The Son of David

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. – Matthew 1:1, 16

This week during our devotional time together, we will get to know a man given an impossible task, but a man who met this impossible task with both grace and faith. His name is Joseph.When he traced his genealogy, as any good Jew would do, Joseph saw some significant names in his lineage.Like all Jews, Joseph could trace his ancestors back to the great patriarchs of old—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These were the common ancestors of all Jews throughout the world. But following Jacob, Joseph’s lineage took a fantastic turn. He descended from the tribe of Judah, and he saw the names of great heroes of the Jewish faith—men like Boaz. But one name stood out from all the others, and this name made Joseph special among the tribes of Israel. That name was David.Joseph was a direct descendent of King David and of his most famous and powerful son, King Solomon.[social_quote duplicate="yes" align="default"]Joseph came from the royal line of David, and this gave him a great sense of confidence and strength. The blood of David surged through his veins.[/social_quote]Reading the Psalms or Proverbs was not just a ritual for him, but it gave him great insight into his own family and his famous ancestors. His own father, Jacob, had diligently taught him the Scriptures from an early age, and had instilled within him the strength, character, and responsibility that was uniquely his as a direct descendent of King David.Words such as those found in Psalm 18, penned by David, took on special meaning as he contemplated his own existence and heritage as a man:

46  The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,and exalted be the God of my salvation—

47  the God who gave me vengeanceand subdued peoples under me,

48  who delivered me from my enemies;yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;you rescued me from the man of violence.

49  For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,and sing to your name.

50  Great salvation he brings to his king,and shows steadfast love to his anointed,to David and his offspring forever.

“That’s me,” Joseph could think to himself. God will show his steadfast love to me, the offspring of David forever. Sobering words for a young man who was devoted to God.Joseph was content with who God had made him, and was forever thankful for the tremendous heritage that was his. He may live in the backwoods of Israel and eek out a living as a carpenter, but at the end of the day he was Joseph, son of Jacob, son of David.