Matthew 2:12-15

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12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” ~ Matthew 2:12-15

Today, we return to our study of the book of Matthew. While Matthew 1 gives us the good news of the birth of the Savior, Matthew 2 gives us the different reactions to the birth of the Savior. The Magi were moved by the Scriptures to make a two year long journey in search of the Savior. The Magi, with biblical faith in their hearts, gifts in their hands, and worship in their spirit stopped at nothing to get to the virgin-born Savior. In stark contrast, the religious leaders yawned, even though they were experts on the Scriptures. They didn’t have to travel a long distance, they were near where it all happened. They had the promises that it was going to happen, but none of them made a move to journey in His direction. And then, there was Herod who was threatened by the Lord. Excitement, indifference and fear are the three responses in today’s passage of the birth of the King.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

The Magi came to worship the King. Then, after being divinely warned by God through a dream that Herod was a threat to their lives, the Magi traveled back home a different way. There are six different dreams recorded in Matthew’s gospel. There are a total of 21 dreams in all of the Bible. God led the Magi into His will for them through a dream. This begs the question: Does God still speak to us through our dreams? In Joel 2:28 we read, "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." If God chooses to speak to a person in a dream, the message of that dream will be consistent with, and will not contradict the teachings of the Bible. The obedience of the Magi saved their very lives.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.'"

Then there is yet another dream. This dream through which God instructed Joseph was to take Mary and the Lord Jesus down to Egypt. Egypt was southwest of Judea about 60 miles and it was at that time a Roman province. There were many Jews still living in Egypt, holdovers from the days of Jacob’s son Joseph. God told Joseph, the husband of Mary, to take his family to Egypt and to remain there until He gave to him further instruction. 

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Out of Egypt I called my son.'"

Joseph and his family made their departure at night. The focus here in this verse is on the obedience of Joseph, even though the Lord Jesus was the primary focus of the passage at large. There is one Mediator between God & men, the Man Christ Jesus the Lord. Joseph heard the word, and he immediately obeyed. The same Lord who spoke to Joseph through His messenger speaks to us today through a variety of means but primarily through His word. In fact, His word will always bear the litmus test to such revelation.

A word is used here in v.15 that is never used again in the Scriptures: It is the word "death." Of course, there are other words translated used in the Bible, but this one is only used this time. And, in this case, this word described Herod's death which was awful. As for the event itself, many have difficulty with the dating of Herod’s death. Herod died in the thirty-seventh year of his reign. We are not certain as to the year Herod began his reign, and hence it is impossible to determine the time that Joseph remained in Egypt. The best chronologers supposed Herod to have died somewhere between two and four years after the birth of the Lord Jesus, but the specific date has not been determined.

The words, "that it might be fulfilled, having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet," indicates that God foresaw these events and spoke of them in advance, using the prophetic word to provide His people with the assurance that what had come to pass was a part of His unfolding plan. The dream that Joseph had, their trip to Egypt, and then their return wasn’t something that occurred on the spur of the moment. Rather, it was intended to happen this way so that God could fulfill His word concerning these matters. 

As for what was spoken through the prophet, "Out of Egypt, I called my Son," this prophetic word is a reference to Hosea 11:1 which reads, "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son." Matthew saw in the verse from Hosea a parallel to what happened to the Lord Jesus. None of the surrounding text follows this thought, and yet, it is repeated by Matthew because of his understanding that what happened to Israel in the Exodus was a type fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. The type was Israel who had traveled down to Egypt as recorded in Genesis 46:3. According to Exodus 3:8 Israel was called out of Egypt by the Lord. And, according to Exodus 4:22, Israel is the Lord’s firstborn son. Likewise, the Lord Jesus went down to Egypt. He was called out of Egypt by the Lord. And, He is God’s only begotten Son. 

When we read through the Old Testament, Israel is given as a type of the coming of the Lord Jesus again & again. They are equated to a vine, while the Lord Jesus described Himself as the true vine. They were to be a sort of light to the nations, while the Lord Jesus said He was the Light of the world. While the temple was the place where God would dwell among His people, the Lord Jesus was the true Temple and dwelling place of God. On and on throughout Scripture, such patterns are seen. But not all of them are explicitly highlighted in the New Testament. 

In citing the words of Hosea as Matthew did in this verse, it is a call for those who read Scripture to look for other such connections as well. The Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of what Israel anticipated. In understanding this, and in looking for types and pictures from the Old Testament Scriptures, we can gain a fuller understanding of the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus as detailed in the New Testament. One of the things about properly elicited typology from the Old Testament is that it helps settle what is to be considered sound theology in the New. It is argued whether there is still a role in the world for Israel the nation or has the church replaced them.

In properly understanding types and pictures from the Old Testament, it becomes perfectly clear that Israel the nation has a future role in redemptive history. Like the Jewish religious leaders we can choose to believe in a god of our own making or we can believe in the God of the Bible with whom we are often perplexed because we lack all of the knowledge it takes to believe. Like Nero, we can improperly fear God or we like the Magi can bow down and worship with reverence. The choice is clearly ours.

Matthew 2:3-11

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3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah. Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ~ Matthew 2:3-11

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 2 where the Magi have come from the east of Jerusalem on a two year trip to worship the King of the Jews, the Lord Jesus Christ. When they arrived in Jerusalem the Magi inquired from the Jewish religious leaders where the King of the Jews would be born. Evidently, the Jewish religious leaders told Herod of the Magi's inquiry and that alarmed him deeply. In today's passage, we are given the details of how Herod responded to the coming of "the King of the Jews."

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him."

Herod’s father was named Antipater who had helped Julius Caesar win a battle over the Egyptians, so Julius Caesar gave to Antipater the area of Judea to rule over as a gift. Antipater then put his son Herod in charge who was then given a Roman army to rule over Judea. Herod at that time gave to himself the title, "The King of the Jews." When Herod discovered that the Magi had traveled so far to make a visit to the child they referred to as "the King of the Jews" he was literally shaken to his core. All of Jerusalem was disturbed because they knew how erratic Herod was when he was threatened.

