Matthew (Written)

Way super cool statue. Wyoming Capitol.

Sunday, 14 July 2024

Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Matthew 1:7

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Solomon begot Rehoboam, and Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa” (CG).

The previous verse finished with the words, “And David, the king, begot Solomon from the of Uriah.” Now, Jesus’ genealogy continues with, “And Solomon begot Rehoboam.”

The record of this son is first found in 1 Kings 11 –

“Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? ⁴² And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. ⁴³ Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.” 1 Kings 11:41-43

However, a more detailed note is found in 1 Kings 14 –

“And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. ²² Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. ²³ For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. ²⁴ And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” 1 Kings 14:21-24

Solomon married an Ammonitess. Well, Solomon married a lot of women, seven hundred, in fact. He also had three hundred concubines. But the son who reigned in his place was born of an Ammonitess. Like the Moabites from whom Ruth descended, the Ammonites descended from the incestuous union between Lot and his daughters –

“Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. ³⁷ The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. ³⁸ And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.” Genesis 19:36-38

This then explains why the story of Lot and his daughters is included in Scripture. He and both of his daughters are ancestors of the Messiah. Rehoboam means something like The People Are Enlarged. Ammon means A People. Rehoboam was not a good king as far as the biblical record stands. It was during his reign that the kingdom was divided between Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Next, Matthew records, “and Rehoboam begot Abijah.”

Abijah (also recorded as Abijam) is first recorded in 1 Kings 14:31. Immediately after that, it next records –

“In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. ² He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. ³ And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Kings 15:1-3

Thus, Abijah is also remembered as a bad king. Abijah means Yah is My Father. Abijam means Father of the Sea/West/Future. The Hebrew word yam carries each of these connotations. Next, Matthew records, “and Abijah begot Asa.”

Asa is first recorded in 1 Kings 15 –

“So Abijam rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place.
⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah. ¹⁰ And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. ¹¹ Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father David. ¹² And he banished the perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. ¹³ Also he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook Kidron. ¹⁴ But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the Lord all his days.” 1 Kings 15:8-14

Asa is remembered as a good king. His heart was rightly directed to the Lord. Asa means something like Physician or Healer.

Life application: In the Bible, the state of the land of Israel is constantly shown to be directed by the state of the king. When the king is recorded as a good guy, the state of Israel is also recorded as being acceptable before the Lord. When the king is a total loser, the state of Israel is one of apostasy from the Lord, wickedness, and perversion.

As can be seen in the history of Christian nations, the same is true. When the people are led by a moral person, morality improves. When the people are led by a conservative person, conservative values tend to flourish. When the people are led by a church-attending believer, the people tend to go to churches.

On the other hand, when a pervert or greedy person assumes control, the people’s attitude will follow suit. And more, the same is true in churches. When a pastor assumes the leadership and he starts to move away from the Bible, the church will do so as well. Some will leave for other churches, or there may be a move to eject the pastor. However, if he stays, the church will inevitably begin to decline.

We need to be careful and cautious when voting for, or selecting, our leaders, be it in the government or the church. When our decision turns out to be a bad one, things can only go downhill from there.

As citizens and as followers of Christ, we need to be attentive to how we make our choices. We cannot be found guiltless when we knowingly allow ungodly people to be our choice as a leader. Sometimes in government, the choice may be a difficult one, but we must eventually decide. When we do, it should be in line with the candidate who is most closely aligned with biblical values.

In churches, we are under no compulsion to act until a proper leader comes forth. It is never acceptable to accommodate simply to fill a position. The chosen leader must be a man of God who holds closely to Scripture, or no person should be chosen.

Lord God, help guide us in our selection of leaders in all positions we have the ability to vote for. Whether it is a local school board, the president of the nation, or a new pastor for our church, please help us to choose wisely, selecting only those who are the most qualified according to Your standards. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.

Super nifty statue. Wyoming Capitol.

Saturday, 13 July 2024

and Jesse begot David the king.
David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Matthew 1:6

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesse begot David, the king. And David, the king, begot Solomon from the of Uriah” (CG).

The previous verse finished with the begetting of Jesse by Obed. The account continues now with, “And Jesse begot David.”

David is first recorded in Ruth 4:17 –

“‘There is a son born to Naomi. And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

He is mentioned again at the completion of the genealogy of Ruth 4 which also closes out the book of Ruth –

“Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.” Ruth 4:22

David means Beloved. Of him, Matthew next notes he is “the king.”

Instead of saying And Jesse begot King David, the title is set apart with the use of an article. This emphasizes him as the one having been highlighted in Matthew 1:1. Matthew is focusing on David’s coming as the next great event in this chronology. Abraham and David were mentioned in verse 1. From there, Matthew noted the names of the males from Abraham to David with the two key intervening female names of Rahab and Ruth being included as well.

