Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.

This gospel starts with this long geneology of 3 sets of 14 generations. I always used to get hung up on this because it is well established that a generation is 30 years, so 14 generations are 420 years. But the time between abraham and david is thought to be about 1000 years. The time between david and babylonian exile is roughly 600 years. And the time between the baylonian exile and Jesus was 400 years. The only one of those geneologies that makes any sense is the last one.

So how do we make sense of this? Well the most simple answer is that generations used to be longer. Adam lived to 930  years old, Noah lived to be 950 years old. Abraham lived to 175 years old, Moses 120, and David was only 70. So it is clear to me that humanity’s life span has gotten shorter and shorter, over time. But why? The reason for this is simply sin. Human beings, after the fall have, done horrible things to themselves and each other, and as a result of our decadence and depravity our genetic code has been poluted by drugs and disease, and as a consequence our lifespan has been shortened. But also there is also an aspect of tribalism and clanish interbreading that may well have lead to this as well.

Why does all this matter? Fourteen is a weird number. Some of the church fathers say that we should think of it in this way, that you dont count the generations of Abraham, David, the Babylonian Exile and Jesus because they are the beginning and end of each set, and are repeated in each set. Thus, you are left with 3 periods of 12 twelve generations in between. 3 and 12 are very important numbers jewish people and are thus more symbolic. Other church fathers have said that the number 14, represents the 10 commandments, and the 4 gospel writers. While others say that the 3 sets of 14 (42) represents 7 (the perfect number) times 6 (the number of labor).

What is the correct interpretation? I dont know! I think that a lot of these answers are people trying to make sense of things after the fact. The most important takeaway from this reading is that the lineage of Jesus can be traced all the way from Abraham to david. All of the prophesies of the messiah say that the Messiah will come of the line of David, and that he will be the new king that will lead the people of Isreal out of bondage, and slavery. This is why Matthew starts his gospel this way. He is laying the ground work for why he is even writing this book in the first place, and why we should care about this humble carpenter from Nazareth? Matthew is going to tell us the story of the incarnation and life of the great king of the universe, and we should sit up and take notice.

What do you think about this, does this matter? Because if this does not matter to you then nothing else in the bible will mean anyting to you either. But if Jesus is the one that fullfilled all of the prophecies, if He is the one true God of the universe, then this book and this story is the most important thing that has ever happened in this world, and how you respond to that truth is the most important thing you will ever do in your life.

Oh lord, help me today to see you for who you really are, and what you really mean to this people. So that I can show you the devotion that you rightly deserve.