Begat

From yesterday’s offering, we were encouraged to read Matthew 1: 1 – 17. For those of us who were able to read it again, even though it might have been well-known, I am sure that you saw things you may not have seen previously. Perhaps you were given new insights and were made curious to learn more. Whatever were your enlightened experiences, we give God thanks.

Today, we shall share facts from the same Bible text that are of profound interest.

The first thing that strikes us as almost unbelievable and most unnatural, is the numerical, historical information about the generations. Three generations have been named. 

From Abraham to David – 14 generations.

From David until the carrying away into Babylon – 14 generations.

From the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ – 14 generations.

Doesn’t this seem rather eerie and almost mystical, to say the least? One thing it teaches and confirms in us, believers and non-believers, I am bold to add, is this. Nothing and no one can alter, falter, or cause not to happen, God’s providential, calculated and precise generational plan. Who but Almighty, Sovereign God, can be so perfect and precise in such a matter?  With our God, there are never any faults, errors, mistakes or schisms in His work. He is our marvellous, miracle working God.

However, we are keeping our eyes on the understanding of the word, beget, which is used over three dozen times in this genealogy of Jesus Christ. We know that to beget means, to give rise to, to bring about or to bring forth. There is the common adage, for example, which says, “Success begets success”, meaning that success brings about more success.

To beget also means to bring a child into existence by the process of reproduction. This is most evident in the genealogy or generation of Jesus Christ, as documented in Matthew 1: 1 – 17. But we are halted and come to a point where we do not know whether to go forward, backward, leftward or rightward.

Most noticeable, is the fact that with all the given names, the word begat, features prominently. From the beginning of the ancestral tree, it says that Abraham begat Isaac. Most curious though, in the conclusion, when it speaks of Jesus, it states that Jacob begat Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus. This makes us divinely curious and suspicious even, for we abruptly come to a change in language, tone and receiving. Some may be as I am, watching with keener eye and seeking clarification on matters which never bothered us before. I have to confess that I never saw anything noteworthy or of interest in difference between, say, verse two and verse sixteen. Nevertheless, today, I have been captured, yet freed, as I see no, begat, for Jesus. Joseph never begat Jesus, though it is Joseph’s lineage. We are simply informed of the fact that Jesus was born of Mary.

Here is a simple human fact as was understood and spoken of in those olden days. Take Abraham as an example. Although Sarah was the one who had Isaac, as males do not have children, yet the accepted way of speaking or describing generations, was to speak of the man begetting a child. However, this has all been turned upside down, for Jesus was not begotten by any human flesh. Mary did not beget Jesus. Jesus was born of Mary. In other words, we understand even clearer, when it is presented in this indelicate manner. Mary was the one to ‘born’ Jesus, not ‘beget’ Him. In like manner we say that God made man, but He did not make Jesus. God begot Jesus. 

My friends, I stop here, and leave you to ponder this gift of Divine Grace.

Holy, Heavenly Father, thank You for coming to us, Incarnate God. We thank You for Your ineffable Love. Amen!