From year to year, Christian adherents repeat by heart the expression: “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” However, the vast majority of these people do not even think about thinking about what this three-word phrase actually means. You, friends, after reading this article to the end and reflecting with us, can be convinced that the phrase “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” is directly related to the expression: “ The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob ” (Ex.3:15) – So what secrets are hidden in these symbolic names?..
"In the name of the Father"
Part 1. Father's legacy
“By faith Abraham obeyed the calling to go to the country which he had to receive as an inheritance, and he went, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land as if it were a stranger, and lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, joint heirs of the same promise; For he looked for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:8-10).
Coming to earth, the Son of the Most High Jesus said: “If you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham.” “Seek above all the Kingdom of God... do not be afraid, little flock! for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom. Sell your property and give alms. Prepare for yourselves... unfailing treasure in heaven” (John 8:39. Luke 12:31-33). It is for this reason that the descendants of Abraham, upon leaving Egypt, having taken possession of seven nations in the land of Canaan, had to live in booths (booths - Nehemiah 8:14-16) or tents. All this was a symbol, a prophetic action: the sons of the Heavenly Father do not have a “permanent city” here - in all respects considering themselves only temporary residents of the “kingdoms of the earth” (Rev. 17:10). The Apostle Paul wrote about this: “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I counted loss for Christ’s sake. And I count all things as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Him I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ... but our citizenship is in heaven, from where we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ" ( Phil.3:7,8,20).
Part 2. Father's Faith
Abraham and his wife Sarah, having lived to old age, had no children. But it was precisely in numerous offspring that the earthly blessing of the Almighty for Abraham lay. Hearing about this, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, ... so that he became the father of all who believe” (Rom. 4:11,12).
When the promised son Isaac reached adolescence, God said to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, the one you love, Isaac; and go to the land of Moriah and there offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you” (Gen. 22:2). Of course, this story was a prophetic act, pointing to a significant sacrifice from heaven: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). .
After the so-called “sacrifice” of Isaac, the Most High swore by himself: “in [your son] all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Gen. 22:18). Abraham prophetically believed that after the sacrifice God would raise Isaac (Heb. 11:19.) - thanks to the sacrifice of the risen Christ, through seven weeks, at Pentecost (Acts 2 ch.) we observe the events that were prophesied: “Whoever heard such? who has seen anything like this? did the country arise in one day? Was a people born at one time, like Zion, as soon as she began to suffer from childbirth, she gave birth to her sons? (Isa.66:8). Later, the Apostle Paul, adding to this topic, would write: “Abraham had two sons, one from a slave, and the other from a free woman. But he who is of a slave is born according to the flesh; and the one who is free, the one according to the promise. We, brethren, are the children of the promise according to Isaac.” “Know then that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal.3:7) (Gal.4:22,23,28. Gal.3:7,29,26). So, friends: reading these words, we see that Abraham was the prototype, the image of the Heavenly Father, the Father of all true believers.
"In the Name of the Son"
Part 1.
The Great Altar So, the Most High Yahweh said: “Go to the land of Moriah and there offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains about which I will tell you. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh. Therefore [and] now it is said: on the mountain of Jehovah he will be provided” (Gen. 22:2,14).
Subsequently, throughout the entire biblical narrative, this point in the world carries the most important symbolic meaning. Five hundred years after the event with the son Isaac, the Law will say: “Beware of offering your burnt offerings in every place that you see; But in the place that the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, you shall offer your burnt offerings and do all that I command you” (Deut. 12:13,14).
When the forefather of Christ, David, needed to build an altar and bring a burnt offering as a sacrifice for a sinful people, so that the destruction of Israel by the Angel would stop (2 Samuel 24: 1, 18, 25.) - the Almighty Yahweh pointed exactly to the place where he was sacrificed son of Abraham, Isaac. Scripture says: “And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, which was shown to David his father, in the place that David had prepared” (2 Chronicles 3:1). Thus, we come to the conclusion that it was Mount Moriah, where a ram (lamb) was sacrificed instead of Isaac, that later became known as Mount Zion. Approximately two thousand years later, the Apostle John would describe his vision as follows: “I looked, and behold, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having the name of His Father written on their foreheads. … They were redeemed from among men, as the firstborn of God and the Lamb” (Rev. 14:1,4).
Part 2. Son of old age
The story about Abraham emphasizes that this man received the promised son Isaac in his old age (compare: Gen. 37:3-8.). Symbolically, this indicates that true children—the offspring of the Holy Spirit—appeared to the Most High Father, the “Ancient of Days,” much later than the creation of the Angels and the material universe. So, for example, about Angels we read: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to minister for those who are to inherit salvation?.. For He does not receive angels, but He receives Abraham’s seed ” (Heb. 1:14; 2: 16). It is noteworthy that the Lord himself, as the Son of God - Christ, is literally not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament writings. When we read about Him, we see only promises, prophecies about the Son, pointing to what should happen in the future. So, for example, it says: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son.” And again: “I will proclaim the decree: The Lord said to Me: You are My Son; Today I have begotten You” (Heb. 1:5. Ps. 2:7) – When did this happen: “today”?..
Throughout Old Testament history, the Almighty Yahweh never communicated directly with people - but sent His Angel [Messenger - Word] - see: Gen. 18:13,14. Acts 7:35,38. John 1:1-4. So the Most High God addressed Israel through Moses: “Behold, I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Watch yourself before His face and listen to His voice; Do not persist against Him, for He will not forgive your sin, for My name is in Him” (Ex. 23:20,21). And now, let us pay attention to the New Testament scriptures: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David... He will be called the Son of God: and when he came up out of the water, immediately [John] saw the heavens opening and the Spirit a dove descending on Him. And a voice came from heaven: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ... Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic: child! your sins are forgiven you. Some of the scribes thought in their hearts: Why is He blaspheming so much? Who can forgive sins except God alone?” (Luke 1:31,32,35. Mark 1:10,11; 2:5-7, 10.).
So, based on the above passages of the Gospel, one should conclude:
Only after the coming of the “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:1,2.), having been born: 1) through the flesh, along the line of David 2) from water and the Spirit (John 3:5) - the firstborn Archangel-Word became Jesus Christ, Son of God in the full sense of the word.
Part 3. Isaac's marriage
“And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest in his house, who was in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, and swear to me by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take for my son a wife from among the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my land, to my homeland, and take a wife for my son Isaac” (Gen. 24:2-4).
So, Abraham's servant had to go to the land of Babylon [Chaldea] and find a relative wife there for his son. Could this story have meaning for true followers of Christ?
Let's pay attention to these two texts, friends: For it is written: Abraham had two sons, one by a bondwoman, and the other by a freewoman. ... There is an allegory in this. ... for Hagar means Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, because he and his children are in slavery; and Jerusalem above is free: she is the mother of us all. We, brethren, are the children of the promise according to Isaac" (Gal. 4:22,24-28). “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun; under her feet is the moon, and on her head is a crown of twelve stars. … And she gave birth to a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and His throne. … And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:1,5,17). These passages of Scripture speak of the “wife” of the Heavenly Father, of the Heavenly Kingdom, “Mount Zion” [heavenly Jerusalem] – a prototype of which was Abraham’s wife, Sarah [Mother of Multitude] – see: Isaiah 53:1-5,13.
And now, friends, attention:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king, who made a wedding feast for his son” (Matthew 22:2) - What kind of bride should be intended for the Son?
- “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. … And those whom He predestined, He also called. … There is no longer Jew or Gentile; ...if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Rom. 8:14,29,30. Gal.3:28,29). The Apostle Paul wrote to these people: “I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you to Christ as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2. See: Rev. 19:7,8.).
From all the above texts we can notice:
- The One God, Heavenly Father Yahweh, has his “wife” - the Kingdom of Heaven, “Mount Zion, Jerusalem on High.”
- For the Son, in the figurative sense of the word, his own “wife” is prepared: a spiritual temple “on Mount Zion” (Rev. 14:1. 1 Cor. 3:16.).
The Apostle Paul addressed his fellow men: “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church” (Eph. 5:30-32).
Concluding the study of this topic, friends, it would be logical to recall the instruction for the faithful followers of Christ, for those whom the Father has betrothed to His Son: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with iniquity? What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the complicity of the faithful with the infidel? What is the relationship between the temple of God and idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell in them and walk [in them]; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean; and I will receive you. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:14-18).
Games and entertainment
Baking bread
In Genesis 18:6, Abraham hurried to Sarah’s tent and said, “Take the best flour and knead it and bake bread.”
There is an easy bread recipe on the next page. You can swap it out for another bread recipe or your family's favorite recipe.
Shopping list
In order to prepare food for the guests, Abraham made a list of things to do.
Plan what meals you want to cook together and make a shopping list. Then go to your local store and let your child find the items they need and check them off the list.
Musical statues
A classic holiday game. When the music stops, everyone must freeze and wait for the music to start playing again. This will help you understand how important it is to wait for the right moment.
"In the name of the Holy Spirit"
Part 1. Confrontation
“The sons in the womb of [Rebekah, Isaac's wife] began to beat... The Lord said to her: two tribes are in your womb, and two different nations will come from your womb; one people will become stronger than the other, and the greater will serve the lesser. The children grew up, and Esau became a man skilled in hunting, a man of the fields; but Jacob was a meek man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau because his game was to his taste, and Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob cooked food; and Esau came from the field tired. And Esau said to Jacob, Give me something red to eat, this red thing, for I am tired. But Jacob said, Sell me your birthright now. Esau said: Behold, I am dying, what is this birthright to me? Jacob said: Swear to me now. He swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob” (Gen. 25:22,23,27-33).
If at that moment these “empty words” about selling the birthright were worth nothing to Esau, then the Almighty appreciated the act of these two brothers. And no matter how much the father loved Esau, the daring hunter, the courageous first-born, no matter how much he put him above the meek, “domestic” Jacob, the plans of the Almighty clearly did not include such preferences for Isaac. The time of reckoning came quietly, like a thief; in the book of Genesis, chapter 27, the story is described of how, by inspiration from Above, the father of these two brothers was deceived; and Jacob received that primacy, which Esau so frivolously neglected.
In this story, the blindness of Isaac's father, who blessed Jacob, symbolically indicated that: “God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation whoever fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. ... As in Hosea he says: I will call not my people my people, and not my beloved, beloved. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” there they will be called sons of the living God” (Acts 10:34,35. Rom. 9:25,26).
Subsequently, the Edomite people descended from Esau were considered as wicked as their progenitor; all together, they bore the image of the wicked Israel according to the flesh, who was at enmity with Israel according to the Spirit (Rom. 9: 7-12. Galat. 4: 29.). Christ said to the Jews, the spiritual followers of Esau: “Then you will begin to say: we ate and drank before You, and You taught in our streets. But He will say: I tell you, I don’t know you, where you come from; Depart from Me, all workers of iniquity. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourself being cast out. And they will come from the east and the west, and the north and the south, and will lie down in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last which will be first, and there are first which will be last” (Luke 13:26-30).
Moral: the same thing, in the form of a collective image pointing to the wicked Jews, happened to the thief, Judas Iscariot. It was precisely because of his wicked nature that he then became a traitor, deprived of his apostleship-“firstborn” (see: John 12:6; 13:21,26,27. Acts 1:15-26.). The Apostle Paul wrote on this occasion: “lest there be [among you] any fornicator or wicked man, who, like Esau, gave up his birthright for one meal. For you know that after this he, desiring to inherit the blessing, was rejected; “I could not change [my father’s] thoughts, although I asked with tears” (Heb. 12:16,17. See: Matt. 27:3-5. 2 Thess. 2:10-12.).
Part 2. Jacob's Dream - meaning
“And [Jacob] saw in a dream: behold, a ladder stood on the earth, and its top touched the sky; and behold, the angels of God ascend and descend on it. And behold, the Lord stands on it and says: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie will I give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants will be like the sand of the earth; and you will spread to the sea, and to the east, and to the north, and to the noonday; and in you and in your seed all families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 28:12-14).
—What is the significance of this stairway to heaven? How and when did this dream come true?
After about two thousand years, Christ will say to the disciples: “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen a greater man than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it. … From now on you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (Matt. 11:11,12. John 1:51). These words once again remind us that the expression: “I am the God of Jacob” is common to the expression: “in the name of the Holy Spirit.” “From the days of John the Baptist,” thanks to the Sacrifice of Christ, being born of the Holy Spirit, a true priesthood was formed to the Heavenly Father, which must intercede for the rest of humanity; It was from this time that the path to Heaven was opened (Heb. 10:19,20. John 3:13.). Pay attention, friends, to the order set forth by the Apostle Paul: “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will live, each in his own order: Christ the firstborn, then those who belong to Christ at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:22,23). And, further: “And what else can I say? I do not have enough time to tell about Gideon, about Barak, about Samson and Jephthah, about David, Samuel and (other) prophets. … And all these, which were testified to faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that without us they would be made perfect” (Heb. 11:32,39,40). – What does the last expression above mean? — We can see the answer in the book of Revelation: “they [the fellow priests of Christ born of the Holy Spirit] came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4). And, further: “the rest of those who died did not live again until the thousand years were completed” (Rev. 20:5(a)). These “rest of the dead” are those prophets who “not without” these priests of Christ will achieve the Kingdom of God; so, for example, the prophet Daniel was told: “go to your end and you will rest, and you will rise to receive your lot at the end of days” (Dan. 12:13. See: John 5:24.).
Part 3. Rachel and Leah
In the 29th chapter of the book of Genesis, it is narrated that Jacob served for Rachel for seven years. However, having gotten married, it was only the next day after the wedding night that Jacob realized that instead of Rachel, he had been “substituted” for another: his older sister Leah. The father of this unloved newlywed explained it this way: “in our place they don’t do that, to give the younger one away before the older one; Finish this week, then we will give you that week for the service that you will serve with me for another seven years” (Gen. 29:26,27). After the next seven years, Jacob married Rachel.
