Digging for truth

How many of you have ever said to yourself “Wow, since I have some extra time on my hands I think I’ll read the entire book of Leviticus or maybe give the genealogies of Jesus Christ a read-over!” The truth, from a pastor’s point of view, is that it is hard enough just to get people to pick up and read their bibles, let alone study a tedious book of the law or a family tree containing endless obscure Hebrew names.

The fact is that many of us don’t really give very much time to God unless we are in immediate need of help. The act of prayer is often our last resort rather than the first resource we reach out for. Although we spend endless hours reading other popular literature selections, we often devote very little time to studying the books of the bible.

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 Let me propose a challenge; If you are a brave soul, take out your sword and read the genealogies found in Matthew chapter 1:1-16 and Luke chapter 3:23-38 . If you study these carefully, what you will find is that the genealogy recorded in the book of Matthew is different than the one recorded in the book of Luke. Matthew records the family line of Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus, from Abraham to Joseph while Luke records the family line of Mary from Mary’s father back to Adam.

In the Jewish culture, a man’s lineage was traced back through the father’s side of the family which determined which of the twelve tribes he was originally from. This is of particular interest in the case of Jesus of Nazareth.

  

In the book of Jeremiah, it is recorded that Coniah, king of Judah, (Jehoiachin, Jeconiah and Coniah are all one and the same), because of the evil he did, God pronounces a “blood curse” on his entire family line which states that none of his descendants would prosper sitting on the throne of David. “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.” Jeremiah 22:30.

You can almost see Satan jumping for joy thinking that God had shot himself in the foot by cursing the line that the Messiah was prophesied to come from. However, to the man or woman who wishes to show themselves approved, there is a golden nugget here to uncover out of the word of God. That is, if one is diligent to search hard enough for it.

This is why God inspired Doctor Luke to record Mary’s family line. Keep in mind Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and she conceived. Jesus was the Son of God and therefore related biologically through his Mother Mary to King David, not Joseph.

What I’m trying to highlight for you is the fact that Mary is also related to King David, from the tribe of Judah, through Nathan another son of David’s and Bathsheba’s. Joseph was related to King David through David and Bathsheba’s son Solomon. The curse on Solomon’s line of sons recorded in Jeremiah 22:30 would have disqualified Jesus as the King of kings.

However, every “I” has been dotted and every “T” crossed as we discover how meticulously the truth points to Jesus Christ as the King of kings who will one day be the last king in the line of David.

 “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

So maybe, just maybe, it actually is worth our time to pour over the bible, searching diligently for those gold nuggets that we might uncover them and share them with all of our friends.