Vocare - (verb) to invoke, to call. This is the root word for voice and for vocation. It was believed in ancient times, that your job, your life’s work was your ‘calling’. The source of that calling was always believed to be divine. God calls. He always calls. He always will...call. When He speaks, He calls. God’s desire is that we come to Him in restoration. This series of lessons will explore the call of God on the lives of many of His servants throughout Scripture, starting with Jesus.
Matthew 1:1
1 The [a]record of the genealogy of [b]Jesus the [c]Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Matthew, a tax collector despised and rejected by his people, called by Jesus as one of the original Apostles. Called, in fact, back to his people, the Jews, to prove the heritage of Jesus, the Messiah. So then, the Gospel of Matthew begins the process by doing something that the Jews would consider necessary. Matthew lays out the genealogy of Jesus. Why was this necessary? Because God clearly indicated throughout Scripture that a Messiah, a Savior would be sent by Him to redeem the nation of Israel. That promised Messiah was to descend from Father Abraham and from King David, thus fulfilling two covenant promises; to make Abraham a father of many nations and for the throne of David to be an eternal throne.
Matthew 1:2
2 Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered [d]Judah and his brothers.
Abraham. Called out of the land of Ur, a place where many gods were followed. Called to a place where the One, True God could reveal Himself. His name was Abram, which meant ‘High Father’, really more of a title than a name. Selah (Consider that for a moment). Why not call one with such a name into the process that reveals the true ‘High Father’? God changed his name to Abraham, meaning ‘Father of many nations’. The significance of the ‘ham’ appended to Abram’s name was that it signified the ‘Ruach Ha’Kodesh’, the Breath of God, The Holy Ghost. It was as if God was adding His Shekhinah, His Glorious Radiance to the personage of Abram. Abraham then, becomes a type, a shadow of our Father in Heaven and a progenitor of God’s promise to redeem.
Issac. You remember him. He was the child of promise. When both Abraham and Sarah were well beyond childbearing age, God gave them Issac, whose name means ‘laughter’. God rejected Ishmael and gave them Issac, thereby signifying that God would provide salvation, not by the will of man, but by His Spirit. Issac must also be remembered for asking his father the question, “I see the wood. I see the fire. Where is the sacrifice.” It was that Issac, who then went obediently to the altar, understanding through his father’s cryptic response, ‘God will provide’ that he was the intended offering. It was Issac that Abraham was willing to offer up to God, reckoning that if he offered him up to God, that God would raise him up again unto life. In Issac, the typology of Christ is completely illustrated, from birth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to resurrection. Hallelujah!
Jacob, the thief. He wrested the birthright from his brother, then he outright stole his blessing. He just wanted more than his brother, Esau. He wanted the things of God more than his brother did. Scripture says Esau despised his birthright. Don’t blame Jacob. Jacob, who met encountered God at the stairway to Heaven. Jacob showed that same perseverance later in life when essentially duped by his father-in-law, he worked for twenty-one years to secure the love of his life, Rachel. That same perseverance would serve him well as he wrestled the angel of the Lord until daybreak at the river, Jordan. He prevailed that day and earned a new name, Israel, meaning ‘One who has power with God’. Thus would a nation be called. And from that nation, God called a savior.
Judah, the fourth child of Jacob by his first wife, Leah. His name literally means, ‘I will praise the Lord!” The tribe of Judah would grow to become the most powerful and prominent of the tribes of Israel. In Revelation, the fifth chapter Jesus would be identified as the ‘Lion of the Tribe of Judah’ and as ‘the Lamb who was slain’, who is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and ….praise! Hallelujah!.
Matthew 1:3
3 Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered [e]Ram.
Tamar. Her name translates, ‘Date Palm’, after the palm trees in Cana. Not all was honorable that happened by the hand of Judah. When his daughter-in-law, Tamar was widowed by the death of Er, Judah’s son, she suddenly found her rightful inheritance slipping from her grasp. So she hid her true identity from Judah and by him, conceived twins. When she was found to be pregnant, Judah called for her to be burned. When she, subsequently, proved to Judah that he was the father, he relented, declaring her to be ‘more righteous’ than himself. Tamar’s example was one of righteousness ‘imputed’. She did nothing so honorable as to earn her inheritance. It was imparted to her by God. He would not allow her to be denied. She is eternally remembered and honored as the first woman named in the genealogy of Christ.
Perez. His name means, ‘to burst forth’, or ‘breached’ because he burst forth first from his mother’s womb even though all indications were that his brother would be born first. However the order of birth was finally determined, Perez became a progenitor of Christ.
