Oh Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's Word from a Hebrew messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levitam. Shalom, my dear friends. God bless you. We are going to continue with our study of the Gospel of Matthew, and we have arrived to Matthew chapter 1, verses 18 to 25. If you have the Word of God available, please open it to Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 to the end of the chapter. This portion of scripture is very important because here Matthew, by the divine design, by the help of the Spirit of God, help us to read and to understand the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. This portion of scripture is very important because it tells us how God the Son, in the person of the Son, has entered into this world to become what is known the Man Yeshua, the Man Christ Jesus. This is a very important portion of scripture because if there will ever be salvation for sinners such as you and I, God himself had to come into this world and to become the sacrifice as a man for the sin of this world. And why? Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And so we read in verse 18 to 25, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when, as his mother, Miriam, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. But while he fought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, Thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Miriam thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Yeshua, Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not, till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Yeshua, Jesus. This is the end of Matthew chapter 1. To remind us all, beloved friends and dear brothers and sisters, that when we have studied the first 18 verses of Matthew chapter 1, we have learned of the humanity of the Messiah. In accordance with the promises of God to his people Israel, God has promised that he will send into this world the Deliverer, the Messiah, the Redeemer, and that he will be born as the seed of the woman, Genesis 3 and verse 15, that he will be born as the seed of Abraham, Genesis chapter 12 and Genesis chapter 22, that he will be born as the one that will come out of the tribe of Judah, Genesis chapter 49. And then he will be born as the descendants of David, the king of Israel, according to 2 Samuel chapter 7. and that he will come into this world as a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, that is Israel, and also as the son of David. We already read at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 1 and verse 1, The book of the generation of Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, notice that the son of David, the son of Abraham. Very interesting, we have learned that Jesus the Messiah was a descendant of Abraham. He was a Hebrew. Abraham was the first Hebrew. And he was a descendant of David, this is David, and he was the descendant of David, the king of Israel, to whom God promised in 2 Samuel chapter 7 that out of his loyal will come one that will be beloved brothers and sisters, a dear friend, that he will sit upon David's throne. In other words, David will have a kingdom, David will have a throne, and David will be the one that will ultimately, through him and his descendants, there will come one that will rule over the face of this world. We read in 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12 and 13, And when thy days shall be fulfilled, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." In other words, God promised that of the seed of David will rise one to sit on David's throne, to be part of David's house, and to reign over David's kingdom, the kingdom of Israel, and ultimately he will become a king of kings and lord of lords. And so the Gospel of Matthew presents before us The Messiah as the King of the Jews, the King of Israel, and also as the Mashiach, the Anointed One, the Messiah. That's how we begin in Matthew 1, verse 1, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Greek word for the Hebrew Yeshua, and Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew Mashiach. He will be Yeshua, Jehovah, the Savior, and He will be the Anointed One, the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of this world. He is the Son of David. He is the Son of Abraham, according to the Gospel of Luke, not only that he is the son of David and the son of Abraham, he is also the son of men and the son of God. Just to remind you, in Luke chapter 3, in the genealogy that is found in Luke chapter 3, at the end of chapter 3, we do read that Jesus, the Messiah Yeshua, was, notice that, which was the son of Enosh, which was the son of Shed, which was the son of Adam, and the son of God. So scripture presents the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, as the son of David, as the son of Abraham, as the son of Adam, and as the son of God. He is the son of David. He is of the descendants of the Jewish men from the line of David. He's the son of Abraham. He's a Hebrew man, a descendant of Abraham. He is the son of Adam. He is a man in his humanity. And now, beloved brothers and sisters, He is also known to us in the Word of God as the Son of God, and He is the One that came from heaven, God the Son Himself. And so, as we are continuing now in the portion in Matthew chapter 1 from verse 