Genealogies - not the most inspiring parts of God’s inspired Word perhaps but there are plenty of them.  Today’s portion is the first list of this kind that we find spreading out the family tree.  In Genesis 5 we saw a list that gave the direct line from Adam through to Noah.  This time, the family gets wide.  Noah had three sons that survived the flood with him in the Ark.  From these three, God was starting over, repopulating the entire earth.  His command to Noah and his boys at the beginning of chapter 9 echoes the same he gave to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.”  And over the generations they began to do just that.

I was intrigued when I read through the passage that after each list, it refers to clans and languages, territories and nations.  I was reminded of similar language used by John in his vision in Revelation where 4 or 5 times he refers to people grouped in such ways as tribe and language and nation.  From its beginning to its end, the people groups of the earth are noted and know by God.  Today’s political boundaries have sometimes formed new nations, and on the other hand have at times torn apart tribes and languages. Some wars that have been going on for generations are over such decisions that ourselves or our ancestors have deemed for the common good and in other cases, new generations and cultures have been formed and developed into nations forging strong identities. 

Apparently, one of the on trend things to do nowadays is to have your DNA tested to find out what people groups are in your family history. I have a British cousin who recently did this with her American husband, only to find out he was more British than she was, and that she had some Native American genes in there somewhere - who knew!  Psalm 139 says God ‘knit us together’.  Each one of us are uniquely woven in the secret place - but God knows exactly who we are.  And He doesn’t forget.  At the end, every language, every tribe, every nation, every ethnicity, every people group will be in the throne room.  John said there were such a great multitude that no one could count them.  What an incredible ‘day’ that will be - you can count me in!

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Take a moment to meditate on how wonderfully you are integrated into the family of God, a vital part of every language, tribe and nation who has a place reserved before the Throne just for you!