Including the title of David with the article, therefore, offsets him as a key figure on which the narrative is focusing. His life was used time and again as a type of Christ. He is also the king to whom the messianic promise was given. Matthew is using him to support the biblical narrative that ultimately is provided to lead to the knowledge that Jesus truly is the promised Messiah.

Now, with this link from Abraham to David set, Matthew immediately continues the list, saying, “And David, the king, begot Solomon.”

Some manuscripts do not include the repeated words “the king.” However, it appears that this is an additional effort by Matthew to highlight the importance of who King David is as the genealogy now continues with his own progeny. The kingly line is set, the promise of an eternal kingdom through David was made (2 Samuel 7), and that honorable line now proceeds from David to Solomon.

The name Solomon (Hebrew Shlomoh) is derived from the Hebrew shalem, to be complete, sound, etc. Thus, his name means Peace, Peaceful, Recompence, Fair Penalty, Completeness, or some other closely associated thought.

Solomon is first listed in a listing of David’s sons born in Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 5:14. Of him, it next says that he was born “from the of Uriah.”

At times, biblical Greek carries nuances that require inferences to be made. The text says ek tēs tou Ouriou, “from the [fem. sg.] the [masc. sg.] Uriah.” The meaning is “from the [wife of the man] Uriah.” The account of David sleeping with the wife of Uriah and then having him killed, along with the resulting consequences of his actions, is found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. When the tragic account is complete, the next thing introduced into the narrative says –

“Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, ²⁵ and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.” 2 Kings 12:24, 25

Jedidiah was thus Solomon’s other name. One can see the idea of recompense or fair penalty in how the events played out. Thus, the name Solomon was given to the child. Of this son, Solomon, we read the words of 1 Kings 1 –

“Then King David answered and said, ‘Call Bathsheba to me.’ So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. ²⁹ And the king took an oath and said, ‘As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, ³⁰ just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, “Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,” so I certainly will do this day.’” 1 Kings 1:28-30

David had determined to place Solomon on the throne after him. However, there was an attempt to overthrow this decision by another of the king’s sons. In order to thwart that, David ordered that Solomon be crowned king while he was still alive. Therefore, it is from Solomon that the line continues in Matthew’s record.

Life application: Psalm 51 was written in response to David’s sin against the Lord in the matter of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. David poured out his heart to the Lord in repentance, and by penning it in a psalm, he did it in a manner that the whole world has been able to read and contemplate for millennia.

David did this at various times in his life. He would face tragedy, and he would stop and pen a psalm (e.g. psalm 3). In being relieved from a distressing situation, he would write a psalm (e.g. Psalm 4). David would place his heart on full display for the world to see and contemplate his relationship with God.

Although we do not need to write a psalm while being pursued by our enemies as David did (Psalm 57), we can learn from these psalms what pleases God in our interactions with Him. He has chosen these various writings, having placed them in His word, to show us that the words were acceptable to Him.

In reading and pondering them, we are reminded that God is worthy of praise in all situations, that He is with us at all times, and that His word is true and reliable as it points to the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the messianic promises. And because it is reliable concerning the coming of Jesus, we can be certain that it is reliable in regard to the promises that are granted to us because of Jesus having come.

Let us read the word, hold fast to the promises God has made to us in Christ, not waffling or floundering in our convictions. Through stress, distress, and even calamity, we can hold fast to the sure promises that are granted to us because of the coming of Christ. Let us do so, to the glory of God who has made those sure promises.

O God, we are so grateful to You for Your word. It is a comfort to our souls, it is a treasure stored up, it is a light beaming forth, and it is a guide on our path of life. Your word, O God, is especially so wonderfully beautiful because it tells us of Jesus. Thank You that because of Your word, we have the absolute assurance of eternal life which comes through the completed work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Really cool cowboy statue. Wyoming Capitol.

Friday, 12 July 2024

Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, Matthew 1:5

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Salmon begot Boaz from Rahab, and Boaz begot Obed from Ruth, and Obed begot Jesse” (CG).

The previous verse ended Jesus’ ongoing genealogy with Salmon. That now continues with, “And Salmon begot Boaz.”

The narrative of Boaz is highlighted in the book of Ruth. He is first introduced in Ruth 2:1 –

“There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.”

He is one of the main figures of the book, having shown compassion on a foreigner who came and joined herself to the people of Israel. His name means In Strength or In Him is Strength (meaning the Lord). The foreigner who came to dwell in Israel was from the land of Moab and became his wife. With that noted, Matthew next records, Boaz was “from Rahab.”

Rahab means Wide or Spacious. She was a prostitute in the land of Canaan first recorded in Joshua 2 –

“Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’
So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. ² And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, ‘Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.’” Joshua 2:1, 2

Through her deeds of faith, Rahab and her family were spared when the city of Jericho was destroyed. Eventually, she had a child with Salmon, Boaz, as noted above. From there, Matthew next notes, “and Boaz begot Obed.”