18 to verse 25, we are going to deal with the subject of the virgin birth of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. This is very important to realize. that if sinners in this world, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, if sinners will be able to be justified, to receive forgiveness of sins, their sins must be paid for. And who is going to pay for your sins and for mine? Because after all, the Word of God says that the wages of sin is death. All of us deserve to be punished because of our sin and sins. So God gave the law and we failed to fulfill the holy requirements of God's law because we are a failing people, a sinful people by nature and by practice. So God promised that He will send the Messiah to come to this world and that this person that will come to this world will ultimately become a sacrifice for mankind. The apostle Shaul Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4, But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman and born under the law. Why? Verse 5 of Galatians chapter 4, in order to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoptions of sons. So God promised that he will send in the fullness of the time He will send forth the person that will become the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Deliverer. Well, beloved friends, this is exactly what we read in the Gospel of Matthew, in the portion that he said before us, chapter 1, verse 18 to verse 25. Now notice, that while in the first 17 verses we have looked over the genealogy of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, and we have learned that through the genealogy of the Gospel of Matthew, we learn that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, although He was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, and Judah, But because he was not the son of Yosef, the physical son of Joseph, the husband of Miriam, he could not sit on the throne of his stepfather and David, the king of Israel, because he was not the physical son of Joseph. He was the stepson of Joseph, the husband of Miriam. So we see the royal line in the Gospel of Matthew. But the second lesson that we learn in the genealogy of Matthew chapter 1 is that because Joseph, the husband of Miriam, that line was cursed because of Jeconiah's curse that God had laid upon him, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, could not sit on the throne of David because of the curse. And that's why the right to the throne of David, to sit on the throne of David, was provided by the Lord Jesus the Messiah through the bloodline of Miriam, his mother, according to Luke chapter 3. This is very important to understand, where in the Gospel of Luke we have learned In chapter 3, that Jesus was the one that came into this world as the descendants of David through Nathan, another son of David, and not through Solomon. Because through Solomon's line, this line was cursed. In verse 11 of Matthew chapter 1, Jeconiah was part of this line. And Jeconiah was cursed by the Lord. And the Lord said that none of his descendants will sit upon the throne of David. Jeremiah 22 verses 24 to 30. So the reason that the genealogy was given to us in the Gospel of Matthew to show us two things, that Yeshua was not the physical descendants of Joseph, because otherwise he will be a sinner. Because anyone that was born of a seed of a man is a sinner. And secondly, because this line was cursed as Jeconiah was cursed, Yechoniyahu, According to Jeremiah 22 verse 24 to 30, as we find Jeconiah's name here in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 11. And that's why the lesson of the virgin birth is so important. Because we learn here from the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 1 verses 18 to 25, that although Yeshua was not the son of Yosef, the physical, the bloodline of the son of Yosef, and could have sat on the throne of David because it was the royal line through Joseph, but if he would have become the son of Yosef by physical birth through the seed of Joseph, he would be a sinner. And therefore we learn from Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 to 25 of the supernatural birth of the Messiah that the Spirit of God is the one that placed the seed in the womb of his mother Miriam and the child was born by the name of Jesus, of Yeshua. So let's look over these verses because they are very, very important. Because in verse 18, we learn of the miraculous truth that Miriam, this young woman, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Judah, through Nathan, that she was found now with a child while she was engaged. to Yosef to Joseph we read in verse 18 now the birth of Jesus Christ of Yeshua the Messiah was on this wife when as his mother Miriam was espoused to Joseph notice then before they came together she was found with a child of the Holy Spirit notice then the birth of Jesus Christ the word for birth here is the Hebrew word Huledet. It's the same word that is mentioned here, both in the Greek and in the Hebrew, in chapter 1 and verse 1 of this chapter, the book of the generation, the book of the birth of Jesus Christ. In verse 1, he tells us of his birth in his way through how he came into this world, through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah. But in verse 18, he tells us of his supernatural