Jechonias and His Brethren Matthew 1:11

Matthew was a Jew, writing specifically to the Jews about a Jew whose name was Jesus. Matthew employs many Old Testament references throughout his book as to prove that Jesus is indeed the Messiah for whom the Jewish people awaited. Matthew began his book with the words, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”, and he included, “Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judas and his brethren, Phares and Zara of Thamar, Esrom, Aram, Aminadab, Naasson, Salmon, Booz of Rachab, Obed of Ruth and Jesse, David the king, and Solomon

of her that had been the wife of Urias, Roboam, Abia, Asa, Josaphat, Joram, Ozias, Joatham, Achaz, Ezekias, Manasses, Amon and Josias”. In chapter one and verse eleven of his book, Matthew shares the lineage of Jesus through “Jechonias and his brethren” where we read:

And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

The verse reads, “And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and Josias” which means “whom Jehovah heals” “beget Jechonias” or “fathered and engendered Jechonias or Jehoiachin which means whom Jehovah establishes” “and his brethren” which refers to “Jechonias or Jehoiachin's brothers”. Matthew continued Jesus' ancestral line with “Jehoiachin” and his brothers.

The verse continues, “... about the time they were carried away to Babylon.” Matthew added the words, “about the time” which means “upon and at the period and instance” “they were carried away” or “the children of Judah were removed from their homeland” “to Babylon” which means “confusion” and refers to “a very large and famous city which was the residence of the Babylonian kings and situated on both banks of the Euphrates”. The time for King Jehoiachin was when Judah was taken captive to “Babylon”. (See 2 Kings 23 and 24)

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how he has shared the lineage of Jesus to the time of the captivity of Judah by the Babylonians. God kept Jesus' lineage in tact even through the people of Judah were carried away to another country and culture. God preserved His plan for Jesus to be born because of His plan of “salvation”, and nothing could keep Him from maintaining this ancestral line. Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the “Savior” of the world, and all the people within His genealogical line validate His worthiness.

Next time Matthew continues Jesus' lineage with “Salathiel and Zorobabel”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.