Bible Basics

Dr Nancy Dawson Pt 3: Genealogies of Jesus

• Jacqueline Williams Adewole • Season 2 • Episode 31

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Unlock the secrets of biblical genealogies with Dr. Nancy Dawson, the brilliant author behind "All the Genealogies in the Bible." Dr. Dawson brings her expertise to our discussion on the genealogies of Jesus as detailed in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Ever wondered why Jesus' lineage is traced through Joseph instead of Mary? Dr. Dawson breaks it down, dispelling common misconceptions and shedding light on the importance of legal heirs and patrilineal descent. Using powerful examples like Ruth and Boaz, and Tamar and Judah, she explains how these ancestral lines fulfill Messianic prophecies and enrich our understanding of biblical history.

But our conversation doesn't stop there. We delve into the broader significance of biblical genealogies, exploring how seemingly minor details can offer profound insights into Scripture. Take Zechariah’s lineage from the division of Abijah, for instance; Dr. Dawson explains why such specifics matter. We also offer practical advice for newcomers to genealogical research, helping you start your journey without feeling overwhelmed. And don't miss out on learning more about Dr. Dawson's comprehensive 600-page reference book, a treasure trove for anyone keen on deepening their understanding of biblical ancestry. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to enrich their Bible study experience.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
 All the Genealogies in the Bible
Author: Nancy Dawson, PhD (​For questions, speaking engagements, or podcast requests, she can be reached at nsdawson@me.com.)
Publisher: Zondervan Academic

RELATED EPISODES
Dr. Nancy Dawson Pt 2: Bible Genealogies and the Family of God
Dr. Nancy Dawson Pt 1:  Bible Genealogies and Their Significance


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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.

Jacqui:

Welcome listeners to the conclusion of our conversation with Dr Nancy Dawson. If you've listened to the first two parts, you know how fascinating she is as an author and researcher in theology and biblical studies. If you haven't, be sure to click on the link in the show notes to catch up. You won't want to miss it. Dr Dawson is the author of the groundbreaking book All the Genealogies in the Bible.

Jacqui:

In this episode, Dr Dawson will delve into the significance of the genealogy of Jesus as presented in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Additionally, we'll discuss how her new book can add tremendous value to your Bible study, offering a comprehensive reference with over 250 meticulously crafted genealogical charts and insightful commentary. She will also provide helpful tips for those new to reading and studying the Bible. Get ready for an enlightening discussion that promises to deepen your understanding of biblical genealogies and their importance. Oh, I almost forgot. Listen to the end for a free giveaway you won't want to miss. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where, weekly, we break down the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. I want to ask you about something that I'm sure you could probably take up a whole seminary course talking about this, but if you could just give us some information about the differences between the Matthew and the Luke genealogies of Jesus.

Dr. Dawson:

Yes, yes. So, as I mentioned before, everything leading up to New Testament is kind of parsed out in the Messianic prophecies, the line of the Messiah that's being traced. And so Matthew opens his book with this masterful set of like 17 verses in Matthew 1. This is the genealogy of Jesus. Who was he's tracing, kind of the. They're saying Jesus who is called the Messiah. So people in this time period are looking for the Messiah and he's saying he has arrived. And because I had traced all of those genealogies in Old Testament, I knew they were.

Dr. Dawson:

We're talking about the patrilineal descent of Jesus through his father, his earthly father, Joseph, not through Mary, because some people have said, well, Matthew is tracing it through Joseph's line and Luke is tracing it through Mary's line. I can tell you that that is not true. That is not true. But both Matthew and Luke are tracing patrilineal descent and they're telling you the biological ancestry of jesus and also the legal ancestry. So this is where it gets tricky. Okay, obviously, biological descent means the children are just coming about by biological succession. This is the father and this is their biological son.