entrance into this world. While both verses are the same word mentioned, the birth of Jesus Christ, the generation of Jesus Christ. The first 18 verses look at the physical generation and the birth of the Messiah who came through the physical line which was broken by the curse of Jeconiah and by the fact that he was not the blood son of Joseph. But yet he entered into this world in a unique way because Miriam who was espoused to Yosef, she was found to be with a child before she came together with her espoused husband. So we do read that his mother, Miriam, was espoused to Joseph And the word espoused in this verse 18, it's in the Hebrew word, me'oreset. Me'oreset, she was engaged. She was not yet under the chuppah, under the canopy, under the chuppah in the public marriage day, but she was engaged. She was already committed unto Him. And he was committed unto her as the arrangement in a Jewish marriage is taking place. Where the parents have been in agreement to dedicate their son and daughter one to another. And so it's so interesting because she was already found as it says here, with a child by the Holy Spirit before they physically came together. What consummate the marriage is when the husband and the wife come together physically. But long before Miriam and Yosef came together physically, Miriam was already found with child. She was pregnant, but she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit of God. This is the mystery of mysteries, my dear friends. This is very important truth for us to understand. Why? Because, as we have already mentioned this before, Each and every one of us that were born to the seed of Adam, we have inherited a sin nature. And therefore, my dear friend, all of us, all men and women have inherited a sin nature. We have inherited the Adamic sin nature. You see, God judged Adam and Eve and chastened them out of the Garden of Eden because they violated His word. Adam had eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and God said to Adam in the day that you will eat out of this tree, dying you shall die. And so Adam died spiritually when he disobeyed the Lord. that later on he died physically as all of us by nature die physically. And if he didn't have forgiveness of sin, he would die eternally. You see, and you and I are just the same. As Romans 5.12 says, wherefore if by one man, namely Adam, sin entered into this world, this is sin nature. And sins that we commit, And then he said, and death passed by, death by sin, and so death passed upon all men. Sin came into this world and death came into this world. And death now follow us all because, notice, for they all have sinned. In Adam, you sinned. In Adam, I have sinned. In Adam, we all have sinned. And that's why my dear friends and dear brothers and sisters, all of us have sinned. And if we are going to receive forgiveness of sins, someone had to come into this world to provide salvation and forgiveness for the human race that is dead in trespasses and sins. And so here we have, in these verses of Matthew chapter one, verse 18 to 25, we have the entrance of the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Mashiach, into this world. His name is Jesus Christ, Yeshua, the Anointed, HaMashiach, the Anointed One. This is the way whereby God has sent into this world this man by the name of Yeshua, who was the Eternal Son of God. Now just to mention, that according to Deuteronomy chapter 20, there we read in verse 7, and I will read this to you, Deuteronomy chapter 20 and verse 7, And what man is there that hath bethrothed a wife, and hath not taken her, let him go and return unto his house, lest he died in a battle, and another man take her. See, when a person is betrothed, in Hebrew is me'oras. Me'oras means that he's engaged. That was part of the law. A man that is betrothed to a wife, And he haven't taken her as yet because there is a time between the engagement and the time between the marriage day. So let him return to his home. Don't let him go away to even battle. Because if he will die in a battle, somebody else will take her. She will be married to another man because her future husband to be, if he had died in a war, somebody else would be her husband. So let him return home until the time when he will be married unto her because he has betrothed a wife. She belongs to him and he belongs to her. And so there is a time between the betrothed and the chuppah, the marriage day. And so here we find out that Yosef and Miriam were already espoused, as Deuteronomy chapter 20 verse 7 tells us. So, but something has happened. Because the Messiah was going to enter into this world, and because he could not be of the seed of men, of the seed of Joseph, What we find out that she was now impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God. She was found, before they came together physically, she was found with a child of the Holy Spirit. In other words, Miriam was impregnated by the Spirit of God. The seed that came through the Holy Spirit of God. This is a miracle. We cannot grasp it. We don't even understand how the relationship between a husband and wife produce a child. It's a miracle. And here we learn of this miracle of miracles of the virgin birth of the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of this world. And so, beloved friends, what we learn