This transcript was auto-generated. 

As I said last time we are presented with another list of names. With previous family trees and list of names there was always one or two individuals who stood out from that list. In those earlier passages there was always somebody we could land on and say Ah! and you know that person was significant. But you can't do that here it's just a list of people. So, what is the bigger picture here? What's the value, what is the significance of this list? Is it just to reveal to us that life span got shorter? There's must be more than that that going on here. 

The purpose this time is to trace the family line. To show the family line from Shem all the way down to Abram. Scholars tell us there were two types of ancient genealogies, two major kinds of generational lists. One charts a family’s allegiance, usually to a clan or a waring faction. In other words, to show who people are subject too. But in the bible, there is another type of genealogical list. The other type is there to traces someone’s lineage. In the ancient near east this type of list was used to document a linage to show a legitimate claim to a throne and that is what is going on here , but why? 

We know for certain is that it traces the linage from Shem to Abraham and how that line will bless the world. Do you see where I am going with this? This family line demonstrates Abraham was related to Shem. Then because of the previous genealogies it also demonstrates he was related to Adam because previously in Genesis we have a clear genealogy from Adam all the way to Shem. Remember the promise that God made to Adam way back in Gen 3: 15.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers…. And he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Immediately after the fall God promised that the offspring of the woman would one day destroy the serpent. Both Jewish scholars as well as Christian scholars say that's a reference to the Messiah Therefore, what Genesis is doing, among other things is tracing the linage from Adam who was given that promise. Down through Noah then down through Shem then down through Eber and Terra to finally get to Abram. Then as we progress through the rest of the bible we're going to get to Isaac and Jacob and after that we're going to get to David and eventually, we're going to get to all the way to the Messiah, Christ Jesus. These long list of names in the Old Testament are documenting the family tree of the coming Messiah to demonstrate that he will fulfil the promises given in Genesis 3:15 to the pro-genitor of the human family, Adam. The coming Messiah will fulfil the promise made to Adam and Eve in Gen 3: 15. He will also fulfil the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 12, [we haven't gotten there yet] and the ones given to Jacob an on and on and on it goes. 

This genealogy is demonstrating that God is going to fulfil all his promises through the Messiah. But there is also an even deeper significance to all this, and we shall look at the main significance next time.