My People

These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher. Genesis 35:22-26

YOU AND I DIDN’T get to choose where we were born, when we were born, or into what family we were born. And neither did our children. But God did. God called Abraham away from his own family to establish a new one —a family that God would uniquely call “my people.” One day God would enfold himself into the womb of a virgin, a woman who was a descendant of this family.

So since God got to choose the family he was born into, what kind of family did he select? When we read their story in Genesis, we think we might have chosen better for him. No effort is made by the biblical writer to sanitize the portrait of this family. They were a polygamous group marked by manipulation, incest, prostitution, jealousy, murder, rape, sibling rivalry, idolatry, deceit, and estrangement. These are not exactly the kind of people who inspire confidence for putting God’s name on display in the world. They do not seem to be worthy of the honor of being God’s people. So what do we do with this?

We find hope in it and pass along that hope to our children. The story of these twelve sons —who became fathers of the twelve tribes who became the people of God into which we are adopted —illustrates that God is not looking for perfect people with spotless records to be a part of his family. There is only one Son born into this family who had a perfect record. Only one Son who is worthy of being called God’s child. But this Son is our brother. He makes all who are joined to him by faith worthy of being part of God’s family.

Lord, when we take stock of the family that you chose to be born into, it sets our hearts at rest. We realize that you are not looking for perfect people to become a part of your own family. Instead, you are populating your family, your church, with imperfect but repentant people, flagrant but forgiven sinners. When our children sin in outrageous ways, when they act in ways that dishonor you, help us to remember that you still choose to dwell among your people, though we are unworthy of you. Thank you for making us worthy by joining us to Christ.