here, that Miriam herself said that she did not know Amen when the angel came unto her according to Luke chapter 1 and verse 34. She asked the angel who came to her and said to her, Fear not, Miriam, for thou hast found favor with God. Behold, thou shalt conceive," Luke 1, verse 30, 31, "...you shall conceive, and thy woman shall bring forth a son, and shall call his name Yeshua." She said to him, in verse 34 of Luke, chapter 1, Then said Miriam unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And as we have learned from Matthew chapter 1 verse 18, Joseph and Miriam did not come together until the Messiah was born. And she was found with a child of the Holy Spirit. She was impregnated by the seed that came from the Holy Spirit of God to produce a child, a son that will come into the world that will be a man just like you and I, but seen apart. This is the miracle of the virgin birth. And that's how the gospel of Matthew began to tell us how the promised Messiah that was promised to the nation of Israel from generation to generation will enter into this world through the seed of the woman. You remember later on in the history of Israel through the prophet Isaiah, God said to Israel concerning the coming of the Messiah, You remember in Isaiah chapter 7, we do read concerning the birth of the Messiah, where the Lord said to the nation of Israel, therefore the Lord himself shall give you, plural, you Israel, a sign. Behold a virgin, in Hebrew, alma, young woman, which could never know a man until she is married, otherwise she will be stoned. The virgin, the maiden shall conceive and bear a son. How is that possible? And she shall call his name Immanuel, God with us. This is the miracle that was promised by the Lord to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3. And this is the promise that God had promised the nation of Israel throughout the history of Israel until the birth of Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah. And so now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was on this wife when, as his mother Miriam was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. This is very precious because it tells us that the Child that will come into this world will be more than just another man. Let me just emphasize to us some scripture that we have in the Word of God to help us to see. You remember we have these four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew, where we study together, presents the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, as the King of the Jews, the King of Israel, the promised Messiah of Israel. Mark presents the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah as the servant of Jehovah. The Gospel of Luke presents the Lord Jesus the Messiah as the perfect man. And the Gospel of John presents the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah as the eternal Son of God. Only in Matthew and Luke we have the genealogy because Matthew and Luke present the Lord already at His early days when He was born into this world. Mark and John present the Lord Jesus the Messiah immediately in His public ministry. And so, if you remember, beloved friend, in the Gospel of John, in John chapter 1, already the first verse says, in the beginning was the Word, the Logos, the Mimra, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This Word, this Logos, this Mimra, was God. He was with God, a distinct person, but he was God as well. It says in verse 2 and 3, the same was in the beginning with God. Verse 3, all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made which was made. He was the Creator. But then we read in verse 14 of John chapter 1, and the Word became flesh. This is the virgin birth. And He dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. We saw him. We beheld his glory. He became flesh. He became flesh and blood, just like each and every one of us, yet seen apart. The Hebrew author who wrote to his Hebrew brethren in the book of Hebrews, he said in verse 14 of chapter 2, For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. He became flesh and blood, but seen a part. because he was the one that was born by the Holy Spirit of God placing a seed in the womb of Miriam without any involvement of Joseph, of Yosef. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same, that through death He might destroy him that has the power of death, that is, the devil." Scriptures again and again pointing to us that when the Messiah came into this world, He took upon Himself flesh and blood, yet He was without any sin. And why? Because he was not the blood son of Yosef, but he was the blood son of Miriam, who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God. That's why we read in Matthew 1 and verse 18, Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was on this wise, when as his mother Miriam was espoused to Yosef, before, listen to this, before they came together. This needs to be underlined. He was found with a child of the Holy Spirit. So, Joseph, Before he came together with his wife Miriam, he learned that she was already pregnant in a miraculous way by the Spirit of God. And of course, it was a dilemma for him. He himself needed the help of the Lord to understand how is it possible? How is it possible? And to remind you, my dear friends, never in human history, God