Time will pass and the Almighty will say in his Law: “Do not take a wife with her sister, to make her a rival, so as to expose her nakedness in her presence during her lifetime” (Lev. 18:18). However, this story with Jacob’s wives carries a symbolic meaning: just as in the story with Esau and Jacob, Leah and Rachel (from the same related family as Sarah and Rebekah) fought in their own way for the “birthright” "from her husband Jacob.
Reading about the lives of the sons of Rachel (the younger wife and Jacob), we can also see a principle that can invariably be traced throughout biblical history: “the first will be last, and the last first” (Matt. 19:30; 20:16. Luke. 13:30). Moses wrote: “Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors. And Joseph saw a dream, and told his brothers: ... behold, we are binding sheaves in the middle of the field; and behold, my sheaf rose up and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round and bowed down to my sheaf. And his brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us?” will you really rule over us? And they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words” (see: Gen. 37:3-10). The further story is about Rachel's son Joseph; we see him as a prophetic image of the Son of Christ. So Joseph was betrayed to the pagans for twenty pieces of silver by his own brothers, at thirty years old he appeared before Pharaoh to intercede for the people, feeding them with bread. “And Pharaoh said to Joseph: You will be over my house, and all my people will keep your word; Only with the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh took his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; He dressed him in fine linen, and put a golden chain around his neck; ordered to take him to the second of his chariots and proclaim before him: bow down! And he set him over all the land of Egypt” (See: Gen. 41:37-46).
Another surprising thing is this: instead of Joseph allegedly “torn to pieces by a beast” (compare: Dan.7:7,19-21,26. Dan.11:22.) – Benjamin (also: son of Rachel) should have taken his place. This detail also has its own symbolic meaning; For reflection on this topic, we offer you passages of Scripture in logical order: 1 Kings 12:20. 2 Chronicles 11:12. (Col.2:17.) John 10:16. Luke 13:29,30. Rom.11:1,13. Phil.3:5. 1 Timothy 2:7. Eph.2:11-14.
— Reading the above texts, we see: the Apostle Paul, from the family of Benjamin, was the spiritual “father” (1 Cor. 4:15.) of the pagans - called to the Kingdom of the “Benjamites”, “lesser brothers” of the deceased and resurrected Firstborn “Joseph”-Christ . “There is no longer Jew or Gentile. … If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:28,29). “Therefore, this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says about the house of Jacob: Then Jacob will not be ashamed, and his face will no longer turn pale. his children among himself , then they will holyly honor my name and holyly honor the Holy One of Jacob, and revere the God of Israel. Then those who wander in spirit will learn wisdom, and those who are disobedient will learn obedience” (Is. 29:22-24. See: Jer. 31:15-17. Eze. 36:25-27.).
Part 4. The Twelve Sons of Jacob
When the “Eternal Father” (Isaiah 9:6), the greater “Isaac,” was asked: “Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it, and his children and his cattle?” (John 4:12) - Christ will say: “The water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life.” “These things He said concerning the Spirit, which those who believed on Him were about to receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given to them, because Jesus was not yet glorified. …And they all drank the same spiritual drink: for they drank from the spiritual stone that followed; and the stone was Christ” (John 4:14; 7:37-39. 1 Cor. 10:4).
Soon, the twelve apostles of Christ, born of the greater “James” - the Holy Spirit, themselves appeared as a kind of “streams of living water”, “ patriarchs ”, through whom spiritual Israel multiplied (see: Ex. 15:27. Acts 8:18; 9:31). On the night before His death, the Lord said to these sons of the Spirit: “You who have followed Me, in the end of life, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28. See : Rev. 21:1,9,10,14.).
Message 4
Ancestors of the King and His status
(4)
Now we come to the last part of the genealogy of Christ according to Matthew. In a previous message I said that this part of the Word is not milk or meat, but bones. All of the points covered in this post will help us get into that bone and see what's inside.
T. King David gave birth to Solomon
In Matt. 1:6 says, “David begat Solomon.” Let's compare this statement with the record that David's son is Nathan (Luke 3:31). Nathan was also the son of David. Matthew's genealogy says that David's son was Solomon, and Luke's genealogy says David's son was Nathan. After reading 1 Chron. 3:1, we will see that these are two different people. Luke's record gives the genealogy of David's son Nathan, who was the ancestor of Mary, and Matthew's record gives the genealogy of David's son Solomon, who was the ancestor of Joseph. One genealogy represents Mary's line, the wife's line, and the other genealogy represents Joseph's line, the husband's line. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David, but they belonged to two different families descended from the same progenitor. One family is the family of Solomon; the other family is Nathan's family. By God's sovereignty, Mary and Joseph, descendants of these two families, were betrothed and produced Christ. Christ can be considered a descendant of David both on the part of Solomon and on the part of Nathan. Therefore He has two genealogies.
Solomon's connection with Christ was not direct. Strictly speaking, Solomon was not a direct ancestor of Christ. His connection with Christ was indirect, through the marriage of his descendant Joseph to Mary, from whom Christ was born (Matt. 1:16).
