AncientPath.net - The Ancient Path, Matthew Chapter 1, Gaebelein Intro

The journey begins here. Throughout this study we will be looking specifically at 7 features of the four Gospels as seen through Matthew [1].

Chapter one is comprised of two major themes. The first is the Genealogy of Jesus, and the second concerns His birth.

Matthew's genealogy is broken into three sets of "fourteen generations." The physical lineage would include many more names, however Matthew points to the key figures of the times of each set. In some cases you will find that a physical generation is skipped and is reported from grandfather to grandson. Matthew's point is to reflect the legitimacy of the family heritage (the Promise) going through the ages and not to name every member of the full genealogy. You may find it helpful of your own understanding of the Old Testament to see things in these same three sets or time periods. Abraham to David, David to the Babylonian captivity, Babylonian captivity to Jesus.

The Genealogy presented in Matthew is many things. It is a genealogy, it is a History time-line, it is a study in the plan of God, and it is a study in God's method of choosing, or calling out, those whom He desires to play their part in this precious and important document.

Note: Some events, great names, and books of the bible are listed in approximate time frames - emphasis on approximate!)

It is fitting that Matthew begins with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three men are the very definition of being an Israelite. However, this list of names presents a forensic document that demonstrates His royal descent. In Abraham the rights to the Land are shown and in David, "He is the rightful heir to David's throne, and thus His Kingship is legally established." [2] Mason says, "Our Lord was first of all "a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers (Romans 15:8). These promises included the land (through Abraham) and a kingly house and throne in perpetuity (through David)[3]. So in Matthew our Lord’s genealogy is not traced to Adam (as in Luke's gospel--3:38), but to Abraham and David."[4]

In the gospel of Luke we find that Jesus is fully man (as well as God) and his genealogy is biblically demonstrated, that is, the Old Testament and its major characters are all part of Jesus' family heritage. He is presented there as our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Matthew begins with Abraham[5] and works forward to David, through the Judean captivity by Babylon, and finally on to Joseph the step father of Jesus. The Jews at the time of Jesus were only interested in who would come in the footsteps of David, their great king and deliverer. These Jews were part of a world that was seeking to oppress them. Rome was in its last moments as "the world's greatest nation." Within 40 years of Jesus' death Jerusalem would be burned to the ground and Herod's great temple would be reduced to rubble - and with that would come the great persecutions of Jews and Christians alike. "David, David, David" was all the Jews were thinking. Who will free us from these oppressors? Thus the stage was set for the misunderstanding by the Jews of whom and why Jesus had come.

1:1 This is the record of the genealogy^[6] of Jesus[7] Christ[8], the son of David[9], the son of Abraham.

          Abraham was the father^[10] of Isaac,
        Isaac the father of Jacob,
        Jacob the father of Judah[11] and his brothers,

The bible reports that Abraham was a native of Chaldea, Babylon, (the area known to us today as Kurdistan[13], Northern Iraq) and a descendant in the ninth generation from Shem, the son of Noah. He is the son of Terah, who was from Ur, about 2161 B.C. Terah moved his family from Ur to the land of Canaan when Terah was about seventy. He lived to be 205 and died in Haran during the family's journey to Canaan.

The first seventy years of Abram's life are passed over. The biblical story (after a genealogy of Abram's family) picks up with Abram living in Canaan as God calls to him to pick-up and leave everything and continue to Canaan. It is during this call that God first speaks of His covenant with Abram.

"Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3).

It should be noted here that this was a unilateral unconditional covenant. There was no "If" conditional clause that required Abram to perform in order for God to honor this covenant.

Multiple times God ends His telling and retelling, of this covenant with the words, "And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."[14] In these words we find another key to the understanding of "the promised one" who would not only bring blessing to Israel but also to the whole earth. This promise is further defined as the scriptures unfold. This "one" who will fulfill this covenant will come down from Abraham, through Isaac, then Jacob. This is the route down the genealogy that we follow to get to Jesus.

It is especially important to note that neither of the genealogies (Matthew's or Luke's) were questioned as to their authenticity.

If we have to pick one story about Abraham[15] that represents reasons that point why this man was loved by God it would have to be the story of the offering of Isaac. God said (note that God did not command), "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah[16], and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." ... "On the third day, Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place" ... "Stay here my servant with the donkey, ... we will go and worship, and we will return" ... "Father ... where is the lamb?" ... "God will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son" ... "Abraham ... bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar" ... "and he took a knife to slay his son." ... "and The Angel of the Lord called to him ... Abraham, Abraham, do not stretch out your hand against this lad; for now I KNOW that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only begotten son from Me."[17]

Think of the lessons that these several verses have in parallel with God the Father and His only begotten son. We will not dig deeper here at this time.

