| Skeletons In Yeshua's Family Closet |
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Sunday, 03 June 2012 17:59
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 One of the reasons for studying the royal bloodline of the Messiah from the beginning of the world is to gain insight into God’s sovereignty in human affairs. Throughout the centuries Satan attempted to wipe out the links in the chain; he was always defeated in the end. This can be tremendously encouraging to believers who perhaps are unaware that sometimes when faith is being tested most severely, that following the tests, the greatest miracles will occur.Here are some thoughts from Miriam Maranzenboim to introduce you to 'The Hall of Fame (or Infamy!)' - which is the bloodline of Yeshua. Eve named her third son SETH which meant “appointed”. She had insight into him being in the royal seed line as she said, “God has appointed for me another seed instead of Abel, for Cain killed him”. Another seed for what? She already had a seed through Cain. Another seed for God's plans to bring Yeshua into the world. NOAH was part of the royal line. He, along with Daniel and Job are very highly thought of by the Lord. The Lord also makes a wonderful promise to Israel connected to the sign of the rainbow in Isaiah 54:9-10 “as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed.” ABRAHAM went to Egypt and lied about his wife. He said she was his sister. If they’d taken her in marriage, what would’ve happened to the royal seed? And he lied about his wife again to Abimelech. The Lord had to close up the wombs of Abimelech’s whole house because of this ‘stunt’ (Genesis 20:18). Abraham prayed back their ability to conceive, and finally ISAAC was born. Then he was almost offered as a sacrifice. What would have happened to the seed that was to be as the stars of the heavens and as the sand of the seashore? Again, God’s sovereignty by replacing Isaac by a ram as sacrifice. Isaac later needs a wife. Once he finds one, she’s barren. But when she does finally bear, she has twins. Isaac lied about his wife to Abimelech. Poor Abimelech – he must have had it with these fellows by now! JACOB sells his birthright but gets the blessing. Esau’s out to get him; to kill off the royal seed. He didn’t succeed but the royal seed is put off by seven years while he has to work for a comely wife he didn’t want. Later he gets the one he wants (Rachel) and she’s barren. Finally she had Joseph, which means “adding”, but she added only this one and he was not the appointed “link.” Laban gave Jacob a bad time all along “But God did not permit him to harm me” (31:7) – the sovereignty of God to protect the royal seed. Jacob returns to Esau, not without taking special precautions (can you blame him?). Jacob’s sons were especially protected from the Caananites (35:5) after an incident of slaughter when some heathen were recovering from a circumcision. JUDAH had three sons by a Canaanite but the royal seed came eventually through his daughter-in-law. She had a good son though, Pharez. “And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”” (Ruth 4:12) BOAZ would have made a good catch for many a maiden. Older and wealthy, surely they’d tried. Finally, on the advice of a wise older women, a foreigner, Ruth, wins his heart. Lucky Boaz’s brother didn’t care about the inheritance – he said it would mar his own. The elders gave his young woman with a foreign accent quite a compliment when they said, “The Lord make the woman that is come unto thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel.” JESSE was “sanctified”. Isaiah 11:1 “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” ... “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations enquire, and his resting-place shall be glorious.”(11:10) DAVID – had he been wiped out by the lion or bear, Saul’s javelin, or by Goliath – that would’ve finished off the line right quick. The study of both David and Solomon is very long – good material for a separate article perhaps… REHOBOAM – lucky he stayed alive as Jeroboam warred with him “all the days of his life” (1 Kings 15:6), and of course, Jeroboam was the stronger, representing the ten northern tribes, and Rehoboan only Judah. He had problems both with governing a wicked people, and with Shishak of Egypt who was out to destroy them.. Because they heeded the true prophecy of Shemaiah, however, and humbled themselves, they were spared (2 Chronicles 11:22). The Lord had His hand on Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 13:7). ABIJAM – what a war. God slew Jeroboam and all Israel (500,000 people!). In 2 Chronicles 13 he gives a marvelous defense of truth and righteousness. ASA did right but didn’t have it easy. There was war with Baasha, king of Israel, all their days. The Lord smote thousands on Judah’s behalf. And 300 chariots fled. He sent gifts to Syrian king so they’d wipe out Israel for him and when he was reproved for this action by a seer, he demanded the fellow be imprisoned. He oppressed other people too (2 Chronicles 16:10). He didn’t seek the Lord for healing – only physicians. JEHOSHAPHAT – a “close call”. He was taking a risk when he wore the king of Israel’s clothing. Guess who got killed – the king of Israel! But the Lord spared His royal line again. He consulted Elisha about the Moabites, took his advice, and the Lord slew the Moabites. He was fabulously wealthy. Received gifts from many (including the Philistines and Arabians (2Chronicles 18:31). “the Lord helped him and God moved them to depart from him”, the Lord’s sovereign protection at work again. He sent out teachers of the Torah – nobody had done this before! He eventually took away the high worship places – also a first. He proclaimed a fast, knew about singing victorious songs and then seeing the strongholds of Satan thrown down; also a first. The Lord did such wonders for them and they remembered to praise and thank him afterwards, that “the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.” JEHORAM – usually after a good period comes a bad, unfortunately. What could one expect from a fellow married to a daughter of Ahab. For David’s sake the Lord wouldn’t destroy Judah, however. He slew the brothers of his father’s house (not too good when heirs might be needed to carry on a