Dr. Dawson:

But what you see in these genealogies, in both Matthew and Luke, is that there are legal heirs and this is produced by primarily two ways. One is by levirate marriage. This was so important to like the Jewish culture, the mindset, their history, everything. It was so important to pass on your name. And the passing on the name meant that you would be remembered, and so if you did not have any sons, then you wanted to either adopt or have like there would be levirate marriages, and so the levirate marriage case is provided for. I think it's in Leviticus, it's either in Deuteronomy or Leviticus. This means let's say the person dies without a son, he can adopt a son. Or let's say, the man dies, adopt a son. Or let's say the man dies, then his wife can marry someone else that is related in that clan, in that larger family, and that person raises up a biological child, but it's considered a biological child. But it's considered it's the biological child of the, the levir, the man that's acting as the kinsman redeemer, but it's the legal heir of that man that died. That's how you get a legal heir. And so that's what's happening in both Matthew. In Matthew for sure, for instance I'll give you a, for instance R uth was married first. She's one of the five women that are found in Matthew's genealogy. She is married to a man named Mahlon, but when that family goes to the country of Moab, Mahlon dies. So here she is a widow, she's with her mother-in-law, naomi, and she has. Basically she's a widow, also a limelight wife, naomi. But through this Levirate marriage it happens that Ruth marries Boaz and he acts as the kinsman redeemer. They have a son through biological processes. They have a son through biological processes. They have a son, I think his name is Obed, but that boy, Obed, is considered the legal son of Ruth's first husband, Mahlon the legal. He was the legal heir. So this is if you adopt, you know, sometimes let's say you have sons but they're killed, or you have sons but they're eunuchs, like what happens.

Dr. Dawson:

That's a case that happens often in like the time during the destruction of Jerusalem in 586, lots of widows, or somebody like Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah. She's given Judah's first son, Er. He's a very wicked guy, uh. So judah gives her his second son. His name is Onan. He is quote spills the seed, so he wants to have sex with her, but he doesn't want to continue the line with her. So here she is, a twice widowed woman, and Judah does not want to give the third son to her. She is in a very, very bad situation. So it's interesting, she takes on miraculously, you know, she humbles herself. She humbles herself, serves as a prostitute or acts as a prostitute. Judah has sex with her and that child of that union, she actually has twins, Perez and Zerah. So she acts as the levir. It's so remarkable, so remarkable.

Dr. Dawson:

And so, biological succession and legal succession matthew is doing ascending order. He's saying jesus is called the Messiah. He gives you 40 ancestors of Jesus. He arranges them, Matthew, I don't know whether you've seen the chosen series, but he's this nerdy person, okay, definitely this guy. He's definitely of that scribal nature, very organized, very mental. And so he arranges his genealogy into these 14, 14, 14 generations. So it goes from Abraham to King David, king David to the last king of the monarchy called Jehoiachin, and then from Jehoiachin through the exile and you know all that intertestament area, to the time of Jesus's birth, which is in like two or three BC. And so Matthew is tracing the kingly line, because he's tracing the kingly line of David and Bathsheba's first living son Remember the first son?

Dr. Dawson:

dies the child, but Solomon is the son. They have four children together, but Matthew is tracing the line of David and Bathsheba's son, Solomon, and that's all the line of the kings. And then Matthew also gives you these five women that are so important Tamar, the Canaanite, Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho. Ruth, the Moabite, and, Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho Ruth, the Moabite, Bathsheba, and then, of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and you can see when Mary is pregnant as a virgin, through the uh, holy spirit, there is a lot of wow. This is not a good thing, you know. There's this aura of, of allegations of impropriety. She suffers in her little community of Nazareth. For sure, this was a big deal. But in each of the cases of the other four women, they are, in Matthew's own words, justified. They are declared righteous. That this conception is there is. No, there's perfection in this that these were righteous women and it's lovely.

Dr. Dawson:

Now, Luke, he doesn't get started until Luke 3. And so this is when Jesus is starting his public ministry, and so he's saying he is eligible, he is, he's reached the age of 30. And he's using written records because he's giving you 77 names. This, for sure, is not from someone's memory. Luke is not just going. Oh well, I remember all this. In fact, it's thought that there is a group of people called the Desposyni and they were relatives of Jesus's family and they were living in Nazareth or in that general location and they kept private records. Now I think Luke gets a hold of these either. They're written records, written genealogies that were found in the temple, although it says Herod, since he was so intimidated by Jesus's birth, he burns a lot of these records, nice guy that he is. And so Luke is coming up with these reliable written records in some way, because he's giving you 77 names, beginning with Jesus. Giving you 77 names beginning with Jesus and then, in descending order, going back to Adam, and then back to Adam as the Son of God.

