Numbers 1:18
“And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.”
I have a preacher friend who has bred Rottweilers for several years. If you were to go to his website, you would see a list of the dogs he breeds and their pedigrees. The purpose of that pedigree is to show a future dog owner the history of that dog, because the history of that dog shows what type of dog you are going to get. If there is a weakness in their pedigree, then most likely that weakness will come out in the puppy one would get. The pedigree shows the strengths of the dog and most likely what they will look like. If you were going to purchase a full-breed animal, then it would be important to know their pedigree.
It is interesting that when the children of Israel were assembled together, God wanted them to declare their pedigrees. Each tribe of Israel was to show from whence they came. That pedigree declared to those alive who they were and what was expected of them.
Every Christian should understand the importance of their pedigree. You should know what Christians before you believed. You should know what those before you suffered in order to give you what you have. You should know from where it all started. Knowing the pedigree of a Christian will help you to keep doing what is right. Let me explain.
First, you should know that a Christian represents Christ. If we are not careful, we can easily make Christianity about a personality, and it should only be about Christ. The name “Christian” literally means, “like Christ.” You should regularly declare your pedigree as a representative of Jesus Christ. If we make Christianity about a man, then we will find many will become disillusioned because man will let you down. Keep your focus on the origination of Christianity, and that is Jesus Christ, for their is no weakness in Christ.
Second, your pedigree as a Christian is filled with Christians who sacrificed everything to give you what you have. When you study the history of Christianity, you will find many were martyred so that you can have the truth. Some were boiled in oil, crucified upside down, flayed alive, burnt at the stake and shot by firing squads because they would not change the truth. Your pedigree shows that many paid a dear price for the truth.
Third, the Christian’s pedigree shows how you should live. The Scriptures are filled with instructions to show the Christian how to live. You should not think that you can live in any manner you choose, but you should only live the way God commands you to live.
Let me ask you, are you living up to your pedigree? Have you kept Christ as the focal point of your life? Do you stand strong on truth without any compromise? Do you live a separated life to show that you represent Christ? These three things are paramount in the Christian life. As you go throughout your day, always keep in mind that you represent Christ everywhere you go. Don’t be the one who puts a blemish on the pedigree of the Christian. Live your daily life so that the world can look at the Christian pedigree and see that the Christian life is the best life.