entered into this world and took union human nature with his divine nature. It only happened once in the history of the universe, and it will never happen again. It only happened once in the history of the nation of Israel as it was foretold by the prophets of Israel. It only happened once because it must have happened if there will be any hope that our sins will be paid for. And because God is holy, and sin must be paid for and judged, the wages of sin is death. And someone had to die and pay for these sins. That's why the uniqueness of the virgin birth is so important as we read it here presented before us in Matthew chapter 1 from verse 18 to verse 25. Let me just read for you one more verse that is found in the prophecy of Isaiah. Because Isaiah was presenting before Israel the coming of the Messiah, that the Messiah will come in the fullness of the time. In chapter 9 and verse 6 we do read, For unto us a child is born. This is the humanity of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. This is the virgin birth. A child is born. Then secondly, in verse 6 of Isaiah chapter 9, unto us a son is given. This presents before us the divine nature of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, because as a son, he was given in eternity past, he was ever there, he is the eternal son. But he had to enter into this world as a child to be born of the virgin Miriam. The prophet Isaiah continued to promise Israel and the world that the government shall sit and shall be upon his shoulder, that his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Father of Eternity, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. and upon, notice that, and upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it. God promised, my dear friends, that He will send His Son who will be born as a child And while God was willing to give His Son, He must be born to the Virgin and become a man. That teaches us also the truth of the triunity of the Godhead. I know it is a problem to many. And we all are called to be helped by the Spirit of God to understand that there is only one God, And yet this one God of Israel existing and consisting in the three persons of the Godhead, the Father, Ha-Abba, the Son, Ha-Ben, the Spirit, Ha-Ruach. We don't have three gods. There is only one God. Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. Here o Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one. But this one God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Israel, and the universe, He consisting and existing in the three persons of the Godhead. And it was God the Son. who took union humanity with human nature, and he became a man. And of whom we read in Matthew chapter 1 verse 18, Now the birth of Yeshua, the Messiah of Jesus Christ, was on this wise, when as his mother Miriam was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found, notice that, with child. of the Holy Spirit. This is Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6. For unto us a child is born. What a miracle! What a miracle! May the Lord help us to understand this. To realize that there is no other way for the question of sin to be dealt with unless God himself Emmanuel, God with us, will come to this world through the virgin birth. And that's why, beloved friend, the Apostle Paul also said, as he was writing to this younger person by the name of Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 3, Paul did write to him about this mystery in verse 16 of 1 Timothy chapter 3, and without doubt or controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, delivered on in the world, receive up into glory. This is the coming of the Messiah through the virgin birth and ultimately His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. And that is the reason why Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of this world had to come to this world. And so we learn that on a basis of Matthew 1.18 and Luke 1.34, that Joseph and Miriam did not come together physically until the Messiah Yeshua was born. Miriam said, how could it be since I never knew a man? Here we learn of Joseph that he did not come together with his espoused wife, Miriam, who was found with a child that is of the Holy Spirit. And so in the next verse, in Matthew 1 verse 19, Joseph was willing to put her away. He was a godly man. He was a man that was godly. He was a just man, and he would never want to harm his espoused wife. He would never want to allow her to publicly know that she's pregnant, and that would endanger her life. We read in verse 19, and Joseph, her husband, being a just man, the Hebrew word here is tzaddik. In the Greek is D-I-K-A-I-O-S, Dikaios. In other words, he was a just man. And he's not willing to make her a public example. He was minded to put her away privately. According to the book of Deuteronomy, in chapter 24, one could divorce his wife according to the law, even though God never wants anyone to divorce, but because of the hardness of the hearts of the nation. God has allowed this for the nation of Israel because of the hardness of their hearts, and it is the hardness of our hearts all. We read in Deuteronomy chapter 24, when a man has taken a wife and married her, and it came to pass that she found no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorcement and give it unto her hand