Hope in the History

INTRODUCTION:

In September of this year I agreed to help with a 10th grade humanities class at Abilene Classical Academy.

I have a BA in humanities, my kids go there and I’m on the board so it made sense to help out.

As part of the class I’ve been reviewing the great books of the ancient world.

These books present the stories and myths of Mount Olympus. Greek gods like Zeus, Apollo and Hera.

One of the most interesting is Dionysius, the god of the vine. We read about him in The Bacchae by Euripides.

The students were fascinated by the parallels between Jesus and Dionysius. Skeptics use those parallels to suggest Jesus is just myth.

C.S. Lewis conceded that Christianity has myth-like qualities.

In fact, it’s the greatest myth, telling great truths in the greatest story.

But unlike other myths in Greco-Roman world, “The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also fact.”

[it] “comes down from the heaven of legend and imagination to the earth of history. It happens - at a particular date, in a particular place, followed by definable historical consequences… a historical Person crucified under Pontius Pilate. By becoming fact it does not cease to be myth: that is the miracle.”

This “myth become fact” has been recorded in our New Testament. There’s ONE Christian Gospel told from four different perspectives: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

For the next four weeks of Advent we’re going to explore the Gospel of Matthew. Specially the first few chapters that record the birth of Jesus.

Set The Table

If you’re new to Bible Study, Matthew was a Jewish tax collector. These men were hated by other Jews (like the IRS today).

Matthew might’ve been honest, but many tax collectors were NOT. Whatever his priors, when called Jesus, Matthew drops everything and follows him.

Matthew’s gospel was written for a Jewish audience. It assumes familiarity with the Old Testament and it’s significance.

Matthew repeatedly the phrase, “This happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

As such, when Matthew tells the Christmas story he doesn’t start with shepherds and angels. Matthew begins his gospel with an extensive genealogy.

English readers tend to skip these sections because they feel irrelevant. For a Jewish audience, they read them again and again.

Matthew’s genealogy is unlike the one in Luke. Luke traces the genealogy through Mary, Jesus’ mother.

Matthew’s genealogy traces the line through Joseph, a descendent of King David.

As such, you’ll notice Matthew skips important names. The reason is because his goal isn’t simple chronology.

Matthew's genealogy is “theological history.”

Matthew 1:1–6 CSB

1 An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: 2 Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram, 4 Aram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 5 Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, 6 and Jesse fathered King David.

From there Matthew gives a list from King David to the Exile. (Matthew 1:6-11)

From the Exile Matthew gives a list that terminates in Jesus. (Matthew 1:12-16)

Matthew 1:17 CSB

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Literary Features

As I said before, Matthew’s genealogy excludes important people.

But his exclusions are diminished by the people he INCLUDES.

Matthew excludes certain kings in the line of David. (Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah and Jehoiakim) This was actually common for biographies in that time.

What wasn’t as common was the inclusion of women. Yet Matthew includes four women in his list! And not just any women: Gentiles, adulterers and prostitutes.

In all of these ways Matthew’s genealogy is unique. The history isn’t wrong but it’s in service of a truth.

This can also be seen through the literary structure.

Matthew’s genealogy is broken up into 3 sets of fourteen. (Mat 1:17)

From Abraham to David (Mat 1:2-6)

From David to Exile (Mat 1:6-11)

From Exile to Christ (Mat 1:12-16)

In Hebrew, the name David consists of three core letters (DVD). In Hebrew, each letter had a numerical value. This was a common literary device called “gematria.”

If you add the three letters of David’s Hebrew name, guess what you get? Fourteen! (D= 4, V=6, D=4)

Fourteen is twice the sacred number 7, a Jewish number of completion/perfection.

David’s Throne

Matthew’s genalogy screams “JESUS, THE GREATER DAVID!”

“Jesus is the CHRIST who reigns on David’s throne.”

But you can’t have David’s kingdom without Abraham’s call. So Matthew breaks history into four basic segments:

The origins of David’s house. (Mat 1:2-6)

The reign of David’s house and (Mat 1:6-11)

The exile of David house. (Mat 1:12-15)

The true and greater David. (Mat 1:16-17)

These four segments establish four key movements.

