We begin a new study in Matthew’s Gospel by looking at the patrilineal genealogy in Matthew 1. But to help us set the context of the Old Testament, we will also read Psalm 78. Psalm 78 is a history lesson for fathers to pass on to their children and for our purposes, this Psalm provides a framework to understand Israel’s story and the history of God’s people — from rebellion to the rise of God’s Davidic King.
(A) God’s waiting people were lost (Psalm 78)
Psalm 78 speaks of the need to impart lessons to future generations yet unborn. The history of Israel within serves as an overview of the Old Testament. In Psalm 78, we read of how the people of God repeatedly turned away from God and He repeatedly saved them. In the psalm, they were described to have “rebelled” (v8, 17, 40, 56). The word used means to push against, subvert power, and oppose God’s authority.
The psalmist uses Exodus as the controlling trope repeatedly. Psalm 78:13 points us to the crossing of the Red Sea as Israel’s defining moment. Then in tracing the events post-Exodus, he goes back in Psalm 78:42 to the moment when they saw God’s power. Some may find the lack of a clearly chronological linear narrative confusing but it helps to know that the psalmist keeps preaching around the anchoring event of the Exodus, which is the key event of their redemption. Thus he returns to this as he calls out their repeated sin and rebellion. Psalm 78 reminds us that it is the responsibility of the fathers to tell and teach their children. Christian men today are similarly responsible for passing on the good word of redemption, rescue and repentance on to the next generation.
God’s inexhaustible mercy must be proclaimed. The pattern of ongoing covenantal unfaithfulness yet vast ongoing covenantal faithfulness on God’s part continues throughout the psalm. This is why the psalm is so long. It is a long story of unfaithfulness and yet, witnessing God’s mercy. Does this sound familiar to Christians?
The specifics of the psalm also deal with God’s judgment on the Northern Kingdom of Israel. We are introduced to the tribes of Joseph and Ephraim which are rejected by God (Ps 78:67). Instead, God chooses the tribe of Judah (Ps 78:68), in the south. Mount Zion is where the temple is, and He chose David (Ps 78:70), from the tribe of Judah. David’s son, we know from Israel’s history, eventually builds the temple. From the south David shepherds all of God’s people including the north - “Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance” (Ps 78:71b).
What expectations are created for the future of God’s people? We read that David is a Shepherd, and there is no mention of him as a king (c.f. Ps 78:71-72). This is what is is unique about Israel’s King – he is primarily a shepherd of the sheep. Moreover, the suggestion seems to be that this is the solution to the problem of Israel’s tragic cycle — that all they really need is a skilful Shepherd King. We also learn that this Shepherd has to come from a specific lineage from the tribe of Judah. Thus this person is not chosen by meritocracy, and who can do the job, but rather, it’s who has God chosen that can also do the job.
Anchored on the great rescue event (Exodus), the psalmist recounts the cycle of sin and rebellion throughout Israel’s history, which can only be solved by the great Davidic Shepherd King. Psalm 78 shows us how salvation comes through David’s son, which is also the message of Matthew 1.
The Bible’s message of a Saviour who saves may not be the most empowering thing. It doesn’t make us feel more powerful or energised. Rather the Bible is honest about how we keep getting lost, testing God and rebelling against Him. What we need is to be saved from ourselves. Perhaps you are now weighed down by all the worries and difficulties of your day, and came hoping that God can energise you. More than that, what we need is to know who is leading us and whether or not He is shepherding us and whether we are allowing ourselves to be shepherded by His skilful hand out of rebellion and testing. What we want to do as we read Matthew 1 is to fix our eyes on this One who is a skilful shepherd. Our prayer should be that God will help us know Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1 helps us do that from a genealogical point of view as the opening chapter of the gospel. What kind of effect did it have when the genealogy was read out loud? As we hear Israel’s history from generation to generation, we recognise some of the names. We learn of the national history segmented by key moments in Israel’s life. The genealogy is a story of lostness, of fathers failing to disciple their children, of God’s people failing to keep their promises to God. It is a history of a people who broke their covenant so badly that God had to effect the curses within the covenant because of their disobedience. It is a reminder for us to be humble when we think of who God is. After all, Matthew 1:1 opens by telling us that this is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, whose name literally means “Yahweh saves”.
