Bloodline for the Messiah

Introduction

The greatest blessing man has received has been from God when he gave His only Son so that man’s sins may be forgiven and he may enter heaven. God allowed his only Son to be born on this earth as a man to deliver His word and to reveal His love. God’s only Son died on the cross and rose to break the seal of death and allow man’s soul to escape the penalty of sin.

Isaiah 53:3-5 reads, He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

God’s only Son bore the sins of all men as He was tortured and hung crucified on the cross. Jesus Christ was the sacrificial lamb that paid the price for man’s sins. This sacrificial blessing is beyond our comprehension and no man is worthy of such a gift.

Ephesians 1:3 reads, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

We humbly kneel before our Lord praising His name and thanking Him for all our blessings. We praise and thank our Lord for His Holy Spirit that counsels us, and guides us through each day.

The God we worship is a sovereign God that controls all that occurs within the universe. Our God is immortal, omniscient, and omnipresent, meaning He has always been and will always be present everywhere and is available to each person. Our God is the same today as in the past, and as in the future. There is nothing impossible for God and His control is based on His love.

Our God is a personal God that is interested in each individual. The Bible provides genealogies that list names of each individual both Jew and Gentile that were related to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and in some cases details how God worked through their lives. These genealogies also confirm the prophecy that Jesus was the Son of David by detailing the name of each person that was an ancestor of Jesus the Messiah. The historical accuracy of the Bible is substantiated by listing all the ancestors of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus starting with Adam.

It is believed that both Mary and Joseph shared the same genealogy from Adam (est. 4223 BC) to King David (est. 1010 BC). It is believed that from that point forward Mary’s and Joseph’s genealogy changed. Mary the mother of Jesus was a descendant from King David’s son, Nathan and Joseph was a descendant of Solomon, another son of King David. A number of verses in both the Old and the New Testament prophesied that the Messiah would be the Son of David. Consequently, Jesus Christ was a descendant by blood of King David from His mother Mary and by adoption from His earthly father Joseph.

Creation

Time unknown

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth from nothing. He created man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. God created woman from a rib of man. Generation after generation of women and men live and die, returning to nothing but dust. Their lives are short and in many cases die without any thought or hope for their souls and the eternal spiritual life with their Creator. They are simply willing to die and ignore the promises in the Bible and its message of salvation.

Genesis 1:1-3 reads, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Genesis 1:21-22 reads, And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after that kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

Genesis 1:27-28 reads, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

The original sin of man began with Adam and Eve. Satan did tempt them with great riches and power and the promise they would be like God. Genesis 3:5 reads, For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Man is easily puffed up by pride with accomplishments, success, possessions and an endless list of other things. Pride has been in existence before man and is very dangerous and can quickly lead to sin and separation from God as was the case with Satan. Lucifer’s pride led him to being cast from heaven. Lucifer became extremely proud of his beauty, intelligence, and power to the point he desired all the glory and not God. Pride, arrogance, and taking on an attitude of superiority are contrary to loving your neighbor as yourself. Pride leads to making comparisons and judging another person (God’s creation). Our fallen nature and our own sin makes finding fault in others a pure act of hypocrisy. The Holy Spirit allows believers to discern evil and good and will provide a way to escape evil.

Our sovereign God out of His love, infinite wisdom, and in His time created the heaven and the earth. He created the seas and the land and all the vegetation. And on the sixth day God created man and woman in his image and allowed them to have dominion over all living creatures.

Genesis 1:28 reads, And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:31 reads, And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. God had created a perfect garden where man could exist and multiply and have dominion over all living creatures. Nothing was denied to man except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This one test of obedience and man’s love for God would have eternal consequences. God is a Holy God that cannot tolerate sin. This sin of disobedience by Adam and Eve resulted in punishment and the fall of man. Lucifer was successful in tempting Adam and Eve and allowing to them fall out of favor with God. This perfect garden would turn to a field of thorns and thistles and the ground would be cursed. Man and animals from that time forward would experience suffering and death.

