Rabbi Kravitz continues his argument saying:
There are even further problems with any attempts to use the Jewish Scriptures to prove Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, the husband of Mary (Jesus’ mother). For the New Testament claims that Joseph was a descendent of King Jeconiah, who in the Hebrew Bible was cursed to never have a descendent “sitting on the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah” (Jeremiah 22:30). Joseph’s genealogy, even if it were transmittable to Jesus, would only serve to further disqualify Jesus as the Messiah.
The Jewish Response to Missionaries, 31.
The genealogy given in Matthew’s gospel is through Jesus’ legal adopted father Joseph. Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father as the scripture is quite clear in saying that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God the Father (John 1:14, 3:16, 1John 4:9), conceived of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:30-35, Galatians 4:4). As stated in the previous post, a child could derive tribal affiliation from the mother. Jesus was not affected by the curse placed on Jeconiah. And the Hebrew Scriptures seem to show that this curse was lifted from Jeconiah. Observe:
As I live–declares the LORD–if you, O King Coniah, son of Jehoiakim, of Judah, were the signet (חוֹתָם) upon my right hand, I would tear you off even from there (Jer. 22:24, NJPSV)
On that day–declares the LORD of Hosts–I will take you, O my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel–declares the LORD–and make you as a signet (כַּחוֹתָם); for I have chosen you–declares the LORD of Hosts.’ (Hag. 2:23 NJPSV)
Here we see Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jeconiah assuming the same role that Jeconiah was said to have. He was made as a signet (חוֹתָם) after Jeconiah was torn from being such. It is interesting to see that Rabbi Kravitz interprets Jeremiah 22:30 to mean that a descendant of Jeconiah will never sit on the throne of David. Rabbinic tradition asserts that Jeconiah was forgiven.
“R. Johanan said: Exile atones for everything, for it is written, Thus saith the Lord, write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah. Whereas after he [the king] was exiled, it is written, And the sons of Jechoniah, — the same is Assir — Shealtiel his son etc.33 [He was called] Assir, because his mother conceived him in prison. Shealtiel, because God did not plant him in the way that others are planted. We know by tradition that a woman cannot conceive in a standing position yet she did conceive standing. Another interpretation: Shealtiel, because God obtained [of the Heavenly court] absolution from His oath. Zerubbabel [was so called] because he was sown in Babylon. But [his real name was] Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.” (b. San. 37b-38a)
Footnote: 33 I Ch. III, 17. Notwithstanding the curse that he should be childless and not prosper, after being exiled he was forgiven… [Online Here]
“The path of repentance is for the penitent to cry out constantly before God with tears and beseeching. He gives charity according to his ability, distancing himself from what he did, and he changes his name as if to say that he is not the same person who committed these transgressions, transforming his deeds into righteous deeds. HE EXILES HIMSELF FROM HIS PLACE, because exile serves as a forgiveness for sin in that it causes a person to become more subdued, humble and subservient.”
Moses Maimonides. Laws of Repentance 2.4
“Jehoiachin’s sad experiences changed his nature entirely, and as he repented of the sins which he had committed as king he was pardoned by God, who revoked the decree to the effect that none of his descendants should ever become king (Jer. xxii. 30; Pesi., ed. Buber, xxv. 163a, b); he even became the ancestor of the Messiah (Tan., Toledot, 20 [ed. Buber, i. 140]). It was especially his firmness in fulfilling the Law that restored him to God’s favor. He was kept by Nebuchadnezzar in solitary confinement, and as he was therefore separated from his wife, the Sanhedrin, which had been expelled with him to Babylon, feared that at the death of this queen the house of David would become extinct.”
Louis Ginzberg. “Jehoiachin” in The JewishEncyclopedia, (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1901-1906), 7.84. [Online Here]
See also: BeMidbar Rabbah XX:20; Shir Hashirim Rabbah VIII:6; Pesikta deRav Kahana piska 24; Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah; as well as Rabbi David Kimchi’s commentary on Jeremiah 22:30.
So we can see that the objection to Jesus’ Messianic status fails on an appeal to the curse placed on Jeconiah — it is quite possible, in fact very probable that the curse in question had an immediate rather than an everlasting consequence.
B”H
Posted in Apologetics, Christology, Old Testament
