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There's always been a question as to why Jesus was adopted into Solomon's genealogy instead of born into it.
One of the common reasons given is a man named Jeconiah; a.k.a. Jehoiakim and/or Coniah. (Matt 1:11)
He was a very bad king of the Davidic dynasty; so bad that God black-listed his posterity. Here's the text of the curse.
● Jer 22:29-30 . . O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord! Thus said the Lord: Record this man as without succession, one who shall never be found acceptable; for no man of his offspring shall be accepted to sit on the throne of David and to rule again in Judah.
It's a widely held belief that the curse on Jeconiah is far reaching and would've effected Jesus' tenure on David's throne had he been biologically related to that king. At first glance it does appear that way. But the wording "to rule again in Judah" indicates that the curse was relatively brief; not extending beyond the period of the divided kingdom.
Thus, the curse on Coniah's offspring was limited to the time of his family's jurisdiction in Judah. So it was in effect only during the days of the divided kingdom with Judah in the south and Samaria in the north. That condition came to an end when Nebuchadnezzar crushed the whole country and led first Samaria, and then later Judah, off to Babylonian slavery. However, when Messiah reigns, the country of Israel will be unified. His jurisdiction won't be limited to Judah within a divided kingdom, but will dominate all of Eretz Israel. So the curse does not apply to him.
● Ezek 37:21-22 . .You shall declare to them: Thus said the Lord God: I am going to take the Israelite people from among the nations they have gone to, and gather them from every quarter, and bring them to their own land. I will make them a single nation in the land, on the hills of Israel, and one king shall be king of them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.
● Jer 23:5-6 . . See, a time is coming-- declares the Lord-- when I will raise up a true branch of David’s line. He shall reign as king and shall prosper, and he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be delivered and Israel shall dwell secure. And this is the name by which he shall be called: "The Lord is our Vindicator."
Some Bible students, unable to discern between Judah and Samaria in the divided kingdom, feel that there are many lines from Solomon that don't go through Jeconiah and one of those could produce a king just as well and avoid the curse. No, it can't go through another line. The right to sit on David's throne is a Divinely inherited privilege passed down from father to son; and it certainly does not make side trips to uncles nor retrace its steps to follow other siblings.
There's really no need for a detour because if we compare Coniah's tenure to his grandson's Zerubbabel, it is easy to see that the curse was already gone by the time the 70 years of captivity were over. Much of the terminology God used in deposing Jeconiah was repeated to bless and empower Zerubbabel.
Coniah's Curse: "As surely as I live," declares the Lord, "even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. (Jer 22:24)
Zerubbabel's Blessing: "On that day,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the Lord, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the Lord Almighty." (Hag 2:23)
Zerubbabel was the last of Solomon's line listed in the Old Testament. And it was through him that the second Temple was constructed-- all with Divine blessing.
● Zech 4:6-10 . .Then he explained to me as follows: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit--said the Lord of Hosts. Whoever you are, O great mountain in the path of Zerubbabel, turn into level ground! For he shall produce that excellent stone; it shall be greeted with shouts of "Beautiful! Beautiful!"
. . . And the word of the Lord came to me: “Zerubbabel’s hands have founded this House and Zerubbabel’s hands shall complete it. Then you shall know that it was the Lord of Hosts who sent me to you. Does anyone scorn a day of small beginnings? When they see the stone of distinction in the hand of Zerubbabel, they shall rejoice.
David, the progenitor of the Davidic dynasty, wasn't permitted to build a Temple.
● 1Chrn 22:7-8 . . David said to Solomon, “My son, I wanted to build a House for the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and fought great battles; you shall not build a House for My name for you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
So Zerubbabel was, in all practicality, a holier man than his grandfather David; and certainly without question far more holy than Coniah. Only two royals of the house of David have built Temples for God: Solomon and Zerubbabel. It will be most interesting to see who builds the next one.
Since Zerubbabel is the last of Solomon's line in the Old Testament, and also the last ruler in Israel to be blessed in such an unusual manner, he is without question the final Biblical milepost pointing the way to Messiah. Anyone claiming messiahship now, must be shown to be related to Zerubbabel-- any old descendant of Solomon just won't do. Messianic candidates have to be descendants of Zerubbabel.
OBJECTION: Zerubbabel, who led the Babylonian Jewish exiles back to the Holy Land, did not ascend the throne. Rather, Jeconiah's uncle succeeded him (2Kgs 24:17), proving that the line is not forced to continue through Jeconiah.
RESPONSE: Mattaniah's appointment was political. He didn't actually succeed Jeconiah by birth-right, nor by inheritance, nor through Divine channels. Jeconiah's uncle was awarded the post by a foreign potentate: the king of Babylon.
● 2Kgs 24:17 . . The king of Babylon appointed Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, changing his name to Zedekiah.
OBJECTION: There is no need to prove the curse was short term because it wouldn't effect Jesus anyway since Joseph wasn't his biological father.
RESPONSE: Adopted children have all the rights and privileges of children born in the home, including a right to inherit just as if they were biological kin. Therefore, since Jesus was Joseph's legal son by law, then Jesus would have inherited any, and all, curses that may have filtered down from Mr. Jeconiah right along with David's throne; just as if the lad had been a child born in the home.
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