Answer:
Jesus' genealogy is given in two places in Scripture: Matthew 1 and Luke 3:23-38.
Matthew traces the genealogy from Jesus to Abraham. Luke traces the
genealogy from Jesus to Adam. However, there is good reason to believe
that Matthew and Luke are in fact tracing entirely different
genealogies. For example, Matthew gives Joseph's father as Jacob (Matthew 1:16), while Luke gives Joseph's father as Heli (Luke 3:23). Matthew traces the line through David's son Solomon (Matthew 1:6), while Luke traces the line through David's son Nathan (Luke 3:31). In fact, between David and Jesus, the only names the genealogies have in common are Shealtiel and Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12; Luke 3:27).
Some point to these differences as evidence of errors in the Bible.
However, the Jews were meticulous record keepers, especially in regard
to genealogies. It is inconceivable that Matthew and Luke could build
two entirely contradictory genealogies of the same lineage. Again, from
David through Jesus, the genealogies are completely different. Even the
reference to Shealtiel and Zerubbabel likely refer to different
individuals of the same names. Matthew gives Shealtiel's father as
Jeconiah while Luke gives Shealtiel's father as Neri. It would be normal
for a man named Shealtiel to name his son Zerubbabel in light of the
famous individuals of those names (see the books of Ezra and Nehemiah).
Another explanation is that Matthew is tracing the primary lineage while
Luke is taking into account the occurrences of “levirate marriage.” If a
man died without having any sons, it was tradition for the man's
brother to marry his wife and have a son who would carry on the man's
name. While possible, this view is unlikely as every generation from
David to Jesus would have had a “levirate marriage” in order to account
for the differences in every generation. This is highly unlikely.
With these concepts in view, most conservative Bible scholars assume
Luke is recording Mary’s genealogy and Matthew is recording Joseph’s.
Matthew is following the line of Joseph (Jesus’ legal father), through
David’s son Solomon, while Luke is following the line of Mary (Jesus’
blood relative), though David’s son Nathan. There was no Greek word for
“son-in-law,” and Joseph would have been considered a son of Heli
through marrying Heli's daughter Mary. Through either line, Jesus is a
descendant of David and therefore eligible to be the Messiah. Tracing a
genealogy through the mother’s side is unusual, but so was the virgin
birth. Luke’s explanation is that Jesus was the son of Joseph, “so it
was thought” (Luke 3:23).
Answer:
The last time Joseph is mentioned in the Bible is when Jesus was twelve
years old. Returning from a trip to Jerusalem, Jesus became separated
from His parents, who eventually found Him in the temple in the midst of
the teachers. Ironically, it was at that time—when Jesus announced that
He had to be about His heavenly Father’s business—that all mention of
his earthly father ceases (Luke 2:41-50).
Because Joseph is not mentioned again, most scholars assume he died
sometime before Jesus began His public ministry. By the time we get to
the wedding at Cana (John 2), Joseph is conspicuously absent. We see
Mary there, but no mention is made of Joseph. Perhaps a part of the
reason why Jesus remained at home until He was 30 is that He had the
ultimate responsibility for caring for the family.
The theory that Joseph had died by the time Jesus was an adult is given
further credibility by the fact that Jesus, when He was on the cross,
made arrangements for His mother to be cared for by the Apostle John (John 19:26-27).
Joseph must have been dead by the time of the crucifixion, or Jesus
would never have committed Mary to John. If Joseph were still alive,
Jesus wouldn't say, "Now, Mother, I'm going to commit you to John."
Joseph would have rightly responded, "Wait a minute, it is my
responsibility to take care of her." Only a widow could have rightly
been given into the care of someone outside the family.
It is thought by some that perhaps Joseph died sometime after Jesus
began His public ministry. This is unlikely, because if Joseph had died
during the three-year ministry of Christ, that would have been a major
event; Jesus undoubtedly would have gone to the funeral with His
disciples, and at least one of the Gospel writers would have recorded
it. Although we don’t know for sure, the most likely scenario is that
Joseph died sometime before Jesus began His earthly ministry.
Answer:
How young is “too young” to start a relationship depends on the
individual’s level of maturity, goals, and beliefs. Often, the younger
we are, the less mature we are due to a lack of life experience. When we
are just beginning to figure out who we are, we may not be firmly
grounded enough spiritually to form solid romantic attachments and may
be more prone to making unwise decisions that can leave us with
emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual damage.
Being in a relationship puts one in almost constant temptation,
especially as emotions begin to develop and the attraction to the other
person deepens. Young teens—even older teens—are besieged by hormonal
and societal pressures that seem at times almost unbearable. Each day
brings new feelings—doubts, fears, and confusion coupled with joys and
exhilaration—which can be very confusing. Young people spend much of
their time just figuring out who they are and how they relate to the
world and the people around them. To add the pressure of a relationship
at this stage seems almost too much to ask, especially when the other
person is experiencing the same upheaval. Such early relationships make
it more difficult to avoid damage to the delicate and still-forming
self-image, not to mention the problem of resisting temptation. If being
marriage-minded is still far off, it is probably too early to begin
dating or courtship. Much safer for all concerned are group activities
where young people can develop social skills and friendships without the
pressure and inherent difficulties of romantic attachments.
No matter when a person decides to begin a romantic relationship, this
should be a time of building on the foundation of faith that he or she
has been taught, of growing and figuring out what God wants him or her
to do. We are never too young to begin this exciting process. “Don't let
anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for
the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).
Answer:
The right time for marriage is different for each person and unique to
each situation. Maturity levels and life experiences are varying
factors; some people are ready for marriage at 18, and some are never
prepared for it. As the U.S. divorce rate exceeds 50 percent, it is
obvious that much of our society does not view marriage as an
everlasting commitment. However, this is the world's view, which will
usually contradict God's (1 Corinthians 3:18).
A strong foundation is imperative for a successful marriage and should
be settled before one even begins to date or court a potential life
mate. Our Christian walk should include much more than just attending
church on Sundays and being involved in Bible study. We must have a
personal relationship with God that comes only through trusting in and
obeying Jesus Christ. We must educate ourselves about marriage, seeking
God's view on it, before diving in. A person must know what the Bible
says about love, commitment, sexual relations, the role of a husband and
wife, and His expectations of us before committing to marriage. Having
at least one Christian married couple as a role model is also important.
An older couple can answer questions about what goes into a successful
marriage, how to create intimacy (beyond the physical), how faith is
invaluable, etc.
A prospective married couple also needs to make sure that they know each
other well. They should know each other's views on marriage, finances,
in-laws, child-rearing, discipline, duties of a husband and wife,
whether only one of them or both will be working outside the home, and
the level of the other person’s spiritual maturity. Many people get
married taking their partner's word for it that they are a Christian,
only to find out later that it was merely lip service. Every couple
considering marriage should go through counseling with a Christian
marriage counselor or pastor. In fact, many pastors will not perform
weddings unless they have met several times with the couple in a
counseling setting.
Marriage is not only a commitment, but a covenant with God. It is the
promise to remain with that other person for the remainder of your life,
no matter whether your spouse is rich, poor, healthy, sick, overweight,
underweight, or boring. A Christian marriage should endure through
every circumstance, including fighting, anger, devastation, disaster,
depression, bitterness, addiction, and loneliness. Marriage should never
be entered into with the idea that divorce is an option—not even as the
last straw. The Bible tells us that through God all things are possible
(Luke 18:27),
and this certainly includes marriage. If a couple makes the decision at
the beginning to stay committed and to put God first, divorce will not
be the inevitable solution to a miserable situation.
It is important to remember that God wants to give us the desires of our
heart, but that is only possible if our desires match His. People often
get married because it just “feels right.” In the early stages of
dating, and even of marriage, you see the other person coming, and you
get butterflies in your stomach. Romance is at its peak, and you know
the feeling of being “in love.” Many expect that this feeling will
remain forever. The reality is that it does not. The result can be
disappointment and even divorce as those feelings fade, but those in
successful marriages know that the excitement of being with the other
person does not have to end. Instead, the butterflies give way to a
deeper love, a stronger commitment, a more solid foundation, and an
unbreakable security.
The Bible is clear that love does not rely on feelings. This is evident when we are told to love our enemies (Luke 6:35). True love is possible only when we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, cultivating the fruit of our salvation (Galatians 5:22-23).
It is a decision we make on a daily basis to die to ourselves and our
selfishness, and to let God shine through us. Paul tells us how to love
others in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it
is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres.” When we are ready to love another person as 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes, that is the right time for marriage.
Answer:
The book of Revelation has always presented the interpreter with
challenges. The book is steeped in vivid imagery and symbolism which
people have interpreted differently depending on their preconceptions of
the book as a whole. There are four main interpretive approaches to the
book of Revelation: 1) preterist (which sees all or most of the events
in Revelation as having already occurred by the end of the 1st century);
2) historicist (which sees Revelation as a survey of church history
from apostolic times to the present); 3) idealist (which sees Revelation
as a depiction of the struggle between good and evil); 4) futurist
(which sees Revelation as prophecy of events to come). Of the four, only
the futurist approach interprets Revelation in the same
grammatical-historical method as the rest of Scripture. It is also a
better fit with Revelation’s own claim to be prophecy (Revelation 1:3; 22:7, 10, 18, 19).
