Evidence for God from Science

Matthew 1:1-17:
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 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 Christ.

Luke 3:23-38:

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Now there are two main problems with the two genealogies listed.

1. According to Matthew: Joseph is descended from Solomon, the son of King David and Bathseba (Matthew 1:6) while Luke seems to say that Joseph was descended from Nathan, another son of King David (Luke 3: 31). After King David the two genealogies diverge greatly.

2. According to Matthew: Joseph is descended from Jeconiah (Matthew 1:11-12). However God placed a curse on Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:24-30). Jeremiah 22: 30: This is what the LORD says: "Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah." Any descendant of Jeconiah would not be suitable for the throne of Judah. Luke's genealogy traces the line through Nathan, son of David. However God's covenant to David that his descendants would have the throne of Judah was inherited by Solomon because he was the one who finished the Temple of God (2 Samuel 7:12-16). If Jesus did not descend from Solomon then he would ineligible for the throne.

Jesus was born of a virgin then legally adopted by Joseph through marriage. Matthew's genealogy traces his legal line through his legal father Joseph. Jesus was eligible to inherit the throne of Judah because he was legally the descendant of Solomon and his offspring however he bypasses the curse of Jeconiah because he is not biologally a descendant of Jeconiah. Luke traces Jesus' biology line. Heli was the biology father of Mary. In ancient times father-in-laws were considered as if they were fathers. If Jesus was the biology son of Joseph he would fall under the Curse of Jeconiah however he is the biological son of Mary but not Joseph. Since he is the legal son of Joseph he is legally descended from Solomon fulfilling God's promise to David and Solomon. http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publication ... /genealogy http://www.gotquestions.org/curse-of-Jeconiah.html


There are several genealogial lists in the Bible. These parts of the Scriptures are "boring" but are still important because they demonstrate that the Scriptures were not written as an allegory or a fable. Many modern-day Christians support the literalness of the New Testament but then claim that the Old Testament especially the first few chapters of Genesis are fables. However the genealogies of Jesus do not present that as an option. Matthew traces the genealogy back to Abraham. Jesus is the seed of Abraham and the fulfilment of the promise God gave to Abraham (Galatians 3:16). Abraham is a descendant of Shem (Genesis 11:10). Shem was the son of Noah. If you reject the story of the flood then you should also reject the story of Abraham. Allegorical characters cannot have real life sons. If Abraham did not exist then he could not have had offspring. Luke's genealogy goes back to Adam. If Adam did not exist then the whole line is wiped out. Genealogies link the different books of Scripture together. It links the Old and New Testaments together.

God is faithful to his promises and fulfills them (Psalms 89:34) despite humans being unfaithful to him. God's plans prevails despite human failure. One of the best examples of this is God's promise to David that the house of David would have kingship forever. When Jesus comes back to the Earth, he will establish a permenant reign of the house of David. God is going to fulfill his promise because of his faithfulness and mercy in spite of the evil deeds that Davidic royal line committed.

and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. (Matthew 1:6-11)

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife: King David was relaxing at home even though it was custom for the king to join his soldiers in battle. When King David saw Bathsheba bathing, he was seized by intense desire. (2 Samuel 11) He had his messengers take her from her house so that he could lay with her. She became pregnant. To cover up his crime he tried to get her husband Uriah drink on wine so Uriah would go to bed with Bathsheba. When that did not work King David sent Uriah to the front lines and had the rest of his soldiers withdraw so that Uriah would be killed.

Solomon: Solomon through wisdom and blessings from God became very wealthy and powerful. However Solomon lead the entire Israel nation astray by bringing in idols and marrying several hundred foreign women. (1 Kings 11) His wickedness caused God to bring about a rebellion by having his prophet Abijah appoint Jeroboam ruler of 10 tribes of Israel. Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam but Jeroboam flees to Egypt.

Kingdom of Judah (good rulers will be marked with*)

Rehoboam: When Rehoboam becomes king, Jeroboam makes a final plea to Rehoboam to lighten the yoke of labor. (1 Kings 12) Solomon had heavily taxed and instituted forced labor on the other tribes of Israel to pay for his extravagant lifestyle. Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders to lighten the burden and threatened to rule much harsher than his father Solomon did. This finalizes the rebellion. Ten tribes of Israel completely split off from the Kingdom of Judah (Judah, Benjamin, and some of the Levites). Under his rule the kingdom of Judah "did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done." 1 Kings 14:22 Rehoboam had several shrines built to idols and brought temple prostitutes into the temples. (1 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 12)

Abijah: Continued in the sins of his father (1 Kings 15:3) although in a key battle against Israel his army triumphs due to their faith in God (2 Chronicles 13). He ultimately fails in his attempt to regain control of Israel.

