Evening Prayer December 29, 2024

Father in Heaven,
 
Holy are you, Lord God Almighty, for you alone are worthy of all glory, honor and praise.
 
It can be difficult for us to accept that, just as light and darkness must be separate, so must the children of Light be separate from the children of darkness, not that it is something we have to force apart, but it is something that happens naturally. Help us to understand, Lord, that in order for us to be beacons of light in the darkness, we must be seen, and that can't happen under the cover of darkness. There is so much we really don't understand, so we need You to give us wisdom and discernment to do so.
 
Hear our prayers, Lord, in the precious name of your Son, our Lord and Savior,
 
Amen

Matthew 1:2

Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Matthew 1:2 Berean Standard Bible (BSB)
 
Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
Matthew 1:2 King James Bible (KJV)
 
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Matthew 1:2 New English Translation (NET)
 
Abraham
Abraham, originally named Abram, is a central figure in the Bible, known as the "father of many nations" (Genesis 17:5). His name in Hebrew, אַבְרָהָם (Avraham), signifies "father of a multitude." Abraham's journey of faith began when God called him to leave his homeland and go to a land that He would show him (Genesis 12:1). His life is a testament to faith and obedience, as he trusted God's promises, even when they seemed impossible. Abraham's covenant with God established the foundation for the nation of Israel and the coming of the Messiah.
 
was the father of
The phrase "was the father of" in Greek is ἐγέννησεν (egennēsen), which means "begot" or "became the father of." This genealogical term is significant in biblical narratives, as it connects generations and highlights the fulfillment of God's promises through lineage. It emphasizes the continuity of God's plan through human history, showing that each generation plays a role in the unfolding of divine purposes.
 
Isaac
Isaac, whose name in Hebrew is יִצְחָק (Yitzchak), means "he will laugh" or "laughter," reflecting the joy and surprise of his birth to Abraham and Sarah in their old age (Genesis 21:6). Isaac is a patriarch of Israel and a symbol of God's faithfulness to His promises. His life, including the near-sacrifice on Mount Moriah, prefigures the sacrificial love of Christ and underscores themes of obedience and trust in God's provision.
 
Isaac the father of Jacob
Jacob, in Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Ya'akov), means "he grasps the heel" or "supplanter." Jacob's life is marked by transformation and struggle, as he wrestles with God and men (Genesis 32:28). His account is one of redemption and the fulfillment of God's covenant, as he becomes Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. Jacob's journey from deception to becoming a patriarch reflects the transformative power of God's grace.
 
and Jacob the father of Judah
Judah, in Hebrew יְהוּדָה (Yehudah), means "praise." He is a significant figure in biblical history, as his lineage leads to King David and ultimately to Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Judah's account includes moments of failure and redemption, illustrating God's ability to work through imperfect people to accomplish His divine purposes. His life is a testament to the themes of repentance and restoration.
 
and his brothers
The mention of "his brothers" highlights the twelve tribes of Israel, each descending from Jacob's sons. This phrase underscores the communal and covenantal nature of God's promises to Israel. The brothers' stories, filled with conflict and reconciliation, reflect the broader narrative of God's redemptive work through His chosen people. It serves as a reminder of the unity and diversity within the body of Christ, as believers are called to live in harmony and fulfill God's mission together.
 
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This verse is part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ presented at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. Here's a breakdown of its significance:
 
Genealogy Purpose: The Gospel of Matthew starts with a genealogy to establish Jesus's lineage from Abraham, thereby linking him to the promises made to Abraham in the Old Testament. This connection is crucial for Jewish readers, as it confirms Jesus as the Messiah, a descendant of Abraham and thus a rightful heir to the covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3, 17:1-8).
 
Historical and Theological Context:
 
Abraham: Known as the father of the Jewish nation, Abraham is pivotal because God promised him that through his offspring, all nations would be blessed. This sets the stage for Jesus, who Christians believe fulfills this promise by offering salvation to all peoples.
 
Isaac: The son of Abraham, Isaac's birth was miraculous as both he and Sarah were elderly when he was born. His inclusion in the lineage highlights the continuation of God's promise through Isaac's miraculous birth.
 
Jacob: Also known as Israel, Jacob had twelve sons, whose descendants became the twelve tribes of Israel. His inclusion further establishes the Messianic lineage.
 
Judah: One of Jacob's sons, through whom the royal line of David (and thus of Jesus) would come. Judah's mention here is significant because the Messiah was prophesied to come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).
 
Literary Structure: This verse is part of a structured list that serves both to introduce Jesus' ancestry and to show how God works through human history to fulfill His promises, often in unexpected or miraculous ways.
 