The name Obed means Servant or, actively, Serving. As for the birth of Obed, the words of Matthew next say that he was “from Ruth.”

Ruth means either Companion or Looker such as in one you would look at because of her beauty. It depends on the root word used to determine the end result. Because it is uncertain, it is probably a play on both words, Companion and Looker.

Ruth was first married to an Israelite in the land of Moab. Her husband died along with others in the family, and soon only she, her sister-in-law, and her mother-in-law were left. The sister-in-law did not come to Israel, but the mother-in-law and Ruth returned together to begin life anew. Eventually Ruth was married to Boaz. It is from this union that Obed was born. The narrative of this is found in Ruth 4 –

“So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. ¹⁴ Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! ¹⁵ And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.’ ¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. ¹⁷ Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, ‘There is a son born to Naomi.’ And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” Ruth 4:13-17

Next, Matthew records, “and Obed begot Jesse.” The naming of Jesse is first found in the just-cited verse from Ruth 4:17. However, he actually is first noted as an active figure in the ongoing narrative in 1 Samuel 16:1 –

“Now the Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.’”

Jesse means My Husband, as well as Jehovah Exists. As such the name Jesse contains the profound notion that human marriage reflects divine revelation.

Life application: In one verse, two women are introduced into the genealogy of Jesus. One was a prostitute of the line of Canaan, the cursed son of Ham. The other was from Moab, the line descending from the incestuous union between Lot and his firstborn daughter as is recorded in Genesis 19.

Jesus’ genealogy is obviously lined with imperfect people, some of whom have what most anyone would consider very ignoble backgrounds. And yet, these people were brought into the covenant people of Israel and entered into the genealogy of Israel’s Messiah, the Christ of the nations, Jesus.

It may be that you feel your background, events of life, or current state make you ineligible to serve God in a suitable manner. But the record of the Bible tells us differently. We do not need to let the past direct our future.

Instead, we can break free from whatever bonds we think are binding us and we can become useful vessels, storing up treasures inside by the power of God’s wonderful workings in our lives. All it takes to begin this journey is to trust in Jesus, accepting by faith that He has done all that is necessary to restore us to God.

Through this faith, we will be saved. From there, it is up to us, as we trust in God who has saved us, to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to direct our lives and use us according to His wisdom. Whatever we do, it should be done in faith. And if it is, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, God will reward us for it.

Stand fast on allowing God’s presence in your life to direct you. He is there if you have called on Jesus.

Glorious God, use us according to Your wisdom to do the things that will bless others with the knowledge of Jesus, increase Your kingdom, and bring relief from the bonds of sin to those we encounter. Whatever way is according to Your desire, use us, O God. Amen.

Really great horse and rider statue. Wyoming Capitol.

Thursday, 11 July 2024

Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Matthew 1:4

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon” (CG).

The previous verse finished with “and Hezron begot Ram.” Matthew next continues the genealogy with “And Ram begot Amminadab.”

Amminadab is believed to mean either People of the Prince or My Kinsman is Noble. He is first mentioned in Exodus 6:23. He is mentioned quite a few times, but this is because of his more famous son. Thus, his name is provided in conjunction with that son, Nahshon. As such, Matthew next writes, “and Amminadab begot Nahshon.”

Nahshon is derived from a word meaning brass or snake. The vav-nun couple (the letters o and n) at the end of his name may be locative or personified. Thus, his name may mean Serpent, Serpent Guy, Bronze, Place of Bronze, or some other similar thought. And more, because bronze signifies judgment in Scripture, his name could be extended to Place of Judgment, etc.

Nahshon was the brother-in-law of Aaron. That is noted in Exodus 6 where Nahshon is first mentioned in Scripture –

“Aaron took to himself Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.” Exodus 6:23

He is next noted as the chosen leader of the tribe of Judah in Numbers 1:7. There is a Jewish legend that placed Nahshon as the first to enter the Red Sea when it parted at the exodus. This is most likely a fairy tale, putting the horse before the cart.

The tribe of Judah was selected to be the first tribe to march as Israel proceeded toward Canaan. As Nahshon was the leader of Judah, it might be assumed he was the first to march in his tribe. However, his appointment as leader came after, not before, passing through the Red Sea.

Typically, legends are like this and have no bearing on the reality presented in Scripture. Next, Matthew records, “and Nahshon begot Salmon.”

The name Salmon comes from a word meaning garment. Like his father, the vav-nun couple at the end of his name may make the name personified or locative. Thus, his name may mean Garment or actively Clothed, Place of Garment, Garment Guy, or something similar.

The only other place Salmon is mentioned is in Ruth 4:20, 21 in connection with the genealogy of David.

