Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1 Vs. 6

 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:6 “And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Uriah;”

David the king... David’s line in Matthew is the royal line through Solomon. His line in Luke 3:23-38 is through Nathan, another son (2Sam. 5:14), and Heli, the father of Mary. Both lines were necessary in fulfilling prophecy. God had cursed Jechoniah (Coniah or Jehoiachin) of the royal line and sworn that no seed of his should ever sit on the throne of David and reign in Jerusalem (Jer. 22:24-30). God had also sworn to David that his line through Solomon would forever sit on his throne (2Sam. 7:1-29). The only way this could be fulfilled was for Jesus, the Son of David through Nathan and Mary, to become the legal heir to the throne of David through Joseph of the kingly line (Luke 1:32-33; Isa. 9:6-7; Rev. 5:5; 22:16). Jesus, being the foster Son of Joseph and the firstborn in the family, became the legal heir to David’s throne through Joseph. David (the beloved of God) was in the ancestry of Jesus. God promised David that his descendant would come and rule. A very strange thing is that Jesus, through the flesh, was a descendant of David, but in the Spirit was David’s God. David called Him Lord.

wife of Urias... Bathsheba (2Sam. 11:1-27; 1Kgs. 1:11-31).

We also see in the verse above; just how forgiving God really is. David had Uriah killed so he (David), could have Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. David’s and Bathsheba’s first child died, but God blessed them later with Solomon. God’s people are not perfect, just forgiven.

Solomon’s mother (Mat. 1:6), Bathsheba. All of these women (as well as most of the men) were questionable in some way. Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes (Gen. 38:24; Jos. 2:1), Ruth was a foreigner, a Moabitess (Ruth 1:4), and Bathsheba committed adultery (2Sam. 11:2-5). Matthew may have included these women in order to emphasize that God’s choices in dealing with people are all of His grace.

Book of Joel Chapter 1 Vs. 3

 

An Invasion of Locusts

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. Joel 1:3

Tell ye your... Fifty Commands in Joel

1. Hear this, you old men (Joel 1:2).

2. Give ear, all you inhabitants.

3. Tell your children (Joel 1:3).

4. Let your children tell their children.

5. Awake, you drunkards (Joel 1:5).

6. Weep and howl, you drinkers of wine.

7. Lament like a virgin in sackcloth for the husband of her youth (Joel 1:8).

8. Be ashamed, you husbandmen (Joel 1:11).

9. Howl, you vinedressers

10. Gird yourselves and lament, you priests (Joel 1:12).

11. Howl, you ministers of the altar.

12. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of God (Joel 1:13).

13. Sanctify a fast (Joel 1:14).

14. Call a solemn assembly.

15. Gather the elders and all inhabitants to the house of the Lord.

16. Cry unto the Lord.

17. Blow you the trumpet in Zion (Joel 2:1).

18. Sound an alarm in My holy mountain.

19. Let the inhabitants of the land tremble.

20. Turn you to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning (Joel 2:12).

21. Rend your heart, and not your garments (Joel 2:13).

22. Turn unto the Lord your God.

23. Blow the trumpet in Zion (Joel 2:15).

24. Sanctify a fast.

25. Call a solemn assembly.

26. Gather the people (Joel 2:16).

27. Sanctify the congregation.

28. Assemble the elders.

29. Gather the children and babies.

30. Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

31. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar (Joel 2:17).

32. Let them say, Spare Your people, O Lord, and give not Your inheritance to reproach.

33. Fear not, O land (Joel 2:21).

34. Be glad and rejoice.

35. Be not afraid, you beasts of the field (Joel 2:22).

36. Be glad, you children of Zion (Joel 2:23).

37. Rejoice in the Lord your God.

38. Proclaim this among the Gentiles.

39. Prepare war (Joel 3:9).

40. Wake up the mighty men.

41. Let all the men of war draw near.

42. Let them come up.

43. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears (Joel 3:10).

44. Let the weak say, I am strong.

45. Assemble yourselves and come, all you heathen (Joel 3:11).

46. Gather yourselves together round about.

47. Cause your mighty ones to come.

48. Let the heathen be wakened, and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:12).

49. Put you in the sickle (Joel 3:13).

50. come, get you down.

Another generation the pedagogical importance of reciting the Lord’s mighty acts to subsequent generations is heavily underscored by the 3-fold injunction (Exo. 10:1-6; Deut. 4:9; 6:6-7; 11:19; 32:7; Psm. 78:5-7; 145:4-7; Pro. 4:1).

Many Scriptures in the Bible have a near fulfillment and a far fulfillment, and that is the case here. Whatever the message is, it is not an old story being told again, but is something they have never experienced before.

Again, The elders were civil leaders who played a prominent part in the governmental and judicial systems (cf. 1Sam. 30:26-31; 2Sam. 19:11-15; 2Ki. 23:1; Pro. 31:23; Jer. 26:17; Lam. 5:12, 5:14).

The rhetorical question in Joel 1:2 anticipates an emphatic negative response. Nothing in the experience of Joel’s generation or that of their ancestors was able to match the magnitude of this recent locust plague. The unique event would be spoken of throughout coming generations (your children… their children, and the next generation).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1 Vs. 5

 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:5 “And Salmon begat Boaz of Rachab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;”

Boaz of Rachab... Rahab (Jos. 2:1-24; 6:25; Jas. 2:25).