Cultural and Religious Implications: For early Jewish Christians, this genealogy would validate Jesus' identity as the Messiah by showing his descent from key figures in Jewish history. For broader audiences, it underscores the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, illustrating the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the New.
 
In summary, Matthew 1:2 is foundational in establishing Jesus's credentials as the Messiah through his lineage, linking him to the foundational figures of Jewish faith and history.
 
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If you’re like most readers of the Bible, whenever you encounter one of the genealogical lists, you roll your eyes and quickly move past, offering a quick prayer that you’ll never be called upon to read one of these lists, out loud, in public. While there are many among us who have a deep interest in genealogy, most of us raised with a western mindset would rather leave it than take it. The same cannot be said for many other cultures who take the remembrance of their ancestors very seriously.
 
For the people of Israel, knowing your line of descent was important for many reasons, not the least of which was the requirement that priests be able to prove their descent from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The genealogical lists also performed another important function, serving as a shorthand reminder of their story, of their history. Their history and beliefs were instilled in them from an early age as children. Almost everything they did, and the way they did them, reminded and reinforced these lessons.
 
The verses we are currently studying form the first of three tables that Matthew has divided Jesus’ genealogy into, the reason for which we’ll get into in more detail later. This first “era” of the life of Israel spans the beginning of the tribes of Israel up until the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel, a period of about 1,000 years. A quick perusal of the list tells us much, just from what we’ve learned from our own reading, Sunday School, and hours and hours of preaching that we’ve listened to. The list is an effective way to bring a huge amount of information to mind, more than we can effectively discuss here. For the purposes of this study, we will focus primarily on Abraham, as he is critical to Jesus’ own story. F
Abraham was born and raised in Ur of the Chaldees, which is in modern Iraq, near Nasiriyah in the southeastern part of the country. Joshua 24:2 says that Abraham and his father worshiped idols. We can make some educated guesses about their religion by looking at the history and religious artifacts from that period.
 
Ur of the Chaldees was an ancient city that flourished until about 300 BC. The great ziggurat of Ur was built by Ur-Nammu around 2100 BC and was dedicated to Nanna, the mood God. The moon was worshiped as the power that controlled the heavens and the life cycle on earth. To the Chaldeans, the phases of the moon represented the natural cycle of birth, growth, decay, and death and also set the measurement of their yearly calendar. Among the pantheon of the Mesopotamian gods, Nanna was supreme, because he was the source of fertility for crops, herds, and families. Prayers and offerings were offered to the moon to invoke its blessing.
 
When God called Abraham (then called Abram) in Genesis 12:1, He told Abraham to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house. Everything familiar was to be left behind, and that included his religion. We do not know that Abraham knew about the true God at that point, but it is likely that he had received some instruction from his father, as each generation passed down their history to the next. As a worshiper of other gods, Abraham must have been surprised to receive a direct revelation from Yahweh. The moon god and other deities were distant objects of worship, and they did not personally interact with men. Abraham obeyed God’s call, and, when he arrived in the land of Canaan, he built an altar to Yahweh at Shechem (Genesis 12:7). The text indicates that God’s appearance to Abraham was a deciding factor in his choosing to worship Him. Hebrews 11:8 says that Abraham’s departure from Ur was an example of faith in action.
 
Abraham continued to learn about this God he now worshiped, and in Genesis 14:22, following the example of Melchizedek, Abraham calls Yahweh ‘the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.’ This statement show that Abraham set Yahweh above and apart from the moon god. His decision to worship God alone was settled in Genesis 17, when God established the covenant of circumcision with him. God appeared to Abraham, saying, ‘I am God Almighty, walk before me, and be blameless’ (Genesis 17:1). In verse 7 God said the covenant He established with Abraham was to be everlasting and that He alone was to be God to Abraham and his offspring. Abraham chose to follow God alone, and he demonstrated his commitment by circumcising every male in his household.
 
Though Abraham forsook moon worship, the worship of heavenly objects became a continual problem with his descendants. Many times in the Old Testament, God rebuked the children of Abraham for their idolatry and renewed His call to worship Him alone. In Deuteronomy 17:2-5, God specified the punishment for idolatry – death by stoning. Moses described idolatry as doing what is evil in the sight of God and transgressing His covenant. Much later, King Hoshea of Israel was defeated and the people taken captive. Second Kings 17:16 says the defeat happened because the people ‘bowed down to all the starry hosts.’ In 2 Kings 23:4-5 King Josiah of Judah led a revival of Yahweh worship and deposed the false priests who burned incense to the sun, moon, and stars.”
 