line). Elijah warned him that a plague would slay his wives and people (what about an heir?). He died an awful death and Elijah was proved right, but one son, Jehoahaz was left. AHAZIAH witnessed the murder of his predecessor. When he himself died at Megiddo, his mother was so upset she “arose and destroyed all the seed royal.” But, Joash was spared by the daughter of the late king, Jehoram (perhaps she had insight regarding the royal seed ?). JOASH – there’s more than one Joash, but this is the young Joash who initiated the rebuilding of the temple. It seems he went bad in the end, however, and slew his son. AMAZIAH slew 10,000 Edomites. He mistakenly wanted to look the king of Israel in the face. He paid. The walls of Jerusalem were partially broken down and plenty of spoil and hostages taken. He had assembled a huge army too, but he called on Israel’s help which was also a big mistake (they paid for this by losing 3,000 of their own men later). AZARIAH wasn’t too bad but allowed Uzziah to offer a sacrifice and was punished for this by leprosy. JOTHAM had special problems contending with heathen nations which “the LORD sent”. He was pretty good and they prevailed against the Ammonites. The Lord blessed him and he “became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.” AHAZ made his sons pass through the fire (not too healthy considering one of these sons had to pass on the royal seed). He sent money to king of Assyria so they’d eliminate the Syrian king which they did. They really polluted the Lord’s sacrifices. The King of Syria defeated him and many captives were taken to Damascus. Also, the king of Judah defeated him with a great slaughter. Pekah slew 120,000 in one day in Judah – “All valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.” 200,000 were taken by Israel; women, children and much spoil. There were also attacks also by Edomites and Philistines. But worse oppressors were yet to come. HEZEKIAH did right. He broke the brazen serpent which Moses had made. “...After him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.” He prospered greatly; the Lord was with him. A peace pact with Assyria sounds good but Isaiah warns against it. The Lord’s angel kills 185,000 Assyrians in the night. The king was killed by his sons. There’s the miracle of the universe stopping and he received another 15 years of life. For showing the king of Babyon all the treasures, Isaiah said his sons would be taken off to Babylon as captives and be made eunuchs (how would they have offspring for the royal line?). Before all this, Chronicles speaks of how he got praising going in Judah and reinstituted the Passover. Such healing… MANASSEH – the most infamous! Even years after his reign the Lord was angry with His people on account of him. He made his sons to pass through the fire and used witchcraft. He seduced the people to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before them. The Lord would turn Jerusalem upside down (like wiping a dish). The first time the Lord speaks of forsaking the remnant of His inheritance. Jerusalem was filled with innocent blood. After he’d been carried off to Babylon, however, he had a change of heart and when he was back in Jerusalem he rebuilt a big section of its wall. He formed an army, threw out idols, and offered sacrifices. AMON “trespassed more and more” JOSIAH – whew, back to someone good. He burned the vessels that’d been made for Baal, put down idolatrous priests, broke houses of sodomites and burned sun chariots. He beat down altars of Ahaz and Manasseh and defiled the high places which Solomon had built for other gods. “Like unto him there was no king before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, neither after him arose there any like him.” He gathered money for repairing the temple, and they discovered “The Book”. This led to a huge Passover. 2 Chronicles 35:18 says that from the days of Samuel there was no Passover like it. Singing men and women speak of him to this day (2 Chronicles 35:25) as an ordinance in Israel. JEHOIAKIM – feel the heart of God here. This period brings Him to say, “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night.” Jeremiah warned him that his city would be “a curse to all nations of the earth.” He was Nebuchadnezzer’s servant for three years. By now, because of Manasseh, the Chaldees, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammon were all out to destroy Judah. Urijah also warned him and then took off for Egypt to save his life. He was sent for, brought back, and slain. He burned the scroll of God’s Word and it had to be rewritten. He asked for Baruch and Jeremiah’s lives, but “the Lord hid them”. JEHOIACHIN was taken off to Babylon along with all treasures of the Lord’s house. 10,000 valiant men were taken as captives. Only the poorest people remained. The king’s wives were taken. What about an heir for the “line”? Oh, the mercy of the Lord– after 37 years in prison, he was released and his throne set above the throne of the kings of Babylon! Why? We don’t know – Joseph must’ve known the same secret, and Daniel. He ate bread with Evil-merodach (maybe not so ‘evil’ after all?) and was given a daily allowance. Perhaps he bore his successor to continue the lineage after his prison term; we don’t know. It says his wives were taken (no mention of offspring) to Babylon. (Jeremiah 52) ZERUBBABEL led a group of returning exiles back to Jerusalem. They rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it “as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.” Haggai reports that they obeyed the Lord and feared the presence of the Lord. After Zerubbabel, the members of the royal line are listed only in the New Testament in Matthew 1 (through Joseph) and Luke 3 (Mary’s lineage). In Mark chapter 10, the blind begger, Bartimeus, cried out to the Messiah, “Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me”, and received His sight. He knew more than many ‘intelligent’ people around us. He knew fully well that Yeshua was the Son of David. The chosen seed, the Messiah, whose coming was planned from the very beginning. Would that the partially blind nation of Israel cry out to the Son of David for mercy; and in so doing, receive their full sight.
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