Hope is Given through Abraham

Hope is Lost through David

Hope is Kept through Exile

Hope Remains in Jesus

For this passage resonate as it did with Matthew’s audience, we need to know the backgrounds of certain characters on this list.

HOPE FOR EVERY SEASON

Matthew opens his genealogy with the language of Genesis.

Matthew 1:1 “An account of the genealogy…” The word translated account is where we get our English word “book.” The word genealogy could also read “beginnings.”

If you’ve read the book of Genesis you’ll be familiar with this langauge.

Just like Genesis 1 gives the origin of our world. Matthew 1 gives us the origin of it’s Savior.

The promise of a savior was given In Genesis 3.

Mankind fell into sin, resulting in the curse. By grace God made provision and gave mankind a promise.

Genesis 3:15 CSB

15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

The genealogies in Genesis attempt to trace this seed. As God moves his promise forward, Satan undermines him.

Twice God hits the reset button: the food and the tower of Babel.

Abraham

As nations scatter from Babel, God calls Abram from Ur.

A pagan man from a pagan family with nothing much to give.

The Lord offers Abram a new and better life. Abram shows faith and God makes him a promise.

Genesis 12:1–3 CSB

1 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

I remember this promise under three L’s: land, lineage and a Lord to bless all nations.

Abraham represents hope for the twisted family.

God will keep his promise. But Abram doesn’t make it easy. Abraham’s life is marked by compromise.

He calls his wife his sister in order to save his life.

He has sex with another woman to try and rush God’s plan.

Despite those many failures, God was faithful to his promise.

Not only would he have the land and child, from his line would come a king.

Genesis 17:5–6 CSB

5 Your name will no longer be Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you.

Years after this covenant, the child of promise came. His name was Isaac, the second name on Matthew’s list.

Testing Abraham’s faith, God demanded him as an offering. In response to Abraham’s obedience, God renewed his promise again.

Genesis 22:16–18 CSB

16 “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

Matthew’s inclusion of Abraham serves multiple purposes.

God’s promise is a gift that would bless every nation.

God’s promise would bring victory over every enemy.

But the greatest lesson of Abraham is a lesson about true faith.

Hope trusts in God, not the flesh.

Every time Abraham started trust his flesh, the Lord would reminded him “the just shall live by faith.”

The people that God uses are often compromised. God chooses sinners, warts and all, and uses them for his purpose.

God doesn’t need perfection. He only wants our trust. God gives and grows his promise through faith and not our flesh.

Judah

That lesson repeats throughout the book of Genesis.

I could tell the story with each name on Matthew’s list.

From Abraham came Isaac.

From Isaac came Jacob.

From Jacob came twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jacob was a sinful man. Each son had moral stains. Nevertheless, God’s promise advances through their faith.

God’s promise of a kingdom comes near the end of Genesis.

Every son of Jacob receives a Word before their father dies.

One of Jacob’s sons received the promised a throne.

His name is Judah, the fourth name on Matthew’s list. God’s promise of a Savior King would continue through his line. (Gen 49:9-10)

Genesis 49:10 CSB

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.

Like Jacob, Isaac and Abraham, Judah also had his warts.

There were seasons in which he honored God and seasons in which he didn’t.

Despite those sinful choices, God’s promise would continue.

Tamar

That his seed continues is only by God’s grace.

Judah marries a Cannanite woman and and they have three boys together.

Judah’s first born marries Tamar but does evil in the eyes of the Lord.

As a result, God kills him and Tamar is given to this brother. In response to his great evil, God also kills that son.

Two husbands dead, then Tamar was promised to Judah’s third. Except Judah broke that promise and never kept his word.

Judah’s broken promise put Tamar in a desperate position. Desperate times call for desperate measures and that’s exactly what she did.

Judah’s wife had died and Tamar heard that he was coming through town.

Tamar dressed up like a prostitute and offered herself to Judah.

