It’s just a list of names, or so it would seem. Yet Matthew 1 has more treasures in it that can be written about in a single post. And today’s thoughts are a comfort to me. Because what much of Mt 1 represents is prayer that felt like it was unanswered.

Think about the sheer amount of history and time that the genealogy represents. Literally thousands of years. Thousands of years of a promise of a Messiah given more specifically to Abraham (although also in Gen 3), and then the fulfillment. Thousands of years of waiting, wondering, and asking God where He is at. Why hasn’t the Messiah come. Thousands of years of seemingly unanswered prayer in the midst of suffering.

Yes. Suffering. Lots of suffering.

For 400 years God’s people were used and abused in Egypt. They had not done anything wrong. In fact, they had done things right. They were essential in saving and establishing Egypt during the great famine. Yet Egypt forgot and for 400 years the people of Israel were beaten and enslaved. We have no idea how long 400 years is in the scope of suffering. That’s like saying your people have been in bondage since the 1600’s.

Where was God? Why didn’t he come? Where was the promised Messiah? It would have been nice to fulfill his promises then. Life was certainly difficult enough.

But no. God did send a deliverer, but not yet the Messiah.

Then there was the conquest by Assyria and Babylon. Israel had suffered civil war and northern Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and southern Israel by the Babylonians. This time it was their sin that was the problem. Yet the people like the Assyrians were such people of torture. Where was God? Where was His mercy? Where was the promised Messiah?

Yes, Israel did return from Babylon. But the ten tribes of Israel that went to Assyria were scattered. Why didn’t God come? Why did he allow his people to suffer so very much?

Still no Messiah.

Then there were the Greeks. Tens of thousands of Israelites were killed but worse, Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig on the altar of God and set up an idol in the temple. It was total desecration.

Where was God? Why didn’t he come and strike down the Greeks with lightning? Or bring judgment in wrathful expression?

Time marched on. And still no Messiah.

Thousands of years. Perhaps billions of prayers for deliverance.

But it wasn’t until Rome was in power. Why then? Why not some other point in history where the suffering was worse? We can guess. But we really don’t know.

We just have to trust that somehow it was the right time. But the right time did finally come. And the Messiah arrived to deliver people from their sins.

In this life we have a lot of suffering. Most people do though at various levels of intensity. Sometimes that suffering is individual and sometimes it is national. Without question thousands, if not millions of prayers go up.

Where are you God? Come save us! Are we not your people? Where are your promises that when we call you will answer? That you are our refuge? That you are our help in time of need?

And I don’t now why God doesn’t just come when his children call. Perhaps a few years ago I might have had good guesses and speculations and tried to encourage people with what I thought to be reasons why.

But the last few years have sucked that arrogance out of me. Hopefully forever.

I think the bottom line comes down to trust. We don’t know why. There are so many questions without answers. So much suffering without relief.

The challenge is not to harden our heart. Easier said than done.

And to fix our eyes on Jesus. He too suffered and his prayers for deliverance were not answered.

But there was a bigger picture. Jesus could see it. We cannot.

Thousands of years came and went before the Messiah came. Thousands of years of good times and hellish times that lasted generations.

In this we can find an encouragement. And perhaps even a hope. That God does keep His promises, just in a way that is not ours.