Azor Matters

Azor Matters

December 4, 2017

Matthew 1:14 "Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud. . ."

There is a man in the Bible who is extremely significant yet seldom gets discussed from the pulpit or in small group. His name is Azor and his life was significant. Not much is known about Azor, as His name only appears twice in Scripture. His name is mentioned twice because it was used to describe his father and his son. Here is all we know about Azor: his father's name was Eliakim and his son's name was Zadok. We don't know if Azor had other sons, we don't know if Azor was a devout follower of the Lord, and we don't know if Azor did anything spectacular with his life to write about. Despite being written about in Scripture, by simply being mentioned, the events and accomplishments of Azor are only known by God. But we do know one more thing about Azor. He was in the lineage of Jesus. He was an ancestor to Jesus.

You might suggest that Azor did not do anything worth while because he did not even get a full mention in the Bible, just that he existed. But I would submit to you Azor's life matter. He mattered enough to be born, He mattered enough to be included in the lineage of Jesus, and he mattered to God. If Azor did not exist, if he never grew up and had a son, whom he protected enough to become a man himself, then you and I would not have the same Salvation story; the Bible would be different. Azor's life affected eternity the way you and I understand it today. He simply existed and played a role in the Lord's plan. He played the exact role in the Lord's plan that the Lord had appointed for him. For all we know he was a leader among leaders, a worshiper of worshipers, and a prayer warrior who defeated the  enemy. Just because Azor's life was written about to great lengths does not mean his life was any more or less important than Noah's or the apostle Paul's. It is too easy to assume his life was insignificant just because angels have not sung about his life to you.

Sometimes we feel our lives do not matter, like we are so insignificant that we aren't even worth a mention that we existed. We assume because we have not accomplished something worthy of the angels singing about that we should be disposable, that it would not affect anything if we were not here. This could not be further from the truth. Your life matters to the Lord and you play an intricate role in His plan for the world. Your life has so many ripple effects that have altered the course of so many people's lives that it all cannot be counted. It is hard for us to believe sometimes, because all we focus on is the negative or we never see the moments of impact. Despite your point of view regarding your life, despite Azor's point of view regarding his life, it all matters to the Lord. It matters to the Kingdom.

This understanding is important, not to make you feel good about your life to date, or give you a big head that you are a superstar, but to give you perspective on moving forward appropriately. If your life matters, and it will always matter, then you have the opportunity to make every minute count. It does not matter what you did in the past it only matters what you do going forward. Good or bad, the past is in the past. You only have the future ahead of you and more opportunities than you realize to affect the Kingdom. Are you going to life every moment like it matters or are you going to serve yourself and risk your legacy. Your legacy may not get written about even to the simple degree of Azor, however the Lord knows your legacy and will reward you appropriately. You may never get a head nod in Scripture, but your life still matters to the Lord.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Josh 24:14-15, Psalms 139:13, Jer 1:5, Roman 2:6