In exchange for some personal belongings, Tamar gave herself to Judah.

After getting pregnant, Tamar shared the news. Judah gave his judgment for her indiscretion. But using her collateral, she shamed Judah and saved her life.

Judah married Tamar and she gave birth to twins! Through Judah and Tamar came Zerah and Perez. (Mat 1:3)

Despite that twisted family, God’s promise would continue.

The outsider and moral outcast becomes grandmother to the future king.

Hope trusts in God not flesh.

Hope triumph over failure.

With courage and determination Tamar kept God’s hope alive.

God kept his covenant promise through broken people and sinful actions.

From Perez came Hezron. From Hezron came Aram.

Aram fathered to Amminadab and Amminadab fathered Nahshon.

Nahshon fathered Salmon and Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab. (Mat 1:3-5)

Most of these men lived the time of the Exodus. This was also a season, marked by spiritual failure.

In every generation, God kept the seed alive. Every man God used, came from a twisted family!

Rehab

After the wilderness wandering, Israel inherits the promised land.

The first city on the list was the Canaanite city of Jericho.

They sent spies into Jericho to scout out their enemy. For safety, they stayed with Rahab, a well-known city prostitute.

When the King found out, he pressured Rehab for their location and their plan. Instead of caving to the pressure Rehab appealed to the mercy of Yahweh. (Josh 2:11-12)

She dropped a scarlet cord outside her window as a sign of faith. (Josh 2:21) When the soldiers saw it, she and her family were delivered.

Even a Gentile prostitute receives God’s covenant promise. A similar act of mercy is shown to Ruth, the Moabite.

Boaz & Ruth

Salmon married Rahab and they have a child named Boaz.

Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth. (Mat 1:5)

Ruth was not a prostitute but she was a gentile nonetheless.

She was a Moabite woman who married a Hebrew in a foreign land. After the death of her husband and father-in-law she followed her mother-in-law back to Israel.

Even though she was a Moabite, she worshipped the God of Israel. Because of her faith and loyalty she caught the eye of Boaz.

Boaz was wealthy but much older. Nevertheless, Ruth gives herself. Though a foreigner by bloodline, Boaz redeems her as his bride.

Hope trusts in God, not flesh.

Hope triumphs over failure.

Hope can transforms ANY future.

God Can Use Your Past

You may feel hopeless because of your past a failures. But there is no twisted past that God cannot redeem.

God uses what the world discards to magnify his glory. The genealogy of Jesus reminds us of that truth.

From Boaz and Ruth comes a child named Obed.

Obed fathers Jessee and Jesse fathers David. (Mat 1:5-6)

A gentile Moabite is the matriarch of Israel’s King.

At every stage God’s promise, advanced in surprising ways: unlikely people, unlikely places change the world forever.

You can have a twisted background and God use you for his kingdom.

God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chooses the foolish things in the world to shame the wise.

The Tarnished Crown

Matthew’s second section begins with the reign of David.

The scepter promised to Judah would now rest in David’s hand.

With David God mades a covenant that his kingdom would have no end. (2 Sam 7:12-16)

2 Samuel 7:12–16 CSB

12 I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body… I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and blows from mortals. 15 But my faithful love will never leave him…Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ”

Though David wore the crown, and drove out Israel’s enemies. It wasn’t very long before that crown was tarnished.

King David to Josiah give us Hope for the Tarnished Crown.

From the rooftop of success David succumbs to temptation. Lust led to adultery which led to murder and a cover up.

The man who would save Israel would soon lose everything.

A Divided Kingdom

David gives birth to Solomon who finished God’s Temple in Jerusalem.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, would spit the kingdom in two. (1 Kings 12)

The Southern kingdom, Judah, continued David’s line. Matthew traces some of them in his genealogy.

We do not have the time to cover every story. For Matthew’s original audience, every name had significance.

Many of these kings were wicked, and led God’s people astray. For the kings who weren’t, even they had feet of clay.

When the crown is tarnished, what does hope look like? I see at least three lessons from this list of Israel’s kings.