As has already been briefly mentioned in the preceding article, God, Yahweh, made a covenant with Abraham. This covenant is a critical piece in the puzzle that is the people of Israel, and figures prominently in Matthew’s story of Jesus.
 
A covenant is an agreement between two parties. There are two basic types of covenants: conditional and unconditional. A conditional or bilateral covenant is an agreement that is binding on both parties for its fulfillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain conditions. If either party fails to meet their responsibilities, the covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of the covenant. An unconditional or unilateral covenant is an agreement between two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something. Nothing is required of the other party.
 
The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant. The actual covenant is found in Genesis 12:1-3. The ceremony recorded in Genesis 15 indicates the unconditional nature of the covenant. When a covenant was dependent upon both parties keeping commitments, then both parties would pass between the pieces of animals. In Genesis 15, God alone moves between the halves of the animals. Abraham was in a deep sleep. God’s solitary action indicates that the covenant is principally His promise. He binds Himself to the covenant.
 
Later, God gave Abraham the right of circumcision as the specific sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:9-14). All males in Abraham’s line were to be circumcised and thus carry with them a lifelong mark in their flesh that they were part of God’s physical blessing in the world. Any descendant of Abraham who refused circumcision was declaring himself to be outside of God’s covenant; this explains why God was angry with Moses when Moses failed to circumcise his son (Exodus 4:24-26).
God determined to call out a special people for Himself, and through that special people He would bless the whole world. The Lord tells Abram,
 
“I will make you into a great nation,
     and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
     and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
     and whoever curses you I will curse;
     and all peoples on earth
     will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3).
 
Based on this promise, God later changed Abram’s name from Abram (“high father”) to Abraham (“father of a multitude”) in Genesis 17:5. As we’ve seen, the Abrahamic Covenant is unconditional. It should also be taken literally. There is no need to spiritualize the promise to Abraham. God’s promises to Abraham’s descendants will be fulfilled literally.
 
The Abrahamic Covenant included the promise of land (Genesis 12:1). It was a specific land, an actual property, with dimensions specified in Genesis 15:18-21. In Genesis 13:15, God gives Abraham all the land that he can see, and the gift is declared to be “forever.” God was not going to renege on His promise. The territory given as part of the Abrahamic Covenant is expanded in Deuteronomy 30:1-10, often called the Palestinian Covenant.
 
The Abrahamic Covenant also included a promise of blessing and redemption (Genesis 12:3). All the earth would be blessed through Abraham. This promise finds its fulfillment in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:21-34; cf. Luke 22:20), which was ratified by Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham and Redeemer who will one day “restore everything” (Acts 3:21).
 
Five times in Genesis 12, as God is giving the Abrahamic Covenant, He says, “I will.” Clearly, God takes the onus of keeping the covenant upon Himself. The covenant is unconditional. One day, Israel will repent, be forgiven, and be restored to God’s favor (Zechariah 12:10-14; Romans 11:25-27). One day, the nation of Israel will possess the entire territory promised to them. One day, the Messiah will return to set up His throne, and through His righteous rule the whole world will be blessed with an abundance of peace, pleasure, and prosperity.”
 
There is a lot for us to absorb here, and so much more that could be said, not only about Abraham, but every other name listed in this first division of Jesus’ genealogy, not the least of which is the Exodus, another critical part of Israel’s story. We will, however, discuss many of those happenings at a future point as we delve deeper into Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ story. For now, this has probably been enough to consider and we do need to move on.
 

Morning Prayer December 29, 2024

Father in Heaven,
 
Holy are you, Lord God Almighty, for you alone are worthy of all glory, honor and praise.
 
With all the evil and problems we face in this world, it seems incredulous that those whom You have appointed to lead the many nations of this world spend so much time, effort, and resources in opposing You. So much of those resources could do much more good for their people if they could only be channeled where they are most needed. Despite this obvious inconsistency in the thinking of our leaders, or maybe because of it, we ask that You guide them and direct them along the path You created for them to follow, and for which You put them in their positions of leadership. Help us, Lord, to be properly respectful toward them as appointed agents of Your will. Help us to be at peace with our leaders despite any political, ideological, or theological differences we may have with them. Help us to remember, Lord, that we represent You in all areas of our lives, a fact we seem to forget more often than not. Help us to remember that we are citizens of Your kingdom, foreigners in a land that is not our own.
 
Hear our prayers, Lord, in the precious name of your Son, our Lord and Savior,
 
Amen