The book of Hebrews states that because of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, through whom the promise of the Messiah was made, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac - He who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.' He considered that God was able to raise people even from the dead ...."

God was greatly pleased that this man would be willing to do the very thing God had determined He would have to do - in order that He would be able, through His Son, to raise people from the dead.

God knew Abraham from before the foundations of the world, yet Abraham was put to the test - to prove him worthy. Please do not misunderstand the "proving" of Abraham. God knew Abraham from the foundations of the world, however God did not choose Abraham based upon what He foreknew about Abraham. Abraham needed to be tested, here in our world as well as well, but the testing is for the Testimony of the Glory for God. God's "testing" of His foreknown loved ones is like the testing of a known diamond of excellent quality. Take it and rub it against glass - will it scratch it, of course. Will it fail? Of course not, everyone knows that a diamond is stronger than glass, but take that diamond and scratch the glass with it... now the scratch is there for all to see. This diamond has been tested for the glory of the maker. Now there can be no question about the authenticity of that diamond. Now, with Abraham, there is no question concerning his Faith or his Actions - to the Glory of God. - That was Abraham.

We must not forget that Isaac was the second key figure in the testing of Abraham. It was Isaac who willingly went to the altar to be sacrificed, even after he asked the question, "Father, where is the lamb?" For when Abraham said that God Himself would provide the lamb - that was enough for the faith of Isaac. It was Isaac, at that altar, that proved to God to be a fitting example of Christ who came not to do his own will, but the will of His Father.

Isaac, the only son of Abraham by Sarah, was promised to Abraham and Sarah to fulfill the covenant God made 30 years earlier. Even Isaac's name brings joy before the Lord - "Laughter," not only because his mother laughed when told the promise (laughter that turned to joy), but the Joy of The Lord (as in laughter) of the very thought that THIS boy was the proving of not only Abraham's faith, but also the boy Isaac's faith. THIS boy Isaac was to Abraham what Jesus was to the Father.

Isaac takes Rebecca as his wife and has two children by her; Esau and Jacob (Gk: ia-kob, "the supplanter", but more likely Ar: akaba, "he whom God protects"). Esau (Edom, Red), a tough outdoorsman, is preferred by Isaac, but Jacob, a plain indoors man, is preferred by Rebecca. Late in Isaac's life he is deceived by Rebecca into giving his blessing to Isaac instead of his first born son Esau. Here we see the importance of understanding that it is God that chooses who gets the blessing of the lineage of the Messiah and not merely the event of being firstborn. God chose Jacob for that blessing. God wanted a man like Jacob. God was pleased with the man Jacob was, and not the man whom Esau was.

God chose Jacob for the privilege of generating His First-Born people, the Israelite (named after Jacob). 2000 years would pass and God's Son would call out for Himself a heavenly people from among the nations - and NOT His first-born people, the Jew.

It was Jacob who went out for a night of prayer and The Angel of The Lord came to him. "A man came to him and wrestled with him until daybreak." The Angel of The Lord who is a Man would be the Pre-incarnate Son of God, who would be later known as Jesus, after being born into a human body.

Neither Jacob nor the Lord prevailed in wrestling all night. When it was time for the Lord to end the bout of wrestling, Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." How remarkable - wrestling all night with God, even to the point of injury, and saying to Him, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." "I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved." This is whom God chose to continue the line to Jesus.

(Sometime after Ruben is born, Moses and Aaron are born into the tribe of Levi.)

          Judah the father of Perez and Zerah (by Tamar),
        Perez the father of Hezron,
        Hezron the father of Ram,

Judah[21] (c1920) the father of Perez and Zerah (by Tamar), (Here the bible is mostly concerned with Joseph and Levi as heads of tribes and the families that bring forth Moses and Aaron)

Fourth born of Leah, Judah ("God be praised"), was the son of Judah who prevented the murder of his little brother Joseph, however his method of saving him from death was to sell him, for profit, into slavery. There are few incidents in his history that prove him as a man whom God would call, except this prevention of murder to the one who was next in line to carry the genealogy. Often so little is told of the mind of God. I would look here and see that, perhaps, Judah - whom his whole family would be singled out to be the faithful tribe of Israel, the one through whom the Messiah would come - knew of something special about his brother Joseph. Joseph must not die - God has a plan for his life. How often we might enter into this same situation. I'll do something good for so-and-so, when it may be just a feeling that God will use them sometime in their future.

