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.
BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 2: Matthew 1:1-17
3) 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.
4) Matthew connects Jesus to David through Joseph. Most are names of those who were ordinary people.
5a)
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.
5b ) 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.
6) I think everything I have today is by God’s grace: my family, pets, home, job, etc. He gives me everything.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 2: Matthew 1:1-17
Check out this gem of a book I found about these great women of the Bible!
I love Matthew’s genealogy. They are all imperfect people — some of them just a written name — who all played a role in bringing salvation to the world. Pretty cool. They were all chosen by God for a purpose, as we all are chosen by Him for a purpose, too. Sometimes, we might not see that purpose right away.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew: Lesson 1, Day 2: Matthew 1:1-17
The first thing Matthew emphasizes is the history of Jesus. This is to show that Jesus came from Abraham, the patriarch of God’s people and of the Jewish faith and that he came from the line of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) to establish his rightful claim to be king. The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be a son of David.
You will see throughout Matthew that he makes a concerted effort to bridge the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is a 400-year gap that is known as the Intertestamental Period (between Testaments). This time was full of upheaval, chaos, uncertainty, wars, and more. Rome took over Jerusalem. Rome oppressed the Israelites, so they realized their only hope was God. The world most definitely needed saving. And the time was right for Jesus to come. With the relative peace of Pax Romana, travel was possible, so Jesus’s disciples could indeed spread the Good News. Quick summary HERE
ABOUT MATTHEW
Matthew (also known as Levi) was a tax collector who was despised by the people. Yet, he gave it all up to become an apostle of Jesus. It is likely Matthew was well-versed in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Furthermore, this is the only Gospel written by a disciple. It was the most highly valued Gospel and the most quoted before 180 AD. It appears first in most lists.
There are two main themes Matthew follows:
- Matthew connects Jesus as the Savior and King promised in the Old Testament
- Matthew records Jesus’s teachings to show us how to live a life with purpose by following God
THE GENEALOGY
The fact Matthew mentions the four women shows God’s grace and how God is for everyone. God identifies with sinners. God includes women. Note how Joseph is the husband of Mary, not the father of Jesus. Matthew uses the number 14 to organize his genealogy. There are 14 generations from Abraham to David, from David to Babylon, from Babylon to Jesus. It is not meant to be complete.
Luke shows Jesus’s genealogy through Mary, who is through Nathan, a different son of David. (Luke 3:31)
Interesting fact:
Matthew passed over a man named Jehoakim (2 Chronicles 36:5-8) in his genealogy between Josiah and Jechoniah (Matthew 1:11). Jeremiah the prophet revealed that God decreed that no blood descendant of Jehoakim would sit on the throne of Israel (Jeremiah 36:30-31) because he was so wicked. Mary was not a part of the blood curse on the line of Jehoiakim since she is descended from Nathan and not Solomon.
Fun facts:
- Matthew is known as the teaching Gospel.
- Matthew is the only evangelist to use the word “church.”
- Matthew is the Gospel of fulfillment.
TO THINK ABOUT
God gave us the Bible to show us how to live, to show us we are forgiven by Jesus’s sacrifice, we are his, and to give us purpose. By knowing God, we can experience everything God has for us. You are where you are at for a reason. What is that reason? Contact me today!
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