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by
Doug Ward |
Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy of Jesus. More than a list of names,
this genealogy is a way of summarizing Israel's story and establishing Jesus'
place in it. Matthew's goal is to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah, a
descendant of the patriarch Abraham and King David (Mt 1:1).
Some
of Matthew's data can be found in the Hebrew Scriptures (1 Ch 1-3; Ru 4), while
other names come from unknown sources. We have good evidence that genealogical
records were available in those days. Josephus, for instance, was able to find
the names of his ancestors "in the public records" (Life, 6).
Matthew may have gathered information from such records in compiling the
genealogy.
Matthew
does not list every single generation from Abraham to Jesus. For example, we
know that Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah (2 Ki 8:25;
11:1; 14:1) come between Joram and Uzziah in verse 8;
while Jehoiakim (2 Ki 23:34) comes between Josiah and Jechoniah
in verse 11. Instead he creates a pattern, listing fourteen generations from
Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen
more from the exile to the birth of Jesus (v 17). As has often been observed,
the consonants in David's name (daleth = 4, vav = 6, daleth = 4) add up to
fourteen in Hebrew gematria. This pattern emphasizes the Davidic ancestry of
Jesus, supporting the claim that Jesus is the great king prophesied to come
from the line of David (2 Sa 7:12-16; Isa 11:1-5; Jer
23:5-6; Eze 34:23-24).
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Four
Notable Mothers |
Matthew also includes the names of four women who were mothers of men in the
list: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. The four have in common a connection
to nations outside Israel. Ruth, we know, was a Moabite (Ru 1:4) and Rahab a
Canaanite from Jericho (Jos 2), while Tamar (Ge 38) also seems to have been a
Canaanite. If Bathsheba's father Eliam (2 Sa 11:3)
was the same Eliam who was the son of Ahithophel (2
Sa 23:34), then Bathsheba was an Israelite. However, Matthew refers to her as
"the wife of Uriah" (v 6) the Hittite, emphasizing her link to a
Canaanite nation.
In
addition, these four women acted boldly at critical junctures in Israel's
history to advance God's purposes. Tamar, the widow of Judah's son Er, forced Judah to face his responsibility to provide for
her future and that of his family (Ge 38:26). Her actions helped ensure the
existence of a "tribe of Judah."
Rahab
protected two Israelite spies who had come to Jericho to gather intelligence. James
compares her to Abraham, in that she showed hospitality to messengers from God
(Ja 2:25). Confessing faith in God, she joined the Israelites in the conquest
of Canaan (Jos 2).
Ruth
remained loyal to Naomi, her widowed mother-in-law. Like Rahab, she left her
past behind and embraced the true God. Like Tamar she invited a man, the
righteous Boaz, to be a kinsman-redeemer.
Bathsheba
joined the family of David involuntarily, a victim of the king's lust. But
amidst the chaos in the royal family that surrounded David's death, she acted
decisively to ensure that Solomon would take the throne (2 Ki 1-2), in
accordance with the will of God (1 Ch 22).
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Blessing
the Nations |
Matthew did not need to mention these four women to show that Jesus was a
descendant of David. Their inclusion conveys some additional messages. Tamar,
Rahab, and Ruth, who came from outside the family of Israel, chose to join that
family and were blessed as a result. They illustrate the calling of Abraham to
bring blessing to all peoples (Ge 12:1-3). The fact that they are part of the
Messiah's genealogy suggests that Jesus would bring further blessings to the
nations.
The
remarkable lives of the four women, highlighted by their bold actions, remind
us of the unusual ways that God worked in history to bring about the coming of
the Messiah. The stories of these women set the stage for the even more amazing
story of the Virgin Birth.
Matthew
develops these themes from the genealogy throughout his Gospel.1
For example, in Matthew 15 Jesus is approached by a "Canaanite
woman." Addressing Jesus as "son of David," as in the genealogy,
she beseeches him to heal her daughter (v. 22).
Jesus
initially resists, saying, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel" (v 24). This response raises the question of what messianic
roles Jesus would play. Would he concentrate on the flock of Israel, as in
Ezekiel 34:16, 30? Would he complete Joshua's mission of driving out pagans
(Jos 13:6)?
The
woman persists, speaking boldly like a new Rahab approaching a new Joshua (vv 25-27). Jesus then responds to her great faith by
healing her daughter (v 28), acting in accordance with his lineage as presented
in chapter 1.
The
theme of Jesus blessing the nations continues through the rest of Matthew 15.
In verses 29-31, Jesus heals many in a crowd near the Sea of Galilee. The
wording in verse 31 ("And they glorified the God of Israel") seems to
imply that there were Gentiles in the crowd. Then comes the feeding of 4000.
Since this event takes place in "Gentile territory," some
commentators see it as a "Gentile counterpart" to the feeding of
5000. The seven baskets of bread left over (v 37) may represent the seven
nations of Canaan or the number of completion for the
nations in general.
Matthew's
genealogy portrays Jesus as both the Davidic Messiah and the Seed of Abraham
who brings blessing to all nations. Matthew develops these themes in his
presentation of the Gospel.
1See
Richard Bauckham, "The Gentile Foremothers of the Messiah," Chapter 2
in Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels, Eerdmans,
2002.
File
translated from TEX by TTH,
version 3.66.
On 15 Oct 2024, 12:00.