It was Judah who was deceived by Tamar, the wife of 2 successive sons of Judah (Judah's daughter-in-law). Because two of her husbands (remember, both sons of Judah - Er and Onan) had died soon after their marriages, Judah did not want to marry her off to another one of his sons for fear of losing another son. She wanted children and decided to dress as a harlot and sleep with Judah in order to birth twin sons Perez and Zerah.

"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down to you.

Judah is a lion's whelp[23]. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are dull from wine, and his teeth white from milk."

We now look back on the story of the tribe of Judah and see so many leaders and kings who's eyes were dull from too much self indulgence - whether wine or bodily pleasures. Still, we would say about Judah the very same thing that Joseph said to his brothers after burying Judah, "you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...."[24]

Judah is foretold by his father that the rightful reign of the nation belongs to the family of Judah - "The scepter shall not depart from Judah - until Shiloh (the Messiah) shall come."[25]

Perez, the son of his father-in-law Jacob. Perhaps he had a little trouble being born for his name means "breach." Little is known about Perez. His resulting family is known for their multitude (Ruth 4:12), and his descendants were notable in the time of David (1 Chronicles 11) and after the captivity (Judah's in Babylon) (Nehemiah 11).

Hezron is unremarkable in the Scriptures. Why did God choose this unremarkable man? Relationship of God and Hezron and his wonders and disappointments are known only in heaven. God does not "tell all." He only tells us what He wants us to know.

          Ram the father of Amminadab,
        Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
        Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Ram is born in Egypt after Jacob's migration there as his name does not appear in the list in Genesis 46. He is mentioned in Ruth (4:19) and he appears in the 1 Chronicles 2:9 ff genealogy which is placed at about 1875 B.C. He is sometimes referred to as Aram.

Amminadab the father of Nahshon, (c1520)
He was "Prince" of the tribe of Judah at the first numbering of Israel in the second year of the Exodus. His daughter, Elisheba, was Aaron's wife[27]. (Exodus 6:23).

He became Rahab's father-in-law after the taking of Jericho. In the encampment (the process of establishing camp) of Israel, in the naming of the princes of Judah, in the offerings presented by the princes of Judah, in the order of the march (when Israel moved), the First Place was assigned to him as Captain of Judah's host. We know that he died in the wilderness.

          Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab),
        Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth),
        Obed the father of Jesse,

Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), (c1380)
Salmon was present at the Fall of Jericho. (Perhaps, because of his place in history as the father of Boaz by Rahab... he was one of the spies,... fell in love with Rahab... Would make a very nice story)

Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), (c1300)
Boaz was a wealthy Bethlehemite (from Behtlehem). He fell in love with the Edomite[28] woman who gave herself to Israel's God. Boaz was a man of such high repute that one of the pillars[29] of Solomon's Temple was named for him. The pillar is inscribed, "In Yahweh is the King's strength." Boaz and Ruth's story is told in the book of Ruth - one of the best sources to learn of God's love for Israel, and by association the Church.

Jesse had eight sons[33]. His son David was the youngest. The only notable mention of Jesse was that he took David in and sheltered him from the King of Moab (about 1000 B.C.). He was a sheep farmer and a man of ordinary (low) bearing. Saul scorned the thought of David as a rival by calling him a "son of Jesse." Jesse had a brother named Jonathan, (1 Chron 27:82) and there is no record of Jonathan's life or family.

(Saul becomes King of Israel - Tribe of Benjamin) The Nation of Israel pressured their leadership to choose a King. Israel's perfect timing would have been for the nation to wait another 30 years until God would provide them with King David, but they could not wait and demanded a King. They got Saul.

David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah^[34]), (c1040) (becomes King of Judah 1011 B.C., full King of all Israel 1004 B.C.).

Many, many books could be written about David. For our purposes we need to concentrate on (1) David's character and (2) the covenant that God extends through him.

The first thing we note is that Matthew does not call David's mother, Bathsheba, by name, instead there is the reminder, the shameful reminder, that Solomon was born out of a marriage whereby his father manipulated the murder of his wife's former husband so that David could have her.