What are genealogies used for? There are at least 3 uses. Firstly, a genealogy is an identity statement, and helps us to know who this person is by tracing his lineage. Next, it also establishes legitimacy, to show how individuals have the right to be called the son of the father. In Matthew 1, it is a royal genealogy, hence it is the right to inherit the throne.
Lastly, it highlights either glory or shame in the lineage. When people build a genealogy, typically the high points are highlighted. In this genealogy, the identity and legitimacy doesn’t just come from glory, but also from shame
(B) God’s waiting people are hopeful (Matt 1:1-6)
The genealogy presented in Matthew 1 is written with three key points to highlight: Abraham, David and the exile.
Let us trace some of the characters within, beginning with Abraham. In Matthew 1:2, we are told that “Abraham was the father of Isaac…”. Abraham, the father of Isaac, is not a matter of simple fatherhood. Isaac was the son of promise. He was borne out of great difficulty, from a barren womb to aged parents. His name means laughter, signifying laughter of God’s blessing. This Issac, God called Abraham to sacrifice. The writer of Hebrews spoke of this incident in Hebrews 11:17-19, and said specifically of Abraham that "he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Heb 11:19).
We continue with this family of death and barrenness receive life because of God’s provision, with the “resurrection” motif displayed in Isaac. Yet in their subsequent generation, there are also messy accounts. We read of Judah, “the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar…” (Matt 1:3). Matthew included Tamar, a woman, and also links her to Judah without hiding this fact. Genesis 38 records for us the interactions between Judah and Tamar, and specifically in Genesis 38:24-26, we read of this scandal borne out of profound injustice. This twisted incest on Tamar’s part was an act of desperation out of Judah’s injustice. Why put this in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? Why do we need to know that one of Jesus’ mothers was his father’s daughter-in-law? Years later, in Ruth 4:12, Tamar is spoken of with a word of praise! Despite the problems, God blessed the family. Ruth helps us to see that Tamar and Judah saved the family line, and the promised line continued through them.
In Matthew 1:5, we are introduced to Boaz, “the father of Obed by Ruth…”. A foreigner, specifically a Moabite is also brought into the family tree, despite the warning against the Moabites (Deut 23:3-4). Ruth was used by God to bring David (c.f. Ruth 4:10-11).
Following that, the genealogy introduces Jesse, “the father of David the king” (Matt 1:6). David is an important figure in Israel’s history, and 1 Samuel 16:6-13 records for us how David was chosen. David’s other brothers were brought to Samuel and Samuel was confident that they would be king. But after viewing all the sons, God still did not pick the sons. Finally, David came out was an unexpected choice. We learn therefore, what God is interested in — what man cannot see.
As we survey the figures in the genealogy, that there are also 5 women in the genealogy whose lives are marked by scandal and shame. Tamar fathered children out of incest (Matt 1:3). Ruth, the Moabite is a foreigner who was included (Matt 1:5a). Rahab, another foreigner is also included (Matt 1:5b). Matthew also mentions the wife of Uriah who committed adultery (Matt 1:6b). These 4 women eventually led to a fifth, Mary, who also mothers a child in controversy. Her child had no father.
This is how Matthew is choosing to introduce Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Why? This Saviour will be one who holds out hope. He will come to a people whose fathers have failed to raise their children in the Lord and He will be the son of this kind of father. He will be the son of mothers whose lives are mixed with such controversies and also so socially unacceptable and downtrodden. That’s the kind of Saviour He is going to be, and He is not ashamed to call them “Father” or “Mother” or “Sister” or “Brother”, for He will be their Saviour.
This is what salvation means. We need saving because we’ve messed up and are lost. It also means that someone outside of ourselves has come to do so much good for us independently of what we’ve done. He has come to saved us so that we have hope. Thus, hope doesn’t come from us manipulating and improving our circumstances. It comes about because someone is gracious to come and save. Hope comes about because someone has promised to do us good outside of ourselves.
This genealogy should show us that no one, absolutely no one, is beyond the reach of God’s salvation. There is no one that Jesus cannot save. There is no one that is too lost, broken, embarrassing, out there, gone for Jesus to reach. If this is you tonight, and you feel like you’ve messed up so many times, guilt is not your friend and it is not the last word. Christians don’t whip ourselves and beat ourselves up because of our sins. We also have a Saviour that has dealt with our sin and guilt, and saves completely so that we can walk in hope.
