Benefits of Genealogical Study

For the first 48 years of my life, I had very little interest in genealogy. The closest I can come to recalling even the slightest hint of interest was when I was in high school and something was mentioned in a Sunday school class which led me to use the genealogies of Genesis to figure out that Methuselah died the year of the flood—a conclusion which may not be accurate, but a venture which occupied me throughout Dad’s entire Sunday morning sermon that day!

What prompted my genuine interest in and appreciation for genealogy was the birth of my first grandchild, Sean. Suddenly the concepts of heritage and legacy became real and important for me, to the point that I now have genealogical records going back to the early 17^thcentury and encompassing 2,904 names of relatives. I also have the definite desire to add more to the time frame and the name list.

My interest and appreciation for genealogy has grown significantly in the last 20 years—in part because of the concepts of heritage and legacy, but also because my involvement with genealogical research has led me to consider more deeply the value of the many genealogies in the Scriptures.

Is genealogical research of any lasting value? The fact that numerous genealogical lists are found in the Bible provides a quick and definite answer to that question, an answer which goes far beyond merely satisfying curiosity about one’s lineage. That being the case, I plan to consider the value of Scriptural genealogies at some later time in another article.

For now, I will share four general benefits which come from genealogical research and contemplation, whether Biblical or personal. The first benefit is a sense of connectedness. When my name and vital data are part of an extended list of family members, I realize that I am not an isolated island in the sea of humanity. By God’s design I am inseparably attached to many, many people. In fact, when I consider Biblical genealogy alongside personal genealogy, I find I am connected with every other human being in this world!

This sense of connectedness leads to a sense of continuity. At the moment, I have a trail of evidence of family continuity going back to a.d. 1606. I also have the certainty that the actual continuity of our family goes back much farther. In fact, Biblical genealogy and Scriptural teaching tell me that if I had all the data, I would be able to trace our family all the way back to Noah and then even further back all the way to Adam! By God’s design, I am part of the ebb and flow of history.

Which leads to a third benefit of genealogical research and examination: the opportunity to learn from the lives of others. There are skeletons in the closet of our family history. If I am wise, I will consider those skeletons to be teaching tools for my life rather than conversation items. There are also ancestors who have been exemplary in their lives, manifesting godliness and godly graces which should inform, instruct, challenge and encourage us as we seek to honor the Lord whose character they reflected.

Finally, for now, a wonderful benefit of genealogical study and review is that it provides yet another opportunity to praise the God of history. I praise Him for the skeletons He uses to warn me and the godly examples He uses to encourage and help me. I praise Him for His grace in bringing both sides of my lineage from formal religiosity to an awareness of the need to personally and genuinely know Him through Jesus Christ. I praise Him for the realization that history is something in which I have a part, it is not merely a subject to study. I praise Him for the privilege of being connected to the family in which He has placed me.

© 2019 by James A. Odens