Herod came from the other side of the Dead Sea in the country of Jordan. He was an Idumean which made him an Edomite, a descendent of Esau. The Jews hated Herod. Since Herod was so hated by the Jews, he did a lot of things to try to garner their favor. For example, he built for them a temple in Jerusalem. He also married a Jewish girl. 

Since Herod was so paranoid, he sought to kill anyone who threatened his kingdom. In fact, he eventually killed his wife because he didn't trust her. He killed his two oldest sons so they couldn't take his throne. He also killed his brother-in-law because he thought he was trying to steal his kingdom. It was so bad that when Herod was on his deathbed, he ordered all of the prominent citizens of Jerusalem to be executed when he died, this would mean there would be mourning in Judea when Herod died. All of this explains Herod's paranoia when the Magi came. 

In v.4-6 of today's passage we read, "4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah. Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'"

Bethlehem is where King David had grown up. This is why Bethlehem is known as the City of David. Bethlehem means the place of bread, it was the breadbasket of Israel. The best wheat was grown in those valleys around Bethlehem. In v.5-6 Matthew quoted Micah 5:2. This meant God had told all who cared to know that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Along with their study of Micah 5:2 and other Old Testament passages like Daniel 9 the Magi from the east knew the whereabouts and the timing of the Messiah's birth. So, they came seeking "the King of the Jews."

Sadly, the religious leaders of Israel did not make the short trek to Bethlehem when the Lord Jesus was born. Like them, we can know a lot about the Bible, we can even quote chapter and verse and yet miss the main point which is a personal relationship with God. The religious leaders of Israel were inoculated with a knowledge of the Bible and they were rendered immune from God. They got just enough of the Bible but they were inoculated to the truth. Being exposed to the truth isn’t enough. We must repent and allow God penetration into our heart. The only avenue through which we can access a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ is only through humility. Humility allows us to give up on our way and embrace God's way.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.'"

Earlier to this moment, Herod had secretly petitioned the wise men to determine from them what time the star appeared to them. He sent them to Bethlehem, instructing them to search carefully for the young Child and once they had found Him, to bring back word to him, that he might come & worship the Lord also. Herod pretended to be a worshipper. It is people like Herod who will hear the words "Depart from me for I never knew you" from the Lord Jesus. Our faith in the Lord Jesus enables us to move into such a relationship with the Lord that He knows us in a relational way resulting in our access into His presence eternally.

In v.9-11 of today's passage we read, "9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

At this point, the baby had become "the young Child." And, the Magi worshipped the Lord Jesus only. They didn't worship anyone else, including Mary. And, when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him including gold, frankincense and myrrh. These three gifts were the richest of gifts that could be offered to a newborn king. They gave to the Lord Jesus gold which stood for His kingly status. Within the Tabernacle and the Temple was the Most Holy Place also known as the Holy of Holies. It was the place where the priest would encounter the presence of God and offer a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. The Most Holy Place and the altar within it were completely overlaid with gold.

The frankincense given to the Lord Jesus points us to His divinity, and the myrrh His sacrificial death. Frankincense is a gum resin that priests offered with the meal offering. It denoted the Lord Jesus as the great high priest. Interestingly, frankincense hardens into these little crystals and it doesn't give off its scent except when crushed. When it is crushed, it gives off a sweet aroma. In Isaiah 53:5 we read, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Like frankincense, myrrh was made from a gum resin, dried and compressed and burnt to produce an aromatic smell. Myrrh was also used as an embalming fluid. When the Lord Jesus died, 100 pounds of spice myrrh it says and aloes were mixed for His burial. And, without His sacrifice there would be no hope for any of us because we would still be found in our sin. It was through His cross that God forgave us of our sin. This means that having trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, hope remains supreme because our sin has been forgiven.

Matthew 2:1-2

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1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." ~ Matthew 2:1-2

Today, we return to our study of Matthew. The second chapter of Matthew's gospel begins with, "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea." With these words, Matthew points us to the prophecy found in Micah 5:2 which reads, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."

Micah was a contemporary of the prophet, Isaiah, and his book is of a similar style. The book of Micah is often called "Isaiah in miniature" because it is a much briefer presentation of essentially the same message as the prophecy of Isaiah. Micah means "Who is like YHWH?" When the wise men came out of the East looking for the one born king of the Jews, they asked, "Where is he that is born king of the Jews?" The chief priests of Israel said to the wise men, "You will find him in Bethlehem." The chief priests knew this because 700 years before, Micah had informed them.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem."

It was "in days of Herod the king" that this happened. Judea was a province of the Roman Empire which the Romans had seized about 63 years before the birth of the Lord Jesus. Herod received his appointment to rule Judea, and had reigned at the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus for 34 years. Herod was commonly called "Herod the Great" because he had distinguished himself by displaying great talents in governing and defending his country. Many of the Jews liked Herod because he helped to repair their Jewish temple. 

The words, "Behold, wise men" in v.1 have been widely misunderstood. Although in most manger scenes the wise men were at the birth of the Lord Jesus. This is inaccurate information as we will see that they arrived up to two years after the baby Jesus was born. In fact, there were more than three wise men, perhaps as many as 12. These wise men came from the east of Israel where the great empire that replaced the Babylonians was located. Daniel and his friends had been exiled to Babylon in 605 BC. However, Babylon was overrun by the Medes & Persians. When Babylon was destroyed, the new empire received all of the ancient Jewish writings which would have been incorporated into their empire. The Bible does not say how many wise men there were. The Bible does not mention their names, because their names do not matter. What matters is what they did when they arrived in Bethlehem. What matters is that they sought out the Lord Jesus Christ and they honored and worshiped Him.