So the answer to the question “who are the 144,000?” will depend on
which interpretive approach you take to the book of Revelation. With the
exception of the futurist approach, all of the other approaches
interpret the 144,000 symbolically, as representative of the church and
the number 144,000 being symbolic of the totality—i.e., the complete
number—of the church. Yet when taken at face value: “Then I heard the
number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” (Revelation 7:4),
nothing in the passage leads to interpreting the 144,000 as anything
but a literal number of Jews—12,000 taken from every tribe of the “sons
of Israel.” The New Testament offers no clear cut text replacing Israel
with the church.
These Jews are “sealed,” which means they have the special protection of
God from all of the divine judgments and from the Antichrist to perform
their mission during the tribulation period (see Revelation 6:17,
in which people will wonder who can stand from the wrath to come). The
tribulation period is a future seven-year period of time in which God
will enact divine judgment against those who reject Him and will
complete His plan of salvation for the nation of Israel. All of this is
according to God’s revelation to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). The 144,000 Jews are a sort of “first fruits” (Revelation 14:4) of a redeemed Israel which has been previously prophesied (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25-27),
and their mission is to evangelize the post-rapture world and proclaim
the gospel during the tribulation period. As a result of their ministry,
millions—“a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation,
tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9)—will come to faith in Christ.
Much of the confusion regarding the 144,000 is a result of the false doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that 144,000 is a limit to the number of
people who will reign with Christ in heaven and spend eternity with God.
The 144,000 have what the Jehovah’s Witnesses call the heavenly hope.
Those who are not among the 144,000 will enjoy what they call the
earthly hope—a paradise on earth ruled by Christ and the 144,000.
Clearly, we can see that Jehovah’s Witness teaching sets up a caste
society in the afterlife with a ruling class (the 144,000) and those who
are ruled. The Bible teaches no such “dual class” doctrine. It is true
that according to Revelation 20:4
there will be people ruling in the millennium with Christ. These people
will be comprised of the church (believers in Jesus Christ), Old
Testament saints (believers who died before Christ’s first advent), and
tribulation saints (those who accept Christ during the tribulation). Yet
the Bible places no numerical limit on this group of people.
Furthermore, the millennium is different from the eternal state, which
will take place at the completion of the millennial period. At that
time, God will dwell with us in the New Jerusalem. He will be our God
and we will be His people (Revelation 21:3). The inheritance promised to us in Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) will become ours, and we will all be co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
Answer:
The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant is found in 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12.
As the ark was being transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled,
and a Levite named Uzzah took hold of the ark. God’s anger burned
against Uzzah and He struck him down and he died. Uzzah’s punishment
does appear to be extreme for what we might consider to be a good deed.
However, there are the reasons why God took such severe action.
First, God had given Moses and Aaron specific instructions about the
Tent of Meeting and the movement of the Ark of the Covenant. "After
Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all
the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites
are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things
or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in
the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 4:15).
No matter how innocently it was done, touching the ark was in direct
violation of God’s law and was to result in death. This was a means of
preserving the sense of God’s holiness and the fear of drawing near to
Him without appropriate preparation.
Notice how David took men with him to collect the ark, rather than
allowing Abinadab and his sons to bring it to him. That was a great
mistake, since it ought never to have been put upon a cart, old or new.
It was to be borne upon men's shoulders, and carried by Levites only,
and those of the family of Kohath (Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 7:9),
using the poles prescribed. Failing to follow God’s precise
instructions would be seen as (a) not revering God’s words when He spoke
them through those such as Moses, whom He had appointed; (b) having an
independent attitude that might border on rebellion, i.e., seeing and
acting on things from a worldly, rather than a spiritual, perspective;
or (c) disobedience.
Second, the ark had stayed for a period of time at Abinadab’s house (2 Samuel 6:3),
where his sons, Uzzah and Ahio, may well have become accustomed to its
presence. There’s an old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt,” that
could apply in this case. Uzzah, having been around the ark in his own
home, could very likely forget the holiness that it represented. There
are times when we, too, fail to recognize the holiness of God, becoming
too familiar with Him with an irreverent attitude.
Third, the account tells us the oxen stumbled. The cart didn’t fall and
neither did the Ark, just as the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples
rocked fiercely in the storm, though it wasn’t necessarily in danger of
sinking (Matthew 8:24-27).
And yet, just as with the disciples who failed to put their faith in
their Master, Uzzah, for a moment, felt it was his responsibility to
save the integrity of God, and that our almighty God somehow needed
Uzzah’s assistance. He presumed that, without his intervention, God’s
presence would be dealt a blow. As Job asks, “Can you fathom the
mysteries of God?” (Job 11:7). “His greatness no-one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3). “His understanding no-one can fathom” (Isaiah 40:28).
Moses lost his right to enter the promised land because he felt his
intervention was needed when he struck the rock, instead of speaking to
it as God had commanded (Numbers 20:7-12).
We need to listen carefully to what God has to say to us, and in
obedience strive to do all He commands. Yes, God is loving and merciful,
but He is also holy and He defends His holiness with His power, and
affronts to His holiness sometimes bring about His holy wrath. “It is a
dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
Something of God’s presence in the Ark of the Covenant seems to be lost
in the church today. In the time of Moses, the people knew the
awesomeness of God’s absolute holiness. They had witnessed great
miracles when the ark was with them. They respected that God’s ways and
thoughts are much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
In truth, the more we try to bring God down to our worldly way of
thinking or reasoning, the further away He will seem to us. Those who
would draw near to God and have Him draw near to them are those who
approach Him in reverence and holy fear. Uzzah forgot that lesson, and
the consequences were tragic.
Answer:
Some presume that David took five smooth stones instead of just one
because he had some doubt. However, there is no indication in the story
of David and Goliath that by picking up five stones instead of one that
David was doubting God. Rather, David was simply being prepared. What if
the Philistines attacked him after he killed Goliath? How would he have
defended himself? David was simply being prepared when he took the four
additional stones. Also, he couldn’t have known that one stone would be
enough to kill the giant. God had not promised that David would kill
Goliath with the first stone.
David had experience in defending the sheep he guarded with his sling
and stones. It would seem that the animals David had faced were far
braver than the men with Goliath, because they all turned and ran away (1 Samuel 17:51). David told Goliath that he (Goliath) came with spear and sword, but his weapon was God the Father (1 Samuel 17:37). He trusted God with all his heart, believing that God would tell him exactly what to do and how. And so He did.
Others speculate that David chose five stones because Goliath had four
brothers, but this is without biblical basis. There is no reason to
believe that David thought if he killed Goliath that he would have to
fight the giant’s brothers. Further, the Bible does not specifically say
that Goliath had four brothers, although he had at least one (2 Samuel 21:19).
David’s faith was in the Lord, and he knew from experience God’s
faithfulness. David’s faith was born out of his experience of God’s
grace and mercy in his life up to that point. The Lord had delivered him
out of dangerous situations in the past, proving His power and
trustworthiness, and David relied on Him to deliver him from the
Philistine. Whether it took one stone or five, David recognized that the
power was not in his sling, but in the Lord of hosts. As David wrote
later in Psalm 21:13, “Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.”
Answer:
The parallel account of the incident surrounding the census reveals it
was Satan who incited David to take the census: “Satan rose up against
Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1). However, the wording of 2 Samuel 24:1
says that it was God who “moved David” to take the census. This
discrepancy can be explained by the understanding that sometimes God
sovereignly permits Satan to act in order to achieve His purposes. God
uses Satan in various ways, among them the refining, disciplining and
purification of disobedient believers (Luke 22:31-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Such is the case with David. God allowed Satan to tempt him, and David
sinned, revealing his pride and allowing God to deal with him for it.
As to why God was angry at David, in those times, a man only had the
right to count or number what belonged to him. Israel did not belong to
David; Israel belonged to God. In Exodus 30:12
God told Moses, “When you take a census of the Israelites to count
them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is
counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.” It was
up to God to command a census, and if David counted he should only do
it at God's command, receiving a ransom to "atone" for the counting.
This is why God was angry again with Israel and is also why David was
“conscience-stricken” after he counted Israel. David knew it was wrong
and begged God to take away the guilt of his sin (2 Samuel 24:10).
God gave David a choice of three punishments for his sin—three years of
famine, three months of fleeing before his enemies, or three days of
plague. David chose the third, and the Lord then punished Israel with a
plague which killed 70,000 men from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the
south. As for why God punished the whole nation for the sin of the
king, that is exactly the question David asked in v. 17. Why, when he
was the one who had sinned, did the people have to suffer? He even
requested that God’s hand be against him and his family only, and that
God would spare the people. But as with the account of Job, God chose
not to give a reason for His actions. Perhaps it was because of Israel’s
multiplied sins and rebellion against God throughout the centuries.
Perhaps it was a lesson to the people (and to us as well) that the
people suffer when their leaders go astray. The reality is that God
didn’t justify His actions with a reason, nor does He have to.
The psalmist tells us, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).
If God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He
does—and whatever He allows—is also perfect. This may not seem possible
to us, but our minds are not God’s mind. It is true that we can’t expect
to understand His mind perfectly, as He reminds us “For my thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Nevertheless, our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him
and to submit to His will, whether we understand it or not.
As we see in 2 Samuel 24:16
God was grieved because of the things that were happening to His people
and called off the punishment. Even through His rebuke God still shows
His love and mercy.
