Matthew 1 - the kings

Before reading this post, be sure you have read the Introduction post and the Ladies post.

Matthew 1

7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.^[a]
8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.^[b]
Jehoram was the father^[c] of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.^[d]
Amon was the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin^[e] and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).

1. Matthew 1:7 Greek Asaph, a variant spelling of Asa; also in 1:8. See 1 Chr 3:10.
2. Matthew 1:8 Greek Joram, a variant spelling of Jehoram; also in 1:8b. See 1 Kgs 22:50 and note at 1 Chr 3:11.
3. Matthew 1:8 Or ancestor; also in 1:11.
4. Matthew 1:10 Greek Amos, a variant spelling of Amon; also in 1:10b. See 1 Chr 3:14.
5. Matthew 1:11 Greek Jeconiah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin; also in 1:12. See 2 Kgs 24:6 and note at 1 Chr 3:16.

Alright, at first glance, if you aren't paying attention, you miss what Matthew has done here. In most translations, you see footnotes next to a few of these names above. For this part of the geneology, I've left the footnotes in the text above. This is important. What is in the footnotes after the text is what names were actually in the Greek texts. For example, instead of Matthew writing Asa in the original Greek, he would have written Asaph instead. In modern times, as we've translated the texts, we've often assumed that Matthew, or perhaps other people who have copied and recopied Matthew's original writing, have made mistakes with their history. We've assumed that it was an accident that Matthew changed the name of Asa[a] to Asaph, and so we've corrected it for him.

Maybe we were wrong.

If Matthew was so particular about highlighting the extra women in the first 14 generations, perhaps he's highlighting something major in the next 14 generations. I'll focus on 2 of the name changes in particular.

First, King Asa[a] has been changed to Asaph in the Greek text. Now, if you read about Asa in 1 Kings 15, you find that God was actually pleased with him. He often did what was right in the LORD's eyes. Now, you'd think that an Israelite like Matthew would know this, since many of the kings of the past weren't that great in the LORD's eyes. So, you'd expect that he would get the names right.

But he changes this name.

And he changes it to Asaph. Do you know that name? If you've spent a lot of time reading in the Psalms, you know that name. David wrote almost half of the Psalms. But a song leader named Asaph wrote a few, himself. About 12. Check out Psalms 50 and 73 through 83. Look at the content of most of those Psalms. God's justice. Spiritual decadence. People far from God. Cries and pleas to God about the carelessness of the Israelites.

The second name change I want to look at is the changing of King Amon[d] to Amos. You can read about King Amon in 2 Kings 21: 19-26. King Amon was not a good king. He only reigned 2 years, and usually when that happens, it's because God removed him from his post. His own officials conspired against him and killed him. In Matthew 1, Verse 10, his name is changed to Amos.

Do you know who Amos was? He was a prophet. Can you guess which book of the Old Testament is named after him? That's right, Amos. This point doesn't have so much to do with Amos personally, but more to do with the Prophets as a whole. The prophets were responsible for calling Israel and Judah to repent. Most of the time they were unsuccessful in that, calling to deaf ears, but they proclaimed the Word of the LORD day and night, calling His people back to Him. But the times were sad times, and few followed the LORD.

In changing these names, maybe Matthew has a purpose. Maybe he is saying that the time of the second 14 generations, from David and Solomon to the exile was a very bad time. That God showed His justice and wrath in this time. The Psalms are about people that are spiritually dead. The Prophets called out to people that were spiritually dead. The Psalms spoke out to God's justice and vengeance and wrath, just as the Prophets did. This time was a time of disobedience, and God did justice, and ended this period by sending the remainder of His people into exile. And through it all, God was still in control.

This is Matthew's message in the geneology of Jesus. Jesus comes from a background of people that have sinned and called on God and repented, and Jesus comes from a background of people that have sinned and have refused to call on God and have refused to repent. It all has lined up, according to God's plan, that the Law of the first 14 generations and the Prophets of the second 14 generations are pointing to Christ. God has planned it. And it all leads to Christ.

So, there's my discussion on the geneology in Matthew. Next, Matthew's writings on the work of the Holy Spirit and the role of Christ...in a matter of hours.

Later guys,
Matt