A careful reading of Isaiah 44 reveals they possessed the book of Isaiah. Therefore, the ancient prophecy of a coming Messiah would have been known to these wise men. Of them, Matthew notes that they were "from the East." This prepositional phrase is most accurately translated "from sun risings." And note that the verse goes on with, "they came to Jerusalem." This means they saw the star from the east as they looked to the west and they followed it. Then, the Magi asked about "the King of the Jews." It is significant that they didn’t inquire specifically about the Messiah. Then, they asked where the King would be born. They were biblically informed about the Messiah. Many today reject the Lord Jesus because they are biblically ill-informed about Him.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'"

The words of the wise men came in the form of a question, but their words are also just as much were an assertion. By stating it as they did, they proclaimed that they were certain that the person they were looking for existed. Their question wasn’t, "Has He come?" Rather it was, "Where is He?" Understanding this, they continue with, "has been born?" Again, their question was an assertion. They did not ask, "Where is the King who has been coronated?" Instead, their question was about His birth. Amazingly, God arranged the sky to announce the coming of His Son. He used the stars to shout the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. He directed nature and the nations toward His purpose of solving mankind's problem with sin and death.

The Magi had studied Daniel 9 and their study prompted them to accept that a divinely appointed birth had taken place for the One who was the Messiah and who would be the "King of the Jews." The reason for their worship of Him is next explained in their statement, "For we have seen His star" which was referred to in Numbers 24:17-19. God spoke to the Magi in a language they understood. From studying this star they were able to decipher the general whereabouts of the coming King by His star.

The Jewish religious leaders attempted to hide the fact that the Lord Jesus fit the biblical narrative. Had they really been students of the Old Testament and had they believed its message, they would have been there in Bethlehem to greet the Messiah. By doing as they did, they established the assertion that the Lord Jesus was not the promised Messiah although He fit every description given by God in His word. These supposed men of God missed the fact that their Creator had woven Himself in the robe of virgin flesh.

The Bible records the facts, and they are sufficient for us to know that Christ has come according to the plan and purposes of God. The spiritual journey made by the Magi is a journey that is required of anyone who is to enter the kingdom of God. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Regardless of who you are, where you grew up, whether you are wealthy or poor, to know the Lord Jesus is to bow down and to become low, to recognize your sinfulness and your helplessness, and to receive God’s free gift of forgiveness of sin through His grace. God’s Word says that one day everyone will be a worshiper. Every knee will bow, but for those who have resisted the Lord Jesus as King, it will be too late. For the truly wise we do well to bow and worship while there is still time.

Matthew 1:22-25

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22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. ~ Matthew 1:22-25

Today, we complete our study of Matthew 1. In our previous study, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to name the child to be born to his fiancee Mary, Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. The virgin birth paved the way for God to be born a man and yet not be tainted by sin. He had to be a man in order to save man from his sin. The virgin birth made it so God’s mercy and grace wouldn’t compromise His justice. God’s mercy and grace creates within is a profound degree of gratitude. It also produces in us a greater degree of dependency because God does not take dependent people and make us independent. Our need for His grace and mercy will never end, even into eternity.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'"

Here, Matthew employed an Old Testament prophecy found in Isaiah 7 to explain the virgin birth. In Isaiah 7:10-14 we read, "10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 'Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.' 12 But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!' 13 Then he said, 'Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.'"

The Lord invited King Ahaz to pray, to request of Him a sign. King Ahaz refused to do so. Despite the King's refusal, the Lord, gave a sign to the "house of David." The sign was about the virgin birth of the Messiah who was to come. This sign was elaborated upon by two of the four Gospel writers, Matthew and Luke. While Luke shared his gospel through Mary’s eyes, Matthew presented his through the eyes of Joseph. Both stories are about the same miraculous birth. 

When Mary was found to be with child, Joseph was completely blindsided. Horrified by what Mary had undoubtedly done, Joseph planned to divorce her quietly. He did this because he didn’t want to expose her to public disgrace. He still cared for Mary, but he couldn’t have her as his wife. The girl that he thought he knew and loved turned out to be somebody that he thought he didn’t know. Joseph’s life had taken a very unexpected turn, in the blink of an eye, and he really wasn’t sure how to proceed. He was stunned! Joseph later discovered God had a plan for him the whole time. It wasn’t Joseph’s plan, but it was much better which is always the case with the Lord. When life takes us on a detour, it is very comforting to remember that God always has a plan that cannot in the end be thwarted. And when we believe that, and trust that, there is almost no detour too great to cause us to lose our way in our faith in the God of the Bible. 

"Immanuel" means, “God is with us.” As Immanuel, the Lord Jesus is the "with us God." This idea of God in the flesh with us shows up throughout the entirety of the Book of Matthew. It shows up here at the beginning, it shows up in the middle and then in the end. Here in the beginning, we read that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. In the middle, in Matthew 18:20, the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." Then, the final words of the Lord Jesus are found in Matthew 28:20 which reads, "Behold, I am with you always to the end of the age."

No matter what unpredictable event takes place in our lives, the Lord Jesus promises to be with us, guiding us into the truth. In Joseph’s case, God guided him by an angel appearing to him in a dream. God in many ways appears to us, and He guides us in this life. It might be through a Bible verse that we come across at just the right time. It might be a well-timed phone call or a visit from a friend. It might be a verse of a hymn that we had not noticed before. It might be in some completely unexpected and surprising way. But when we have the eyes of faith, and when we trust that God is with us, we will recognize His leading. 

We are reminded of this promise in a very powerful way at the very end of Matthew’s gospel. After the Lord Jesus had been arrested, crucified, and raised from the dead, He again gathered His disciples together to send them out to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Before He sent them out, He reminded them of this promise. The last words spoken by the Lord Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel would echo the words spoken by the angel to Joseph before the Lord Jesus was even born. Words which are at the heart of the Gospel, "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." This also is His promise to you and me. 

