Even the most motivated Bible readers may find it challenging to maintain enthusiasm as they read through these opening chapters of 1 Chronicles. In the first chapter alone, we encounter 200 personal names, most of which mean nothing to us. But this goes on for nine chapters! Page after page, the genealogical monotony continues as we wait for some real action to begin. More than likely, we will turn these pages quickly, fairly confident they have no major relevance for our lives today. We may recognize a few of the names, but most are hard to pronounce and impossible to place in any meaningful context. We wonder, “What kind of a book is this, anyway? Doesn’t the author know how important it is to grab the reader’s attention? Where are the dramatic elements and colorful descriptions? How about some lively conversation?” But as disciplined 21st century believers, committed to our daily Bible reading plan, we plod forward anyway, hopeful the book will eventually become more readable, if not more interesting. What we need to keep in mind is that this book would have seemed equally dull to its first readers. 1 and 2 Chronicles was originally one volume, probably published in the 4th century BC. An early Jewish tradition names Ezra as the author of the book, but we can’t be sure. What we do know, based on these opening genealogies, is that the book was written two or three generations after the Babylonian exile of 587 BC, that disastrous event which concluded the story of 2 Kings. By this time in Israel’s history, the ancient world was in the powerful hands of the Persian Empire. All that remained of the great kingdom ruled by David and Solomon was the small province of Judah. By now, they have returned to their homeland, but the outlook is still bleak. The glory days are in the distant past, and practically everything in 1-2 Chronicles was, for them, part of an age gone by. The Chronicler has great stories to tell and powerful lessons to teach. But it was all as dry and dusty to the original readers as it is to us. So we must consider why this intelligent and skilled writer chose to begin with a series of family trees. Yes, to grasp his message we must come to grips with his introduction! In short, God’s people suffer from an identity crisis. Living in a world darkened by sin, we need to know who we are and what we were meant to be. Like plants struggling to grow, we find nourishment in our roots. As Christians, our roots begin with Adam, and can then be traced through the generations, as God fulfills His promise of salvation in Jesus Christ. For further meditation: