Matthew 1:2-17 - Who is called Christ

1:2-17

The genealogy is arranged in three groups of 14. Abraham and David are mentioned in verse 1, and they head the first two groups, the third group starts with mention of the Babylonian exile. These mark key elements in Israel’s history. Abraham was the father of the nation. David was the greatest king they ever had, and Babylon marked the lowest point in Israel’s history. The prophecies around Babylon, especially Isaiah (I believe it was actually written by Isaiah of the Assyrian period, not some deutero Isaiah, nevertheless much of chapter 40 onwards has key relevance for the Babylonian exile), looked forward to a restoration. While there had been a physical return from exile in Babylon it was recognised in Judaism that this was hardly a complete fulfilment of the prophecies. There had to be more to come, and that more is found in Jesus!

When it says “father of ...” it does not necessarily mean the immediate father of, it can mean simply descendant of.

So Matthew is expressing things in terms that the Jews would understand and be interested in, but God’s plans went way beyond what the Jews realised. This fact applies to all of us, whatever theology we have, no matter how much understanding we may think we have, God’s plans are far greater and wider than we ever imagine. So there are some interesting features in the lists. Perhaps the most important is that five women get mentioned, and some of these were Gentile women! There is the infamous Jewish prayer thanking God that He had not created him a slave, a Gentile or a woman! God’s promise to Abraham was that all nations would be blessed through him (Gen 12:2,3). 

The first woman to be mentioned was Tamar, who became a prostitute, and the story is described in Genesis 38. Rahab was also a prostitute, and a Gentile, but she is presented in an entirely positive light in the Bible, both in Joshua, and in Hebrews 11:31. We can see this as picturing a key element of the gospel. We are all sinners, and have many unsavoury (or downright ungodly) aspects about us. But in Christ we are made righteous.

Ruth was a Moabitess, yet she even has a book all about her in the Old Testament. So we see that throughout the Old Testament period God was always pointing ahead to something much greater than what they already had. Bathsheba gets mentioned indirectly in 1:6. 

There are some good kings (Asa, Hezekiah, Josiah) and some not so good. 

The list finishes with Joseph, and then Matthew draws attention to Mary, and to his fourteens, Fourteen may have been chosen because it is the numerical number of the name David in Hebrew.