Joseph and Mary were confronted with circumstances beyond their control. They were undoubtedly confused, frustrated, and scared. And, to their utter surprise, God was right in the middle with them. God became like one of us to be with us. Our preoccupation everyday should be to look for Him in everything. In the Lord Jesus, God became fully man while remaining fully God. This is the most extraordinary miracle in the whole Bible. The truthfulness of Christianity hinges upon this miracle. And, since this miracle is true, everything else in the Gospel accounts make total sense. We do not find it strange that the Lord Jesus walked on water or that He fed over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. It’s not strange to see Him healing the sick and commanding demons to leave the possessed. It’s not strange that He conquered sin and death as He rose from the grave. In the incarnation of the Lord Jesus, God Himself came to be with His people, never to leave us. Since our sin separated us from Him He became known as YHWH who saves the willing from the penalty of our sin.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus."

God's goal in becoming a man was to remedy our sin problem and thus enable us to enjoy His personal presence in our lives. Most think we enter into His kingdom through our goodness. But no one enters the kingdom of heaven because of their excellent moral resume. There is no such thing. Matthew makes it clear that those who come into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus have to be "saved" into His kingdom. The Lord Jesus came to bring us back to the Father by taking the penalty for our sin upon Himself while on the cross of Calvary.  

The Lord Jesus secured the kingdom for us by dying on that cross where He took our wages for us. In the Lord Jesus, God has done the unthinkable. The Lord Jesus died to save us from a life being defined by the self. To put it another way, the Lord Jesus died to save us to God’s definitions of life. I close with a quote from Charles Haddon Spurgeon who said, "The way to grow strong in Christ is to become weak in yourself. God poureth no power into man’s heart till man’s power is all poured out."

Matthew 1:19-21

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19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." ~ Matthew 1:19-21

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 1 where we discover that the mother of the Lord Jesus, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph. To be "betrothed" in the first century meant that they were married but they had not yet consummated the marriage. The consummation would come at the end of the year long betrothal period or their engagement period. Their betrothal was tantamount to a legally binding marriage without consummation. But, Mary was with child.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly."

Mary was with child, and Joseph was not the father. Joseph was a righteous man who loved Mary and wanted to protect her from public embarrassment. So then, he quietly sought a way to  divorce Mary. Since Mary’s actions were to result in stoning as required by Deuteronomy 22, Joseph determined to put her away secretly. 

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'"

The timing, location, and circumstances of how to divorce Mary weighed heavily on Joseph’s mind. But while he was considering these things, it was then that he fell asleep and had a dream. In that dream "an angel of the Lord appeared to him." The word, dream, here is found in the Bible only six times, and all six usages are found in Matthew’s gospel. In his dream, the angel appeared, "saying, 'Joseph, son of David.'"

It was Joseph’s relationship to King David that precipitated the events that transpired. In order to establish the male line of ancestry leading back to David for the rights of inheritance, Joseph's betrothed wife was selected by God to be the one through whom the Messiah would come into this world. No one else could have fit the bill and because of presumption, Mary was almost disqualified. Through the virgin birth, God went to great lengths to rescue us. He went to great lengths to redeem our broken lives. He went to great lengths to forgive our sins and to bring us back to Himself.  

To Joseph the angel said, "do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife." For first-century Jews, betrothal was a legally binding pledge between a man and a woman that they would be married. Once they were betrothed, they were legally bound to one another, so to call the wedding off would be the equivalent to divorce. Their engagement was supposed to last for a year. At the end of the year, Mary was supposed to move into Joseph’s home and the marriage would be consummated at that time. Joseph was not to fear to complete their union, because Mary was already set apart to be Joseph's wife. This is obvious because Joseph was planning on divorcing Mary, something one can only do with a wife. The angel gave unto Joseph the absolute assurance that Mary’s pregnancy was not of adultery but of God.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

The angel’s explanation of the purpose of God entering the world as a baby came in these words: "He will save His people from their sins." God entered human existence in order to save His people from their sins. But wait! The Jews thought that their adherence to the Law of Moses saved them. They believed their obedience to God earned them just enough favor with God to get them into heaven. To this day, observant Jews look at the law as fully capable of saving them. But no amount of human goodness bridges the gap created by our sin. God's standard is perfection and our goodness is far from perfect. When man first sinned all humans were separated from God. This is what is known as "spiritual death." This is why God Himself had to enter into human existence in order to rescue His people. He was born without sin. As He was born to Mary, the espoused bride of Joseph, He was born under the law. The law that He gave to Israel, and which no person under that law had ever been able to fulfill. This is why the burden had to be placed upon Him.

As He was born without sin, He did what no human could do, obey the law perfectly. The Lord Jesus obeyed and substantiated the entire law without erring. This is the ultimate message of the four gospels which were written to give testimony to the life of the sinless perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Entrance into the New Covenant is what brings freedom from sin, and it can only be obtained through  the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." 

Our sin separated us from God, so, the Lord Jesus Himself ransomed us. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 we read, "3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve."

Genesis ends with Joseph’s death. Deuteronomy ends with Moses’ death. Joshua ends with Joshua’s death. The Gospels end with Jesus’ resurrection. And that changed everything. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was then buried. Then, He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. This is the message that we proclaim. God in Christ has done it. He alone prevailed over sin because He had no sin. And He offers His sinless perfection to anyone who will come to Him by faith. 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. During the 40 days following His resurrection, the Lord Jesus showed Himself alive from the dead to as many as 500 at one time. He appeared many times and places to many people who told others what they had seen and no one refuted it. I close with a great quote from the late C.S. Lewis who once said, "I believe in Christ, like I believe in the sun — not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else."