Asa*: Was a righteous king. He tore down the idols, expelled the temple prostitutes, got some of the stolen treasures back to the temple of God. (1 Kings 15: 9-24) However he did not seek the Lord when he had an infected feet (2 Chronicles 16:12) which resulted in his death.

Jehoshaphat*: Did what was right in the sight of the Lord. (1 Kings 22:41) However he does not get rid of the high places where people sacrificed outside of the temple of God. He also enters into alliance with the wicked King Ahad and Queen Jezebel of Israel even has his son Joram marry King Ahad's daughter (2 Chronicles 18:1). Both actions would bring massive trouble later on. A prophet of God puts on a curse on Jehoshaphat's fleet as a result of his alliance which results in the lose of his fleet. (2 Chronicles 20:35).

Joram: He was influenced by his evil wife Athaliah and was wicked. (2 Kings 8:18) As a result of his wickedness his military campaigns are a disaster. He is warned in a letter by the prophet Elijah that his children would be taken away and he would suffer disease of the bowels. (2 Chronicles 21:12-15) The Phillistines and the Arabians take away his children except for one. The last two years of his life he suffers from inflaming of the guts, finally dying after literally crapping out his guts. "And it came to pass, that in process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers." (2 Chronicles 21: 19)

Matthew skips over the next four rulers. There are various explanations for this. http://christianworldviewpress.com/matt ... -of-kings/ http://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/2 ... genealogy/

Ahaziah (not listed by Matthew): Was a wicked king, continued in the ways of Ahad, his grandfather. Reigned for only one year because he was assissinated by Jehu. (2 Chronicles 22:9)

Queen Athaliah (not listed by Matthew/ not in the Davidic line): The daughter of King Ahad of Israel, she was Joram's wife. 2 Kings 11 documents her attempt to wipe out the Davidic line. Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of of Ahaziah, hide Joash, one of the son of Ahaziah. Athaliah killed the rest of the royal offspring. If it had not been for heroism of Jehosheba, the Davidic royal line would have been wiped out. Joash remained hidden for six years. Jehoiada the priest brought Joash into the house of the Lord and surrounded him with guards. The guards killed Athaliah.


Joash (not listed by Matthew, *righteous when Jehoiada was alive, unrighteous after the priest had died): Jehoiada renewed the covenant Judah had with God and had the prophets of Baal killed. Joash collected money for repairing the temple of God. (2 Kings 12:5) However after the priest's death, idol worship was brought back. (2 Chronicles 24:18) Joash had Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada put to death. (2 Chronicles 24:22) The treasure that Joash had saved for the temple of God was given to King of Aram to convince him to stop his attack (2 Kings 12:18-19). However the bribe was ineffective. His servants assissinated him for the loss and for the murder of Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:25).

Amaziah (not listed by Matthew)*: He executed the people responsible for the death of his father however he was merciful to their children (2 Kings 14: 5-6) He was righteous however he left the high places intact. He had military success in the beginning however he grew arrogrant and decided to foolishly attack the kingdom of Israel. This resulted in a military defeat and the King of Israel raided the royal treasury and the temple of God then took hostages. (2 Kings 14: 11-14). Like his dad he was assassinated.

Uzziah/Azariah*: He did what was right in the Lord however he did not remove the high places (2 Kings 15:3-4). He had many military victories however those victories made him prideful and arrogrant (2 Chronicles 26:16). He went to the altar of the Lord to burn incense (even though only Levites had that privilege). Even though 80 priests tried to stop him he proceeded. God afflicted him with leposy (2 Chronicles 16:20) which he would have for the rest of his life.

Jotham*: He started his reign after Uzziah was afflicted.He did what was right in the Lord and rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord but the high places were not removed (2 Kings 15: 34-35). He had military victories because he trusted in the Lord (2 Chronicles 27:5-6).