(C) God’s waiting people are vindicated (Matt 1:7-17)
This genealogy is made up of 42 names split into 3 sections with 14 names each — Abraham to David, David to exile, exile to Jesus. David is the high point in this story (Matt 1:6) and is the one mentioned in Psalm 78. Note that this genealogy in Matthew 1 has been adjusted to make 14 in each section, and some names have been left out, which was in keeping with geneaological conventions. The purpose of a geneaology is not to convey the exact details of every generation – it is a construct to convey heritage, legitimacy and glory.
To include David as the king of Israel as the highlight is important, because He was the King appointed by God, and the model for what a true king should look like. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, when there was no king, Moses informed the people that they may set a king over them that God will choose. They are to set one who is from among them, and not a foreigner (Deut 17:14-15). He should also not build an army (i.e. horses) and neither should he turn the people to Egypt (Deut 17:16). He must be different in how he thinks about security and geopolitics. He must not be a polygamist, and should not acquire excessive silver and gold (Deut 17:17), for in lusting after women and wealth, his judgment is easily clouded.
The king’s first job was to copy out the law (Deut 17:18). Why? It is to familiarise himself with it and to also memorise it. That copy will be his! He rules only because he has the law. This copy was to be one that he referred to constantly (c.f. Deut 17:19-20). Are you a leader? This is a good passage to reflect on as you think about the nature of authority in God’s kingdom. Make sure your leadership takes reference from God’s humbling words. God’s king is to read the Law so that his heart will not be lifted up above his brothers, to remind himself that he is not God and merely has an authority that has graciously been given by God. He is to serve as one of the brothers.
David the king in Matthew 1:6 is referred to as the king and not shepherd as Psalm 78 does, neither as Jesse’s son as he would have been factually named. He is specially identified as the king. While the sons of David were also kings, they are not referred to as king either. In fact the list of names seems to alternate between good and bad kings according to Scripture. Only 1 person has been singled out as the prime example — David — and with him alone was a covenant made (c.f. 2 Sam 7:8-16). Only David has been promised that his descendants will sit on the throne. David is the man after God’s own heart, and the figure that we are given as the model.
David’s kingship is set up as a device for understanding Jesus’ kingship. Greater David is Jesus, and the true king who rules rightly, as in Deuteronomy 17 is Jesus, not David. We know that David acquired many wives for himself and his heart goes astray.
In the final unit of the genealogy (Matt 1:12-16), we read of the exile, which this corresponds to the end of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. The failure of the Davidic dynasty effectively leads to the events of exile and is a fitting accompaniment to the earlier set. This section in Matthew 1 might contain names that we know the least well. It is a reminder that we should go back and familiarise ourselves with Ezra, Nehemiah and the prophets. We read of leaders of Israel who led God’s people back from exile to Jerusalem and are involved in the restoration of the temple. In Matthew 1:16, we are introduced to Joseph, the father of Jesus.
Matthew intentionally showcased this pattern of 14 generations because the symmetry of it points us to the fullness of time and the sovereignty of God over history (Matt 1:17). Jesus comes into the picture at the right time. He doesn’t come in one generation before or after. God’s salvation comes in at the right time, not a minute too early or late. Paul also picked up this theme in Galatians 4:4, as he spoke of Jesus coming at the right time. This is also expressed in Romans 5:6. Paul speaks here not of His coming, but Jesus’ death. His death also happened at the right time.
Psalm 78 and Matthew 1 helped us to see how generations of fathers told their sons to wait and mothers told their daughters to hope. This continued through rebellion, testing, rescue and deliverance by God’s grace. But when will it end? When will salvation come? How long are we to wait? Matthew tells us that in God’s timing, as He looks at it from His point of view, He knows when salvation comes. Our challenge is to look and admit that we don’t have that bird’s eye view. We need to keep looking, hoping and cultivate the discipline of waiting as we read through Matthew. We need to wait for the fullness of time, to wait for God’s purposes to be revealed and to hope in the Lord, to trust in the Messiah that He provides.
God’s waiting people are vindicated in their waiting. Matthew 1 is often used as an advent text, because it is a story of waiting. It shows generations waiting for God to work. So too, are we still waiting. But how are you waiting today? What kind of hope is available in Christ today? Are you yearning for Christ – what would it look like to cultivate more desire for Him?