Matthew 1-4
King and Kingdom
Come

Sandwiched between the shortest and longest chapters of the Bible, this final Hallel HalleluYah Praise Psalm deserves special attention. It opens and closes with giving thanks to Yahweh, for His goodness as shown by His hesed, or loyal covenantal love which endures forever (to those who fear Him, all others need not pray, for this doesn't apply to them).

This verse summarizes many of the psalms, and hopefully our personal experience.

Since God is the mighty helper and deliverer, it's foolish to put confidence in anyone or anything else. Therefore we should trust Him, and we'll wind up praising Him.

Recalling God's past help, the psalmist looks with confidence to God's future deliverance from the consequences of his present sin. He looks forward to entering into the gates (of the Temple/city) through which only those rightly related to God (righteous) can enter, to praise God for His deliverance. Verse 22 would apply to a leader (David) who had been rejected, but became the head of the building (Davidic Covenant/Dynasty). Jesus applied this verse to himself in Matthew 21:42.

These last verses show up in a lot of contemporary hymns, and probably had their original reference to the high priest coming to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. The reference to light might be that of the priestly blessing specified in Numbers 6:22-27. The praise concludes where it started, with God's hesed, the basis of all His blessings.

We just looked at the sluggard lyin' about lions making false excuses for their lying about. There were no lions in the civilized Jerusalem of Solomon's time, but then self-deceived individuals never were very good with the truth.

The reason the sluggard never gets anywhere in the spiritual life is because they think that activity is a substitute for performance. Like a door on its hinges, the sluggard moves, but in reality goes nowhere, being attached to his/her bed of escapism. At the end of the day or year, they are right back where they started, and no progress or growth has been realized.

The sluggard has false starts without accomplishment. Their hand goes in the plate (poor manners), but doesn't make it back to their mouth (unless its something unhealthily sweet). They can get all excited about something new and different, but they haven't developed the self-discipline to make their dreams (nor God's desires) a reality. They are paralyzed by the pursuit of gratifying their passions, so they can't channel their energies toward any noble task that rises above their animal instincts.

Like the total fool, a sluggard will come up with more reasons and excuses than seven wise people who try to reprove them with true evidence.

The book opens with the assertion that Jesus is the Messiah (= Hebrew for “Anointed”; which in Greek =”Christ”) and specifies that He is the Son of David, with the right to rule according the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7), which is an unfolding of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12). The genealogy is abridged, and traces Jesus' legal ancestry through Joseph, His father, giving Him the legal right to rule. Luke traces His physical lineage through Mary all the way back to Adam (demonstrating to a Greek audience that Jesus was the “perfect man”). So, that's why there are two “different” genealogies. We'll briefly look at other genealogical issues when we get to Luke. It's worth noting that Matthew includes Gentile women in the account, indicating that God's concern is for all nations, as promised to Abraham “in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed."

This account is well known, but a few observations are in order. Joseph is called righteous. He didn't want to disgrace Mary by a public divorce. Note that betrothal was considered a bond broken by divorce. When we get to Matthew 19 remember that unfaithfulness during the betrothal period was grounds for divorce. One could infer or reason the necessity for a Virgin Conception (just like Abraham “reckoned a resurrection” from the available facts - Hebrews 11:17-19). If sin came through the seed of man, and the Messiah was to be a spotless lamb that didn't have to die for His own sin, so His death could be applied to the sins of others {Isaiah 53}, then He had to be human, to die in the place of man, and not have a human father to avoid the sin nature inherited from Adam {Romans 5:12}. See comments on Isaiah 7:14, the type, of which Christ is the anti-type. Just like the child in Isaiah's day was an indication that God was with the people, so too Mary's child harbingered God fulfilling His promises to His people. The Greek word for virgin is “parthenos,” the standard word for a woman who had not had sexual relations with a man.

The name Jesus indicates His mission: “to save His people from their sins,” which has a much broader application than dying for them. In future posts we'll discuss (and prove) that the NT authors used the verb “sozo” Strongs #4982 in a variety of senses, the specific meaning is determined by context. In the OT/LXX, the most frequent use was to “deliver” from enemies, a sense used in the NT. The overarching NT meaning is to “reverse the effects of the Fall”, regaining what Adam lost, seen in three aspects:

1) justification – declaration of the forgiveness of sins, and pardon from the death penalty;
2) sanctification – rebuilding towards pre-Fall holiness and a relationship with God;
3) glorification – restoration to pre-Fall glory.

Evil king Herod was not a legitimate descendent of David, but an Idumaean/Edomite, put on the throne by the Romans. His response to the news that there was a rival “King of the Jews” prophesied in the Scriptures didn't give him pause for thought, but he plotted the destruction of God's plan. He's also the guy who expanded and refurbished the temple, which just goes to show that a concern about “religion” is no substitute for righteousness. The wise guys, the Magi, were following His star which didn't behave as any known natural phenomena, and was probably a localization of God's glory (like that which guided Israel in the wilderness), or an angel with a really bright candle. The star followers foreshadow the seeking of the Messiah by Gentile nations during His millennial reign. The gifts have meaning, which, while not explained, could point to the Messiah's roles as: King (gold), Priest (frankincense was burned by the high priest), and Sacrifice (myrrh was used for burials).