As ordinary, every-day Christians is it so beneficial to know that God loved David. Loved him so much that he set David up on a pedestal as King, and the Great Messianic King that would come, would sit on David's throne. Beneficial to us because David was an immoral pig's trough of a man, full of murder, immorality and idols. And yet ... God loved David, and David loved God.

It was David who slew Goliath with a stone from a slingshot. It was David who snuck into a cave where King Saul was resting after Saul was seeking to capture and kill David. There, in secret, David cut off the edge of Saul's garment. David was so upset that he had done this to King Saul, the first King of Israel, because, "he is The Lord's anointed," that he then pursued King Saul and bowed down before him, prostrate - face on the ground - and called after him, "My Lord and King."

It was David who was given the clear opportunity to kill King Saul a second time, but David said, "The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed." And he turned and went away[35].

It was David who brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, the city of God from Keriath-Jearim. It was David who established Jerusalem as "The Holy city of God," after capturing it from the Jebusites. This opened not only the trade routes but also helped in a better relationship with the Northern Tribe of Israelites, Israel. It was David who conquered the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Ammonites, Edomites, and the Amakelites. It was David who organized the Nation, the Armies, and government. It was David that finally put into play "Cities of Refuge," as Moses had commanded some 450 years earlier. It was David who is given credit for the organization of all Temple music and forming a great music library. It was David who found Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, son of King Saul, who returned his families possessions and make a place for at the King's table.

It is David who sings and dances in the Psalms, "Let them praise His name with Dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre."[36] "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing."[37] "You will make known to me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy."[38]

At the high point of David's career he became desirous of "Uriah the Hittite's" wife. David had been walking along his rooftop when he saw her bathing. David sent for her, and she came to him. Secretly David had Uriah sent into battle under known circumstances that would result in his death. From that time forward it seems evident that the Hand of the Lord was no longer in David's favor, with the exception that it was David who established "Moriah" as recognized in Jerusalem, as the Holy Place which became the Altar of the Temple and the center of National worship.

David dies at 70 years of age and buried there in Jerusalem "The City of David." "David furnishes the most brilliant example of the noble elevation of character produced through the old religion"[39]

David had a heart for God, and that was counted unto him as righteousness. Where would any one of us be if it were not for the grace of God, because He loved us first?

David and all those who follow in the genealogy are from the tribe of Judah. David is the first king of Judah and much of biblical history now follows the kings of the tribe of Judah - because that is the route to the Messiah. In both genealogies, Matthews and Luke's, there is no mention of those tribes who made up the Northern kingdom of Israel.

Solomon the father of Rehoboam, (971-931 B.C.)
Now comes the long line of the successions of the Kings of Judah. While Saul was the first king over all Israel, David was the first king of Judah. He was proclaimed King by the people of Judah even before Saul was dead and before the whole nation of Israel received him as King.

Solomon succeeded David. Under Solomon the kingdom became an empire. Under Solomon the camel was brought into domestication which greatly increased trade and mobility. Solomon brought to fullness the iron and copper industries (Solomon's mines). This gave the nation great quantities of gold in return for iron and copper as Israel developed its extensive shipping and trade industries. They had so much capital that they invested in the Horse and Chariot business which flourished and made them more and more capital as they sold multitudes of horses and chariots to the surrounding cities and countries.

Greatest of all his feats was the great Solomon's Temple. God had forbidden David from building a temple for God's presence among His people. Solomon's massive and expensive temple brought fame to Solomon as it became one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. But it was not to last.

Solomon had so intermarried with foreign pagan women in governmental alliances that idolatry and spiritual declension became the norm for Solomon. His whole personal and government life became unspiritual, unproductive, and unstable. In the end, Solomon's son Rehoboam, once crowned king, brought down the empire.

One lesson we learn from Solomon is that believing that you are important - to the exclusion of all else - brings ultimate failure. Once he was a man who loved God, as his father before him, but left God for Idols in order to enjoy the physical benefits of a rich life. Even here we see the hand of God moving to accomplish His purposes. Solomon (and all Israel as a result) had everything, but in the process lost their heart for God. Solomon introduces us to the decline of Israel. Fourteen generations of decline and then the punishment for leaving God comes at the hands of the Babylonians as they are taken captive as hostages and slaves.

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, (931-913 B.C.)
Solomon's marriage to an Ammonite princess results in the birth of Rehoboam. The Ammonites are descendants of Lot. The god of the Ammonite people was Moloch (the god who desires the sacrificial blood of children) (the god who fell on his face). The Ammonites were terrible and much feared. Rehoboam allowed all kinds of pagan gods and promoted their temples. Egypt rose up against him and he relinquished the treasures of the Temple of God to pacify them. The rest of Rehoboam's life was unremarkable.