The Old Testament did not say that Christ would be a descendant of Solomon, but the Old Testament repeatedly prophesied that Christ would be a descendant of David (2 Sam. 7:13-14; Jer. 23:5). Although Christ was not a direct descendant of Solomon, nevertheless, the Old Testament prophecies about Christ were fulfilled.
W. Rehoboam
Let's move on to Rehoboam, son of Solomon (v. 7). Beginning with Rehoboam, David's kingdom was divided (1 Kings 11:9-12; 12:1-17). Of the twelve tribes, one was preserved for the sake of David (1 Kings 11:13), that is, for Christ. Christ needed the kingdom that belonged to the house of David because He was to be born as the heir to the throne of David. If the entire kingdom were to fall apart, there would be nothing left to enable Christ to be born as David's royal heir. Therefore, God saved one of the tribes for David. On the face of it, it was reserved for David; in fact it was reserved for Christ.
After this division, David's kingdom consisted of two parts: the northern part, which was called the Kingdom of Israel, and the southern part, which was called the Kingdom of Judah. The northern part was called the Kingdom of Israel (general name) because it included the ten tribes of Israel. The southern part was called the Kingdom of Judah (local name) because it included two tribes: Judah and Benjamin. Which name, from your point of view, is better in meaning: the Kingdom of Israel or the Kingdom of Judah? I would, of course, give preference to the Kingdom of Israel, since this name denotes something common, something intended for the majority. I would never give preference to Judas, because Judas is something too local, too narrow. However, despite the fact that the kingdom of Israel was more general than the kingdom of Judah, the name of a single Israeli king is not included in the genealogy of Christ. Their kingdom was common, but they were excluded from the lineage of Christ. They were excluded because they were not related to Christ.
This picture, like all other elements in the Old Testament, was painted to teach us something, and it is a type of events that take place in the New Testament age. Today we see the same thing. In principle, in the beginning the church was united. But after some time the church was divided, not into two parts, but perhaps into more than two thousand parts. Some might say, “Weren’t the people of the kingdom of Israel still God’s people?” Of course there were. They were God's people, but they were outside the line of Christ. What does it mean? If you are outside the line of Christ, it means that although you are God's people, you are not living for Christ, but for something else. Look at today's situation. We are all true Christians, and we are all God's people. But do we live exclusively, purely, completely and unconditionally for Christ or for something else? If you live not for Christ, but for something else, then you are outside the line of Christ. For this reason, none of the kings of the northern kingdom, that is, the larger and more general kingdom, are included in the genealogy of Christ.
F. Joram begat Uzziah
Verse 8 says, “Joram begat Uzziah.” Compare this entry with 1 Chron. 3:11 and 12, which says: “His son is Jehoram; his son Ahaziah; his son Joash; his son Amaziah; his son Azariah” (aka Uzziah - 2 Kings 15:1, cf. 2 Chron. 26:1). Matthew omitted the three generations listed in 1 Chronicles: Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah.
The reason, obviously, was the vicious marriage of Joram with the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who corrupted the descendants of Joram (2 Chron. 21:5-6; 22:1-4). Ahab was the king of the northern kingdom, and his wife Jezebel was a vicious woman, most closely associated with idols. Because she was one with the devil, she corrupted her husband. They produced a daughter, and Joram, one of the kings of Judah, married her. This woman taught Joram to worship idols, to be one with idols. Therefore, their family was corrupted. In accordance with Ex. 20:5 Three generations of Jehoram's descendants were excluded from the genealogy of Christ. In Ex. 20:5 says that anyone who forsakes God and worships idols corrupts himself and will bear God's curse to the third and fourth generation. Therefore, three generations of King Jehoram were excluded from the genealogy of Christ. We must learn a lesson here. If we want to be connected with Christ, we should never participate in anything that has to do with idols. God is a jealous God, and He will not tolerate idolatry in any way.
H. Josiah begat Jehoiachin
Verse 11 says, “Josiah begat Jehoiachin.” Let us compare this entry with the following words: “The sons of Josiah: .. the second Joachim... The sons of Joachim: Jehoiachin his son” (1 Chron. 3:15-16). One generation - Joachim - was omitted from the genealogy of Christ. The reason, apparently, was that he was made king by the Egyptian Pharaoh and that he collected tribute for the Pharaoh (2 Kings 23:34-35). Because he was so closely associated with Egypt, he was excluded from the genealogy of Christ. Egypt means peace. From these two records we see that anyone associated with idols or associated with the world will be excluded from the genealogy of Christ.
