Because Blogger only allows twenty labels per post, and all the names of Jesus's ancestors are important to note, I have divided this subject into three posts. The genealogy began in the below linked posts:
Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 1
Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 2
Continuing the list of ancestors:
(Matthew 1:12) And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begat Salathiel, and Salathiel begat Zerubbabel.
During the Babylonian captivity, Jeconiah begat Salathiel. There was a prophecy of Jeremiah that appeared to indicate that Jeconiah was childless, but that was not the case. What his prophecy actually said was, "Write this man childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah" (Jeremiah 22:30). What Jeremiah was actually saying that the Lord had said, was to consider Jeconiah childless for no descendant of his would sit on the throne of David, and in fact, Jeconiah was the last king of Judah until the King Messiah came. Once again a grandson is called a son, as Salathiel's son was Pedaiah, and Pedaiah begat Zerubbabel.
(13) And Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor.
Zerubbabel is said to be the father of Abiud, although in 1 Chronicles 3:19, Abiud is not listed as a son among the list of Zerubbabel's children. It is believed that Abiud was the same as Meshullam who was among the names in that verse in 1 Chronicles. Often people went by two different names in Biblical times, and that was definitely seen during the Babylonian captivity as with the case of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:7), where they had different names in Babylon than their names in Judea. Abiud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim begat Azor.
(14) And Azor begat Zadok; and Zadok begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; (15) And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; (16) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
The descendant line continues down to Joseph, the husband of Mary. These names are of probably so little note and not otherwise mentioned because they were not kings. It is interesting that the ancestors of Joseph were said to have produced Jesus, when Jesus was actually not the son of Joseph, but the son of God. However, Mary was of the same tribe and family as Joseph, so that, both by His mother and by His supposed father, He was of the house of David; and Jews always reckoned their genealogies by the males. It is also interesting to note that verse 16 does not say "begat" as in all the previous verses. Jesus was born of Mary, but He was not begotten of natural generation.
(17) So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Matthew summed up all the generations from Abraham to Jesus into three 14 generation groups. Although there are in fact, not exactly 14, 14, and 14, especially with some grandsons being called sons, this was Matthew's way of separating the generations into three distinct periods. From Abraham to David, there was the family of David rising, the patriarchs, prophets, and judges (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Pharez, Hezron, Aram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and David). From David to Josiah, the family of David was flourishing as kings (David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah). From Josiah to Joseph, the family of David declined (Josiah, Jeconiah, Salathiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph), and dwindled into the family of a poor carpenter, Joseph, and then came Jesus Christ, the glory of His people Israel.
(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
Upon finishing the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Matthew turned to the events leading up to His birth. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but they were not yet married and living together as husband and wife, when Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. However, it was not immediately known that the child was of the Holy Spirit.
(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.
Joseph, Mary's betrothed and called her husband according to Jewish law, was a just man, and not willing to make public her pregnancy, but also apparently not willing to keep her as his wife because he was probably a strict observer of the law, being a just man, and he had planned to divorce her secretly.
(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins."
While Joseph was pondering what he might do about pregnant Mary, an angel or messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream, calling him a son of David, and told him not to fear taking Mary as his wife, because the child conceived in her was of the Holy Spirit. That was quite a fantastic thing, so it had to be of the Holy Spirit that Joseph was able to accept that fact. The angel went on to tell him that he would name the child Jesus, literally Iesous, which in Hebrew was Yehoshua, which meant "Jehovah saved". The reason He should have that name, the angel explained, was because He would save His people from their sins.
(22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, (23) "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, 'God with us'."
All this came about to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, in Isaiah 7:14, which was that the Lord Himself would give them a sign when a virgin conceived and bore a son and called Him Immanuel, which literally meant "God with us", a symbolic name indicative of the fact that He would indeed be God with us. The fact that Matthew stated the child's name was to be Jesus, and Isaiah said it would be Immanuel is not to be considered a contradiction. Isaiah went on to prophesy that He would have many other names, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. All these names, including God With Us, are names that are characteristics of Jesus. "They shall call His name Immanuel" referred to one of many names people would call Jesus, indicating He was God among us in this world. Shiloh, as discussed previously, was another characteristic name of Jesus.
(24) Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him and took to him his wife, (25) And did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son; and he called His name JESUS.
When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did as the angel of the Lord had told him, and took Mary to be his wife. However, he did not know her intimately until after she had brought forth her firstborn son. This act, or lack thereof, also fulfilled the prophecy that a virgin would bring forth a son. Not only was she a virgin when she conceived, but Mary was a virgin when she brought forth her firstborn son, Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment