The Pedigree, Part 2

Telling the story of your family's past. Do you think you might be tempted to leave out the unflattering parts. Why one of Israel's darkest scene.

David father Solomon by the wife. Why not right. By the way, no, you're right because by then she will know why say I got Israel's messianic lives filled with sinners and then you get to their Savior. The Bible doesn't do is sugarcoat you certainly noticed this is the Bible for yourself. When we look at the genealogy of Jesus. What we find there is a long line of sinners. It's made up of people just like us.

But, as Stephen Devi points out, it sinners that Jesus came to save. He didn't come because we were worthy of him. He came because we needed him. Jesus is God's indescribable gift to us and that's the theme of our current series here on wisdom for the heart. Today Stephen concludes a message.

He began yesterday entitled the pedigree. Most evangelical scholars believe that this genealogy is divided three sections with 13 names each to aid the memory of those that were once the record of their Messiah is not a copy of Matthew like you do with through four copies.

More than likely in our homes and offices. But if you want to have a copy of his pedigree. You would be compelled to memorize it and write it down. This was the way you can stay on track 14 names in each of the three sections to the first section, your Bible may have in paragraphs which is helpful of Christ genealogy follows the history of Israel from Abraham all the way down to David, the king in verse six.

The second section takes you from David all the way to the captivity of Israel and Babylon. Verse 11 and ends with his tragic historical reminder of their deportation to Babylon in the third section takes you from the captivity to the birth of Jesus in verse 16, who is implicitly the ultimate deliverer case you missed any of those three divisions and you're just a type a equation next week.

All you have to do is reverse 17 look there. So all the generations from Abraham to David, were 14 and from David deportation to Babylon 14 and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ.

14 generations and now you know where I got my outline. Thank you, Matthew right so first and foremost, this genealogy is gonna validate the royalty of Jesus Christ.

So just think of it this adopted son of a carpenter. This miracle baby boy of a virgin is actually going to prove he's the heir to the throne of David Starley. Secondly, this genealogy will not only serve to validate the pedigree of Jesus also serves as a demonstration of the providence of God me take you back a little bit of history, something devastating.

You may already know about occurred in Jewish history so 1900 years ago when Titus the Roman governor finally said on the authorization of the were tired of this rebellious little city go like that out and he did. He marched into the city in A.D. 70, and completely destroyed it and he destroyed the temple, and with that, and more tragically and and and and lastingly to this day those records inside the Temple destroyed as well. To this day.

Now we have no genealogy existing that can trace the ancestry of any Jew living today back to their tribal roots.

No Jew today can produce from the priestly tribe or the royal tribe stopped is only one genealogy still available.

The traces of first century Jew back to his tribe in print. Back to royal lines. Here's where it gets interesting. For those Jews today in the 21st century were looking for the Messiah to come today that Messiah would be unable to establish his lineage back to David, because those official records have been destroyed by the promise of God.

Matthew this converted tax collector with his penchant for record-keeping was inspired by the spirit of God to record the details of the lineage of the pedigree of Jesus which means Jesus can validate his tribal connections in his royal pedigree because his genealogy escaped the destruction of Israel via inspired Scripture you're holding a copy of thousands of copies available today, which means part Jesus is the last verifiable claimant to the throne of David mentioned that it is I would be able to prove genealogical Jesus is the last claim is another factor. By the way, in the second point is providence of God's tucked inside this genealogy effectively.

Go to verse 12 we discover the troubling news that Joseph is in the light of Jack Anaya, a wicked king effectively go back to Old Testament records you find that because of Jack Anaya's wickedness, God declares that no descendent of Jeff, as shall sit upon the throne of David Jeremiah 22 verse 30. That means that since Joseph is descending from Jack about his line, a descendent of Joseph's can't claim the throne, but we know that the Messiah is going to sit on David's throne in PS have a legitimate claim to it. So now what well if you compare Matthew's genealogy with Luke's.

We will take time daily check three. They both track back to David through different descendents, because Luke is tracing Mary's natural father Eli and his line tracks all the way back to David, through his son Nathan.

Matthew is tracking Joseph's line all the way back to David, through his son Solomon. The lines converge at David through different sons Matthew is tracing Jesus his adoptive father is Luke is tracing the lineage of Mary and this is a little tedious but hang with me.

The result is wonderful by the way I do a little sidebar here.

It's interesting to consider the fact that both Mary and Joseph can trace their lineage back to King David. So you think about the fact that this migrant carpenter and his teenage bride have royal blood coursing through their veins. Here's what the providence of God shine so brilliantly. If Jesus had been the natural born son of Joseph, he would have been disqualified from David's throne because of this curse on Jekyll and his descendents. No blood descendent object can sit upon the throne of David, but Jesus wasn't blood descendent of Joseph Isaac is adopted.

He was born of a virgin and from the Virgin Mary, he receives his bloodline back to David because she's related to David to and from his adopted father, adoptive father Joseph. He receives the legal right passed down father to son, which was significant as well see there's only one way only one way for Jesus to circumvent the curse of Jack Anaya to be related to David legally and yet still somehow be related to David by blood, which was required. See what God did providentially when he brought Joseph and Mary together.