Perez was the father of Hezron, whose name means ‘Enclosed’. Most likely, his name indicates that he was born during the early period of the Egyptian captivity. So then Hezron foreshadows the early life of Christ, in that his parents fled to the safety of Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath.
Hezron fathered Ram, whose name means ‘Exalted’. Though born in captivity, his name reminds him every day that he is the product of royalty. There were three prominent tribes among the Hebrews: Levi, Judah, and Ephraim. All were found to be loyal to God. Of them, the tribe of Judah was the ‘Lion’, signifying power and loyalty. Even in slavery, these tribes remained true to their call to godliness.
Matthew 1:4
4 Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.
Amminadab. His name meant, ‘My people are generous’ and, or ‘My people are noble. What is indicated in the name of Amminadab is the faithfulness of God toward His people and the faithfulness of God’s people toward Him, even while in bondage. By this time, they are three generations into the Egyptian captivity, yet Amminidab’s name indicates that God’s chosen people are flourishing because they are applying God’s principles of generosity in giving and are receiving God’s reciprocal response in His blessing exceedingly and abundantly above their expectations. (Won’t He do it?!). There is a concept in the study of Christianity that suggests that “When you cannot see God’s hand, trust His heart”. It is in the time of Amminadab that Pharoah becomes fearful of the emerging prosperity of the Hebrews and orders the murder of all male Hebrew newborn. It is in the time of Amminadab that Moses, the Deliverer of the Hebrews’ was born. In fact, Amminadab would eventually become the father-in-law of Aaron, the older brother of Moses.
Nashon. A Chief of the tribe of Judah. Literally named as a ‘prince’ of the tribe of Judah and a prominent leader of the people of Israel. According to Hebraic history, Nashon was the first to walk into the Red Sea at its parting. It is recorded that he walked into the water chin deep before it began to part. Nashon. It is recorded in Scripture that he was appointed by Moses a leader of the peoples, responsible for the census of his tribe. He also was the first to bring the offering, for his tribe, for the dedication of the tabernacle.
Salmon. His name is a derivation of the name Solomon, which means, ‘Peace’. As the son of Nashon, he would have been of the generation of Hebrew children born in the desert. He would have been among those children who would have had to make a recommitment to God, to include circumcision, as none born in the wilderness had been circumcised. He was one of that group who entered the promised land with Joshua. Finally, he would have probably been one of the spies sent into Jericho. Most probably, it was he who agreed to protect Rahab and her family if she would help them escape their pursuers. A type of ‘mediator’ for the lost.
Matthew 1:5
5 Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.
Yes, that Rahab. Rahab, the harlot. Her name means, ‘spacious’. Her actions towards the Israeli spies indicate that she was a ‘hooker with a heart’. Beloved, there are so many people who become victims of their circumstances or are just victimized by the people around them. Women and children are routinely victimized by people in power simply because they have no ability to escape. While the inclination among ‘good Christians’ is to blame victims for their condition, Jesus does not. Rather, He chose her and placed her in a position of eternal honor. What a beautiful expression of God’s great Grace.
Boaz. His name means ‘swiftness’. He was a man of wealth and honor. Though his name meant swiftness, he seems to have been very ...patient. When we encounter him in the Book of Ruth, he is not a ‘young’ man. He seems to have inherited his mother’s spacious heart, her capacity for accommodating strangers and people in need. We further observe that he has the heart of his father, Salmon who ‘redeemed’ Rahab, a Caananite woman through marriage. Boaz first opened his harvest to a stranger, Ruth, so that she could glean the leavings of his fields. He offered her the protection and fellowship of his servants, though she was a stranger from a strange land. Ruth, at Naomi’s urging, placed herself at his feet, he swiftly stepped up and stood up for her as her ‘Kinsman Redeemer’. This is a direct typology of Christ. His actions placed him in the genealogy of Christ as the grandfather of David.
Ruth, the Moabitess. The foreigner. The immigrant. Her name means, ‘Friend’. She was a friend to Naomi, her mother-in-law. So much so, that when her father-in-law died followed by the deaths of her own husband and her brother-in-law, she clung to her mother-in-law and followed her back to her home in Bethlehem. She famously declared to her mother-in-law, Naomi, “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” God heard her and honored her faithfulness to a woman who could profit her nothing. God honored her and Naomi by placing her among the Royalty of the lineage of Christ.
