Usher was a moron. The PURPOSE of biblical genealogies was NEVER to prove the age of the earth or anything like that. For example, in Genesis we have Adam, Eve, Cain, and Able. Four people on planet Earth. Yet, when Cain is cursed by God for killing Able, Cain says;
“My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and WHOEVER FINDS ME WILL KILL ME.” But the LORD said to him, “Not so; ANYONE WHO KILLS CAIN will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and LIVED IN THE LAND OF NOD, east of Eden. “
----- Genesis 4:13-16
So, there was a land called Nod, populated with people, he married one of them, and the inhabitants helped Cain build a city.
PURPOSE OF GENEOLOGY in the OT
First, there are MANY genealogies in the OT, many times they contradict each other, several contain outright historical errors. But, I digress. These genealogies were necessary in order to keep the Law of Moses … because one of the key components that God gave to Moses at Mt. Sinai was the Levitical priesthood. Here is the key verse from Num: 3:9-10;
“And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death”
The ONLY way the Israelites could keep the Law of God was to make sure that the priests were descendants of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi …. and, the ONLY way to be make sure of that was to keep genealogical records ….. to ensure that the priests were selected from the proper tribe and family.
PURPOSE OF GENEOLOGY in the NT
There are exactly two geneologies. The records in Matthew and Luke. Comparing the two, even on a cursory level reveals HUGE inconsistencies. Scholars have been trying to reconcile the differences for ages. But, let’s not go there.
The purpose of those two genealogies is to unfold the story of mankind’s redemption through Jesus Christ. Very similar in to OT genealogies tracing a FAMILY/TRIBE lineage, but this time showing the [supposed] FULLFILMENT OF PROPHECY via the family line of Christ. End of story.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF GENEOLOGY TODAY
None. That’s why Usher is an idiot. Quite simply, the apostle Paul writes in Titus 3:9 to “avoid foolish questions, and genealogies”. He says so again in 1 Tim. 1:4. Under the Good News (Gospel), genealogies have no spiritual importance.