He knew he was giving Jesus Christ, God the son of the flesh, the bloodline from Mary the legal line from Joseph. We can rightfully claim the from his parental lines converge to give him his royal pedigree in the royal privilege to claim Israel's throne perfectly. He's the last to be able claim line with no you can't help but notice by the Matthew carefully makes sure you understand that Jesus is not bloodline of Jack Anaya.

Look at verse 15 the following with me and the lion, the father of Eliezer and Eleazar the father of Matan and the time the father, Jacob, and Jacob, the father of Joseph, and Joseph, the father, Jesus away. Notice the shift and Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was. We want to make sure nobody misses genealogy serve not only to validate the pedigree of Jesus and demonstrate the providence of God, just those two illustrations give you one more genealogy thoroughly was given to illustrate the principles of grace. If you want to study each entry of this genealogy go back in the Old Testament and find out this lineage you'll discover that Jesus descended from a line of King obviously Matthew's going to name 15 of them and all from David Jacob you take a closer look sometime and you'll discover that half of those kings were godly. That is a follow after garlic David Hezekiah Josiah. But even still, some of those guys are pretty well all of the prevent centers right and they were good guys, the other half of the list of kings were utterly out openly and attentively they didn't care about his sinners like a house in Ramallah and Manasseh like the Bible says of Manasseh, he was more wicked than all the pagan nations around them has ever refused to repent of his unbelief instead of God. Cleaning up his family tree includes these guys. He claims the is is forefathers but you need to keep in mind here that Jesus doesn't come to praise his forefathers because this right Alderson look forward to that sacrifice of Christ upon the three as we do this they look back faith came to save the life you can't pay the penalty for their sin.

No, still more shocking than any inclusion of the King either godly or wicked was the fact that Jesus would inspire the inclusion of women in the public record of his world genealogy. They didn't have rights of these days and were considered property. So this would be highly controversial and again this is the hinting of the gospel were men and women are equal in the eyes of God in relation to their salvation. They come to Christ. Just like men sinners forgiven by the grace of God.

This would be highly controversial in fact add to the scandal of grace.

All four women just so happened to be Gentiles.

There were a lot of Jewish women.

He could've thrown in here. But now that he is her attention. He chooses for Gentile women is so Jewish genealogies typically bent over backward to show their pure Jewish lineage. If there is anything Margie will just forget about that second cousin or whatever.

But Jesus finally admits whatever range you already knew they already know it.

Royal line is maxed with the blot on June Gentile Allred by the way, so's the church were all mixed up with a demonstration.

So what does he choose quickly to Mars. The first one mentioned in verse three. Look there in Judah is the fountainhead of the royal tribe, Judah, the father of Perez and zero by Taymor in your thinking and put it.

After zero only dimension table. She's a blemish on the reputation of our forefather Judah the Fountain story unfolds in Genesis chapter 38 where she marries the son of Judah, her husband dies she bears again that husband dies she wants a child so she dresses like a temple prostitute with a veil covering her face. She sits near the place where her father-in-law Judah's pending sheet she catches his eye. Nine months later she has twin spy him in the first born joins the lineage of the Messiah and exposes Judah in the process.

We do you really want to hit that up. Let's clean the family tree up this get that little bridge. Frankly, we were God, we would've switched tribes at that point with. I think Taymor is specifically mentioned to remind Israel but the very fountainhead of this royal line that he's a sinner, he needs a savior to the second woman is mentioned in verse five. Look, there none other than Ray had gone from bad to worse trouble with Rahab.

She's a little bit like like Taymor, only on like Taymor prostitution was her profession.

She lived in the city of Jericho. If you're old enough of the faith to know some of this, she ran a brothel out of her house built into the wall. She had already become convinced that Israel's God was the true and living God is a wonderful testimony of faith delivered in Joshua chapter 2 verse 11 and God graciously allows her path to intersect some rather frantic Israeli spies who been spotted inside the city they come to scope out for Joshua. They darted into her bravo and kinda makes she hides them and she basically saves their life and she effectively becomes the first Gentile converts in Canaan. Some of you don't come along and I tried to soften the edges of the story by saying that the Hebrew word for harlot can be translated innkeeper, although in Zen prostitution to go back in history, but in American history were one of the same why hospitality was so critical for those travel but the word used by the writer of Hebrews chapter 11 is the same word used by James as they speak of her typically sees translated that simply were identified as Rahab the what the harlot word porn day word porn feeds typically translated in the New Testament fornicator. Rahab did not run a bed and breakfast. She ran a brothel when he says why soften the story. This is the point of God's grace is demonstrate his grace to an unlikely sinful woman who is probably the most unlikely person you'd ever believe would be the first convert in the land of Canaan, who will become a living demonstration of faith in the true and living God is God great. She's got stake her entire future on this God, trusting that he will accept her and he does, he does do you have a past you like to have it in front probably not. And we all do. I would imagine that Rahab necessarily one person print either look at her past. Oh, Jesus is showing us her future. She is ducted into the messianic line of the Messiah, so if your biography she's rescued when the walls fall down to your family. It is longer for a godly Israelite man by the name of Salman meets her in these impressed by how and why she believed in what she rest in which he gave up and encouraging her her faith and he says that's the woman I been waiting for all my life and he proposes and she accepts and he just so happens to be one of the princes of Israel is a member of the royal messianic lion of Judah because she has. She has a baby boy. You may name him anybody know Boese Boaz grows up watching his faithful Jewish father in his converted Gentile mother and his little heart is prepared to do the same because he's going to grow up and fall in love with a Gentile woman that nobody wanted either and her name is Ruth Beck she's the next woman meant to look at verse five Ruth see you dig into her history and you discover that Matthews not only choosing Gentiles, but now is really digging deep.