Obed, the grandfather of David. His name means, ‘worshipper’. In his name alone we find the strength of his heritage as a member of the tribe of Judah. From ‘Praise’ in the name Judah to ‘Worship’ in the name of Obed, we find the perfect example of our approach and attitude to the God of all of creation. We also find, in Obed, the character traits that would be handed down to his grandson, David, that would endear to God as ‘one after God’s own heart.
Jesse. His name means, ‘Gift’ or ‘God exists’. In his name, we find prophetic inferences to the Messiah. He, as the father of David, was responsible for creating an environment within his home that would inspire a poet of David’s stature, that would acknowledge and encourage a vision of a God so big that Goliath was but a mere ant in his eyes. He gave Israel the most beloved King, and through David, an eternal throne through Christ.
Matthew 1:6
6 Jesse fathered David the king.
David fathered Solomon by [f]her who had been the wife of Uriah.
David. His name means, ‘Beloved’. He was the second and greatest King of the nation of Israel. He wrote most of the Psalms of the bible. He defeated giants and consolidated all of the tribes of Israel under one king. He was a man after God’s own heart. He received the promise from God that there would always reside, on the throne of Israel, someone from his bloodline. This was a direct reference to the coming Messiah, Jesus who will forever sit on the throne in Heaven to rule over all creation.
Bathsheba. Her name means, ‘Daughter of the oath’. Though unnamed in Matthew’s writing, she is correctly identified as the former wife of Uriah (the Hittite). Former because through a series of sordid events, David exploited her sexually (is it really consensual when so much power is involved?), then when it was discovered that she was pregnant, tried to hide his sin, then had her husband murdered as the ultimate attempt in hiding his sin. He then married Bathsheba and sought to return to business as usual. That was not to be. Nathan, the prophet exposed David’s sin and his crimes. It was only then that David submitted himself to God in full repentance and was restored to right fellowship with God. God showed Bathsheba favor by giving her a second child by David, who was, by then, her husband. That child would be the child chosen of the nineteen children that David fathered to be the child who would be the path of promise to the Messiah and come to be regarded as a great king in his own right. She was Queen Mother to the boy, Solomon.
Solomon. The boy who would be king. His name means, ‘Peace’. While his father David may have been the most beloved king of Israel, Solomon was regarded as the wisest. In his day, he was regarded as both the wisest and wealthiest man of his time. Solomon was a ‘Biyn’. In the Hebrew culture, this title is reserved for very wise people. The accompanying thought to this title is that said wisdom is imparted directly from God. The most famous of Scriptures surrounding the life of Solomon occur with the dedication Temple. In that episode, God was so satisfied with Solomon’s offering and dedication that He prompted Solomon to ask for whatever he wished. When Solomon asked for wisdom, so that he, a child, might properly lead God’s people, God was so pleased that He rewarded Solomon with all that He asked. All of that and he placed in in the royal genealogy of Christ.
So then, in this morning’s lesson, we find royalty and humility, Courage, and coarseness. All facets of the human condition reflected in the genealogy of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And why not? Did he not come to save the entirety of humanity?
Matthew 1:16
16 Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the [a]Messiah.
Finally, in these last three figures, we glimpse one of the beloved traditions of the Jewish culture: the use of very traditional, very famous names from Jewish history. Little is known of Jacob, also called Heli (or Eli) in the Gospel of Luke. In Jacob, we see a nod to royalty, a direct line back to Father Abraham, a look forward to the King of Kings. In Heli, we see a nod to the great figures of the Levitical line, Moses and Aaron, who was the first High Priest of Israel. Looking forward, we see our Great High Priest, our Mediator, Jesus Christ.
In Joseph, again we see a nod to one of the greatest figures of biblical history. Like Solomon, Joseph was recognized as a Biyn, a Seer, a Prophet. So great was his esteem that at the pinnacle of Egypt’s greatness, Pharoah turned over all authority to him. We will learn more about Joseph, the husband of Mary and (step) father of Jesus in subsequent lessons, but from a genealogical standpoint, it is as though God providentially want to foreshadow Jesus, the coming Messiah as the eternal King, Priest, and Prophet of God’s everlasting Kingdom.
Finally, there’s Mary. Her name was very popular in Jewish culture, as it is a derivative of the name of Miriam, the sister of Moses. Miriam drew Moses out of the Nile to become the Deliverer of Israel. Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior, the Deliverer of all of Creation. Their name was derived from the Egyptian word ‘mry’, which means “beloved”. Certainly, both women are beloved. Miriam rebelled against her brother, Moses. In doing so, she brought some shame to her otherwise stellar narrative. But God! We serve a God who always redeems. whose every thought of us is love, whose every action towards us is redemptive.
