The story stops and we are reading one of those passages that are quite boring – the genealogies, we find them throughout the Bible and we often skip them. Before Moses and Aaron stand before Pharaoh, before the plagues fall and the sea splits, God gives us a family tree.
You may feel very ordinary today, if you do, this should encourage you.
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. These were the heads of their families: The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben. The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon. These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their records. Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri. The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri. Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. The sons of Korah were: Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans. Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan. It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.” They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.” Exodus 6:13-27
Perhaps before God moves Israel out of Egypt, He wants us to see exactly who Moses and Aaron are.
Their family are far from perfect but they have been held together, even through slavery, for generations.
Even those who will lead a rebellion are mentioned, like Korah.
God doesn’t edit out the ones who will later resist Him.
But it is the last verses that catches my attention. “…It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.” They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.”
This Moses, son of Amram, brother of Aaron, descendant of Levi, part of a family God had been shaping since before the Egypt years. He was as real as anyone.
Before God does the extraordinary, He roots it in the ordinary. Before the plagues, before the sea splits, He shows us a family tree, flawed, named, ordinary people whom God has been preparing all along.
Your name is in a story too. His story.
You may not feel special and that is why God is and will use you.
God doesn’t build His story on the extraordinary alone. He builds it on ordinary families, shaped over generations before anyone knew what they were being shaped for and importantly, broken and sinful people.
You don’t have to feel special to be used by God, you just have to be His.
Missions Paul 