Life application: It is fine to look over extra-biblical writings, and Jewish commentaries may give insights into the culture and habits of the people throughout history. However, it is important to not accept those things as if they are inspired or somehow irrefutable.

Quite often, there are anti-Christian biases inserted directly into such commentaries. These are purposefully stated to lead people away from conclusions that support the notion that Jesus is the Messiah. Therefore, one should be grounded in the word before spending a lot of time in extra-biblical writings.

By knowing the word first, a lot of nonsense can be weeded out when reading other noncanonical literature. So be familiar with the word. The Lord spent millennia of human history compiling it so that we would have exactly what is needed to lead us to an understanding of who Jesus is and what God is doing through Him as His great plan of redemption is being worked out. Be sure to read and know your Bible!

Heavenly Father, may we be responsible and faithful Christians who are willing to carefully read, contemplate, and remember Your word. Help us to check things out when we come across writings that seem to conflict with it. In the end, we know we can trust Your word, but how can we do that if we don’t know it? Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Great sculpture. Wyoming Capitol.

Wednesday, 10 July 2024

Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Matthew 1:3

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Judah begot Perez and Zerah from Tamar, and Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram” (CG).

It should be noted that the names in the Greek have different spellings. They are transliterated out of Hebrew and into Greek for a Greek audience. From there, the names are then translated into English. To save the trouble of remembering the names as they are recorded from both Hebrew and Greek, the same English spelling as is derived from the Old Testament will be used.

However, just to see the differences in transliteration, this verse reads as follows. First the CG standard translation and then a direct transliteration from the Greek:

* And Judah begot Perez and Zerah from Tamar, and Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
* And Ioudas begot Phares and Zara from Thamar, and Phares begot Hesróm, and Hesróm begot Aram.

For clarity’s sake, there is a point where translations need to be standardized. And so, the method of translating names as they are from the Old Testament will be followed.

The previous verse ended with the record of the birth of “Judah and his brothers.” The listing now continues with “And Judah begot Perez and Zerah.”

The name Perez means Breach or Irruption. Zerah means Rising of Light or Dawning. The record of their birth is recorded in Genesis 38 –

“Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. ²⁸ And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, ‘This one came out first.’ ²⁹ Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, ‘How did you break through? This breach be upon you!’ Therefore his name was called Perez. ³⁰ Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.” Genesis 38:27-30

These two children were born to the union between Judah and his daughter-in-law, the narrative of which is found entirely in Genesis 38. From there, Matthew continues by noting these two were “from Tamar.”

Tamar means Palm. It is a symbol of being upright, and so a secondary meaning of Righteous is not out of the question. That can be inferred from Judah’s proclamation found in Genesis 38 –

“So Judah acknowledged them and said, ‘She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.’ And he never knew her again.” Genesis 38:26

Judah was making a pun based upon her name, Palm, and the upright nature of the palm that matched her righteousness in the matter he was speaking of. Tamar descended from Canaan, the son of Ham cursed by Noah –

“So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. ²⁵ Then he said:
‘Cursed be Canaan;
A servant of servants
He shall be to his brethren.’” Genesis 9:24, 25

Next, Matthew continues the line leading to Christ, saying, “and Perez begot Hezron.”

Hezron means something like Enclosure, Cluster, or Village. His inclusion in the genealogical record is first seen in the genealogy of David recorded in Ruth 4:18. He is also noted in 1 Chronicles 2:9. Next, Matthew records “and Hezron begot Ram.”

Ram means High or Exalted. He is first recorded in Ruth 4:19. He is also noted in 1 Chronicles 2:9.

Life application: It may seem surprising that Jesus descended from Canaan, a son cursed by Noah. And more, it may seem incredible that He descended from an incestuous union between Judah and the woman descended from Canaan. However, God is making it clear that even from what is seemingly the basest of people and conduct He can turn such things into something wonderful.

There are claims that certain races and groups of people are cursed and of no value. But this is not true. What makes people worth nothing isn’t who they descend from but how they treat themselves and the world around them.

A person may descend from a godly line, reject his heritage, and turn out to be a total loser. On the other hand, a person may descend from a prostitute or a murderer and turn to the Lord with all his heart and soul, being known by God as a man of faith.

We must evaluate our circumstances in life and decide if we will let the world around us overcome us or if we will rise above the things that are there to pull us down and degrade us as humans.

The choice is ours and so let us consider the right path, pursue the Lord God with all our hearts and souls, and be willing to put aside every weight that hinders us. Let us run the race directly into the arms of Jesus by living lives of faith and acting out our faith in good works that will receive great rewards on the day we come before Him.

Lord God, we are so grateful to You for Jesus. Because of Him, we are not limited to living out lives of vanity or hopelessness. Instead, we can overcome this world and be a part of the glory that lies ahead for those redeemed by His precious blood. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.