Matthew 2:1 How did the Magi know

I have always wondered about this story.

How did the magi know?

Where is it written that a star will mark the birth place of the savior?

Were there any other signs to them besides a star -- it seems to me that if I noticed a new bright star in the sky I would think about the sky, not about the birth of a king.

Here's one website that I found: Christmas Star

Welcome GVSU!

Welcome to the clan out in GVSU land. I enjoyed your post.

Kelsey, if you want to email me the email addresses for your friends, I send them invitations to join by email.

In terms of catching up on the old testament, Matthew will be a good chance to do that. If you will note earlier posts, the book of Matthew was written for a jewish audience. It points back to OT scriptures to show how Jesus fulfills them. I would recommend reading with a cross-reference bible so that you can easily find the OT chapters and verses that are referenced.

In terms of Naab posting... snaab is Sara and Naab family is most frequently mom. I told everyone that they needed to make their own accounts, but they just all keep signing in as Naab Family. I invited Adam by email. If you could help him set up account, that'd be great.

The Women of Matthew 1: brought to you by the GV Bible Study (aka Kelsey's futon)

So, I realize that most of you probably know all of these stories, so feel free to skim this entry...BUT we had fun going back in the OT and reading about these women and their significance. So without further adieu...

A more in-depth look at who Tamar is (taken from Genesis 38):
Judah had three sons. Tamar was given to the first, but he was evil in the Lord's eyes so he was killed by the Lord. Judah told his second son to lie with her in order to produce offspring for the first son, but the second son didn't want to produce offspring that wouldn't be his -- so he laid with her but purposely did not reproduce. This was also evil in the Lord's eyes and the second son was killed. Judah promised the Tamar to the third son once he grew up, but he did not fulfill that promise. THIS is why she dressed as a prostitue in order to trick Judah into sleeping with her -- because she was promised children and Judah did not follow through. When Tamar told Judah that she was pregnant with his children he said "she is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah."

who is Rahab? (taken from Joshua 2):
Rahab was a prostitute from Jericho who hid two of Joshua's spies from the King of Jericho. The spies promised her that if she hangs a red cord in her window when the Israelites invade Jericho, everyone in the household would be saved.

who is Ruth? (taken from Ruth):
Ruth is the daughter-in-law of Naomi who faithfully stayed be her side while Naomi made the journey back to Bethlehem after losing her husband and two sons. In order to survive, Ruth would go into the fields after the threshers in order to find the stray grains left behind. One night Naomi tells Ruth to lay at the feet of Boaz in order to get his attention. Short story: Boaz ends marrying Ruth.
Adam:"Mom, you always said you really like Ruth, is there another story here or do you like her just because she's so faithful to Naomi?"
Erica: "I just love Ruth's quote to Naomi 'your life is my life, your god is my god, i will go where you go'. It's just so passionate."

who is Bathsheba? (taken from 2 Samuel):
Bathsheba committed adultry with King David when he sent for her (listen to Hallelujah song by Rufus Wainwright) and David gets her husband killed by sending him to the frontlines. Bathsheba mourns for her husband and when the time of mourning is passed, David takes her as his wife. The child was killed by God because of their sin. Later, David and Bathsheba have Solomon.
Erica and Christine: "I feel so bad for Bathsheba...I mean, it's not like you can just refuse the King! Then the guy has her husband killed and to top it off God kills her son! Anyone else have thoughts?"

Interesting note from the NIV Study Bible (footnote from Matthew 1): in Matthew's genealogy five women are named...at least three of these women were gentiles (Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth). Bathsheba was probably an Israelite closely associated with the Hittites because of Uriah, her Hittite husband. By including these women (contrary to custom) in his genealogy, Matthew may be indicating at the very outset of his gospel that God's activity is not limited to men or to the people of Israel.
Kelsey: "I think this is an important note because a lot of women who are resistant to Christianity are so because they feel that the Bible, and much of its teachings, are sexist."


Commentary on Matthew 1 as a whole:

Erica "I think it's good to have the genealogy included in the beginning of the book. It makes it more real, it shows us that there were real people -- not just a fairy tale."

Adam "I agree with Erica, seeing the genealogy reminds us that it's a historical text to, it helps having faith in it easier."

Kelsey "Being somewhat of a newcomer to the Bible, a lot of the names don't really mean much to me...I think I'm going to have to give myself an assignment of catching up on Old Testament readings so that I'm on the same page. Any suggestions of important books/chapters in the OT that I should catch up on?"

Christine "It's cool to go back and find out who the people Matthew is talking about are...A lot of times in the Bible you'll see all of these names and not have a clue who they're talking about. I had fun going back and realizing that I actually knew some of the stories and learning the other ones."

We're all looking forward to Matthew 2 for next week!

ps my friend erica just made her own blogger username so that she can join our blog...sarah, if you could add her it would be great! i'm not sure what information you need to invite her...but her name is erica swanson and her blogger url is swansosthoughts.blogspot.com. My friend Christine would also like to join, her blogger url is stinakatesthoughts.blogspot.com. If you need any other info in order to get them signed up, let me know.
also, are there multiple people posting from "naabfamily" and "snaab"? if so, can you all please try to remember to tell us who you are at the end of your post...i find myself wondering "now which naab does that sound like?" hehe, thanks guys!

Welcome Lynnette

I'm so excited to have you here. Thanks for your introduction to Matthew. It is important to know the writer when we want to know the work.

I did some online research which concurs with your commentary stating that the book was written for a Jewish audience. Beyone the abudance of scriptural refences, the book of Matthew uses language that jews would accept and understand - "kingdom of heaven" vs "kingdom of God."

This I think is an important thing to consider as we read through the book. One of our lenses can thus be -- why would a 1st century jew want to know this? I think it would be admisable to wonder into old testament scripts to gather meaning of Matthew. I look forward to it.

On another note, responding to the time crunch... I know it's hard. It's one reason that I wanted to do this study. There's no fixed time to meet or to make sure you do it. But its something that can be slid in between paying bills and checking email. I hope that everyone finds just a few minutes. I'm already being blessed by the commentary that you are all posting. It reopens the texts yet again in a new way. Which as we toil on in our faith, finding moments to make it new, to deepen or strengthen that rock is a great blessing.

I just downloaded a pdf with the greek commentary if any one would like it: Greek commentary of Matthew

Geneology of Jesus

I agree that numbers are important to God.  Three sets of 14 generations.  How many years is that per generation

 

Do these numbers make sense?  Let's take a closer look:

 

 

History records the exile of Babylon to be 538 BC. 

This would mean the average generation was 538 years divided by 14 generations or 38 years. 

http://www.cresourcei.org/othbabylon.html

 

The reign of King David accepted by scholars is 999 BC.

999 - 538 = 461 years divided by 14 = 32.9 years per generation. 

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1993/6/JERUSALEM%203000-%20When%20did%20King%20David%20conquer%20Jerusa

 

As for Abraham, dates get much more sketchy as one might imagine, however by some scholars Abraham entered Palestine at 1720 BC.  This would be 721 years before David or 51 years per generation.  Given that Abraham conceived Isaac when he was 100 and it wasn't too many generations prior that people were living to be 900 and having kids at 350, I guess an average age of a man having a son at age 51 isn't that hard to imagine.  How old was Jack Lemmon when he conceived his daughter?  76?!

http://www.theology.edu/abraham.htm

 

Lest someone try to deceive us to think that these numbers don't work, they do!

 

Math lesson over.

May your faith grow today.

 

Chris Naab

 

P.S.  Three cheers for google!  To do this exercise all I did was type " date babylon", "date king david" and "date Abraham", click on one topic and scan 10 seconds for a date.  I know it's down and dirty, but didn't it make me look smart!

Matthew 1:18 - What a damper on the wedding plans

I have been thinking about these verses for the past couple days, wondering what I would say new about them. Ya, we know it was hard for Mary to bear the shame of being pregnant. We know that Joseph had to be a strong man of God to accept the annointment that God placed on their life.

I spent time researching the name Jesus and if the name was unique to the savior or had been used before. It comes from greek Ieusus which is translated from Aramaic and Hebrew names of Joshua -- meaning God saves. It seems that throughout the Bible names are very symbolic. I couldn't find much out about naming customs, but it seems that God always indicated a prophet or important person when they were given a name. If anyone has more on naming, that would be of interest.

What has ended up sticking with me is -- what a damper on the wedding plans. Imagine, Mary and Joseph. Good young kids all excited about getting married. They've been good and done everything right so that they follow all the customs that their marraige be blessed. Now, out of no where they have this curve ball that throws their whole world out of whack. Not only does everyone look at them like they've done something wrong. But they aren't even allowed to sleep together till after Mary has the baby. All the human joy that accompanied their wedding was taken from them to do God's work. And no one understood. No one could give them practical advice or help them make the "right" decision. No one knew what God was doing.

Some times God pushes us out on a ledge where no one will understand or be able to help us choose what do to. We have to just go with what we know is the right thing regardless of what everyone else says. But the joy that comes is not understandable. It is not human joy or natural joy. It is supernatural joy that springs from being deeply connected with God and his work and his mystery. So the wedding was a bummer, but I'm sure that the home was filled with light.

Who was Tamar and why was she mentioned?

www.cresourcei.org/biblestudy/bbmatt2html

 

In reference to Tamar.  She was a gentile, who posed as a prostitute to trap her father-in-law, Judah into fathering her children for her.

 

All these women mentioned here, had shall we say "colorful" lives. 

 

Judah and David also showed themselves in true human form. 

 

Jesus did not set himself apart from the "human condition"

 

He did not come to save our flesh but our souls.

 

Basically we come from a long line of sinners surprise surprise!!

Welcome to the New Testament Journey

Few things to use as a guide line.


1. We honor God with our hunger to know his word.

2. Most importantly, We invite the Holy Spirit as our moderator. Guide us. Teach us. Reveal your word to us.

3. We are all teachers and we are all students in this study.

Matthew 1:1 - Geneology of Jesus

I find the geneologies in the bible to be interesting because even in a brief list, certain important things seem to show up. You'll notice certain person's mothers were include -- we see Rahab and Ruth among the list of mothers. There is one that I don't know -- Tamar. Does anyone know who she is?

You also find all of Jesus's names here - Lion of Judah, seed of Jesse, Son of David. Are there names that I am forgetting?

We also see that Matthew didn't forget to mention that Solomon was born from the wife of Uriah. God's grace that through David's biggest sin and weakness came his wise son and his decendant, the messiah. For those who love him, God is able to transform their weakness for His purpose. David loved God. God took his weakness and used it. Matthew reminds us of this. It's not how great David was that Jesus took his name. But it was God's grace and his relationship with David.

Next we notice the mathmatical precision of the geneology. 14, 14 and 14. God likes numbers, 3, 7 as examples. Three is the most structurally solid. Seven has deep meaning to jews as being:

"The seventh is then the middle point, a thing of zero dimensions, and untouchable. Present but intangible. It therefore represents the holiness which is inherent in the universe. Thus, the physical world was created in six days, and imbued with sanctity on the seventh, the Shabbos." More

Is 14 significant because it is a multiple of 7? Why is it important to know that there were exactly 14 generations? What does that say -- is it foretold?

Darkness is good

Darkness is night. Darkness is time for quiet. Darkness is time for silence.
So darkness is good when you are not afraid of the dark. So don't be afraid of the dark. The darkness is a time to silent. Make darkness a time with the Lord and you won't be afraid of the dark.

Listening to God

Hearing God is very difficult. One the one hand there are times in life when it is evident that we are not listening to God. Other times, there are times when people claim that this is God's will when it seems very obvious that its just life. I know that many things in my life have been orchestrated because God is leading me on a path. I also know that no matter what happens in life, God is there behind it speaking through the situation, people, nature, and our convictions. But it can be hard to distinguish when something is God speaking and when it is just part of life. When someone gives us a word of God and when someone is just talking. When circomstances teach us biblical lessons and when things are coincidental.

I do agree that the more we focus on God and living for him and serving him and worshiping him through our life do we more frequently encounter him and the Holy Spirit.

I think particularly we place too much emphasis on "hearing God's direction" when we have to make a decision. I don't think that God is too particular if we take X job vs Y or if we live in X town vs. Y. What I think concerns him much more is what we do with our lives at X job or Y town. We can live for God or ourselves regardless of what all the external indicators say. You could fully serve in the ministry and spend every day working at church and live for yourself you could also have a business where you are making lots of money and live completely for God in the way that you use that money.

People look towards me and say, wow, you are all the way in Africa, you must be serving God well. I always feel uncomfortable with this kind of attention. Living here or there doesn't make you more or less a servant. The way you live here or there brings out the God light in you. I think that this is where we can encounter and hear God.

It's just that his ways are so different that I cannot reach to grasp what his voice is and what it says. I can only recognize that I don't always recognize it or that I think somethings are God speaking when it is just life. I don't know if I'll ever really recognize him or if I have to wait till I get to the other side to finally get it. Life will tell. God is good.

God around

Living in Cotonou, I have little connection with nature. Around me is city -- busyness, crowding, dirt and smoke. But God is present and there are moments when my soul is calmed. I often ride home from work around 7pm as the sun is setting. People here have come to call the sun my friend because I always talk about its beauty as it sets. At that point, that half hour, I'm almost always free of thought, of worry or irritation. Everything is set aside and I gaze at the beauty of the sun setting knowing that there is so much that is so much bigger than me. I had recognized it as spiritual but upon reading this morning's devotion, I see that it is a time that God has given me to be with him in a way that is not mental or emotional but just is. I realize that this is why I crave time in nature as well. I do see the intricate work of God as the world and all its micro-chasms are alive with life. Life, a force that we do not understand, yet God has created it and it is good.

Weary in service

This reading can only remind me of Haiti. My every ounce was spent in that service and I came home after 3 years to find my spiritual reserves completely spent. I had to take 2004 and rest and search and renew to find force to move on. But God gives it to us. I remember clearly driving to Florida and I hadn't slept. I had been through flat tires and terrible storms and every other thing trying to get this truck to Haiti. I stopped about 3 hours from Miami to get gas. I got out and pumped the gas. When I opened the door to get back I, I sunk in my shoes. God, I can't. I can't go any further. My strength has finished and I am too tired. Go, I am with you, I heard the reassurance in my heart. I was renewed and drove another 3 hours in the heat with no radio with joy in my heart. God does renew us. He does give us strength when we rely on him. When we come to him. I JUST CANT DO THIS ANYMORE ON MY OWN. I CANT DEAL! If it is in his service, he will give you the strength you need to make it.

Sanctification

"Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controled him will control us."

This is not just, what would Jesus do? This is what would Jesus think. Far beyond any dream of our comprehension lies what Jesus thinks, sanctification. But, this is grace, the Holy Spirit intervenes to sanctify us. He is a pair of glasses that we put over our frail eyes to see the world as God sees it, not as a human but beyond. In this way, the Holy Spirit allows us to be a part of things we do not understand. He allows us to see things and experience life in a way that our minds are unable to fully grasp. This stepping with the Spirit is sanctification.

It seems that there are moments of it in our lives and that our road of faith is to seek the Holy Spirit, to seek sanctification. If we eagerly seek it, Jesus promised that the doors to all the mysteries of God will be open. Regardless of if we understand them or not.

Today my prayer is thus to see life as Jesus does, not through my own understanding which is littered with fears and prejudice and limitations, but through his which is eternal and spiritual. How though can we hope to hold on to an understanding which is beyond our capacity? How can we remain in the spiritual as we live in the physical? How can we remain sanctified when we are flawed and human?

Welcome

Welcome to the Upmost for HIS highest Bible study blog. I hope that we can grow and learn together regardless of where we are physically, emotionally or in our schedules. My mom suggested that we try this and as I pondered it, I thought that blogging is a perfect medium for a bible study. You can go to it when you want to. You can comment on someone's thought or you can post your own reflection. I think it may be a blessing to us all.