Matthew 1:18

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Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ~ Matthew 1:18

Today, we continue our study of the gospel according to Matthew who was the seventh disciple called by the Lord Jesus. The first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are known as the Synoptic Gospels, because they follow a synopsis. The synoptic gospels all have basically the same material and basic layout. In his gospel, the Apostle John departed from the approach of the other three gospel writers. Each of the four gospels all have a particular emphasis to them. Matthew emphasizes the Lord Jesus as the sovereign King predicted in the Old Testament. Mark portrays the Lord Jesus as the Servant of God while Luke portrays Him as the Son of Man. In his gospel, John places the spotlight on the Son of God.

It was 700 years before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth that we were given Isaiah 7:14 which reads, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Long before the Lord Jesus came, God told us that a young girl who had never had sex with a man would deliver the Son of God into this world. A virgin simply cannot be with child, this had to be a miracle of God. Interestingly, we were first told of this in Genesis 3:15 which reads, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." These words were spoken by God to the fallen Lucifer after he deceived man to take of the forbidden fruit. Without a doubt we have here a most remarkable prophecy of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. This prophecy cannot be explained in any other way other than that it is the fulfillment of the virgin birth. This concept of the seed of the woman is unique. Nowhere else in the Bible do we find such an expression. 

Everywhere else in Scripture descent is reckoned through the male line. It is the seed of the man that is the line of descent and all the genealogies of the Bible trace the line of descent through the male. The father's name is given and when the mother's name is given it is only incidental, as referring to the wife of some man. This is the first Messianic prophesy in the Bible right here in Genesis 3:15. Here, right after the Fall of man into sin, God stated that the woman will have a male Seed, an offspring who will eventually crush the devil.

There are those who argue that Isaiah used a word which could mean young girl. However, Matthew’s use of this word demands it be translated “virgin.” When speaking of genealogies, it is always the seed of man referenced. Never is it the seed of the woman because we know the woman has no seed. But in Genesis 3:15, we read of "the Seed of the woman." A careful consideration of that passage reveals it was the Seed of God. Due to this, we believe the Lord Jesus to be fully God & fully Man. 

In Matthew 1:18 we further read, “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.” Mary was a human and this Child was the product of her womb, and thus this Child was human. The Holy Spirit is God, not a human. If one then accepts the obvious interpretation of Scripture, then Mary’s Child is the Son of God. Humanly speaking there was no seed involved because Mary and Joseph had not yet consummated their marriage. The seed was of our heavenly Father and it was that Seed that determined Mary’s Child to be the Son of God.

What we have here is the most incredible occurrence which has ever come to pass in all of time. The creation of the universe pales in comparison to everything else. When God created, He created everything ex-nihilo or “out of nothing.” By the power of His spoken word, time, space and matter came into being. Everything that we see, even to the farthest reaches of the universe, came into existence at that one moment. It is an incredible thing to contemplate, but it is of far less significance to the enormity of what occurred in the womb of the teen named Mary.

In a flash as brief as the utterance of the word of creation itself, life sprung into existence in her womb. The Lord Jesus had always existed, even before creation, He had no beginning. What a paradox & yet what an event on the greatest scale. God united with His creation in that teenage womb. Amazingly, it was at the very moment of conception that a bright flash of life marked this incredible event. For Mary, there was darkness in her womb, and then there was the Light. The Light of the world had come. God stepped into our darkness and began to reveal Himself!

The God who brought all things into existence by a mere utterance limited Himself in the womb of a teen. The light of ten trillions suns combined are not as bright as the Light who created them. This same Light sparked in the womb of Mary as 

“She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.” In this Light, there is no darkness, thus there is no fear. And yet, the temple of God, pure and undefiled, was prepared in a human body of a young teenage girl. How vulnerable of God to do this.

The Light stepped into His creation in order to restore all that had gone astray. What a marvel occurred in the dark recesses of that virgin womb! The Deliverer came to set captives free! 

The Light of the world had come as God’s divine beacon to rescue man from himself. The Lord God Almighty condescended in order to be among us. While I prepared for this message, I thought, “Is it that we are in darkness that we choose the darkness?” Then I thought, "No, wait… that can’t be it. In the perfection of the Garden of Eden Adam was surrounded by light and he chose the darkness. Only after making the choice did he want the light once again and that wasn’t immediate. That must be it then, without knowing one from the other we can’t know which one we want. That must be why God allowed it all to happen, and then to step in and give us a choice as to which we would choose. The genius of the Almighty!

The Light of the world came to show us the contrast. We can love the Light, or we can love darkness. The choice is ours. And sure enough, this is what the Light Himself said in John 3:18-21, while talking at night with Nicodemus, the Lord Jesus said to him, “18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

The distinction can be seen, the choice must be made, and all will pursue only one of two paths: to pursue the Light or to remain in the darkness. God created all things out of nothing. 

He created something separate from Himself and yet which is contained within His omnipresence. And then He joined together with that which He created, all for the sake of frail, fallible, rebellious beings who otherwise had no hope at all.

In that stupendously marvelous act, God has given us a choice. We can continue on in the darkness, or we can come to the Light. The perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ is seen from His moment of conception, through His birth in a lowly manger, in each step He ever took, and in each word He ever spoke. The perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ is seen in His ability to stand up under a torturous death on a wooden cross.

Yes, I know He died, He had to in order to defeat death because only life overcomes death. This is why His blood had to be shed and it was through His perfect blood that our sin was carried away as far as the east is from the west. And, through His resurrection do we see the victory which He has now shared with us who believe. The Child in the womb, the Baby in the manger, the Teacher on the mountain, the lifeless Body on the cross, is the God-Man who now stands victorious over death. 