C. Captives of Babylon
Those who were carried into captivity in Babylon (vv. 11-12) were indirectly related to Christ through the marriage of their descendant Joseph to Mary. Even these captives were included in this sacred record of the genealogy of Christ because they were indirectly related to Him through Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Ch. Jehoiachin
Jehoiachin is not considered a king in the genealogy because he was born during the captivity and was carried away into captivity (2 Chron. 36:9-10). According to the prophecy in Jer. 22:28-30, none of Jehoiachin's descendants were to inherit the throne of David. All his descendants were separated from the throne of David. If Christ were a direct descendant of Jehoiachin, He would have no right to the throne of David. In Jer. 22:28-30 states that all the descendants of Jehoiachin are disqualified from the throne of David, but in Jer. 23:5 says that God will raise up for David a sprout, a King who will reign and act wisely. This Germ is Christ. This prophecy confirms that Christ was to be a descendant of David, although not a direct descendant of Jehoiachin, and to inherit the throne of David.
Sh. Jehoiachin begat Shealtiel, Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel
Verse 12 says, “Jeconiah begat Shealtiel, Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel.” Let's compare this entry with the entry in 1 Chron. 3:17-19, which says: “The sons of Jeconiah:.. Shelatiel... Pedaiah... And the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel...”, which makes it clear that Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah, the brother of Shealtiel. Zerubbabel was not Salathiel's son, but his nephew, and became his heir. Perhaps the incident described in Deut. 25:5-6, which states that if a man dies without a son as an heir, his brother must marry his wife to produce a son to become his heir. Without this incident it is impossible to understand why in Deut. 25 contains such an order. Even these words from Deuteronomy relate to the genealogy of Christ.
Shield Zerubbabel
In Ezra. 5:1 and 2 states that Zerubbabel was one of the leaders who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. This means that he was a leader in the Lord's recovery. This is important. He was also the leader during the restoration of God's temple (Zech. 4:7-10).
If there had not been a return from captivity, Christ could not have been born in Bethlehem. It was definitely predicted in the Old Testament that Christ, as a descendant of David, would be born in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:4-6; Mic. 5:2). Suppose that none of the people of Israel returned to the land of Judah and the time had come for Christ to be born in Bethlehem. There would be no one there. Now we understand why God ordered the captives to return. God ordered the captives to return not only to rebuild God's temple, but also to prepare everything for the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.
Today exactly the same thing is happening. Someone may ask: “What difference does it make where to be: stay in Babylon or return to Jerusalem? Isn’t it the same thing, provided we worship God and walk in the Spirit?” This may be normal for you, but it is not normal for Christ. Christ needs people who will bring Him to Bethlehem. You can worship God and walk in the spirit in Babylon, but rest assured that Christ can never be born into humanity through you. This requires a special place. You must return from Babylon to the land of Judah. When the time came for the Lord Jesus to be born, some of the Israelites, descendants of the returned captives, were waiting in the land of Judah. Then Joseph and Mary were not in Babylon - they were in the land of Judah. For Christ to come to earth, some of His captive people had to return. For His second coming, Christ also needs some of His captive people to return from their captivity to the proper church life.
E. Jacob gave birth to Joseph
Here the genealogy says: “Jacob begat Joseph” (v. 16), but in Lk. 3:23 says that Joseph is the son of Eli. Whose son was Joseph? The entry in Luke says, “as they thought.” The literal translation of this expression is “according to the law.” From this it is clear that in fact Joseph was not the son of Eli, but was only considered as such according to the law. Joseph was the son-in-law of Eli, Mary's father. Perhaps the incident described in Num. 27:1-8 and 36:1-12, where God prescribes in the case where all the heirs of the parents are daughters, to transfer the inheritance to the daughters, who then must marry a person from the same tribe in order to maintain the inheritance for their tribe. If we didn't have Matt. 1, we might wonder why such a record exists. Now we see that this is not just a record of this or that prescription; it is something connected with Christ, because the virgin daughter who bore Christ was an example of the application of this precept. We believe that Mary's parents had no sons and that she inherited her parents' heritage and married Joseph, a man from the same tribe, the tribe of Judah. Even the injunction from Num. 27 and 36 relate to the genealogy of Christ. The entire Bible, literally or indirectly, is a record of Christ.
Yu Joseph, husband of Mary, from whom Jesus was born
In this case, the record of this genealogy does not say: “Joseph begat Jesus,” as was said about all before; it says, “...Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born” (v. 16). Jesus was born of Mary, not Joseph, because the prophecy stated that Christ would be the seed of a woman and born of a virgin (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14). Christ could not be born of Joseph because Joseph was a man and a descendant of Jehoiachin, none of whose descendants could inherit the throne of David (Jer. 22:28-30). If Christ had been born of Joseph, he would have been deprived of the throne of David. Mary, being a virgin (Luke 1:27) and being a descendant of David (Luke 1:31-32), was exactly the person from whom Christ was to be born. The marriage of Joseph and Mary connected Joseph by kinship with Christ and brought the two lines of Christ's genealogy together for His birth.
