As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“In Genesis 37–50, there are seven scenes where Joseph weeps. As we read about Joseph’s emotions, they also stir our own….In the Bible, the use of seven is part of an author’s literary strategy. We can look more closely to see whether these seven scenes have an even more strategic design.” - TGC
In a previous article, I suggested that the ruling descendants of David had migrated from Babylon to Nazareth. It is also possible that some of the descendants of David first moved to Bethlehem—David’s original home town—and then later migrated to Nazareth, perhaps joining other family members who had come from Babylon. Or perhaps they had all come, more recently, from Bethlehem.
When Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem for a census (Luke 2:1), it is unlikely that they returned to Bethlehem simply because David had been born there a full thousand years earlier. Luke’s brief summary for the reason of their journey to Bethlehem is just that: a brief summary of what might otherwise be an involved (and tedious) explanation.
First let me say that I am a Premillenialist and solidly so. I am also a Baptist and have no plans in advocating being Reformed or Presbyterian. Michael Horton likes to say he is Reformed with a capital “R.” Both he and R. Scott Clark bitterly castigate Baptists that they start from scratch every generation. This introduction by Dr. Duncan does no such thing, instead he praises Baptist Mark Dever very highly who does not sprinkle babies and yet is a Covenant Theology adherent. For myself, I could be Reformed but with a small “r.”
Discussion