Matthew 1:2-17

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2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 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. 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations. ~ Matthew 1:2-17

Today, we continue our study of the gospel according to Matthew who was led to provide us with a descending genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ which means he started with the beginning and ended with the Lord Jesus.  Whereas in Matthew the genealogy of the Lord Jesus led up to Mary's husband Joseph, Luke's gospel starts with the Lord Jesus through his mother Mary and goes back to Adam. The genealogy that Matthew employed reveals the legal descent of the Lord Jesus as the King of Israel, whereas Luke shows us the blood line. The royal line always passes through the father but the Lord Jesus had no human father. So, in order to have the blood line, he had to be a descendant of David through his mother. Through Mary the Lord Jesus had the blood of David, and through Joseph he has the right to reign as King through King David.  

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ."

Matthew did not say he was the father of the Lord Jesus, he said that Joseph was the husband of Mary. The Bible never calls Joseph the father of the Lord Jesus. The prepositional phrase "of whom" was written in the feminine gender, meaning the Lord Jesus was born not of the seed of Joseph. The Lord Jesus was Joseph’s child legally because He was adopted into Joseph's family. And, since the father was the one who granted the royal line, in every way possible Jesus Christ had the right to be the King of Kings.   

When the Lord Jesus was born most people thought, at least at the time of His birth, that He was the son of an illicit affair. They called him the son of Joseph because Joseph was constituted his legal father but Joseph was not His biological father.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon."

Josiah begot Jeconiah. Here, Matthew  provides Joseph’s lineage leading up to the birth of the Lord Jesus. This is some very interesting and important information. In Jeremiah 22:30 we read, "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." 

The man to whom this refers is Jeconiah, the son of Josiah. God had said through the prophet, "None of Jeconiah’s offspring will ever sit on the throne of David." God said these words because a curse had been placed on Jeconiah due to his evil choices. The problem with this curse is it seems to invalidate the right of the Lord Jesus to the throne of David. The Davidic Covenant promised that the Messiah, "the Son of David," would reign forever on Jerusalem’s throne. If the Lord Jesus were a descendant of Jeconiah, then how could He be the Messiah, since the curse keeps any of Jeconiah’s descendants from assuming David’s throne? That is, if the Lord Jesus had been the real son of Joseph, but He wasn't the descendent of Joseph. God devised a plan by which the Lord Jesus could be the legal heir to the throne through Mary. The plan that God devised was the virgin birth. The purpose for Matthew's genealogy is to present the fact that the Lord Jesus is the One who has the right to reign.  

Once again, in v.16 of today's passage we read, "And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ."

Mary was unknown before this. She was also a sinner who needed a savior and the Lord Jesus Christ had to be her savior.  

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations."

Here, Matthew provided three sections of 14 generations. There are 42 generations listed from Abraham to Christ. The first period began with Abraham and ended with David, the period of the great patriarchs and the great judges. The second period is the period from David to the carrying away of the people to Babylon, which was a period of spiritual decline. The first was a period of ascendency, as Israel grew as a people group. The second period was the period of the monarchy. And as soon as the monarchy came things started to go downhill because the people began to look to man for direction and meaning rather than from God.

From David following, we were given the glory days of Solomon. But after Solomon, tragedy upon tragedy came. It was a period of apostasy that ultimately ended up in the destruction of Israel and their captivity in Babylon. The third period was from their captivity in Babylon to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a period shrouded in darkness. It was 600 years of datelessness. We don’t even know the names involved. The story of Israel is the story of three eras. And, even though the whole nation went down the tubes, it is nevertheless through that nation that the Messiah came to redeem us. 

The odds that the Lord Jesus Christ overcame in order to fulfill the predictions made in the OT are overwhelming. The odds that the Lord Jesus would fulfill just 8 of the 300 Old Testament prophecies was one and ten to the 17th power. If we were to take the entire State of Texas and fill it with silver dollars two feet thick.  If we were to pre-marked one silver dollar and blind-fold a man and send him throughout the state of Texas to find the silver dollar we marked, the odds would be one and ten to the 17th power, the same odds of the Lord Jesus fulfilling just eight Old Testament prophecies. Staggering! And most interesting, this provides us a peek into the greatness of our God. We should never doubt Him. His track record speaks for itself.

Matthew 1:1

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"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." ~ Matthew 1:1

Today, we begin a new study of the Gospel according to Matthew. Four hundred years separated the Old Testament from the New Testament. This is why that period of time is called the 400 silent years. God didn't say anything to man during those 400 years. He sent no angels, no prophets or no message. After the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, God pushed the pause button on special revelation. God did this anticipating the forerunner John the Baptist. 

In Malachi 3:1 we read, "'Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,' says the Lord of hosts." The last prophecy in the Old Testament was that someone would come heralding the coming of the Messiah. And that Herald was the cousin of the Lord Jesus, John the Baptist.

The New Testament is in the Old Testament contained while the Old Testament is in the New Testament explained. The first four books of the New Testament are all called gospels. Gospel means good news. The good news is that God sent His Son to this earth to die in the place of sinful man on the cross of Calvary. Our problem is that we do not understand the enormity of that which has been done to us by Lucifer. Sin is often seen as "something bad" but that view limits our understanding. Until we see sin as a fatal illness that causes terrible side effects or utter wickedness, we will not appreciate our salvation through the cross of the Lord Jesus. 

Sin begets sin, evil spreads through evil. Think of all the cyclical expressions of evil in this world, everything from physical abuse to murder to drug abuse which all morph themselves into the most horrid sins. This is the nature of sin, it progressively becomes more and more raunchy. The Bible directs our attention to the source of this progression and the source is the powers and principalities of darkness actively fighting for rule over all. Sadly, even though they gain more and more control they will never be satisfied in their pursuits because sin never satisfies. 

So when we look at the four Gospels, it is as if the Holy Spirit was the producer of the film of the life of the Lord Jesus, and He filmed through four different camera angles. The first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are called Synoptic Gospels, because they follow a synopsis. The synoptic gospels all have basically the same material. In his gospel, John departed from the synoptic approach. 