He came to power about 915 B.C. and only reigned for three years. He advocated a theocratic government, tried to show the folly of opposing God's Kingdom, and concluded his term by urging Israel (not Judah) not to fight against God. However... he imitated his father's sins, and had fourteen wives, by whom he had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. After reigning for three years he was replaced by his son Asa.

A good thing gone bad is the story of Asa. He supported the worship of God and opposed idol worship. He did not, however, tear down idol centers of worship. His reign was so good and peaceful that Israelites from Israel began to migrate to Judah. This eventually led to difficulties and preparations for war by Israel along Judah's borders.

In the middle of these problems Asa joined with an aliance with Damascas and attempted an invasion into Israel. His lack of faith and unfaithful actions against Israel brought the prophet Hanani as a warning from God. Asa turned against Hanai and against his own people. He became "ill in his feet" and "sought not the Lord" about it and depended upon physicians. He died soon afterwards of his illness (his early death was probably due to his unfaithfulness more than his feet).

He took the throne when he was thirty-five and reigned for twenty-five years. His oldest son married Athaliah who was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. He was a good king and the nation of Judah was greatly strengthened during his reign. "Jehoshaphat sought the Lord with all his heart."[42]

Ahaziah, Joram's older brother was to inherit the throne but was murdered in office. Jehoram the younger brother succeeded him as King and is the son whom is referenced in the genealogy.

Missing are Joash (835-796), Amaziah (796 [790] - 767 co-regent for 23 years with Uzziah).

Upon his father's death he took the throne at 16. He was a great warrior. He strengthened the walls of Jerusalem, and was a great patron of agriculture. He never deserted the worship of the true God. Unfortunately he was so pleased with himself that he decided to offer incense on the Altar - forbidden by God (Exodus 30:7,8). As he approached the altar he was stricken with leprosy. He continued to rule with the help of his son Jotham for 13 more years.

He was a mildly good king. He took office at 25 and he reigned for sixteen years. He was a builder of buildings and cities. Like his father he was mildly good but did not try to take on the priestly functions as his father had.

Ahaz was 20 when he became King. It is reported that he gave himself up to a life of wickedness. 2 Chronicles 28:3 states, he "burnt his children in the fire" (sacrificed by fire). During troubled military times Ahaz went to the Assyrians (Tiglath-Pileser was king there) for help. Assyria basically bought Judah and took the treasures of the Temple in return for their help - that seemed all right with Ahaz at the time. Judah became a vassal state to Assyria. Isaiah was Prophet at this time. Ahaz died, unlamented, in Jerusalem but "his body was not buried with his fathers in the city of David."

Hezekiah was a reformer. He repaired and reopened the Temple. He is one of the few that "tore down the high places," the places of idol worship. During his father's reign (Ahaz) the brazen serpent of Moses had been used for the purposes of idol worship. Hezekiah destroyed it. One of his most amazing feats was the 1777 foot long underground aqueduct tunnel that supplied fresh water to the city when under siege.

Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah by Hephzi-bah. All the work that Hezekiah had completed was turned back to idolatry through Manasseh and his fascination with the occult. The statue of Moloch was restored to the valley of Hinnom and child sacrifices were once again established. According to rabinical tradition Isaiah was sawn asunder by order of Manasseh and there was no prophet until Josiah. It was at this time that the nation of Assyria began to take direct control of Judah.

However, God brought Manasseh to repentance and restored the kingdom to him. Manasseh tried to put back all that he had torn down, but the people did not follow his lead in returning to God.

Amon was like his father but without repentance. He was murdered by internal conspirators. His son was placed upon the throne at 8 years of age.

Josiah takes the throne after the murder of his father Amon at eight years of age. At the age of 16 he began to return the nation to God. He continued to purge the nation (and of Israel) from Idolatry. It is Josiah who when the scrolls of the Law were found he read them before the people in hopes that the nation could repent in time to avoid the wrath of God from their disobedience. However it was too late for, "the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath"[47] Both Jeremiah and Zephaniah mention Josiah in their prophecies.