Dr. Dawson:

So interestingly, in that period of time between David and King David and the time of the exile, he is tracing what I call the non-kingly line and it's passing through David and Bathsheba's other son, Nathan. This is not Nathan the prophet, but another son of David and Bathsheba. How great is this, how great is the whole story about Bathsheba and David and all of the wow improprieties that are involved there. I do not call her a prostitute. I do not call her an adulteress in any way. She's taken by David in any way. She's taken by David. Um and um. So, but in god's sovereignty and in his grace.

Dr. Dawson:

You know, here we see, luke is tracing the ancestry of Jesus through this second son of David and called Nathan, and uh, so um, this is telling you that Jesus was both. He starts out saying so. It was thought he was the son of Joseph. You see that little hint at the beginning of Luke 3. So it was thought he was the son of Joseph, but in fact he's the Son of Man and the Son of God, and he's the last Adam. It the son of God and he's the last Adam. It's so revelatory, so great.

Jacqui:

Nancy, you've talked about it a little bit in probably every one of your answers or one of your comments, but how does understanding genealogies really enhance anybody's Bible reading and Bible interpreting?

Dr. Dawson:

Well, I think that when you're setting out to read, you want to just read carefully, read critically. You should give God the best hours of your day. For me, I read especially in the morning. If I want to do something difficult, I do it in the morning. So I have friends. They do it more late at night, that's when everything's quiet. So I feel like, feel like you know you need to read carefully in whatever way you learn.

Dr. Dawson:

Sometimes people are like auditory learners, sometimes people I'm definitely more like, I I read and I write. I have to have that connection and so I'm just saying that you can see um, um, all these familial associations. For me, God redeems all your experiences. So let's say, you're not a theologian, you work at a job, you're a healthcare provider or you're an insurance person, or you're a nurse or a teacher or know. You just need to give God the best hours of your day and when you can just focus on a text, be, be deliberate, be intentional, lean into God's word. I, I promise, will inspire you. He will. He will give you the desires of your heart. He will make you a better person. He will. He will conform you to his will. He'll make you more Christ-like and um, and he comes to basically dwell in your heart.

Dr. Dawson:

For me, I could see my spiritual heritage in all of this study, and so is a particular name especially important. I don't know, I mean you can't remember them all but you can definitely get the major focus of what God is trying to teach. So I just say, delve in, have your Bible, have several Bibles, and have good resources around you so that when you have questions you have something just right there at your fingertips that you can use. And I think that's what I hope that the genealogy book will do is like I can look up a name, I can look up genealogies in a particular book of the Bible, so you'll be able to see what the text says, what it means, and you'll be able to apply it. That is biblical hermeneutics, yes.

Jacqui:

Well, one of the big lessons for me in terms of the benefits or the values of being able to see and understand and read the genealogies, is to keep me from skipping over certain things If I'm reading the Bible and I come across a phrase or a word or reference, like I mentioned Zechariah earlier. So in Luke, when we're talking about Zechariah finally finding out that he and his wife are going to have a son, they mentioned that he's from the division of Abijah and the other thing is that he's coming into the temple because it's his turn to do his priestly service and I read that.

Jacqui:

okay, his turn Abijah no connection not connecting that to anything, just pushing that aside and focusing on what I think is the main storyline. But then when I go back and if I look at and pay attention to the related genealogy, I see that Abijah is one of the priestly, one of the lines, I guess one of the divisions, and there's also a discussion when those genealogies are being laid out, that they're going to have responsibilities periodically. They're going to take turns doing things. So now that makes sense. Okay, Zechariah is doing what we learned about in 1 Chronicles. Not only is from this line, so we can see the relationship there, like you talked about how many hundreds of years between 1 Chronicles and Luke, and it's explaining why he was there at that particular time, because it was his vision's turn.