Genesis 2:7 reads, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. God breathed into man life and a soul that gave man the ability to worship and commune with God’s Holy Spirit. Today man still experience death and suffering, but now has the option to save his soul by accepting God’s gift of eternal life and denying his sinful nature. God allows man to suffer the consequences of his sin and at the same time still offers eternal salvation through His Son. Man’s sinful nature creates a daily battle with sin that man needs to confront and conquer. God allows us all to suffer the consequences of our sins and the sins of a fallen world for the purpose of instruction. We need to confess all sin and ask for forgiveness for all sin. As Christians we may be singled out, discriminated against, and rejected because of our faith. God allows this type of suffering so we may appreciate the suffering that was experienced by His son, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 30:18 reads, And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

As we humbly pray to God we ask for the knowledge and strength to run from sin and to run to His grace and mercy. Our Lord and Savior is a God of judgment who loving and graciously longs to show His compassion for those who are faithful and obedient to His word.

It was because of Jesus Christ that we are blessed beyond measure and are now in His family. His blessings allow us to commune with our Father and experience His love and gracious Spirit that permeates our very soul. We are blessed with awareness that God is with us each day and His blessings are beyond our comprehension.

Noah’s ark and the flood

(Approximately 2894 BC)

The world had fallen into a deep state of depravity with most people being morally corrupt. Satan and his demonic angels had completely overtaken the human race creating untold violence and death. Adam and Eve‘s disobedience had a devastating impact on all of the human race then and forever. Sin changed the status of man from God’s perfect creation to a man fallen in nature. Satan and his demonic angels inflicted unspeakable perversions on man to the point where violence and corruption ruled the day. These perverted angels were chained and cast into darkness prior to the flood to await the judgment (2 Peter 2:4). Men were exceedingly wicked.

All disobedience to God’s word results in man’s suffering. Suffering is experienced as a result of living in a fallen world infested with disease and death, man’s disobedience, and living a life that is not Christ-centered.

For 600 years Noah lived as a righteous man in a society that was completely evil with no hope for salvation. God blessed Noah with incredible courage, strength and determination to complete a project that was viewed as complete folly by all.

2 Peter 3:3-7 reads, Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. And saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

The Apostle Peter in these verses recalled the flood and warned those that scoff and ridicule would be judged and held accountable for every word and their actions.

Noah preached and warned the people that they needed to repent of their sins and prepare for a flood. No one took him seriously and continued with their daily rituals. The same is true today as millions of people continue with their daily lives unresponsive to the message of the Bible.

Psalm 37:9-10 reads, For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

King David in these verses realized that throughout history the wicked do succeed and survive for a short period of time. However, these periods are short-lived and eventually end in God’s time. As believers we place our trust and faith in a sovereign God that is the same today as yesterday, and is the same forever.

Noah was the tenth Patriarch prior to the flood that lived for several centuries. God commanded Noah to build the ark after all the people of the land rejected his message to worship the only true God. God’s patience did run out which resulted in God only saving Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. God also commanded Noah to build a massive ark and collect animals that would be saved from the flood.

God blessed Noah and his family because he was an obedient, righteous, and blameless servant throughout his entire 600 years of life. It took Noah 120 years to build the ark and during that time he preached to the people about the need to worship God. They refused to believe and responded by saying there was no God. Noah walked with God and listen to God for direction each day and God blessed Noah with safety for his family and another 350 years of life after the flood. Proverbs 8:32 reads, Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Listening to God’s instruction and following His direction allows us to be wise and receive His blessing. God gave Noah specific instructions (i.e., the type of wood, waterproofing materials) how to build the ark and prepare for the flood. In some ways the situation has not changed. Christians today warn the non-believer of the judgment to come, but in many cases they refuse to listen.