We need to stop for a moment here and recognize that Jesus was descended in the flesh from Boaz (a Jewish man), and Ruth, a Moabite (a Gentile). Again, This actually makes Jesus both Jew and Gentile. Rachab is Rahab the prostitute.

Ruth was a foreigner, a Moabitess (Ruth 1:4) a Gentile.

Joel Chapter 1 Vs. 2

Verses 2-20: The prophet described the contemporary Day of the Lord. The land was suffering massive devastation caused by a locust plague and drought. The details of the calamity (verses 2-12), are followed by a summons to communal penitence and reformation (verses 13-20).

An Invasion of Locusts

Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Joel 1:2

ye old men... The reason he addressed the old men was that they had heard and known much of the past, and what he had to say would make their ears tingle. Among the people of the East reports concerning events of the past were handed down generation after generation for long periods of time. The prophet wanted them to get his message from God clearly, so that they might pass it on to coming generations (Joel 1:2-3). The former term refers to the civil and religious leaders, who in light of their position, were exhorted to lead by example the entire population toward repentance. Again, The reason this is directed to the old men first, is because their wisdom of years would cause them to listen. It is also, for all the inhabitants. This message seems to be for generations to come, and not just for this generation that Joel is speaking to here.

give ear, all... All inhabitants of the land were also commanded to "give ear" or listen to the word of the Lord. They would hear of strange things to come, much that would concern them and their descendants—things not even heard of by their fathers. The gravity of the situation demanded the undivided focus of their senses, emphasizing the need to make a conscious, purposeful decision in the matter. The terminology was commonly used in “lawsuit” passages (Isa. 1:2; Hos. 4:1), intimating that Israel was found guilty and that the present judgment was her “sentence.”

Hath this been... Question 1. Next, Joel 1:16.

The Locust Plague

The opening chapter describes the effects of a severe locust plague which had swept over the land, destroying the agricultural produce on which both man and beast so heavily depended for survival. This disaster signaled an even worse calamity to come — the destructive day of the Lord.

An opening appeal

The prophet opened his message with an appeal to all who were living in the land, headed by the elders, to consider the uniqueness and significance of the disaster which had come on them. The elders were civil leaders who played a prominent part in the governmental and judicial systems (cf. 1Sam. 30:26-31; 2Sam. 19:11-15; 2Kgs. 23:1; Pro. 31:23; Jer. 26:17; Lam. 5:12, 5:14).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1 Vs. 4

 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:4 “And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon;”

Nahshon (Revised Version), begat Salmon. This line of descent, from Nahshon to David, is also given by Luke (Luke 3:31, 32), and is derived from (Ruth 4:18-22).

Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab … Jesse was the father of David the king. This is not an exhaustive genealogy. Several additional generations must have elapsed between Rahab (in Joshua’s time) and David (verse 6), nearly 4 centuries later. Matthew’s genealogy (like most of the biblical ones), sometimes skips over several generations between well-known characters in order to abbreviate the listing.

Book of Joel Chapter 1 Vs. 1

 

Joel the son of Pethuel

The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Joel 1:1

The word of... This is the only introduction given by the prophet of himself and his calling to the prophetic office. He was a prophet to Judah, and said that the word of the Lord came to him. It seems that the entire book of Joel is one prophecy instead of a series as in previous prophetic writings. However, various sections of the prophecy are listed separately for a better understanding of the book as a whole. Joel, like Hosea, mentioned the name of his father, and that is the only personal reference to his family background, the time he lived and prophesied, or the tribe he came from. It seems he wanted to be known only as the instrument of God. Passages in the book which are similar to statements of Isaiah and Amos do not prove that the prophets quoted from one another, for the same Spirit who spoke through one could also speak through another without any copying being involved. Compare Joel 3:16 with Amos 1:2 and Joel 1:15 with Isa. 13:6.

came to Joel... Joel, the Lord is God. Fourteen men so-called.

The word of... This introductory phrase is commonly employed by the prophets to indicate that the message was divinely commissioned (Hos. 1:1; Mic. 1:1; Zeph. 1:1). Slightly varied forms are found (in 1Sam. 15:10; 2Sam. 24:11; Jer. 1:2; Eze. 1:3; Jon. 1:1; Zec. 1:1; Mal. 1:1).

the LORD that... A distinctively Israelitish designation for God; the name speaks of intimacy and a relationship bonded metaphorically through the covenant likened to marriage and thus carries special significance to Israel (Exo. 3:14).

came to Joel... His name means “the Lord is God.”

son of Pethuel... His name means “openheartedness of/toward God” and is the only occurrence of this name in the Bible.

There is very little known of Joel, the person. He was believed by many to be one of the earliest prophets in Judah. Notice again, this is the LORD’s Word in the pen of Joel. There is nothing more known of Pethuel, than the fact that he is the father of Joel.

Introduction

Again, as stated in the Introduction, the only fact given about Joel is that he was a son of Pethuel. The prophet indicated that his message was God’s Word, but did not date his prophecy in Joel 1:1 in the reign of any king of Judah or Israel.

Ezekiel Chapter 44 Vs. 31

 Rules for Levitical Priests

“The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.” Eze 44:31

Something dead of itself could be diseased, and you can see why that would not be eaten. It was, also, a dead carcass. This particular ordinance was for all the people, including the priests and high priest.