The carrying away of the people of Judah was not accomplished all at once. Sennacherib, of Assyria, carried off 200,000 captives of the major cities he invaded. For the next several years the Assyrians carried off many more from Israel and Judah. The Babylonians came into power at this time and invaded Assyria, taking them captive (along with the Israelites). As the Assyrians were moving to take Judah into captivity the Babylonians moved in and took them both into captivity.

The captivities came about because of the nearly total departure of the people from God. They assimilated themselves into every pagan culture that Israel and Judah came in contact with. Even worse, through complete intermarriage the became worshippers of idols. They were given clear and continuous warnings through God's prophets. Their message of "Repentance, and a return to the ancient, the everlasting, and the true God" was completely ignored. In biblical terms the deportation of the Israelites and the Judeans was just. They were in complete violation of their covenant with God.

During their time of captivity the Jews became largely assimilated into the cultures of the locations where they were placed. They largely lost their language and culture. The governments of Damascas, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Egypt, and Greece all came and went during their captivity. And one country at a time take control over the captives. About a hundred years before Jesus is born Rome comes to power.

Missing is Jehoahaz 608 b.c., bad king, ruled for 3 months. Oldest son of Josiah.

Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel,[49]
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Jeconiah (Eliakim was renamed Jechoniah by the King of Egypt. (Jehoiakim) (Jechoniah) (Coniah) became the father of Shealtiel,[51](609-597) He was the second son of Josiah. Bad, ruled for 11 years. Reigned 3 months and 18 days. He "did evil in the sight of the Lord." Jeremiah prophesied that he would not have a son who sat on the throne after Jehoiakim burned the scrolls of the Word of God.[52]

30 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night."

That's exactly what happened to him. The people of Judah violently killed him and threw his dead body over the wall of Jerusalem (perhaps to let his enemies that he was really dead).

He "did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord." Under siege he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar's forces and he was imprisoned in Babylon for 36 years and when Nebuchadnezzar had died the next king of Babylon not only released him but gave him financial support in exchange for his being placed in control of the captives.

Zedekiah missing (Mattaniah) (597-586) The Last King who sat on David's Throne. At the time he was the only surviving son of Josiah. He was put on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar (Babylonian King of the invasion) to replace Jehoiachin who went into captivity. Under the time period of Zedekiah Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed as Babylon completes the captivity of Judah. Zedekiah mounted a "last ditch" attempt at routing the Babylonians by attempting to join with the Egyptian army. He was found out. He and his sons were sent to Nebuchadnezzar for breaking his oath of allegiance. Nebuchadnezzar ordered Zedekiah's sons to be murdered before his eyes, and he had his eyes gouged out immediately after. He was loaded with chains and taken to Babylon where he died.

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, (586-538, when Zerubbabel becomes Price of Judah)

There seems to be a discrepancy in who's son Zerubbabel is. Some passages report Shealtiel and others report Pedaiah. Here is the note written by Keil.

"The descrepancy between 1 Chronicles 3:19 and other passages as to the parentage of Zerubabel is explained by the supposition that "Shealtiel died without any male descendants, leaving his wife a widow ... after Shealtiel's death his second brother, Pedaiah, fulfilled the Levirate duty, and begat, in his marriage with his sister-in-law, Zerubbabel, who was now regarded, in all that related to laws of heritage, as Shealtiel's son."

This is an excellent answer to the seeming paradox. It both answers the question as to who his father was, and at the same time leaving the scriptures whole and accurate. The final truth of the matter can not be determined this side of heaven - but this is a good answer.

He is probably the same as Judah, son of Joanna, and father of Joseph in the maternal line (Luke 3:26), and also as Obadiah, son of Arnan, and father of Shechaniah in 1 Chronicles 3:21.

          Azor the father of Zadok,
        Zadok the father of Achim,
        Achim the father of Eliud,

(the books of Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Esther, Ezra, 1+2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, Malachi)

          Eliud the father of Eleazar,
        Eleazar the father of Matthan,
        Matthan the father of Jacob,

When Jesus is 12 years old Joseph took Him and Mary to Jerusalem to keep the Passover, and upon their return to Nazareth continued to act as His father (Luke 2:41-51).

The Apocrypha provides other unsubstantiated and non-scripture information, and because of that fact cannot be trusted as truth.

The exact date of Jesus' birth is not known. Changes in various calendars over the first few hundred years has hindered agreement. Much is known about the political characters in the life of Jesus and that helps narrow His timing. Most conservative scholars place the date at 3-4 B.C.

