Jesus's Family Tree (part 5)

Matthew 1:7-11

There are certain family names that no one wants. Can you imagine having the last name "Hitler", "Manson", "Bundy", or how about "Dahmer"? These are all last names that are associated with sheer evil. They killed people for pleasure. That is not something that most of us want to be associated with. The problem is, we none get to pick what family we are born into. We arrive in this world, and many years later we start to understand the family to which we were born. Even still, it takes many more years for us to truly understand our family history. Sometimes we are better off not knowing who our family was or is.

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Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

Matthew 1:7-11

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Here we have a list of the kings that ruled over Judah. They also happen to be in the family tree of God's only Son. I'm not going to talk about each one of them, but I will tell you which ones were good or bad.

Rehoboam bad Abijam bad

Asa good

Jehoshaphat good

Jehoram bad

Ahaziah bad

Joash good

Amaziah good

Uzziah good

Jotham good

Ahaz bad

Hezekiah good

Manasseh bad

Amon bad

Josiah good

Jeconiah bad

There is one king that I do want to talk about as we finish this family tree. Jeconiah (aka. Jehoiachin) was an evil king. According to II Kings 24:8-12, he was 18 when he began to reign, and he was evil. He was taken captive to Babylon and imprisoned. Jeremiah the prophet pronounced a curse on him.

Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol—

A vessel in which is no pleasure?

Why are they cast out, he and his descendants,

And cast into a land which they do not know?

29 O earth, earth, earth,

Hear the word of the LORD!

30 Thus says the LORD:

‘Write this man down as childless,

A man who shall not prosper in his days;

For none of his descendants shall prosper,

Sitting on the throne of David,

And ruling anymore in Judah.’ ”

Jeremiah 22:28-30

Jeconiah's family would be cut off from the throne of David. This is a problem since the Messiah was supposed to rule from the throne of David. This man seemingly messed up God's plans. However, there are two family trees listed in the Bible for Jesus. Matthew, which we are looking at, and Luke's (Luke 3:23-38). Matthew gives the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph to Abraham. Luke gives the genealogy of Jesus through Mary to Adam. Matthew goes through David's son Solomon and Jeconiah, but Luke goes through David's son Nathan and his descendants. Since Jesus was not biologically Joseph's son, he was safe from the curse placed on evil king Jeconiah.

What seemed impossible, God made possible (Matthew 19:26). What seemed ruined, God redeemed. Man's sins do not limit God, they just hurt us. Jeconiah was cursed, rather than blessed. This kept him out of the bloodline of the Messiah. It did not stop the Messiah from coming and fulfilling all prophesy.

Father, I thank You that we cannot mess up Your plan with our sins. Your will will be done. We cannot hasten it, and we cannot delay it. You do not depend on us. However, if we are obedient to You, You allow us to be a part of Your plan and to be a part of glorifying You.