Jacqui:

This is why you can't skip over everything. Every word is what the Bible tells us, that all of the scripture is God-breathed, but that means every word has a relevance, has a significance, and so having a resource like this genealogy book can help you make some of those connections and keep you from just skipping over certain words. They have no real relevance to the main storyline, when in fact they do. All of these words have a meaning, have a relationship to God's storyline of salvation, so I'm really appreciative of this book. So again, you've talked about this a little, but what advice would you give somebody getting a book wanting to dive into genealogies for the first time?

Dr. Dawson:

Yeah, my husband and I had moved to North Carolina and I had the chance to take classes at Duke Divinity School and I was looking for a book that would explain what was going on in some of my classes Old Testament, New Testament, survey classes and I could not find one on genealogy. Now there was a few papers about specific areas, like I don't know, like Genesis 10, the Table of Nations, 70 nations. There would be some papers but I could not find a comprehensive reference. Not find a comprehensive reference and really that, combined with my you know, just mental proclivities and maybe acuity towards being able to organize information, I was able to to, you know, just see all these associations and then just finally be able to work through about a couple of decades of coming up with this genealogy book. So, in my opinion obviously I'm biased, but I think it's the best resource that you can find on biblical genealogies, very clear, and it has the great um. I wrote the commentaries, but also Dr Merrill and Dr Kostenberger helped with those, and so I feel like you're getting the voice of scholarship. And so if you want to know about genealogies, you know the book is 600 pages, so you can.

Dr. Dawson:

You have to take that in little doses, in genealogies, in the bible. You have to take in kind of small doses or else you go well, I give up. You know, I'm just lost in names, and so you have to take them slowly. That's what I would say. I would say use this book. It's I don't know. You know Amazon sells everything, and so you can get the book on Amazon, you can get it through church stores and they have it on sale.

Dr. Dawson:

And I think, just if you want to study genealogies, do it slowly, do it at a pace that works for you. Some people are fast learners, some people are slower learners. Whatever that is for you, it's important to be true to yourself. Do what works for you, and that is different. You know, you might be in a class at church, you might be in a women's Bible study, you might be listening to a sermon, you might go. Well, I just want a fact check something, and so that's how I would use the book. I recommend it because I feel like God called me to write it and that you're hearing from God when you read it. If you will, I was just sort of the you know intermediary.

Jacqui:

So Thank you so much. I'm in complete agreement. Praise God that he used you to do this. Listeners, I hope as a result of this conversation you're as excited as I am, or at least feel more informed, and will not be intimidated by genealogies, but look forward to them or in fact, at least understand what they mean, how you can go about understanding them better using resources such as this book. So in the show notes, of course, I'll have the link or links to ways you can get the book, but I just want to just express my sincere appreciation, Dr Dawson, for you showing up, coming out, having this conversation with us. We greatly appreciate it, thank you.

Dr. Dawson:

Thank you, jackie, I appreciate it.

Jacqui:

As we close out this enlightening three-part series with Dr Nancy Dawson, I hope you all agree with me that this has been well. Dr Dawson has provided us with invaluable insights and a deeper understanding of Bible genealogies. Her unique blend of scientific precision and deep biblical knowledge, and her very sweet personality, has truly brought the Bible to life. Now for an exciting announcement.

Jacqui:

The publisher for Nancy's book All the Genealogies in the Bible is Zondervan, and they were so kind as to send me a copy of the book. And that's not for me, that's for me to bless one of you listeners. So what I would love for you to do is send me a message using the link that's at the top of the show notes, and the first one I see will receive a free copy of Dr Dawson's book. Don't forget to include your email address so I can get back in touch with you, and I'd love to hear from all of you about what you thought about this series. So, even if you aren't responding to get the book, send me a message and just tell me what you thought about the entire conversation. Your feedback is so important and it helps us create content that you find valuable and engaging. Thank you for joining us on this journey through the fascinating world of biblical genealogy. Until next time, happy studying, thank you.