Spiritual Genealogy
Exodus 38:22: "Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses."
Every time we read about Bezalel in the Exodus accounts, his full name and parentage is listed: Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur. Moses and Aaron do not have their full genealogy listed with their names. What is the significance of Bezalel's genealogy? While Scripture does not speak directly to this question, there is an explanation provided in the Rabbinic traditional writings. There, it is written that Hur was the son of Miriam and so related to Moses and Aaron. In Exodus 17, it is Aaron and Hur who held up the hands of Moses while Joshua led the nation of Israel in battle against Amalek. Remember, when Moses' hands were raised, Israel prevailed in battle, but when his hands dropped, Amalek prevailed. Clearly, it was crucial to keep the hands of Moses raised. Weary from holding up his arms, Moses was assisted by Aaron and Hur, and they prevailed!
According to the tradition of Talmud, Hur stood up against the Israelites in crafting the golden calf and was killed. Hur was devoted to the Lord and wanted to maintain the integrity of Israel (Sanhedrin 69b and Sotah 11b). It is believed that Aaron feared what they would do to him if he did not comply with the wishes of the mob; that fear led him to compromise, to break the second commandment of the Lord, and to craft the gold calf and lead his people in worship of this calf. Where Aaron became an example of compromise, Hur was an example of a faithful man, and he left behind him a generation of faithful men. Bezalel's glorious work in the tabernacle would have been a great tribute to his grandfather, Hur.
Faithfulness is emulated from one generation to the next. Paul exhorts Timothy with a reminder of his genealogy of faith: "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well" (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy came from a line of godly women, who had raised him to know, love, and obey the Lord. Their investment in Timothy would be multiplied greatly by the Lord as Timothy would continue the work of his spiritual father, Paul. Faith is passed down through generations. Conversely, so is unbelief, rebellion, and a worldly lifestyle.
What legacy are you leaving? Will your children and grandchildren point back to you as one who handed down the teachings of the Lord? Will they recall all the ways that you lived out what you believed, how you served others, loved unconditionally, prayed for God's will to be done, and equipped the saints for the work of the kingdom? Your life matters to the God who has called you by name to live as his faithful child, and it matters to those who follow in your footsteps. May our footsteps always lead to the cross of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.
Reflection:
Spend some time thinking of your spiritual legacy. How have your grandparents and parents impacted your faith? If their legacy is good, how can you build on that legacy? If their legacy is not one of faith, how can you be part of forging a new way of faithfulness for your family line?
Every time we read about Bezalel in the Exodus accounts, his full name and parentage is listed: Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur. Moses and Aaron do not have their full genealogy listed with their names. What is the significance of Bezalel's genealogy? While Scripture does not speak directly to this question, there is an explanation provided in the Rabbinic traditional writings. There, it is written that Hur was the son of Miriam and so related to Moses and Aaron. In Exodus 17, it is Aaron and Hur who held up the hands of Moses while Joshua led the nation of Israel in battle against Amalek. Remember, when Moses' hands were raised, Israel prevailed in battle, but when his hands dropped, Amalek prevailed. Clearly, it was crucial to keep the hands of Moses raised. Weary from holding up his arms, Moses was assisted by Aaron and Hur, and they prevailed!
According to the tradition of Talmud, Hur stood up against the Israelites in crafting the golden calf and was killed. Hur was devoted to the Lord and wanted to maintain the integrity of Israel (Sanhedrin 69b and Sotah 11b). It is believed that Aaron feared what they would do to him if he did not comply with the wishes of the mob; that fear led him to compromise, to break the second commandment of the Lord, and to craft the gold calf and lead his people in worship of this calf. Where Aaron became an example of compromise, Hur was an example of a faithful man, and he left behind him a generation of faithful men. Bezalel's glorious work in the tabernacle would have been a great tribute to his grandfather, Hur.
Faithfulness is emulated from one generation to the next. Paul exhorts Timothy with a reminder of his genealogy of faith: "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well" (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy came from a line of godly women, who had raised him to know, love, and obey the Lord. Their investment in Timothy would be multiplied greatly by the Lord as Timothy would continue the work of his spiritual father, Paul. Faith is passed down through generations. Conversely, so is unbelief, rebellion, and a worldly lifestyle.
What legacy are you leaving? Will your children and grandchildren point back to you as one who handed down the teachings of the Lord? Will they recall all the ways that you lived out what you believed, how you served others, loved unconditionally, prayed for God's will to be done, and equipped the saints for the work of the kingdom? Your life matters to the God who has called you by name to live as his faithful child, and it matters to those who follow in your footsteps. May our footsteps always lead to the cross of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.
Reflection:
Spend some time thinking of your spiritual legacy. How have your grandparents and parents impacted your faith? If their legacy is good, how can you build on that legacy? If their legacy is not one of faith, how can you be part of forging a new way of faithfulness for your family line?
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