Each of the four have a particular emphasis. Matthew emphasizes the Lord Jesus as the sovereign King, Mark presents Him as the Servant of God. Luke portrays the Lord Jesus as the Son of Man. And, John places the spotlight on the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. Mark wrote to the Roman mind while Luke wrote to the Greeks. While John wrote his gospel to all mankind, Matthew, wrote his to the Jews.  

There is one particular sentence that Matthew penned 16 times in his gospel. That sentence is "This was done so that it might be fulfilled what was written by a prophet." Matthew proves the Lord Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies. Also, Matthew emphasizes the words the Lord Jesus employed as He communicated with all of mankind. This is why in his gospel Matthew included the long sermons of the Lord Jesus like the Sermon on the Mount and the Upper Room Discourse.    

Matthew was a Tax Collector who worked for the Roman version of the IRS. This meant everybody hated Matthew. In those days, the Jews hated the IRS in Rome because the Romans occupied their land and they took advantage of their people financially. Matthew collected taxes for Rome from his countrymen and they saw him as their sworn enemy.   

The book of Matthew begins with a genealogical record of the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. Interestingly, women were included which was not something done in those days. People claim that the Bible represses women. The reality is that the Bible is a document that was way ahead of its time. The fact that women were included in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus was counter cultural because in that day no one valued women. In Matthew 1:3, we see "Tamar" mentioned. In v.5, both "Rahab" and "Ruth" are mentioned. Bathsheba or the woman known as "the wife of Uriah" is mentioned in v.6. "Mary," the mother of the Lord Jesus is mentioned in v.16. These are all in the genealogy of the Savior of the world. That speaks volumes about God's mercy and grace.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Jews meticulously maintained their genealogical records from Adam until the Lord Jesus Christ, ensuring to us that the Messiah could be absolutely identified when He appeared. In AD 70, all of the genealogical records of Israel were destroyed when the temple was burned by the Romans. As this is so, the only source for the genealogies of the world are maintained in the pages of the Bible. And the full genealogical record of only one Jew remains to this day, the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can be identified as the Savior who has come to take away the sin of the world.  

Matthew’s Gospel account specifically notes that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true promised Messiah of Israel and the Christ of the world. To further establish this, he identified the Lord Jesus as "The Son of David." David means "beloved." Matthew purposefully highlighted that the Lord Jesus came through the genealogy of King David to begin his narrative in order to establish that the Lord Jesus is fully entitled to the rights of the Davidic throne as promised in 2 Samuel 7. 

Matthew then identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as "the Son of Abraham." When the disciples were disheartened and thought that all was lost because of the crucifixion of the Lord, they were gathered together. At that time, just after hearing from two men on the road to Emmaus who had seen the risen Lord, Luke records in Luke 24:36-39 these words, "Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.' 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, 'Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.'"

Doubts arise in every heart regarding these matters. The words of reality speak to our hearts at this very moment. Given the state of our world, we naturally wonder if God is there. So many things in this world seem out of control. We naturally find ourselves discouraged as the world spins into chaos all around us. One of the main reasons the Lord has given us His Word is to ensure that He is aware of everything that is happening and that there are many purposes that are coming to fruition even through calamity. Our problem is that we do not have His vantage point. This is why our faith in Him is so important. 

These carefully recorded words of Matthew 1:1 should fill us with the most joyous hope. We don’t need to wonder, worry, or wobble in our faith. We also do not need signs or wonders to convince us that God is here with us. Rather, God has given us His word and He asks us to believe in Him. Christianity is a person. If it were just a teaching or a philosophy then historical events in the Bible would not matter. If Christianity was merely a new outlook on life, then dates would be of concern. Since Christianity is based upon and concerned with the person of Christ, one can recall that there was a given day when He was born. If we were to take away Christ, there would be no Christianity. In God’s covenant with King David, He established that it would be through his posterity that His universal kingdom would be fulfilled. And, through the Lord Jesus it has been.

Genesis 50:22-26

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22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees. 24 And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. ~ Genesis 50:22-26

Today, we conclude our long study of the book of beginnings, the book of Genesis. This book of Genesis gives us the first of everything including the beginning of all creation, the beginning of sin, the beginning of sacrifices, the beginning of redemption, and the beginning of eternal life. As we have noted before, in this final chapter there are three burials: the burial of Jacob, the burial of Joseph's brothers' sin, and finally the burial of Joseph. Today, we will close out our study of this great book by considering what God has to say about Joseph's death. 

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years."

Joseph was born right around the year 2260 BC. He lived 110 years and he died in the year 2370 BC. Joseph lived 54 years after the death of his father, Jacob. He remained in Egypt for the remainder of his days. When he was 17 years old he was sold into slavery by his brothers to Ishmaelite traders from Midian who took him to Egypt. As a result, Joseph lived in Egypt for 93 years. The remainder of his days were spent outside of the Land of Promise. The only time Joseph left Egypt was when he went to bury his father in Canaan. In all, Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt for 80 years.  

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees."

Joseph lived long enough to see his great-great grandchildren. In all, there were five generations of Joseph’s family living at the same time which was in fulfillment of Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh before his death. In the line of Manasseh, only his grandchildren are noted during his life. Being "brought up on his knees" means Joseph's grandchildren enjoyed a close relationship with their grandpa involving the passing on of his wisdom and God's blessings from one generation to the next.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "And Joseph said to his brethren, 'I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.'"