Now we need to look at the diagram on page 59, which shows that the genealogy of Christ begins with God and continues until it reaches Jesus. The first name is "God" and the last name is "Jesus". Genealogy leads from God to Adam, from Adam to Abraham, from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob further to David. After David, it is divided into two lines: the first goes from Nathan to Mary, and the second from Solomon to Joseph. Ultimately, through God's sovereignty in the marriage of Mary and Joseph, these two lines converge to bring Christ into the world. As we study this diagram for some time, we will realize how amazing God's sovereignty is.
All marriages are performed under God's sovereignty, especially marriages related to Christ. From God to David this genealogy was one line, and from David to Jesus there were two lines. However, these two lines were united through the marriage of Joseph and Mary. Jesus being born of Mary is the fulfillment of prophecies: the prophecy of the seed of the woman was fulfilled (Gen. 3:15); the prophecy that a virgin would give birth to a son (Isa. 7:14); the prophecy that Abraham would receive a seed that would bring blessing to all nations (Gen. 22:18); the prophecy spoken to Isaac and Jacob, which was the same as the prophecy spoken to Abraham (Gen. 26:4; 28:14); the prophecy told to Judah that Judah would be a royal tribe (Gen. 49:10), and the prophecy spoken to David (2 Sam. 7:12-13). Although the birth of Jesus fulfilled many prophecies in the Old Testament, He was not a descendant of Jehoiachin. At first glance, Jehoiachin's descendants still belonged to the royal line. But by God's sovereignty, Mary, the mother of Jesus, married Joseph, a descendant of Jeconiah, who, it would seem, continued the royal line. On the surface, Jesus was a descendant of Jehoiachin; in fact He was not. He was a descendant of David. Only God can arrange this. Glory to Him!
If you think about your history, the history of your salvation, you will see that the same principle is at work here. There is no need to think that the marriage of Joseph and Mary was an accident. He was no accident; rather, it was planned by God's sovereign hand. Likewise, your relationship with Christ—your salvation—is not an accident. Your salvation was also planned by divine hand. Sometimes I thanked the Lord and said to Him: “I am so glad that You placed me on earth not in 20 BC, but in the twentieth century. You placed me on earth in a place where missionaries came with the Bible. I was once born to a Christian mother. Then I had the opportunity to hear the gospel and I was saved. Hallelujah!" This was no accident. And your connection with Christ is also not an accident. God planned everything carefully. God arranged all this for little people like us. This is not something insignificant. When we enter eternity, we may be very surprised. We may exclaim, “Praise the Lord!”
I am Mary
Now let's move on to the Virgin Mary (1:16). Because Mary was a virgin, she was different from the other four women mentioned in this genealogy. Maria was pure and had no equal. She conceived not by man, but by the Holy Spirit, to give birth to Christ (Luke 1:34-35; Matt. 1:18b, 20b). This account of four remarried women and a single virgin confirms that all the people recorded in this genealogy were born of sin, with the exception of Christ, who was born into holiness.
AA. Called Christ
Matthew uses the expression “who is called Christ” (v. 16). In Luke's genealogy the title "Christ" is not mentioned. Luke mentions the name “Jesus” because Luke proves that the Lord came as a man, and not as the Anointed One, the King, the Messiah. Matthew, on the contrary, proves that Jesus is the King, the Messiah, prophesied in the Old Testament. Therefore he adds the words: “called Christ.”
BB. Abraham, David and Mary
Abraham, David and Mary are three pleasant names in the Bible. These are names that delight the ears of God (vv. 2, 6, 16). Abraham signifies a life of faith, David signifies a life under the cross, and Mary signifies a life of total submission to the Lord. It was through these three kinds of life that Christ was brought into being and entered into humanity.
The same principle applies today. Let's consider evangelism. The purpose of evangelism is to bring Christ to humanity. It requires a lot of faith, a life under the influence of the cross, and a life of complete submission to the Lord. If we have these kinds of lives, we will certainly bring Christ into humanity.
BB. Before David and after David
David represents the end of the generations of fathers and the beginning of generations of kings (v. 17). He was the man whom God used as a milestone to complete the part of the fathers and begin the part of the kings.
GG. Before and after relocation
During the degradation, there was no person who, like Abraham and David, would serve as a boundary separating generations. Therefore, resettlement became a frontier, a shameful frontier. At that time, the frontier was not man, but migration to Babylon. The Bible is careful to emphasize that no one person stood out as the milestone for that generation. It was a shame.
DD. Three groups of fourteen generations
Verse 17 talks about three groups of fourteen generations. The number fourteen is made up of ten plus four. Four represents creatures. In Rev. 4:6 we see four living creatures, and in Rev. 7:1 we see the “four corners of the earth” and the “four winds.” Ten denotes completeness. We often speak of a tenth, meaning a tenth of the fullness (see Gen. 14:20). Therefore in Matt. 25:1 we see ten virgins. Look at your two arms and two legs. You have ten fingers on both your hands and feet. Thus ten signifies completeness, and fourteen signifies creatures in fullness.
