SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 1:1-17
Matthew lists the genealogy of Jesus in these 17 verses. You’ll find a mix of characters here, from prostitutes, such as Rahab to kings, such as David and Solomon. Most of the names are simply that — names of people whom the Bible does not talk about. However, God chose all to be a relative of Jesus. How cool is that?
Consider that there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, from David to the time of the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to the Messiah. Why the number 14? Matthew leaves out generations in order to create this numeric lineup. The letters of the Hebrew alphabet represented numbers, too. The letters in David’s name add up to 14, which is used to show that Jesus was the son of David, but also that Jesus is greater than David.
QUESTIONS FOR BSF 7-DAY CHALLENGE DAY 1: THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS: MATTHEW 1:1-17
1 ) It was super important in the Jewish culture at that time to know that Jesus, the son of God, came from those whom God chosen, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, and that he was of royal birth as the King of Kings. It lent credibility to the fact that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of the world as it proved Jesus’s royal line.
2 )
Tamar — Genesis 38
- Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to lay with Judah, her father-in-law. This was because Judah would not give her his son as her husband as he was required to do by law.
Rahab — Joshua 2; 6:17
- Rahab hid the spies sent by Joshua from the king of Jericho and so only her and her family was spared when Jericho was conquered. She turned away from her gods to the One, True God and was rewarded for it. She then married Salmon and became a direct relative of Jesus.
Ruth — Ruth 1; 4:13-17
- Ruth was a Moabitess who accompanied Naomi, her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem when her husband had died. She faithfully provided for Naomi, garnering the attention of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer. They were married, and the rest is history.
“Wife of Uriah” — 2 Samuel 11; 12:15, 18, 24
- The wife of Uriah was Bathsheba. David committed adultery with her, and she ended up conceiving. However, this child died as punishment for David’s adultery. The next son that was born was Solomon.
Mary — Luke 1:26-56
- God chose Mary to bear Jesus who was miraculously conceived.
3 ) None of these women are perfect. Tamar used deceit to conceive. Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth was a foreigner. Bathsheba committed adultery. Mary was a virgin. They all tell of how God uses whom he chooses for his purposes.
CONCLUSIONS TO BSF 7-DAY CHALLENGE DAY 1: THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS: MATTHEW 1:1-17
It feels good to dig into Matthew, doesn’t it? I’m seeing a list of people God chose who are all of different backgrounds, who are all imperfect, but who all fit his plan. This is us today — imperfect, different, and doing his purpose for our lives.
COMMENTARY TO BSF 7-DAY CHALLENGE DAY 1: THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS: MATTHEW 1:1-17
The fact that Matthew even mentions women at all breaks with ancient culture since women were of no value beyond wives back then. The five women are important. Three have Gentile backgrounds. One is a widow of a Gentile. And Mary was a virgin. This serves to prove God’s faithfulness to his people to bring forth a Savior as He promised and his mercy and grace to forgive. Jesus identifies with sinners and brings women to a place of importance from here on out.
Matthew has always been the first book in the New Testament. Many ancient Jews believed Matthew to have been written first, although most Bible scholars disagree with that today. It transitions well from the end of the Old Testament. It is Jewish-focused, proving that Jesus came from the Son of David and from Abraham. Those that Matthew leaves out he does so for a reason — most were wicked and cursed and posed problems that Matthew did not want the Jewish people to be hung up on. Plus, genealogies of the time frequently left geneations out.