Check this out!
I have been intensely studying the book of 2 Chronicles all summer. I have been doing this for my DMIN classes at Southwestern. I have learned some remarkable things, let me share one.
Have you ever read those genealogy passages? Few things are harder to find relevance in than those passages. There are even some genealogies in the New Testament, the Gospels. In our culture genealogies don’t really peak our interest that much. But, they are in scripture and a part of God’s inspired Holy Word, and therefore, we need to take them seriously.
Here was a light bulb moment for me?
In the Hebrew Bible the last book of the Old Testament is Chronicles. It is not in our English translation.(I won’t take the time to explain why here). But, in the original languages Chronicles is the last book of the OT and Matthew is the first of the new.
Stay with me.
Chronicles is all about the Davidic Covenant – the promise that an heir of David would reign on the throne forever. Chronicles is written to the people of Israel that had returned from exile. Remember that Jerusalem had been taken and the temple destroyed in 586 B.C. as a result of the infidelity of God’s people.
Chapter 36 of 2 Chronicles concludes with the exiles be allowed to return. Keep up, it’s about to get real good. Cyrus the king of Persia sent them back. They would return to their land (the promised land of the covenant). They were permitted and instructed to rebuild the temple. Everything is back in order. Land, Jerusalem, Temple, People – all part of God’s great covenant. But, at the end of Chronicles something striking is missing. The author of the book is writing a “chronicle” of the kings of Judah. He gives detailed information about these kings. But, when the exiles are returned the only thing that is not mentioned is a king. What about the Davidic covenant? What about the promise of God that an heir of David would reign on the throne forever? Nothing is mentioned about the king at the end of Chronicles. The people would have been filled with expectation and hope for the promised king.
That is where Chronicles ends.
That is where Matthew starts.
Matthew 1:1 " The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Matthew 1:1, ESV)
Amazing! Marvelous!
Jesus is the long expected King who would reign forever!
Does He reign in your life?
1 comment:
Would it not be great if the people of God gathered every Sunday morning "filled with expectation and hope" that they will spend time collectively in the presence of "the promised King?"
That would change the entire worship experience. That would change the coming week. That would change lives.
Christian West
Post a Comment