Reading Matthew alongside Genesis is remarkable.  The genealogies of Genesis, and of course throughout the Old Testament, flow right into Matthew but with the answer which we have all been waiting.  While reading Genesis, there is such hope for mankind in these genealogies.   The destructive nature of Cain’s genealogy is quickly renewed with Seth, as Eve exclaims that God has given her another offspring, and from this genealogy man began to call upon the name of the LORD.  Seth leads us to Noah who is righteous and his father, Lamech has great hope that Noah maybe the one to give them rest.  With Noah, God gives all of mankind a covenant, and Noah fathers the genealogies of Japheth, Ham, and Shem.  While there is great hurt in the line of Ham, there is still hope in the line of Shem.  Shem leads us to Abram and the great promises God has in store for all flesh through the offspring of Abraham. 

After reading all of these promises and watching God’s clear control over these genealogies as he gives Eve another son, and then Abraham and Sarah a son in their barren years, the beginning of Matthew resounds with joy and fulfillment at the completion of the genealogies.  Matthew frames the beginning and ending of his genealogy with Jesus, the Messiah.  It is clear that the offspring has come.  He is Emmanuel. 

Matthew chapter two begins with the Magi inquiring, “Where is the King of the Jews?”  Herod immediately consults the scribes who consult the Scripture.  The answer is found in Micah; the Ruler will come from Bethlehem.  The remarkable thing about this is that Herod and the scribes believed and recognized the truth concerning the Messiah in the Scriptures and failed to worship.  They knew to look to the Hebrew Scriptures for the answers about the Son, but knowledge did not result in faith.   The hope in their failure is that we will not do the same and miss what the Scripture says about the Son.