Genealogies
Christian Argument: 1. Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:17 and Eze. 34:23,24 do not state any reason why the Messiah cannot be descended from David on his mother’s side. Please provide the scripture that omits this possibility.
Response: First, we can establish via the texts that these genealogies are of Joseph.
Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli… (Luke 3:23 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:16 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
The tribal affiliation always went through the biological father.
…and they assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees according to their families according to their fathers’ houses; according to the number of names, a head count of every male from twenty years old and upward. (Numbers 1:18 – Chabad.org)
Therefore, the Messiah cannot be descended from David via the mother. This doesn’t mean the mother cannot also be David’s descendant but her tribal affiliation would be through her biological father.
In addition, Jesus did not have a biological father according to Christianity so he therefore had no tribal affiliation and could not be a descendant of David.
Now, let’s move on to your supposed proof texts.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples. (Genesis 49:10 – Chabad.org)
In order to take this verse as a basis for determining Jesus’ eligibility to even serve as king, we need to look at the genealogies in Matthew and Luke.
Problems with the genealogy in the Book of Matthew:
Who was the son of Ahaziah/Uzziah?
According to Matthew the son of Uzziah was Jotham (Matthew 1:9) but in I Chronicles 3:11 the son of Uzziah is Joram.
Where is the missing generation after Josiah (Matthew 1:11 versus I Chronicles 3:15-16?
Matthew ends with Josiah begetting Jeconiah and his brothers. Yet, I Chronicles lists Josiah begetting Johanan and his three brothers – and then goes on to list Jehoiakim and his son and grandson.
Jeconiah is listed as an ancestor of Jesus. If this is true then Jesus is not a valid contender for the throne of David (Matthew 1:11-12 versus Jeremiah 22:30).
Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. (Matthew 1:11-12 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
So said the Lord: Inscribe this man [Coniah – son of Jehoiakim] childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling anymore in Judah. (Jeremiah 22:30)
Why is there a completely different list after Zerubabbel (Matthew 1:13-15 versus I Chronicles 3:19-24)?
Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. (Matthew 1:13-15 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed—five in all. The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shechaniah. The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all. The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam—three in all. The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all. (I Chronicles 3:19-24 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
Problems with the genealogy in the Book of Luke:
Who is this Cainan? Why is there an extra generation between Shem and Abraham (Luke 3:34-36 versus I Chronicles 1:17-27)?
… the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech… (Luke 3:34-36 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram, who is Abraham. (I Chronicles 1:17-27)
Why is the lineage traced through Nathan when the Messiah will be a descendant of Solomon (Luke 3:31 versus I Kings 1:37, I Kings 2:45)?
… the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David… (Luke 3:31 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
As the Lord was with my lord the king, so shall He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David. (I Kings 1:37 – Chabad.Org)
And king Solomon [shall be] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever. (I Kings 2:45 – Chabad.org)
Why are Shealtiel and Zerubbabel listed as descendants of “Neri” instead of Jeconiah (Luke 3:27)?
… the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri (Luke 3:27 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
So said the Lord: Inscribe this man childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling anymore in Judah. (Jeremiah 22:30)
The answer is quite simple. In Jeremiah 22:30 the descendants of Jeconiah are cut off from ever sitting on the throne of David. So, if Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah then he is not eligible to be on the throne of David.
Why is Heli listed as the father of Joseph in contradiction to Matthew’s genealogy (Luke 3:23; Matthew 1:16)?
Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli… (Luke 3:23 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:16 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
No wonder Paul said to ignore genealogies.
But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. (Titus 3:9 – NKJV biblegateway.com)
And a shoot shall spring forth from the stem of Jesse, and a twig shall sprout from his roots. (Isaiah 11:1 – Chabad.Org)
Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will set up of David a righteous shoot, and he shall reign a king and prosper, and he shall perform judgment and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 23:5 – Chabad.Org)
For so said the Lord: There shall not be cut off from David a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel. (Jeremiah 33:17 – Chabad.Org)
So I arose and went out to the plain and behold, there the glory of the Lord was standing, like the glory that I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. And a spirit entered into me and stood me up on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, “Come, confine yourself within your house. (Ezekiel 3:23-24 – Chabad.Org)
I have already shown that Jesus was NOT a descendant of David through Solomon. This automatically puts him out of the running for the Messiah.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBFHJlsyGts