Prophecies Concerning Messiah’s Earthly Ancestry

Seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

“Blessed be the LORD,
The God of Shem,
And may Canaan be his servant.
May God enlarge Japheth,
And may he dwell in the tents of Shem;
And may Canaan be his servant.” (Genesis 9:26-27)

After the flood, when the earth was dried, God told Noah and his family to leave the ark. He also instructed him to bring out all the living creatures. Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and made a burnt offering.

Read and Learn More Key Biblical Messianic Prophecies

The sacrifice was pleasing and acceptable to God. He promised that He would not curse the earth again and destroy all living things with a flood.

He blessed Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, the father of Canaan, and Japheth; the fathers of three new nations after the Flood, populating the earth.

The Promised Messiah – Prophecies Fulfilled

Noah planted a vineyard and after becoming drunk on the wine, he lay uncovered in his tent. Ham looked at his father’s nakedness; but Shem and Japheth walked backward with a covering for their father, turning their faces to avoid seeing him.

Afterward, Noah blessed his sons Shem and Japheth. As Ham had already been blessed by God, Noah cursed him indirectly by cursing his son Canaan.

Prophecies Concerning Messiah's Earthly Ancestry

Shem is given precedence over Noah’s other sons and it was God’s choice that Messiah would come from the line of Shem, the Semitic race.

“I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And will curse him who curses you;
And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

God commanded Abram, a descendant of Shem, to leave his country, his family, and his tribe, for a land that He would show him. God blessed Abram and promised that he would become the father of a great nation.

Abram obeyed God and eventually became the father of the Jewish nation. God changed Abrams’s name to Abraham, meaning father of many nations. He is also the father of Ishmael and the Arab peoples, as well as people groups, descended from children borne to him by Keturah.

It was God’s foreordained plan that Messiah’s nationality would be Jewish and that He would be a blessing to all the nations on earth.

But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because ofthe labor because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.” (Genesis 21:12)

Now Abraham had a firstborn son named Ishmael, who had been borne to him by his wife’s Egyptian handmaid Hagar. But there was enmity between Sarah and her son, and Ishmael and Hagar. So Sarah insisted that Abraham send them away.

Of course, Abraham loved Ishmael and was troubled about this. Then God spoke to him directly instructing him to listen to his wife. He would bless Ishmael and make him into a great nation.

The Promised Messiah – Prophecies Fulfilled

But it was His sovereign choice that the messianic line would continue through Isaac, the son of the promise.

“I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out ofIsrael,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult. ” (Numbers 24:17)

Isaacs’s wife Rebekah was pregnant and her babies struggled together in the womb. So Rebekah asked the LORD what was happening. He told her that there

When Abraham and his wife Sarah were old, God promised them a son. Sarah miraculously conceived when she was well past the age of childbearing and Isaac was born.

Of course, Abraham loved Ishmael and was troubled about this. Then God spoke to him directly, instructing him to listen to his wife. He would bless Ishmael and make him into a great nation. But it was His. sovereign choice that the messianic line would continue through Isaac, the son of the promise.

Isaacs’s wife Rebekah was pregnant and her babies struggled together in the womb. So Rebekah asked the LORD what was happening.

He told her that there were two nations in her womb. One person would be stronger than the other and the older would serve the younger.

Esau was the first twin to be born and then Jacob, who grasped his brother’s heel. Esau grew and became a skillful hunter in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.

Esau despised his firstborn rights and sold them to Jacob for a bowl of stew He also married Hittite women who believed in many gods, causing his parents great distress.

When Isaac was dying, Rebekah encouraged Jacob to trick his father into giving him the firstborn blessing. This caused enmity between the brothers.

Fearing for Jacobs’s life, Rebekah sent him to her brother Laban in Haran. Yet it was God’s will that His promises to Abraham and Isaac would be inherited by Jacob, not his firstborn son Esau.

Jacob married Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban. Children were also borne to him by Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah and Leah’s maidservant Zilpah.

Jacobs’s life was very difficult, but God’s blessing was continually upon him. He changed Jacobs’s name to Israel, meaning ‘Prince with God.’

“ The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh (Messiah) comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” (Genesis 49:10, Author’s note)

In his last days, Jacob gathered his twelve sons around him and spoke to them individually. Beginning with his firstborn Reuben, he declared what would happen to them in the future.

Jacob praised Judah greatly, saying that he was like a mighty lion and would rise to leadership over the twelve sons. In blessing Judah, he predicted that a royal line would rise from his descendants and rule until Shiloh (Messiah) came.

Jacob also blessed and praised Joseph, the son who had been betrayed by his brothers. Joseph had developed great strength of character and the Mighty God of Jacob had been his protection.

He described Joseph as being separated to serve God’s holy purposes. God had selected Jacob’s son Judah, whose name means ‘Praise’. It was God’s choice that the Messiah King would come from the tribe of Judah.

Son Of David

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:7)

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, Anda Branch shall grow out of his roots. (Isaiah 11:1)

Led by Joshua, the children of Israel invaded Canaan, conquered the people, and took possession ofthe land. Each tribe of Israel received a portion of the land as their inheritance.

Under the godly leadership of Joshua, the Israelites were faithful to the God of Israel. After Joshua’s death, Israel was led by judges and during this period the Israelites turned from God’s law.

Everyone did what they considered to be right by their standards. For nearly four centuries there were repeated cycles of rebellion against God, leading to defeat by their enemies and then a return to God.

Samuel was the last judge and the first prophet. During his godly leadership, there was a transition from judges to kings. The Israelites no longer wanted God to reign over them; they wanted to be like the other nations and have a king to rule over them.

Saul was anointed by Samuel to be the first king of Israel. But, although His outward appearance was impressive, he was not fully obedient to God’s commandments. Eventually, God regretted that He had made Saul king.

God told Samuel to take anointing oil and go to Jesse the Bethlehemite; because He had chosen a king from one of his sons. From the many tribes of Judah, God chose David, the youngest son of Jesse; to be the anointed king of Israel and an ancestor of Messiah, the Eternal King.

Saul had lost God’s blessing and was jealous of David’s anointing. There was enmity between them throughout the remainder of Saul’s reign. The king continually persecuted David, until he died in battle with the Philistines.

The future king had to live as a fugitive, fighting for his survival. Yet David would not harm Saul, even when he was allowed to do so.

David was a courageous warrior and he gathered many followers during his years of exile. The LORD sees what is inside the heart of man and He knew that David loved Him wholeheartedly.

After Saul’s death, David was anointed by the men of Judah as their king. He reigned over them in Hebron for seven and a half years. Then he was anointed as king over all the tribes of Israel. From Jerusalem, David reigned over all of Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

Fulfillment And Evidence

Jews kept meticulous records and all public registers were carefully preserved. Two genealogies are recorded in the Bible concerning Jesus’ birth.

Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and traces His legal inheritance line through David’s son Solomon.

Luke’s Gospel records Jesus’ genealogy from Joseph, all the way back to Adam, and His royal bloodline through Nathan, another son of David.

It could be that Matthew traced Joseph’s line and Luke traced Mary’s line. Joseph and Mary were most probably of the same tribe and family, according to Jewish Law (Numbers 36:8).