Hope Turns

The first lesson of the tarnished crown is what to do when tempted.

Hope turns away from sin. (repentance)

Through David’s crown was tarnished, he modeled true repentance.

When confronted with his sin he confessed and turned to God.

The opposite was true for Abijah son of Rehoboam. The wickedness of his father was increased 100X.

Thankfully, for “David’s sake, the Lord kept a lamp beneath the throne.” (1 Kings 15:3-5)

Learning from those mistakes, Asa made reforms. He even deposed he grandmother and tore down the temple idols.

Jehoshaphat likewise modeled repentance early on (1 Kings 15:9-15; 2 Chron 17). Unfortunately, for both men, neither finished well. (2 Chron 16; 20)

Instead trusting in the Lord, Asa trusted in his flesh. He made an alliance with a pagan king. Taking after his father, Jehoshaphat did the same thing in making an alliance with Ahaziah (Northern Kingdom.)

Tear Down Idols

That lack of repentance brought judgment from the Lord. The crown was further tarnished. The son from that unholy union was an even more wicked king.

Joram aggressively promoted the worship of Baal. He also married Ahab’s other daughter and prostituted the land. (2 Kings 8:16-18)

Joram’s unbelief invited judgment from the Lord. He met a painful death but God was faithful to preserve the line. (2 Chron 21:5-7)

What we saw with Abraham’s promise we also see with David. Even through their compromise, God is faithful still.

The reason these kings keep falling is because they flirt with idols.

Hope turns away from sin.

And, hope tears down every idol.

Those who tore down idols led Israel to success. Those who worshipped idols brought a curse on the land.

Uzziah & Jotham

The next man of Matthew list was one of Israel’s greatest kings. Uzziah gave them great prosperity but also finished poorly.

He went into the temple but transgressed the rules for worship. As a result he was struck with leprosy. (2 Chron 26:18-19)

Over and over again we see how central worship is. Those who worship rightly, lead Israel into success. Those who worship idols unleash chaos on the land.

Jotham comes to power and learns from dad’s mistakes. But like Asa, Joram and his Father, he also failed to finish well.

While he was personally committed to righteousness, he let sin slide among the people. That quiet compromise set the stage for a later fall. (2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chron 27)

“The people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places…” (2 Kings 15:35)

Ahaz

When it comes to idols, the corruption acts like yeast. It only takes a fragment to work through the whole batch.

As you might expect, Ahaz swung the other way. His wickedness was greater than any king before.

He plunged Judah into darkness. Idol worship and child sacrifices (including his own son) were popularized in Judah and practiced in the TEMPLE! (2 Kings

Ahaz - Plunged Judah into darkness. “He even sacrificed his own son in the fire…He burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.” (2 Kings 16:3-4)

Child sacrifices, star worship, and a pagan remodeling of the temple. All of these were an effort to secure an alliance with Assyria.

Ahaz became their puppet, and set the stage for a later fall. The people felt despondent so God spoke through the prophet Isaiah.

The virgin would conceive and have a son named Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Take God at His Word

After Ahaz died Hezekiah came to power. God was faithful to keep his covenant like very time before. (2 Chron 29-31)

Hezekiah was a righteous reformer. He turned away from sin and tore down every idol.

When Assyria came after Israel he chose to walk by faith.

He sought the Lord in prayer and trusted in God’s promise. (2 Kings 18-19; Isa 36-37)

He gives another picture of hope for the tarnished crown.

Turn from sin, tear down idols and take God at his Word.

2 Kings 18:5 “Hezekiah relied on the Lord God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.”

Before you get excited, don’t forget the theme. Even Hezekiah failed to finish well. (2 Kings 20:12-19)

It’s a theme Matthew repeats as he paves the way for Jesus. Only one king of Israel stays faithful to the end.

Hezekiah’s folly exposed their temple to the Babylonians. Through that rash decision, that temple would be destroyed.

