his physical descendants but through them for the entire world. Because God is faithful, what He promises must and will occur (Isa. 55:11). But how and when would all this happen? Matthew’s brief genealogical survey of Israel’s history reveals that it had not occurred within the recorded history of Israel in the Old Testament. Instead, that history was characterized by disobedience. Israel had failed to understand that God had chosen and blessed her to be a light to the nations (Isa. 42:6). Often