What Can We Learn From A Genealogy
Pastor Bob Yandian
Grace Church, Tulsa, OK
December 21, 2008
Matthew 1:1-17 KJV
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc 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.
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.
When we come to scriptures like this we wonder why they are here, and are tempted to skip over it. This is the genealogy that Mathew covers. This is a genealogy of a King of the Jews, from David and Abraham, going to Joseph. Luke shows a line that comes from Nathan the prophet that goes to Mary. You can get blessed from a genealogy. Let's see how.
Joseph was the legal father of Jesus but Mary was the natural mother. He had a legal and natural right to be what he was. Prophecy said Jesus in Genesis 22:18 would be the seed of Abraham. David was told that there would be a son that would sit on the throne forever. He would have to be a human to sit on the throne, and he would have to be divine to sit on the throne forever (2 Samuel 7:8-17).
Some facts and names from the genealogy:
- It contains both gentiles and Jews in the list.
Abraham was a gentile that became a Jew (there was no Jews before he became one). It happened when he put his trust in God. - This genealogy contains 5 woman. This is not normal in a Jewish Genealogy. It would be the men only
1. Tamar - a Jew who married Judah
2. Rahab - a gentile from Jerico, a Hitite
3. Ruth - a Moabite, a cursed race because of what they did to the Hebrew people. She married Boaz.
4. Bathsheba - who married David, also a Hitite.
5. Mary, a Jew who married Joseph and became the mother of Jesus. - The genealogy skips generations. Why does it does this?
v. 8 Joram begat Uziah, skipping three sons. v. 11 Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brothers, but he was the grandson. - The genealogy contains both good and bad people. But it also leaves out good and bad people.
Not-so-Godly people:
1. Tamar - wife of Judah. She married him by dressing up as a prostitute, because she could not get him to give his son as the law said to.
2. Rahab - a reformed prostitute.
3. Bathsheba - committed adultery with David
Godly people:
1. Mary
2. Jeruabel
3. Josiah
Those that are mentioned are believers, those that are not, are not believers.
God saves people from curses as this list of people show. You are free of a generational curse. You got that way when the blood of Jesus covers you. Anything in your family life at that point is covered.
God does not care about your heritage or your race. All of these people put trust in Jesus coming.
Matthew 1:11 KJV
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
There were three sons ignored here. The uncles of Jechonias. They were the three Kings of Judah at the time of the captivity. Jechonias was called Jehoiachin and Coniah, the later being the one used most in the Old Testement. At this point the genealogy listing. Coniah was a beliver but did not know the strength of God. He went to Egypt for help. That is when the curse came in:
Jeremiah 22:28 KJV
28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
The word vessel shows he is a believer, but one that God finds no pleasure.
Jeremiah 22:29-30 KJV
29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that 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.
The line was cut off here by the curse, they would no longer prosper when they sat on the throne. How could God keep the promise. Well the Luke genealogy shows us through the line of Nathan. This was another line of David. The lines never crossed.
Matthew 1:16 KJV
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
It does not say here that Joseph is the father of Jesus, it says that he married Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Matthew 1:21 KJV
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Jesus broke the curse of the line, saving them from their sins, and He also saves us from our sins as well.
Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures are King James version. The notes are based on what I heard. They may or may not reflect what the speaker said.