CE usually stands for "Common Era." AD is an abbreviation for "Anno Domini" in Latin or "the year of the Lord" in English. Both measure the number of years since the approximate birthday of Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ) a little over two millennia ago.

CE and AD have the same value. That is 1 CE = 1 AD, and 2011 CE = 2011 AD. The word "common" simply means that it is based on the most frequently used calendar system: the Gregorian Calendar.

BCE stands for "Before the common era." BC means "Before Christ," or "Before the Messiah." Both measure the number of years before the approximate birthday of Yeshua/Jesus. The designation of a year in B.C. and BCE also have identical values.

This newest dating "naming" is the result of anti-Jewish and anti-Christian movements that we know call "politically correct," so as to not offend any other geo-political-religious-atheistic-etc. group.

The Gospel of Matthew states that Jesus was born when Herod the Great ruled in Judea. Herod is reported to have died in 4 B.C., Jesus must have been born either very early in that year or soon before. The Gospel of Luke states that the birth took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria in a reported date of A.D. 6. Arguments surrounding Jesus’ exact date of birth have confounded scholars for centuries.

From my vantage point it would seem that if the date of Herod's death is late in 4 b.c. and Quirinius was governor of Syria in 6 a.d. then there is still some archeological and historical information that has not yet been found. We know that what the scriptures report is true so eventually science and archeology will agree with the scriptures.

The 14,14,14 scheme is Hebrew poetry (Matthew wrote to mostly Hebrews - his target audience). For the Hebrew mind poetry fell into patterns of thought and not rhyme. Looking down through the list of names it should be evident that God is picking and choosing specific people and events, as well as following ancient genealogies. The lists, both Matthew's and Luke's, tell the story of God's methods and values. If you miss the character of the people in the list, where character has been chronicled, then you have missed one of the most important lessons.

Just a reminder, after so much detail, that Matthew's genealogical list proves certain legal rights that are passed down from generation to generation. The land, the Kingship, the Throne, etc. Also that at the bottom of this list is Joseph who is the step father of Jesus. As an "adopted" son Jesus receives all the rights handed down, without Mary being impregnated by Joseph. The important fact concerning the Virgin birth is that the father was God's Holy Spirit. The important fact from the scriptures is that sin is passed from generation to generation through the loins of the father. Therefore, Jesus does not become contaminated by sin by having a human father, instead His father is the Holy Spirit of God.

[1] Gaebelein, Arno C., Gospel of Matthew, Our Hope, New York.
We will be generally following Arno Clemens Gaebelein's Gospel of Matthew throughout this series. His writings on Matthew are extensive (Two 300 page volumes in this one book alone).

[2] Gaebelein, Ibid

[3] Key verses on The Davidic Covenant: 2 Samuel 7:4-16; 1 Chronicles 17:7-14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah Chapter 11; Psalm 89:3-4, 34-47

[4] Mason, Clarence E., Philadelphia College of Bible "Mason's Notes: Matthew", AncientPath.net

[5] The Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis Chapters 13, 14, 15, 17:6-8; 2 Samuel 7:10; Jeremiah 23:3-8, 33:14-26; Ezekiel 37:15-28; Galatians 3:16-18

[6] tn Grk “the book of the genealogy.” The noun βίβλος (biblo"), though it is without the article, is to be translated as definite due to Apollonius’ corollary and the normal use of anarthrous nouns in titles.

[7] Grk translation of the Heb: Yeshua (Joshua), meaning "The LORD saves"

[8] Grk Christos (Christ), Grk for Messiah, which means "Anointed One"

[9] As Abraham was the first from whose family it was predicted that Messiah should spring (Gen 22:18), so David was the last

[10] tn Grk “fathered.”

[11] Grk Judas; names of people in the Old Testament are given in their Old Testament form

[12] About 2160 B.C.

[13] I find it interesting that Kurdistan continues to suffer much persecution by the Iraqis because of the large Christian population there. It is also interesting that this area of what was then part of Babylon was famous for its astrologers and astronomers. They are noted in the book of Daniel (2:2; 10; 4:7, etc.). Their titles were magicians, sorcerers, diviners, etc., perhaps even Magi.

[14] Genesis 12:3; 13:14-17; 22:18; 14:5; 15:9, 10, 17; 17:1-8; 22:15-18

[15] About 2045 B.C.

[16] Moriah, Zion, Sion, the Mountain of Jerusalem

[17] Condensed from Genesis 22:1-18

[18] About 2060 B.C.

[19] About 2001 B.C.