I would like to think that every remembrance of Jesus’ genealogy by Matthew’s Jewish readers invoked some of the fondest memories of His ancestors. I hope the same for my readers as well. We serve an awesome God. Who, but God could craft so beautiful a mosaic of heritage as is created in just some of the history of these beloved saints.
That was exhausting! I am in awe of God!
Hebrews 1:1
1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
While there is some question of the identity of the author of Hebrews, the influence of Paul, the Aged is evident. Like Matthew, the writer is speaking to a predominately Jewish audience. Hence, the title, ‘Hebrews’. I would argue that the very title speaks to the mindset of the readers and frames the argument presented by the author, in that, the history of the Hebrews finds it’s origins in Abraham, whereas the history of the Jews or Israel begins with Jacob. So then, in titling the letter Hebrews the writer seeks to invoke God’s covenant with Abraham, to make of him, the Father of many nations.
The book opens with the observation that God has reached out to men in various ways at various times, revealing Himself and His purpose in portions, never fully, all at once. This is evident in the many, many names of God, revealed over a number of centuries through many different prophets. Upon closer examination, we understand that each time reveals a portion of Himself, it was situational. In essence, God was whatever was needed in any given situation, revealed as He declared Himself to His servants,. Thus, He was never fully revealed, but rather, our knowledge of Him was cumulative, as he continued to unfold the revelation of Himself over time.
Hebrews 1:2
2 [a]in these last days has spoken to us [b]in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the [c]world.
Based on what we know about the audience, it can be assumed that the purpose of this tome was to encourage this body of Jewish Christians who understood their heritage as being foundational to their faith. With the persecution they were facing as strangers in a strange land, they questioned whether their faith in Christ had been misplaced. In some ways, they wanted to go back to their old ‘praying grounds’. Heritage runs deep in every ethnos. Based on the study of the genealogy of Christ that we reviewed in the book of Matthew, one can understand how this young Jewish-Christian community would look back to the pillars of their heritage because they did not understand that Christ was the chief cornerstone on which all of those pillars were built. The author’s task was to present Christ as greater than the heroes and the previous covenants that once made Israel a great nation and the Hebrew a great people. He makes and presses the point here in verse two that Jesus IS the complete and final revelation of God. He’s greater than. Greater than the prophets and pillars of Israel that had come before Him.
Hebrews 1:3
3 [d]And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and [e]upholds all things by [f]the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Christ is greater than the Patriarchs because he precedes them. In fact, he has no predecessor. In John’s Gospel He is identified as the Word of God, who was from the beginning, or more accurately, has always been and will always be. Eternal. That fact alone makes Him one with God, or more accurately, God in the flesh. Emmanuel! These facts inform the audience then, that Christ, being the final, revealed (and much-awaited) presentation of God holds all of the power and majesty and honor and glory befitting the only one and true God. And by His majesty and power, He not only created all things, but upholds all that is by His mighty power. And because they are His, that same power that upholds all of Creation holds them. What a Blessed Assurance!
Hebrews 1:4
4 having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
There are seven archangels named in the Jewish historical records. Only three are named in protestant Christian literature: Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer. Michael is held in the highest esteem by followers of the Hebrew tradition. In Christian tradition, Gabriel is well regarded in that he literally speaks for God. Lucifer, before the fall, was the leader of worship in Heaven. Yet, as powerful as each of these entities are, they pale in comparison to the Creator of all things, Jesus. Angel worship was in vogue a few years ago in some Christian circles. The flaw in that thinking is the same fatal flaw that leads followers of false religions into idolatry. All of the angels are created beings and as such, are not worthy of our worship. Only Jesus is worthy of our praise. There is one name above all others. The name of Jesus.
Hebrews 1:5
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say,
“You are My Son,
Today I have fathered You”?
And again,
“I will be a Father to Him
And He will be a Son to Me”?
“Behold O Israel! The Lord, thy God is One God.” Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” Beloved we only understand the Triune nature of God by faith. We accept it as an essential article of our faith in God. Jesus repeatedly identified Himself as the ‘I AM’, literally the eternal, one true God. What that means is that there is only ONE in all of eternity whose makeup is completely and entirely unique. Only God is Divine. Literally, Only He was not made or formed. Rather, He simply IS. And He IS Divine. And He is uniquely Divine. We know Him as Jesus. He is all we will ever need. Ever.
Selah,
wb
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