Noah walked in faith and feared God when he built the ark. The people of the world were given the opportunity to believe, but instead brought judgment on themselves with disbelief and dishonoring Noah’s message. Noah like all men had a fallen nature with many frailties that caused him and his family much distress.

God is a loving and gracious God who was and is offering salvation to all and is urging all to turn to real repentance. However, man exhausted God’s patience when all of man’s actions and thoughts were evil which resulted in millions being lost in the flood. God is a righteous and sovereign God who is the same God that Noah followed and is the same God that allowed the flood to occur in a decaying world of evil. We do not know the mind of God and we know that we do not understand all of His plans for us. However, there are verses that address the issue of willful sin.

Hebrews 10:26 reads, For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin.

Hebrews 10:30-31 reads, For we know him that hath said, VENGENANCE BELONGETH UNTO ME, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, THE LORD SHALL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

As Christians we will all be judged by an all powerful, sovereign God as we stand in front of Him with all of our sins. Those that asked for salvation and later rejected all belief will be judged by God.

Application

Noah was an ordinary man with many frailties. However, Noah found favor from God and walked with Him because Noah was a righteous man who loved and obeyed God. He was a highly skilled hard working man capable with God’s direction of building a massive structure such as the ark. His unweaving obedience and loyalty to God was tested with continual ridicule and harassment by the local community. His skills also included being a farmer and herdsmen. He was also a loving husband and father of three sons and their wives.

God will work through a person by providing inspiration. However, this inspiration will be forgotten if these new creative ideas are not quickly developed. Discipline also plays an important part in the process in developing new ideas and requires skills to be perfected for ideas to be implemented. God will open new doors that will resolve issues and will give direction when goals seem impossible to reach.

Isaiah 58:11 reads, And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a water garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

God is always there to guide us through each step throughout our entire lives. It is our responsibility to share all of our cares and burdens with God each day. We are His creation and He loves us and wants to protect us from harm and to provide for our every need. We are to place our trust in God and to wait patiently for His blessings. God’s word has been in place since the beginning of time and will remain in place for eternity. It is the only thing in this universe that does and will not change. Countless numbers of generations have passed and still God’s word remains the same. Hundreds of millions can attest that trusting in a loving God and obeying His word in love is the only path to fulfillment. We are all created in His image and we all long to one day to be one with our Creator.

Noah, his sons, and wives were blessed by God and would be the only human beings allowed to survive the flood. This one monumental event would destroy all of mankind and at the same time provide a new start for all of mankind. This was one more example of how Satan has tried to destroy all of mankind and failed. God spared only Noah and his family to ensure that the royal bloodline would continue and that His plan would unfold with the birth of His Son within this royal bloodline.

Abraham and the Covenant

(Approximately 2166–1953 BC)

Blessings found in the Old Testament are generally about God’s creation, His protection by providing us with our daily provisions, and a prosperous family. However, there were periods of time where God determined men were lost in sin and a new beginning needed to be established for the benefit of mankind. Noah and his family were blessed and selected by God to survive the flood and to begin the re-population of the earth. God at some time later created a covenant with Abraham, his son Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons. The twelve sons of Jacob would be the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel and the chosen nation of God. God blessed Abraham and the Israelites that established the nation of Israel. They were the people (the Israelites) that finally occupied the Promised Land. This chosen nation of God would serve as a leader to all other nations in following God’s word and living as an example of an obedient people. God selected Israel for the primary purpose of being a nation of priests, prophets, and His representative in a world of sinners. Israel’s message was the promise of a Savior and Messiah that would come for the salvation of all mankind. Unfortunately, as prophesied many did deny Christ and still today refuse to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and Savior for all of mankind. 1 Peter 2:9 reads, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

However, the qualifier is that these blessings are directly related to the entire nation of Israel and not to the individuals. God does bless individuals on an individual basis and those blessings may vary with obedience, God’s plan for their lives, and their relationship with their Lord and Savior. God loves His creation (all of mankind) and wants to commune with each one and be part of their daily lives.