at Mt Sinai. A man is to be chosen to stand with Moses from each tribe of Israel to be the leader of their fathers tribe. Nashon is chosen to be the leader over the tribe of Judah.
They take the time to number the tribe of Judah to register by ancestry by their fathers household, according to the number of names from 20 years old on up.
Tribe of Judah is numbered at 74,600. Nashon is to lead these people.

Other things I noticed, two times tribe of Judah was chosen to go first. In Numbers 7 once the tabernacle was completed each leader was to take a turn to bring an offering in. Nahshon brought the first offering for Judah, the first of all the tribes.
In Numbers 10, when they set out on their journey leaving the wilderness of Sinai, the sons of Judah with Nahshon over the army set out first.
One last note, when they camped Judah was to camp on the east side toward the sunrise.

Application time

First, what we do matters to God, in raising our families. We could be raising up Nahshon, a man chosen to lead his tribe of 74,600 people. Seriously that is huge responsibility and I'm sure it was quite an honor to be chosen. So as a mom, in my own little home with my four children, it matters :).

Second, they were in the wilderness preparing before they went out on their journey. This just stands out to me. God definitely has taken me through different wilderness seasons to prepare me before I head out on the journey He has for me. Seasons of waiting and unknowns... Waiting six years to marry nick, waiting 4 years to start our family... I feel like I have been in the middle of a wilderness again...
I think each season is of wilderness I have been prepared for what He wanted to do next. And each season was very important for building character in my life. Not easy but very important.
Makes me think of James 1:2-4. All the hard stuff in life is to make us perfect and complete lacking in nothing :). So we are to count it as all joy.