Under King Manasseh, Judah fell again. All the sins of Ahaz came back to the surface. (2 Kings 21:1-7) This time their unbelief resulted in God’s judgment. Their shedding of innocent blood secured their coming exile. (2 Kings 21:10-15)

Captured and bound for Babylon, Manasseh cried out to God. But even that death bed conversion was answered by the Lord. (2 Chron 33:12-13)

He was restored to Judah and reversed his evil ways. Because he took God at his Word, the Lord relented judgment.

Amon, Josiah

Amon and Josiah are the final names on Matthew’s list. Amon was a wicked king and was executed by his servants. (2 Kings 21:19-26; 2 Chron 33:21-25)

Josiah took his place and began ruling at the age of 8. At 16 he seeks the Lord and tears down the idols by age 20. (2 Chron 34:1-3)

As he recovered the Word of God he tore his robes in sorrow. His reforms sparked a national revival but the seeds of judgment had already been sown. (2 Kings 23:1-25; 2 Chron 34:29-33)

Scripture says of Josiah that there was never a king quiet like him. He turned to the LORD with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. (2 Kings 23:25)

He is the clearest example of hope for the tarnished crown.

After the reign of Josiah, his grandson came to the throne.

Jeconiah ruled over Israel for an entire 3 months. The entire time was “evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

Afterwards, Nebuchadnezzar ransacked the temple, desecrated the throne, and took God’s people captive. (2 Kings 24:8-17; 2 Chron 36:9-10)

The prophet Jeremiah pronounces a curse on Jeconiah. None of his offspring would rule on David’s throne. (Jer 22:24-30)

Matthew includes his name to show how dark things were. From the exile to the birth of Christ there are fourteen generations. (Mat 1:17)

The Tearful Exile

We’re out of time and mind’s attention to do another name. Most of the people Matthew mentions aren’t well known to history.

Humanly speaking, it looks like the end of the story. The land is gone. The line is cursed. God’s presence has gone quiet.

But even when God hides, hope can still be found. Even in the darkest night, God is keeping track.

The names that follow Babylon show hope for the tearful exile.

They eventually come back to the land. They rebuild a smaller temple. Jerusalem is rebuilt and the gates are restored.

Even with the temple sacrifices, Israel still has no king. 400 years of silence follow God’s last prophet. They know they caused their exile but God would keep his promise.

God preserved a remnant even in the exile. One of those believers was a young virgin named Mary.

She was given to a man nameed Joseph who was legally in the line of David.

Matthew 1:16 “16 and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.”

Notice, Matthew doesn’t say “Joseph fathered Jesus.” He says “Jospeh the husband of Mary who gave birth to Jesus.”

Matthew is waving a theological flag. Something NEW is happening.

It’s the same line. It’s the same promise. But it’s a different kind of Son.

It’s a different kind of king. One without a tarnished crown.

Jesus is:

The Son of Abraham: through whom “all the nations will be blessed” (Gen 22:18).

The Son of David: the King who reigns forever (2 Sam 7:16).

The Son of Exile: born to bear our judgment and suffer for our curse.

In verse 21 the angel tells Joseph: “You are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

The deepest problem has always been the problem of human sin:

Twisted families. Tarnished crowns and Exile. Jesus does not come to manage that; He comes to tear it down it.

Where Abraham trusted his flesh, Jesus trusts His Father perfectly.

Where David abused power and shed innocent blood, Jesus lays down His power and sheds His own blood.

Where the kings of Judah flirted with idols, Jesus refuses every temptation and worships the Father alone.

Where exile testified that the curse of the covenant fell on Israel, the cross testifies that the curse of the law falls on Christ instead of us.

And Matthew adds one more name: “They will call him Immanuel, which is translated ‘God is with us.’” (Matt 1:23)

True Hope is IN JESUS. It always has and will always be.

The treasure of Christmas is not a new situation; it is a new Savior. Not just a throne restored in Jerusalem, but God Himself stepping into our genealogy, our shame, our exile.

For the person with the twisted past - true hope is in Jesus.

For the person with the tardnished crown - true hope is IN JESUS.

For the person in a tearful excile - true hope is iN JESUS.