[20] Grk Judas; names of people in the Old Testament are given in their Old Testament form

[21] About 1950 B.C.

[22] Genesis 49:8-12

[23] the young offspring of a mammal, such as a dog or wolf [fig., impudent youth]

[24] Genesis 50:20

[25] Genesis 49:10

[26] About 1925 B.C.

[27] The First High Priest besides Moses, the founding member of the Aaronic Priesthood, was married.

[28] From the family of Abraham's cousin Lot.

[29] The other pillar was named Jachin, "Yahweh will establish (jachin) thy throne forever."

[30] About 1017 B.C.

[31] sn By the wife of Uriah, i.e., Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam 11:3).

[32] About 1070 B.C.

[33] 1 Chronicles 2:13; 1- Eliab, 2- Abinadab, 3- Shimea, 4- Nethanel, 5- Raddai, 6- Ozem, 7- David.

[34] sn By the wife of Uriah, i.e., Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam 11:3).

[35] 1 Samuel 26:11

[36] Psalm 149:3

[37] Psalm 30:11

[38] Psalm 16:11

[39] Ewald, Hist. of Israel, Vol. iii, pp. 57, 58

[40] tc The reading ᾿Ασάφ (Asaf), a variant spelling on ᾿Ασά (Asa), is found in the earliest and most widespread witnesses (Ì^1vid א B C [D^luc] Ë^1,13 700 pc it co). Although Asaph was a psalmist and Asa was a king, it is doubtful that the author mistook one for the other since other ancient documents have variant spellings on the king’s name (such as “Asab,” “Asanos,” and “Asaph”). Thus the spelling ᾿Ασάφ that is almost surely found in the original of Matt 1:7-8 has been translated as “Asa” in keeping with the more common spelling of the king’s name.

[41] tc The reading ᾿Ασάφ (Asaf), a variant spelling on ᾿Ασά (Asa), is found in the earliest and most widespread witnesses (Ì^1vid א B C [D^luc] Ë^1,13 700 pc it co). Although Asaph was a psalmist and Asa was a king, it is doubtful that the author mistook one for the other since other ancient documents have variant spellings on the king’s name (such as “Asab,” “Asanos,” and “Asaph”). Thus the spelling ᾿Ασάφ that is almost surely found in the original of Matt 1:7-8 has been translated as “Asa” in keeping with the more common spelling of the king’s name.

[42] 2 Chronicles 22:9

[43] tc ᾿Αμώς (Amws) is the reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (א B C [D^luc] γ δ θ Ë¹ 33 pc it sa bo), and as such is most likely original, but this is a variant spelling of the name ᾿Αμών (Amwn). The translation uses the more well-known spelling “Amon” found in the Hebrew MT and the majority of LXX mss. See also the textual discussion of “Asa” versus “Asaph” (vv. 7-8); the situation is similar.

[44] tc ᾿Αμώς (Amws) is the reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (א B C [D^luc] γ δ θ Ë¹ 33 pc it sa bo), and as such is most likely original, but this is a variant spelling of the name ᾿Αμών (Amwn). The translation uses the more well-known spelling “Amon” found in the Hebrew MT and the majority of LXX mss. See also the textual discussion of “Asa” versus “Asaph” (vv. 7-8); the situation is similar.

[45] sn Before the mention of Jeconiah, several medieval mss add Jehoiakim, in conformity with the genealogy in 1 Chr 3:15-16. But this alters the count of fourteen generations (v. 17). It is evident that the author is selective in his genealogy for a theological purpose.

[46] sn Before the mention of Jeconiah, several medieval mss add Jehoiakim, in conformity with the genealogy in 1 Chr 3:15-16. But this alters the count of fourteen generations (v. 17). It is evident that the author is selective in his genealogy for a theological purpose.

[47] 2 Kings 23:21-16; 2 chronicles 35:1-19

[48] tn Because of the difference between Greek style, which usually begins a sentence with a conjunction, and English style, which generally does not, the conjunction δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[49] sn The Greek text and the KJV read Salathiel. Most modern English translations use the OT form of the name (cf. Ezra 3:2).

[50] tn Because of the difference between Greek style, which usually begins a sentence with a conjunction, and English style, which generally does not, the conjunction δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[51] sn The Greek text and the KJV read Salathiel. Most modern English translations use the OT form of the name (cf. Ezra 3:2).

[52] Jeremiah 36:30

[53] tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” The term χριστός (cristos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.

[54] tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”