Ahaz: He was very wicked king who sacrified his own son into the fire of Moloch (2 Kings 16:3-4). He did not trust in God and went to the Assyrian King for help and became a vassal. "Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. This is that King Ahaz. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, 'Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.' But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers." (2 Chronicles 28:22-25) He set up an altar to gods of Assyria and built high places so that people could sacrifice to those idols.

Hezekiah*: (2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32) He got rid of the altars, made atonements for the sins of his fathers, reinstitutes the Passover celebration, and wins a great victory over the Assyrian Kings Sennaherib after breaking tribute. During a time of what illness, the prophet Isaiah tells him that he will die soon. Hezekiah then earnestly seeks the Lord, and the prophet Isaiah tells him that God will extend his life for another 15 years. However after his recovery Hezekiah becomes prideful. When the King of Babylon and his envoy come, Hezekiah shows them his royal storehouse of treasures and his armory. Rather than show them the altar of God, Hezekiah points them to his personal treasures. Isaiah tells him that because he has done this eventually his wealth he will be carried away by the Babylons and his descendants made enunchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Hezekiah replies in his heart that at least the troubles would not happen in his lifetime.

Mannasseh: This evil king is the one who orders the prophet Isaiah to be sawed in half. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/artic ... 5-isaiah#1 Hebrews 11:37 He restores all the high places that his father had destroyed and dedicates the high places to Asherah and Baal. "Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger." (2 Kings 21:6) Manessah seduced Judah "to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel." (2 Kings 21:9) "therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle." (2 Kings 21:12) "Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord." (2 Kings 21:16) 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 states that after being captured by Assyrian army he cried out to God in his distressed and turned from his sin. The Lord rescued him and the rest of his reign he tried to undo the damage by restoring the temple of God and destroying the idols. However the damage could not be completely undone, and God did not relent on his judgement of Judah.

Amon: (2 Kings 21:19-24, 2 Chronicles 33:21-25) Undid all the reforms Manessah had did after his repentance. Brought back the idols. He was assassinated.

Josiah*: (2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35) He discovers a scroll of the Torah and realizes that his people have been living in wickedness. He has the Torah read to the people. He tores down all the altars to idols and celebrates the Passover celebration which God considers the greatest one among all the ones among all the kings of Israel. "Notwithstanding, Jehovah turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations wherewith Manasseh had provoked him." (2 Kings 23:26). Josiah is killed in the battlefield because he faced the army of Neco king of Egypt ignoring Neco's warning him that the Lord was with Neco. However he is considered greatest king of Judah.

Jehoahaz (not listed by Matthew because he is the brother of Jeconiah therefore not one of Joseph's ancestors): 2 Kings 23:31-35, 2 Chronicles 36:2-4. Did evil in the eyes of the Lord and during his reign Judah was made a tributary state of King Neco.

Jehoiakim (not listed by Matthew because he is the brother of Jeconiah therefore not one of Joseph's ancestors): 2 Kings 23:36-2 Kings 24:7, 2 Chronicles 36: 5-8 Did evil in the sight of the Lord, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took him captive.

Jeconiah/Jehoiachin: 2 Kings 24:8-17, 2 Chronicles 36: 9-10 He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He is so evil that the prophet Jeremiah tells him:"This is what the LORD says: 'Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.'" ( Jeremiah 22: 30). Many Biblical scholars believe that had Jesus been a biology son of Joseph, he would have fallen under the curse of Jeconiah and be ineligible to have the throne of Judah. http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publication ... /genealogy http://www.gotquestions.org/curse-of-Jeconiah.html Since Jesus is the legally adopted son of Joseph he is not under the curse. He is captured by Nebuchadnezzer.

Zedekiah (not listed by Matthew, uncle of Jeconiah therefore not in the line of Joseph): 2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36: 11-23 He does evil, he tries to rebel King Nebuchadnezzer resulting in exile of all the Jews and destruction of Jerusalem.

After 37 years, the new king of Babylon releases Jeconiah from prisoner and allows him to be an advisor to him. This results in the preservation of the line of Joseph. (2 Kings 25:27-30)

There are 14 generations from exile to the birth of Christ. When Jesus comes back the throne of Judah will be restored. "And Jesus said to them, 'Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'" (Matthew 19:28) God is faithful to the house of David despite sins of the house of David. God is faithful despite the unfaithfulness of the kings of Judah. God's plan to bring the Messiah succeeds despite the failure of the Davidic line. God is sovereign, his plans prevail. God is merciful ,his love prevails.