Based on 1 Chronicles 1:1-27 (New King James Version)
“Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshishah, Kittim, and Rodanim. The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim). Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram, who is Abraham.”
There are books in the Bible that contain long lists of names, like the one we read today. I remember when I was a boy in Bible class, that we sometimes had to read these long lists of names. It was hard for most of us to read them because speaking sincerely, many names were difficult to pronounce. And also, since they were names of people in a completely different language than ours, we didn’t understand much either. It seemed more like a difficult reading exercise that many were not interested in. And there are people that many times jump these passages to avoid complicating themselves, because they probably think: “What kind of teaching can be learned by seeing all of these names written in the Bible?” And the reality is that much can be learned because this has a great meaning that does involve us quite deeply, as we will see following.
For God, every person is important. It’s a soul. It’s a living being. And even more than that, it’s a being that did something during their existence in this life. Our names are not just tongue twisters, per se, to God. Someday, possibly not far from today, God will open books or a book with many names written in them and our names, yours and mine, will be written in one of them depending on what we did during this life. Now the issue is gaining more value, right? The reality is that absolutely no one goes through this world unnoticed, especially before the eyes of God. Each being, since the beginning of man (which is what matters to you and me), has been seen by many witnesses, by God, and by everything that surrounds them, by the visible world, and more importantly, by the invisible realm. This is what the Word says: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1. There is an endless number of witnesses all around us, but principally God, who sees and knows everything, even what we think, and finally knows the depths about our being at every instant. God knows who you and I really are, and He knows us by name. And at this very moment, all of our actions are being written somewhere.
The Bible teaches us that there will be a judgment, and that books and a book of life will be opened, where the names of everyone that has existed will be seen along with all their actions, and their eternal future will be determined depending on what they have done. This is what the word says: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15. Who are those that will be written in the book of life? Those of us that have not only repented and converted from all of our sins and believed and accepted Jesus as the Lord of our lives, but also those of us that have remained faithful to Him, doing the fathers will until our last breath. Now, I cannot give only part of His divine counsel, but rather, as complete as possible. The Word does imply that a person's name can be erased from the book of life, as it is written: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Revelation 3:5-6. Therefore, it is urgent to encourage to abide, to overcome, to pursue the goal that Paul spoke about until the end. When we are born again in Christ, that is just the beginning. We must live for Christ day-by-day, and when the time comes, also die for Christ. He must be our beginning, our interim, and our end.
Now, someone may ask, “What can I do to run the risk of having my name erased?”, and this is what the word says: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote, as inspired by the Spirit this: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12. And also, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” 2 Corinthians 13:5. So finally, these are the ones that will not only be written in the book of life, but also remain written for all eternity: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. What is the will of the father? “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40.
So then, when you stand before God's judgment, where will your name be written and what will your story be? Lord bless! John