Matthew 1
Matthew (whose new name means “gift of God”), was the tax collector and his gospel was written to Jews as his audience. It presents Jesus as King. A king needs a royal heraldry and a heraldry needs a genealogy.
Now after 400 years of silence God allows the very pen Matthew used to steal and oppress people as a crooked tax collector to now write God’s word!!
The genealogy included liars (Abraham, Isaac), a manipulator, (Jacob), a brother who sells out his brother, (Judah), a woman who sleeps with her father in law, (Tamar), a prostitute, (Rehab), foreigner, (Ruth), adulterer and murderer, (David), the worst king in Israel’s history (evil Manasseh), and a great king who was killed fighting a battle not his own, (Josiah).
Where do you fit?
“So, all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David to the captivity of Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.”
This is fulfilled prophecy. Jesus would be born of a virgin and have his earthly blood line through his father Joseph.
So, consider this. After 400 years of silence God picks a guy who was hurting people financially to help heal people spiritually. God uses each of us in our weaknesses to shed the light of love the the world around us. Let’s try and not have hard hearts and judgmental outlooks on others but simply allow God to…well…be…God.
Last thing, in Matthew 16 God picks this guy, Matthew, to introduce the CHURCH!!
“And I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Wow! Be ready for God to give you such a wonderful blessing of introducing something dear to Him from the depth of your experiences too. Even if you feel unqualified or perhaps disqualified…nope, God IS picking you too. Go on now, bless us with what God is writing in your heart. Of course it seems like you are not qualified or able like those listed above. Perfect! Share with us what God is whispering to you!????????????????????????????????