and send her out of his house. It is called sefer kritot. a bill of divorcement according to what we learn with the help of the Lord to explain in the Gospel of Matthew later on that it is because of the hardness of the people of Israel's heart that God have allowed them to give a bill of divorce. Then Joseph was saying in his own heart, you know, I don't want to have her publicly known to everyone. So he wanted to privately put her away. But again, beloved brothers and sisters, we read that he was a just man. You know, in Scripture, it's so beautiful. The first person that we read of him to be a just man was Noah. Noah was a just man, according to Scripture. We also learn that there were others in the history of mankind who were just men. They were just in a sense that they were godly people. There were men and women who were godly before the Lord. They sought the mind of the Lord. Like Zechariah in chapter 1 of the Gospel of Luke, in verses 5 and 6, we do read in the book of Luke that we read in verse 5, there was in the days of Herod, the king of Judah, a certain priest named Zechariah. And he was of the course of Abiyah, and his wife was of the daughter of Aharon, and her name was Elisheva, Elizabeth. And notice it said about them, and they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and the ordinances of the Lord blameless. They were seeking the mind of the Lord. They were not perfect, but they were declared by God as people who sought to live a righteous life, just like Yosef here. He was a just man. In Luke chapter 2, we read of another one by the name of Shimon. In verse 25 of Luke 2, And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name is Shimon, Simon. And the same man was just and a devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. You see, none of us are by nature just, but this description is when someone is forgiven by the Lord and seeking to live for the Lord, the Scripture calls him a just person. So Yosef, her husband, according to verse 19, being a just man, not willing to make her a public example, what did he do? He had in mind to put her away privately, according to verse 19, beloved brothers and sisters. And so now notice that he wanted Joseph himself didn't grasp his truth as yet. that his wife Miriam was selected by God to become that virgin that will conceive and bear the son, the child, the Messiah that will become the redeemer, the savior of this world. And so he had this in his mind to put her away and not to have her being harmed publicly. So how beautiful here in Matthew chapter 1 verse 20 and 21, then the angel of the Lord spake with Joseph and gave him this information. It was a revelation from heaven. And so we read in verse 20 and 21, but while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream. saying, Yosef, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Miriam thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit, and she shall bring forth a son. And thou shalt call his name Jesus, Yeshua, for he shall save his people from their sins. This is so beautiful, beloved brothers and sisters. Again, this is a revelation from God. The natural man cannot grasp it. Joseph himself could not grasp it. Miriam herself could not grasp it until the Spirit of God and the servants of God, the angels, came to appear specifically to Yosef according to Matthew chapter 1 and to Miriam according to Luke chapter 1. This angel appeared unto Yosef and the angel said to him in verse 20, he appeared unto him, notice, in a dream. And he said to him, Joseph. Notice he called him Ben David, the son of David. This is one of the messianic titles as well of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, because he was a son of David. Ben David, Ben David. And you could see that Joseph was also a descendant of David. But again, because David and Joseph and all of us have had a sin nature, Joseph could not be the blood father of Yeshua the Messiah because otherwise we would not have a Savior. We would have another baby that would be born as Miriam had more children from Joseph that were sinners by nature. That's why it is amazing how the lesson is for us to learn here from the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, that Joseph was a descendant of David as well. And the angels tell him, do not be afraid. Take unto thee Mary, Miriam, thy wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Amazing, amazing beloved brothers and sisters. It is so important because the Holy Spirit of God placed the seed in Miriam's womb and she would bring a child into this world that do not have a sinful seed of men. And yet he was born to the woman, to the Virgin Miriam as a sinless man. Wonderful to learn this, beloved brothers and sisters. Now I want you to notice that he's saying to Joseph, that which was conceived in hell is of the Holy Spirit. Amazing to see that. And now we read in verse 21 that the same angel told Joseph, when the baby will be born that he is to give him the name Yeshua. Verse 21 is one of the most beautiful verses in the Word of God concerning the reason of the birth of Jesus the Messiah. She shall bring forth a son, this is Miriam, and you, Yosef, shall call his name Yeshua. Yeshua in Hebrew means Jehovah the Savior. Yo-shua. Yeh-shua. Yah from Jehovah, shua comes from the Hebrew word salvation. You shall call His name Yeshua, Jehovah the Savior. Why? Because He shall save His people from their sins. The reason that His name is Yeshua, Yesus in the Greek, taken from the Hebrew Yeshua, is because he will be Jehovah, God, who entered into this world in a person of the Son through the Virgin Miriam to provide salvation for this world. This is fascinating. He would be the one that will be sinless, undefiled, separate from sinners, as Isaiah says in Isaiah 53 and verse 6. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquities of us all. There was only one that could bear our sins in his body on the tree, and that was the Messiah Yeshua that was born. You shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. How wonderful, beloved brothers and sisters, And now as we are heading towards the end of this chapter, verse 21 is one of the most beautiful verses in God's Word of the name of Yeshua. There is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved. This is written for us in the book of Acts. He will save his people from their sins. Now notice what we read immediately, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 22 and verse 23, that a virgin birth was in fulfillment of what God had promised in His Word many, many years ago, some 750 years earlier through the prophet Isaiah, and many more years even earlier than that, already there in the Garden of Eden. And so we read in verse 22 and verse 23, now all this was done. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken, notice that, of the Lord by the prophet saying, and here we have the quotation from the prophet Isaiah concerning the promises of God to Israel, that the virgin shall be with the child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us." And you see, no wonder. The name Immanuel, God with us, and the name that Yeshua received in His birth, Yeshua, Jehovah the Savior, represent before us exactly the reason that He came to this world and who He is in His person, He is Jehovah, He is God. And He is with us, Immanu. with us, Immanuel, and he is the one that salvation, he will provide salvation for mankind. How wonderful to read these verses, beloved brothers and sisters. This is again pointing us to what we read in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4, that in the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son. born of a woman, born under the law in order to redeem them which were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. And so in verse 22 and verse 23 we can see that this was exactly in fulfillment of what God had spoken through the prophets And beloved friend, God has spoken through the prophets of Israel many, many times. He has spoken concerning the coming of the Redeemer, the coming of the Messiah. The writer to the Hebrews said this in chapter 1 of Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1. God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, notice that in verse 2, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom he made the world, who, being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty of God, being made so much better than the angels. You see, God in sundry times and diverse manners in time past spoke to the fathers of the nation of Israel and to the prophets of Israel, but in the last days, in the fullness of the time, He spoke in the person of His Son, Emmanuel, God with us, Jehovah the Savior. So, beloved friends and dear brothers and sisters, as we are drawing to the end of this first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in connection with the virgin birth of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, we do read in verse 24 and 25 how Joseph, When he listened to what the angel of the Lord said to him and adhered to his word, he now takes Miriam to become his wife, exactly as the counsel that he received from the Lord through the angel. And so we read in verse 24 and 25. Then Joseph being raised from sleep, he was dreaming, he heard the word of the Lord. And he did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and he took unto him his wife. Now notice that, now she was not only bethrothed to him, now she's not only espoused to him, Now being already impregnated by the Spirit of God and with a child, Joseph takes the counsel of the angel of the Lord and he marries his wife Miriam. He does not want now to put her away privately anymore, after he has heard what the angel said to him, that Miriam, his wife to be, who is now becoming his wife, will be the one that will bear the Messiah, who will enter into this world, whose name will be Yeshua. And that he shall save his people from their sins. the anticipation of the nation of Israel for the coming of the Messiah from generation to generation. The Hebrews were anticipating the coming of the Messiah. And Yosef received this revelation from the angel. And he was so thankful that his wife, his espoused, wife was impregnated by the Spirit of God in a miraculous way, and that she will bring forth the firstborn, will call his name Yeshua, and he will be the one that will save his people from their sins. He came to this world to provide redemption. So, in obedience to God, through the words of the angel, he took unto him his wife in Mary. The chuppah took place. The marriage took place, yet notice that what we read in verse 