Thursday 2021.11.04
This morning I read through the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament while in the New Testament, I read chapters 13 and 14 of the Gospel of John.
It is noteworthy that while Bo'az agreed to marry Ruth after her husband Chillion ben Elimelech had died in the land of Moab, "to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren" (Ruth 4:10), the Book of Ruth ends with a brief genealogy showing the lineage of descendants of Perez down to David, with Obed listed as the descendant of Boaz, the son borne to Boaz by Ruth, rather than the descendant of Chillion his nominal father.
- Ruth 4:18 - 22 RSV Revised Standard Version
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Now these are the descendants of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron of Ram,
Ram of Ammin'adab,
Ammin'adab of Nahshon,
Nahshon of Salmon,
Salmon of Bo'az,
Bo'az of Obed,
Obed of Jesse,
and Jesse of David.
It is also significant that a similar and more complete genealogy is recorded in chapter 1 of the Gospel according to Matthew, beginning with the generation of Abraham and going down the lineage all the way to Joseph the husband of Mary, the mother of Iesus the Anointed One:
- Matthew 1:1 - 16 RSV Revised Standard Version
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1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham.
2Abraham was the father of Isaac,
and Isaac the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
and Perez the father of Hezron,
and Hezron the father of Ram,
4and Ram the father of Ammin'adab,
and Ammin'adab the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5and Salmon the father of Bo'az by Rahab,
and Bo'az the father of Obed by Ruth,
and Obed the father of Jesse,
6and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uri'ah,
7and Solomon the father of Rehobo'am,
and Rehobo'am the father of Abi'jah,
and Abi'jah the father of Asa,
8and Asa the father of Jehosh'aphat,
and Jehosh'aphat the father of Joram,
and Joram the father of Uzzi'ah,
9and Uzzi'ah the father of Jotham,
and Jotham the father of Ahaz,
and Ahaz the father of Hezeki'ah,
10and Hezeki'ah the father of Manas'seh,
and Manas'seh the father of Amos,
and Amos the father of Josi'ah,
11and Josi'ah the father of Jechoni'ah
and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12And after the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoni'ah was the father of She-al'ti-el,
and She-al'ti-el the father of Zerub'babel,
13and Zerub'babel the father of Abi'ud,
and Abi'ud the father of Eli'akim,
and Eli'akim the father of Azor,
14and Azor the father of Zadok,
and Zadok the father of Achim,
and Achim the father of Eli'ud,
15and Eli'ud the father of Elea'zar,
and Elea'zar the father of Matthan,
and Matthan the father of Jacob,
16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary,
of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
One may say that the whole purpose of the narrative of the Moabitess Ruth, returning to the land of Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi, is to show that Ruth was predestined to become the great-grandmother of King David, God's chosen king, from whom the Messiah will come.
It also shows the sovereign hand of the LORD Yehovah in preparing for the arrival of King David to rule over Israel, and eventually for the Messiah, the Seed of David to be the Anointed One, the chosen eternal High Priest and King over the Kingdom of God Almighty.
Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, today let us ponder over the earthly genealogy of our Lord Iesus. Let us remember our Lord as the promised Seed of King David, chosen and anointed by God Almighty to be our eternal High Priest and King over the everlasting Kingdom of God Almighty.