With the sure knowledge of his soon death, Joseph repeated the promise of God to his brothers. In doing so, Joseph emphasized our absolute need to be defined by the Lord on a day by day basis. While the world and our flesh tells us to be self-confident, the Bible reminds us to find our confidence only in the Lord GOD. Confidence in ourselves is circumstantial. It is often based on our pant size, how much money we make, or whether we fit in to the context we find ourselves. If our confidence is in God, we will grow to be the most secure people in the world. As a result of knowing God and His will for our lives, we will have the courage to take the risks that He calls us to take. We will love others, dream big, and think and do the unbelievable by His grace.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, 'God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.'"

Joseph knew what he believed and he subsequently belonged. His disposition was rarely determined by anything outside of his faith in the God of the Bible. These are the last recorded words of Joseph. Just like his father before him, Joseph now required an oath from the sons of Israel. Despite bearing an Egyptian name, having an Egyptian wife, and being the second ruler of the land, Joseph remained always and forever an Israelite. His desires for his people and His land never faded and his devotion to the God of the Bible never wavered. And so once again, he repeated the promise of God’s presence among his people and his desire to have his bones buried in Canaan.

In Hebrews 11:22 we read, "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones."

Despite all of the many things Joseph did and the faithful patience he exhibited towards his circumstances and those around him who afflicted him, Joseph was above all noted for his faith in the unseen God. His was a testimony that God simply desires and requires of us simple faith. For many, faith is based on creeds, doctrine, and head knowledge. It's about mastering the "facts" and making sure we give the "right" answer when any spiritual question is asked. But biblical faith is not about mastery but about mystery, and that living in that mystery allows us to focus on our relationship with the God who created us and who is recreating us.

Joseph's request was fulfilled by the Israelites as they marched out of Egypt approximately 286 years later. We are told in Exodus 13 which specifically says that they carried Joseph’s bones out with them. And eventually another generation of Israelites carried them into the land of promise and buried him as is recorded in Joshua 24. And so the narrative of the immediate family of Israel ends with the promise of redemption from Egypt which is based on the oath made first by God to Abraham. 

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."

Upon Joseph's death, he became the second and last person noted in the Bible as being embalmed. After this, his remains were placed in a "coffin." This is the first usage of word "coffin" in the Bible. The next time this word is used will be to describe the Ark of the Covenant. Everything associated with the Ark of the Covenant points us to the Lord Jesus Christ, especially the MERCY SEAT where God sees us as forgiven through the blood of His Son. Joseph’s coffin was probably made of the same wood as the Ark, acacia wood which is incorruptible. 

The book of Genesis began with creation, including the creation man. No sooner had man been created did he rebel against God and spiritual death came to be his norm. Since that time, the premise of the Bible is that man is born to die and physical death has become a scary reality for us all. The book of Genesis ends without the fulfillment of the promise of the savior. But God's promise of our savior and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ has been fulfilled through the cross of Calvary. The Lord Jesus overcame sin and death by laying down His life. When this gospel is met by our faith, we will have similar faith to that of Joseph, bold and confident.

Genesis 50:15-21

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15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. ~ Genesis 50:15-21

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 50 which has in it three burials: the burial of Jacob, the burial of Joseph's brothers' sin, and the burial of Joseph. Having considered Jacob's burial, today, we will consider the burial of the sin of Joseph's brothers.

In v.15-18 of today's passage we read, "15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.' 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, 'Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 Thus you shall say to Joseph: 'I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you. Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.' And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, 'Behold, we are your servants.'"

This reconciliation between once estranged brothers pictures the story which this life is all about: Our reconciliation to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, Joseph's brothers were worried that Joseph might seek his revenge. Joseph's brothers projected their way of thinking upon Joseph although he never considered their way of thinking that comes as a result of feeding the flesh. This entire story is pregnant with the sin of the brothers who resisted being defined by God. This explains why they had a hard time understanding Joseph's forgiveness.

As we have mentioned before, there are three parts to forgiveness: the injury, the debt created by the injury and the cancellation of the debt. The brothers of Joseph who refer to themselves as the servants of God confessed their sin and asked Joseph for his forgiveness. In doing so, Joseph's brothers got religious with Joseph. Religion requests that we earn the favor of the one to whom we appeal for forgiveness. This is the way of the self life. Oh, it is good to confess our sin to God and to anyone whom we have injured. But, confession doesn't earn anything from the one who decides according to his character whether to forgive or not. 

Joseph's brothers failed to realize that Joseph had placed his fate and his life in the hands of the Lord from his earliest days. He accepted his lot at Potiphar’s house. He also accepted it when he was thrown into prison, just as he accepted it when he was elevated to the highest position in Egypt. Everything in Joseph’s life revealed his utter trust in God who was directing his every move. He was assured that what his brothers intended for evil, God intended for good. And because of this, when he received their words, he broke down and wept. His brothers didn’t comprehend God’s hand in all of what occurred and how it would affect them. This was all due to their lack of trust in the Lord, even after his many demonstrations of care for them over their lives. They desired forgiveness from a brother who had long ago forgiven them. 

In v.19-21 of today's passage we read, "19 Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

What is down in the well will always come up in the bucket. Joseph was a godly man because he was being defined by God. Unlike his brothers, he did not even think of usurping God's position as the Supreme Being in his life. This is why Joseph brought attention to it with this question that he asked his brothers. His question proved that he had a very big view of God. When we do not allow God to be the Supreme Being in our lives, we welcome a puny view of Him into our souls.

It was then that Joseph sought to soothe his brothers' consciences. He did not want them to be riddled with guilt or to be estranged from him. Joseph desired complete reconciliation with his brothers. He wanted them to be completely comfortable being around him. He didn’t want anything to separate them. He wanted to make sure that they knew that they were forgiven. Then, to prove his forgiveness, Joseph promised to take care of them and their children as well.   

He then comforted his brothers and spoke kindly to them. There was no bitterness held against them. Joseph had no ill feelings against his brothers who had treated him so poorly. He did not withhold anything from them or hope that something bad would happen to them. He sought to develop the relationship and put on actions in keeping with his forgiveness.