She is a Moabitess Gentile.

The Moabites are so despised that they are disallowed entrance into the temple.

Deuteronomy 23 and verse three and all tracks back to the rather unfortunate and sorted sinful history and lot fled Sodom and Gomorrah with his two daughters as the judgment of God fell upon the cities along the way had to abandon his wife, who disobeyed God and tried to return and by the judgment of God. She was turned into a pillar of salt.

Next you read lot is hiding out in a cave with his two daughters whose morals evidently match the cities they laughed because each of them got their father drunk. Each one night at both of them had relations with their father. Both of them conceived of the oldest daughter's son's name was Moab. Of all the people to put into the family tree of Israel sprints me. Let's clean off the record right good night Matthew we trying to do with his genealogy run everybody away were not even pass verse five. The blood is boiling true.

Jesus is exposing his mission statement. I didn't come to call the righteous, I came to call sinners to repentance. Gentile, who left her past nation of idolaters behind trusted by faith in the God of Israel, not just the God of her mother-in-law, Naomi, along with this former prostitute named Rahab before her and adulterous Taymor surpassed the future.

One more woman is included here in this pedigree. The Prince verse six tells us look at it.

David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah again. Matthew too much information. Just tell us that David was the father of Solomon.

Why bring up one of Israel's darkest, most revolting scene. Why not keep it hidden. I mean your dictating the genealogy of Jesus, you get to the stories okay enough is enough for you to keep this one to ourselves, shall we, God says Matthews don't just include the name of the son. In fact, I want to that a little tutorial was unnecessary for the McGettigan and David was the father, Solomon by the wife of your why why not right by the window of Uriah because by then she will go and remarry. Why say why because Israel's messianic line is filled with sinners and then you get to their Savior who will die for little is the good Jesus Christ was not ashamed of his ancestors. He will not be ashamed of his descendents that you and me see. Ashamed of you, loves you sorry robe the mind of God you're already seated in the heavenly's were just limping through confessing daily as we disappoint sin against but is not ashamed this genealogy is nothing less than the declaration of grace to the world and by the way you think about this truth to the family tree of Jesus Christ is still being written right you're in it by faith of the Savior and his descendents effectively are still being added every night when coloring with and we have we have the right is given us is adopted sons and daughters. The right terrain with him is the only family tree.

I know like this that you can become part of by imitation.

The offers to you today. If you have accept these offerings again for as many as received him, Jesus then gives the right to become children of God.

Genealogy asserted this data validate the pedigree of the rightful heir to the front of David serves to the state illustrate the providence of God's purposes of dinner will be fulfilled in serves as an illustration of the grace of God. It doesn't matter who you are done. Vectors going to come a day when Jesus Christ will open the book registry the family tree. One last look at the Lamb's book of life. Most important thing for you and me for the rest of eternity is that our names been included. We have joint family tree so thanks for joining us here on wisdom for the heart. Our daily Bible teacher Stephen Devi is the pastor of the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina. In addition to equipping you with these daily Bible messages. We also have a magazine that we publish monthly. The articles each month. Focus on a particular theme and explore various topics related to the Christian life.

Stephen son Seth writes a daily devotional guide using that guide each day will help you remain grounded in God's word, the magazine is called heart to heart.

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Call today I want to take a few moments and share with you a note that came into our office. It's from Miriam, who listens to wisdom for the heart in Lexington, South Carolina. She said I have been listening for about 12 years or so beginning when we moved to this area in certain series that you've taught have meant a lot to me over the summer you taught through the life of Joseph. That's my favorite story in the Old Testament. My favorite in the New Testament is the prodigal son.

I was a prodigal daughter for several years and came back God's grace is abundant for all situations in our lives we lost our only child just over three years ago when she was 55 years old. What an encouragement it is to listen to these lessons from God's word and apply them to my life will thank you Miriam for writing to us.

Your note illustrates our belief that God's Word has the power to change our lives.

Our thoughts and our feelings were glad. That's true in your life friends.

If you have a comment or question, or would like to send Stephen a note. We'd love to hear from you. You can send us an email if you address it to info@wisdomonline.org you can also visit the connect section of our website and send us a message right there were always encouraged to hear from you well that's all for today.

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