And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Matthew 1: 6b - 17 ESV
Matthew 1: 6-17 Lines
By the wife of Uriah - Here we don't get the woman's name, but we know this to be Bathsheba, for she is referred to as the wife of Uriah. This is interesting because she is now with David, and they had already lost their first child, which was the result of adultery, but herein is also much grace. She is called the wife of Uriah still, so as not to make light of the infraction, but we also see the child of forgiveness in Solomon. Those that use David as a model for their own wrong doing do not have a heart after God, and they should look more closely, because every bit of discipline that God promised was fulfilled.
…9Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight.… 2 Samuel 12: 9-11
…22David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’ 23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12: 22-23
Solomon - Here is a young man that was given the chance from God to ask for anything, and he asked for wisdom, which all men should ask God for, yet he did not always choose the wisdom of God. Solomon broke all of the laws that were given to kings, taking many wives, so many that it made his father David's addiction look moderate. He traded in a lot of horses and chariots from Egypt, made money off of Syria, who would later become a thorn, and he married foreign women who worshiped foreign gods, which caused a stumbling block for him and his kingdom. His kingdom also had to bear the weight of his indulgences, and he raised a spoiled son to the throne after him.
Uzziah the father of Jotham - So I am skipping over a lot and just giving some highlights, but Uzziah was a king that did well administratively, but then he got a swelled head, and pride led him to a place that was only admissible to the priest, and there were strict definitions for who could be a priest. Uzziah crossed the line between church and state, and tried to be his own priest, offering up incense in the temple, but the Levitical priest held him back. He got belligerent with them and God gave him a case of leprosy for his insolence.
Hezekiah the father of Manasseh - Hezekiah was a good king, but he ended up having the worst sort of son. Manasseh is believed by most Jewish historians to be the one who gave the order to have the prophet Isaiah sawn in half. When men hate what God says, and yet cannot build a tower tall enough to get Him, as if that is even sane, they then use what power He has afforded them to kill the messenger.
…36Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.… Hebrews 11: 36-38
Jeconiah - This brings us to a very interesting and exciting point in the genealogy, a technical point, and a brilliant look at the sort of masterpiece, that is this work of literature, that we affectionately call the Bible.
Now there’s something very interesting. Remember whose line is this in Luke – or in Matthew? Joseph’s. Joseph’s. Okay? And I want you to notice something. Jeremiah 22:30. Just listen. Write it down. Jeremiah 22:30. Now listen to what it says. “Thus saith the Lord, Write this man down as childless,” And the man to whom it refers is Jeconiah, the same man. “A man who shall not succeed in his days: none of his offspring shall sit on the throne of David.” Did you get that? None of Jeconiah’s offspring will ever sit on the throne of David. That was the curse on Jeconiah of Jeremiah 22:30.
Now listen to me. If Jesus had been the real son of Joseph, he never could have sat on the throne of David. Did you get that? He would be under the curse. And yet, he had to be the legal son of Joseph to have the right. So God had to devise a plan by which he would be the legal heir to the throne, but that he would not be in the line of David descending through Jeconiah. And so God did it by the virgin birth, bypassing the actual blood line of Jeconiah and yet carrying the royal right to reign and descending the blood through the side of Mary.
So where would we find Mary's line? In Luke chapter 3, and notice verse 27. This lineage starts with Jesus and works it's way backwards to Adam, but where is Jeconiah?
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,[e] the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. Luke 3: 23-28
The virgin birth was not a story made up by some love struck teens or a girl who was raped by a Roman soldier. It was predicted by the prophet and was, as it had to be, to satisfy the curse against Jeconiah and the prophecy of Isaiah.
…13Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? 14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7: 13-14
Joseph the husband of Mary - This is the fourth named woman, a woman pregnant out of wedlock, and an obscure young girl. Now, to be skeptical about a virgin birth is reasonable, rational. How many of these have you seen, how many documented cases of this do we have? If it is true, then it is miraculous, and it is so difficult a thing that if I were a meticulous tax collector like Matthew, or a doctor, like Luke, I would have shied away from it as too much like fiction. It was predicted by Isaiah, and notice, it says in verse 14 of Is 7 above, "the Lord Himself will give you a sign", and let me explain something to you, a woman giving birth to a son is in no way a sign, as any fool will tell you, that happens all the time, every day. But, if a virgin gives birth, now that is a sign. So now, dear skeptic, if she is claiming to be the mother associated with that sign, then what manner of boy was He, and what manner of man did Jesus Christ become?
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