04.1.1. Introduction

VOLUME I - THE KING’S GENEALOGY Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTION

Matthew is the author of the genealogy of the King. Matthew’s Gospel is the transitional book between God’s dealings with the Jews in the Old Testament and His actions toward them at the time of and subsequent to the incarnation. This explains the reason for the order of David and then Abraham rather than the chronological order. Matthew was more concerned about Christology than he was about chronology, but chronology must be complete enough to satisfy the Jews. This pedigree contains Christ’s relationship to Israel as their Messiah and rightful King. Matthew gave the presentation, principles, powers, and parables of the King, but the Jews rejected the message of the King. Therefore, Jesus Christ left them and departed (Matthew 16:4). The Gospel of Matthew was written before 70 A.D., but Mark’s Gospel was written some time before Matthew’s. Nevertheless, the Gospel of Matthew precedes Mark’s because Matthew was stressing the Jewish concept. The Biblical order of proclaiming God’s message is to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. A detailed study of the pedigree recorded by Matthew will enable a Christian to have a workable knowledge of the entire Old Testament.

Matthew stated the King’s lineage in the first verse: The book [biblos—book, scroll, or record] of the genealogy [geneseos, genitive of genesis, which means origin, descent, or lineage] of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. —Matthew 1:1 (NASB)

David and Abraham were the two with whom God made covenants which had unconditional and conditional aspects. (See 2 Samuel 7:9-16; Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:18-21; Genesis 17:1-8; Genesis 22:17-18.) The name “Jesus” is the human name of the King, but the context of Matthew 1:1-25 proves He is more than human: “...and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). There is no other name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Mark said of Him that God alone can forgive sins (Mark 2:7-10). The word “son” used in connection with David and Abraham is from the Greek word huios. The flexibility of the use of this word is disclosed in the Scriptures. Jesus Christ was not the son of David and the grandson of Abraham. Being the “son of David, the son of Abraham” signifies that Jesus Christ was identified with David and Abraham. For example, sons of thunder were identified with thunder (Mark 3:17); sons of disobedience are identified with disobedience (Ephesians 2:2); sons of God are identified with God (Romans 8:14). Matthew emphasized the son of David because he was writing to Jews, and Jesus Christ as the son of David would fulfill the unconditional aspect of the covenant that God made with David. Jesus Christ was not the son of David in the immediate sense, but He was the son of David in the ultimate sense. There were many generations between David and Jesus Christ. The lineage of Jesus Christ contains an important link in the understanding of the future kingdom. Since Matthew portrayed Jesus Christ as King, the King must have a lineage that was known to the Jews. Although David appeared before Abraham in our text, Abraham is the first in the historical chronology. Mark omitted a genealogy because he presented Christ as a Servant, and a servant does not need a record of his genealogy. Luke introduced the Lord Jesus as the perfect Man; therefore, he gave His lineage. John revealed the eternal son of God who was manifested in the flesh, and God can have no lineage.

Since the Son of David shall be the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes and promises, the Holy Spirit began the genealogy with the Son of David. If the Savior was to descend from David for merely the purpose of redemption, why place so much emphasis on the royal line? Furthermore, if David’s throne is God’s throne in heaven, no satisfactory reason can be assigned to something that is merely symbolical. The throne of David is not typical, representative, or symbolical; it is actually and really covenanted to the Heir, Jesus Christ, the Son of David.

Three things that were made sure to David were a house, throne, and kingdom (2 Samuel 7:13). In these are portrayed posterity, royal authority, and sphere of rule. The unconditionality of the covenant was dependent on the faithfulness of God, not on the faithfulness of Israel. Unfaithfulness by men never prevents the fulfillment of God’s purpose set forth in the unconditional aspect of God’s covenants in time. The unfaithfulness of the first generation of Jews (Numbers 32:13) did not keep the nation of Israel from entering Canaan (Joshua 14:1). Furthermore, the Jews’ rejection of Christ during His first advent did not nullify God’s promise that “all Israel shall be saved [sothesetai, future passive indicative of sodzo, which means to save or deliver]” (Romans 11:26). Hence, the salvation of Israel was future when Paul wrote the Roman letter by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the passive voice signifies that Israel will be passive (have no part in her deliverance) when God delivers her, and the indicative mood is the mood of reality. Israel’s past and future are based on God’s election of Israel, not on Israel’s choice of God. Therefore, Israel’s election does not rest on her merits but on God’s choice and faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Romans 11:1-36).

God made provision for any sin or failure in the unconditional aspect of the covenants made in time: When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; and your throne shall be established forever. —2 Samuel 7:12-16 (NASB)

Verse 15 was inserted in the Davidic covenant to cover not only Solomon but also his erring descendants until the true and perfect King came from David’s seed. Paul spoke of the Son who came from the seed of David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3). David’s life was not all conquest and success. He had his weak moments, and he was not always kinglike in his heart. However, he felt his weakness, and that was his strength (Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 51:1-19).

David’s understanding of the promised kingdom was stated in his own language (Psalms 132:11; also study Psalms 89:34-35). The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah had the same understanding of the kingdom. The LORD has sworn to David, A truth from which He will not turn back; Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.
—Psalms 132:11 (NASB)
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. —Isaiah 9:7 (NASB) Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, The LORD our righteousness. —Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NASB)

All the terms of these Old Testament prophecies were not fulfilled at Christ’s first advent. The Jews not only rejected Jesus Christ, but they also said, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). Although the kingdom of the seed of David is the subject of Old Testament prophecy, that prophecy was only partially fulfilled at Christ’s first coming. A child was born, and a Son was given. But the government was not upon Christ’s shoulder, and He did not rule in peace at His first coming (Matthew 10:34). Furthermore, when He finished the work the Father sent Him to perform, He did not sit on the throne of David; but he sat on His Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21).

David’s name not only appears first in the genealogical record of Matthew, but it also concludes the first of three divisions of the generations from Abraham to Joseph in Matthew 1:1-17. The three divisions are as follows:
(1) The generations from Abraham to David emphasize the promise in the unconditional aspect of the covenants.
(2) The generations from David to the captivity in Babylon stress spiritual decline.
(3) The generations from the Babylonian captivity to Joseph describe a period of darkness which concluded with four hundred years without a recorded witness. The division of promise concluded with David and began with Abraham because

Jesus Christ is the seed of both David (the royal line) and Abraham (the line of promise). (See Romans 1:3-4; Galatians 3:16.) Jesus Christ is the seed of Abraham as the chosen Head of the elect of God. Thus, Paul showed that the promised salvation by grace is concentrated in one Person, namely, Jesus Christ. The prominent feature of the Abrahamic covenant is grace. It is unconditional because it looks forward to Jesus Christ in God’s fixed purpose. Thus, we see the reason for Matthew’s beginning with David and then going back to Abraham. The Jews during Christ’s first advent never questioned the descent of the Messiah from David, but they lacked the understanding of grace promised in the seed of Abraham. Therefore, Matthew mentioned David first to get their attention, and he then went back to Abraham to show that the election of grace is the foundation of hope for the promised kingdom for both Israel and the assembly Christ is building.