25. And he knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son. And he called his name Jesus, Yeshua. Notice this, verse 25 is very important. Because Joseph did not know her physically until, notice that, he knew her after, he had children from Miriam after, but Joseph knew her not until. until she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Yeshua. Later on, in the Gospel of Matthew, in chapter 13, we do read, beloved brothers and sisters, in the last few verses of Matthew chapter 13, when Yeshua, now in his public ministry, people were amazed at his teaching. And we do read in verse 53 to verse 56 of Matthew chapter 13, and it came to pass that when Yeshua had finished these parables, he departed thence And when he was coming to his own country, he taught them in their synagogue in Ismat that they were astonished and said, whence has this man this wisdom and these mighty words? Is not this the carpenter Fan? This is Yosef. Is not his mother called Miriam? This is his Mother Miriam. Then the verse continues in verse 55. And his brethren is Jacob, James, Joseph, Shimon, Simon, and Judas, Yehudah. And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? You see, apparently Yeshua had other brothers. James, Joseph, Simon, and Judah, and other sisters, at least more than one, two or more. So, when we read in the last verse of Matthew chapter 1 and verse 25, that Yosef did not know Miriam until she had brought forth her firstborn son, specially teaches us that when her firstborn son Yeshua was born, He was entirely seen apart. Miriam became a channel through whom the Messiah will be born into this world and become a man without being tainted by the seed of man, by the seed of Yosef. This is the miracle of the virgin birth. Now sadly many do not believe it. And many do not accept it or maybe do not understand it. But my dear brothers and sisters and dear friends. If there will be any way for you and I, who are sinners by nature, to receive forgiveness of sins, we cannot pay for the sins of one another with ourselves, even if we're willing to give our life for one another. Why? Because the price for the soul, to purchase a soul, is costly. and another sinner cannot pay for the sin of one. That's why one had to come into this world that will be the sinless one, the perfect man, the one that would come from heaven through the virgin birth and will enter into this world in a unique way without having sin in him. So the Word of God tells us what wonderful truth we learn in the Word of God. Beloved friends, dear brothers and sisters, concerning the person of the Lord Jesus, we read in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21, For he has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, knew no sin, my dear friend. There was no sin whatsoever in the person of our Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah. In the book of Peter, we do read, my dear friend, in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 22, the apostle Peter did write, about the Lord Jesus. For even there unto you were called, because Christ, the Messiah, also suffered for us, leaving for us an example, that we, that ye should follow his steps. This is 1 Peter 2 verse 21, now verse 22. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. It's not only that he knew no sin, But he also did no sin. He did no sin because he was born to the virgin Miriam, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friend. And yet, even another verse to read in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 5, not only Paul wrote about him and Peter wrote about Jesus the Messiah, but also John, Yohanan wrote in 1 John Chapter 3 and verse 5 we read concerning the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. We do read 1 John 3 and verse 5. It says, And ye know that he was manifest to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. He was the sinless one, the undefiled one, the separate from sinners. And that's why the virgin birth was essential. It is biblical. It was promised by God and it came to fruition in the fullness of the time at the virgin birth of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And so we do read, beloved brothers and sisters, and she shall bring forth a son. thou shall call his name Yeshua, Jesus. Why? For he shall save his people from their sins. I trust my dear friend that you came to know the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, is the only one that is qualified to pay for your sins and for mine. And he died on a shameful cross And is there God judge him for your sins and mine? And it was there on the shameful cross of which we will read later on, where he said, beloved friend, that he fulfilled that which God had given him to do. May the Lord bless you and may the Lord help us all to realize the price that the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, paid in order to save His people from their sins. And they called His name, Yeshua. And they called His name, Jesus. God bless you, my dear friend. Until the next time, we say, Shalom, Shalom. so You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levitam. Gideon teaches God's Word from a Hebrew messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0, or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you. Shalom, shalom. StSq2 2.60