OUR FATHER WHO GAVE US HIS ONLY SON AS A REDEEMER AND FULFILLED HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM AND TO DAVID Part 2

Continuing with the genealogy of Jesus, we now look at Mathew chapter 1 verses 6.5 - 11 which lists the next 14 generations after king David;

6.5 David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

In the period of the kingdom of Israel from the time of David until Jeconiah was exiled to Babylon, 14 generations had passed.

The political and social upheavals and tumult during that time culminated in the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and a large number of the people of Israel were taken to Babylon.

The exile, though potentially an existential threat to Israel, did not result in the dissolution of the children of Israel.

The fabric of the Israelite society remained intact  complete with the observance (where possible) of the laws of Moses and the emergence of prophetic voices like that of prophet Ezekiel.

In the Babylonian milieu, the continuation of the tracing of the Israelite family trees continued through to the return from Babylon which we shall look at next.

Amen.

4