January 1, 2024 - Word of God Speaks but are you listening?

Genesis 1:1-2:25

Matthew 1:1-2:12

Psalm 1:1-6

Proverbs 1:1-6

One Year Bible Daily - One Year Bible Online

HAPPY NEW YEAR! In the beginning of the year we will begin our trip through the bible and read about the beginning of creation, the beginning of Jesus' human life.

Matthew 1:17 NIV Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

At first I thought the repeated 14 generations was interesting. Many might just consider it an interesting coincidence, but I don't believe there are coincidences especially in the bible. So I looked into it a little bit because I don't think Matthew would mention it the way he did without a reason. There are many different thoughts on this. One is that it is possible that he is making the connection of Jesus fulfilling a prophecy in Daniel 9:24–27

24 “Seventy ‘sevens’[a] are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish[b] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.[c]

I found a couple different explanations. This one from "The Forerunner" blog. Read the full post here Fourteen generations of Mt. 1:17 and the "seventy sevens" of Daniel 9:24 › The Forerunner

Matthew’s concern is the number of years rather than the exact number of literal generations (a generation is 40 years). 14 generations (14*40) = 560 years.

Matthew is trying to show that the prophecy of Daniel 9 is fulfilled in Jesus because the captivity lasted 70 years. If we subtract the 70 year captivity, then we get the “seventy sevens” of the Daniel 9 prophecy.

560-70=490.

Generations can be calculated in a range and the numbers can be different. This from Wikipedia

The numbers may be linked to Daniel 9:24–27, which states that seventy weeks of years, or 490 years, would pass between the restoration of Jerusalem and the coming of the messiah. Since generations were commonly placed at 35 years, this means exactly 14 generations.

No matter what our thoughts and opinions are we will not really know what is intended here at the time that Matthew wrote this but we know that because this is God's Word it will speak to the reader with truth that directs them to Jesus. No matter what it takes the Spirit of God to reveal truths to us. A thousand people can read the same verse on the same day and there will be those whose understanding ranges from unbelieving with no understanding to those whose eyes are opened to a depth of truth and Insite that drives them to full faith and surrender to Christ. The difference is the Spirit of God. My experience from doing all these years of bible study and daily reading is that I can read verses that I am very familiar with and all the sudden they can speak new things to me. They can be applied to my life in ways that they never have before. That is why the bible is the Living Word. So even if you have read through the bible in the past you're not done. Every time you read through it will be different. This is one of the ways God speaks directly to us but to hear it we need to be reading. If you have ever thought I wish God would just talk to me, maybe ask yourself if you are listening.

Word of God Speak - https://youtu.be/9PbUNhbeBZM?si=EAcHBpQfUCZ-QHv_