The fact that fourteen generations are multiplied by three means that the Triune God merges with creatures in fullness. This has a very deep meaning. The persons of the Triune God are Father, Son and Spirit. The genealogy consists of three parts: the part of the fathers, the part of the kings and the part of the common people, which includes those who were captured and those who were restored. Some of the fathers correspond to God the Father, some of the kings correspond to God the Son, and some of the common people correspond to God the Spirit. It is wonderful! Thus, three times fourteen signifies the merging of the Triune God with His creatures. This genealogy of Christ points to the merging of the Triune God with people, His creatures.
The Triune God traveled through Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Judah, Boaz and Obed, Jesse and David, and then through many other generations to Mary and Joseph. Finally Jesus appeared. Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Triune God who has traveled through all generations and emerged as the fusion of divinity with humanity.
Three times fourteen is forty two. Forty is a number representing trials, temptations, and suffering (Heb. 3:9; Matt. 4:2; 1 Kings 19:8). Christ is the forty-second generation. Forty-two signifies peace and satisfaction after an ordeal. In Numbers 33:5-48 shows that before the children of Israel entered Canaan, they made a journey in which they encamped forty-two times. According to the Old Testament account, the Israelites suffered throughout the forty-two stations. They were subjected to trials, temptations and tests. They had no peace. However, having passed through these forty-two stations, they entered into peace. This not only happened in the past, but will happen again in the future. In Rev. 13 we see that there will be a period of time of forty-two months, that is, three and a half years. These forty-two months will be the final part of the last seven years, that is, the last week mentioned in Dan. 9:24-27. There are seventy weeks in total: the first seven weeks, then sixty-two weeks, and then the last week (each week equals seven years). The second half of these last seven years—a period of time of forty-two months—will be a time of great tribulation, and it will be a terrible time. At this time there will be many trials, tests, temptations and suffering. But when these forty-two months are over, the kingdom will come and there will be peace. The period from Abraham to Mary inclusive was a time of suffering, testing and temptation. After all the generations filled with trials, temptations and sufferings, Christ came as the forty-second generation to be our peace and satisfaction. With Him we have complete peace and complete satisfaction.
When we read the history in Chronicles, we find that the generations from Abraham to Christ were actually forty-five generations. Why does Matthew have only forty-two of them? If from these forty-five generations we subtract the three generations that were cursed and one unworthy generation, and count David as two generations (one the generation of fathers, and the other the generation of kings), then the number of generations will be forty-two, fourteen generations for each of three centuries.
Remember: this is not only a Life Study, but also a Bible Study. So we need some knowledge. We need to see that Matthew's narrative is not a narrative according to history, but according to doctrine. John's narrative is, on the contrary, a narrative according to history, since John wrote his Gospel according to the order of historical events. According to history there were forty-five generations, but according to Matthew's doctrinal purpose there were forty-two generations. Matthew appears to have had a doctrinal purpose in stating that from Abraham to David there were fourteen generations, from David to the exile fourteen more generations, and from the exile to Christ fourteen more generations. Matthew was not wrong in saying this. Three generations were omitted because they did not have the right to be included in the genealogy, and the fourth generation lost this right and was excluded from the genealogy. But there was one wonderful man, King David, who had a double right to participate in the genealogy. He became two generations, completing one part of the genealogy and beginning another. He brought kingship with him, because through him the kingdom was established. Thus, since David is counted as two generations, this genealogy of Christ may consist of forty-two generations, grouped into three parts of fourteen generations each.
HER. "Before Christ"
Now consider the words “until Christ” (v. 17). In Luke, the genealogy begins with Jesus and goes back to God. There are seventy-seven generations in total. In Matthew, the genealogy goes forward, from Abraham to Christ. In Luke it goes backwards and upwards, to God, and in Matthew it goes forwards and downwards, to Christ. All generations were directed to Christ and produced Christ. Without Christ there are only forty-one generations. In this case there is no goal, no completion and no ending. Forty-one is not a good number; we need the number forty-two. Christ is the goal, end, result, completeness and perfection of all generations; therefore He fulfills their prophecies, solves their problems and meets their needs. Christ came to fulfill all the prophecies - the prophecies about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David. If Christ had not come, all these prophecies would have been empty. When Christ comes, with Him comes light, life, salvation, satisfaction, healing, freedom, rest, comfort, peace and joy. From this point on, the entire New Testament becomes a complete revelation of this amazing Christ. All twenty-seven books of the New Testament—Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation—show that this Christ fulfills all prophecies, solves all our problems and meets all our needs, and that He is everything to us. Hallelujah, Christ has come!