Herod typifies the hypocritical religious institution, who would oppose the Messiah during His stay on earth. Joseph gets another dream, telling him to go to Egypt, and another to return, similar to how God protected the nation in Genesis and Exodus. Matthew relates this to Hosea 11:1. In Exodus 4:22 God called Israel His firstborn son, out of Egypt. The Messiah, as His son, both in a only begotten and Suzerain-Vassal relationship, was also called out of Egypt. There is no direct prophecy that Jesus would be a Nazarene, but Jesus being called one is in line with what the prophets said. The Nazarenes were a despised people because of their close association with the Romans. The Messiah was said to be despised (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; Daniel 9:26). Some have suggested a word play on the Hebrew word for Branch, which is similar to Nazareth, but being despised fits Matthew's theology of a rejected Messiah better. Thus these two chapters serve as a fitting prologue to the story of the King of Kings, rejected by the Jewish establishment, but worshiped by the Gentiles.

John the Baptist is firmly established by all the gospel writers as the voice in the wilderness of Isaiah 40 (see post, really). Isaiah 40 opens the section about the future kingdom which starts with the herald announcing the King.

Matthew usually used the phrase the “kingdom of heaven” (literally that comes from the heavens), where the other writers used the phrase the “kingdom of God” (the kingdom that comes from God) perhaps to follow the Jewish custom to avoid mentioning God's name so they wouldn't take it in vain. In any event, this is the kingdom is that promised in the OT, where the Messiah would come and rule over the righteous nation and bless them as promised. However, in the OT, they had to be blessable to be blessed. If they lived in unrighteousness and injustice, they could only expect God's wrath, not blessing. It didn't matter if they were children of Abraham (who do you think got all that discipline and wrath in the OT?), their sin would be punished.

For a total refutation of the kingdom being "the rule of God in one's heart,” for which there is no Biblical support, see Survey of Rewards on Truthbase.net and comments on Luke 17.

Isaiah 40:10 (about the King coming to reward and pay back) is key to understand in light of John the Baptist's comments about how to repent (especially in Luke 3): Stop living as if this world was all there is and start living as if the King was coming who would reward righteousness. Clean up your act, and make Him welcome.

Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of actions. Baptism is used of immersing wool in a vat of dye, that can symbolize cleansing or identification (or death to self as in Romans 6). In repentance contexts it's appropriate to see it as symbolic of washing away sins.

John saw the Messiah's coming as an immersion in the Holy Spirit (in fulfillment of the New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31, and Joel 2), and immersion in fire (as in Malachi 3). The Messiah would make a distinction between those who were loyal to God, who would be blessed, and those who did their own thing, who would suffer. This theme is seen repeatedly in the OT; there is no indication that it will change in the NT, in fact, we'll see it reinforced repeatedly. Some responded, the entrenched religious establishment, hooked on ritual and tradition, usually didn't.

John's comments about Jesus are authenticated by a miracle (a pattern throughout the NT). Jesus comes to get baptized by John who at first refuses, because he knew Jesus didn't have sins to repent of. Jesus' rejoinder, “to fulfill all righteousness” is a little difficult to pin down. There is no OT command or requirement to be baptized, and Jewish baptism was usually self-immersion. If baptism is viewed as identification, then Jesus was identifying with the repentance movement, or the sins of the people which He would eventually bear. An alternative view is that the people viewed a righteous person as one that would get baptized (similarly to Jesus paying the temple tax). Another option is that Jesus was submitting to the human ritual as emblematic of submitting to the task of taking the people's sins upon Himself. He authenticates John's ministry by participating in it, and Jesus gets authenticated by the Father. In any event, the Father was well pleased with Jesus' actions and bestowed the Holy Spirit upon Him, not just as a token of His favor, but a symbol of the anointing of the Messiah King. Philippians 2 indicates that Jesus emptied Himself of His glory/power in His sojourn on earth, and since the Holy Spirit is the spirit of power and glory, the Father is empowering Him for His work, much the same way as He empowered kings and prophets in the OT, and believers in NT and modern times.

Being led by the Spirit into testing by Satan, Jesus successfully endures the test, even in a physically weakened state. Temptation is not sin, embracing it is (James 1:14-15). He was tempted in the same areas that Eve was (see Genesis 3 post), and we are (see 1 John 2:13): Pleasure (bread), Power (security, significance – forcing God to take care of Him), Possessions (kingdoms). God created Adam and Eve (and you and me) with these desires, and they are good (even Jesus had them). In fact, it was God's will for Jesus to eat, and be ministered to by angels (Hebrews 1:14), and rule over all kingdoms. However, Satan's will for our lives is a shortcut. If we do things Satan's way (or our way, which usually are one and the same) rather than God's way, we lose (like Adam and Eve) rather than win (like Jesus).

Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Notice that Satan knew and twisted Scripture misquoting (Psalm 91:11 leaves out “and guard you in all your ways”) it in an effort to dissuade Jesus from doing the Father's will. Satan's major weapon is deception/lying, but Jesus uses the Sword of the Spirit (the word of God - Ephesians 6) to vanquish the lies. See series: Defense Against the Dark Arts on Truthbase.net for learning how to be successful in spiritual warfare. Unless we can wield the sword of Truth, we'll be skewered by Satan's lies.

Jesus ministered for about a year (John 1-4) until John was imprisoned. Then when the herald had finished his work Matthew records Jesus' ministry in Galilee, in accord with the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah 9:1-2. Jesus preaches the same message as John, repent in light of the coming kingdom (He sends out the apostles with the same message as well).