Numbers in Matthew 1

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:14 NASB)

I remember as a kid when I was either scared by a surprising person jumping out of a closet or doing so myself and scaring someone else.  It was fun.  And inevitably, the scared party would ask, "Why did you do that?"  I don't know why we ask when we know exactly why, it's fun.  But we ask anyway, and the answer is usually, "I don't know," even when we do.  The look on the scared party's face is worth any trouble we may get into.  It's fun.

So I wonder, when the Apostle Matthew includes this reference in his abbreviated  genealogical list, if he's having some fun.  Notice he never explains it, just puts it in there.  There are a many offers of reasons for his reference, but none that are not speculation.  The only indisputable fact is that he makes the statement but refuses to explain it.  I think he did it because it was interesting to him, not vitally important. 

For instance, Luke takes his genealogy from Adam through, and the "fourteen" generational reference falls down somewhat.  There were not "fourteen generations" from Adam to the flood, and fourteen from the flood to Abraham.  So, his reference is very specific to the selection of the Jews by God.  That's where the "calendar" of Jewish life basically begins, with Abraham.

Just to be sure, I ran a search on 14 all through the Hebrew Scriptures, and found a repeated reference using 14 in Numbers 29.  There a sacrifice for the day of atonement festival immediately following the festival of trumpets.  There 14 lambs are to be offered fifteen days in a row.  The number of bulls decreases each day of the festival, but the lambs and goats remain the same; as does the grain offering to accompany each animal.

There is one other reference, in Genesis 46, where the children of children are listed, and those from Rachel are numbered at 14.  So, Benjamin and Joseph together with their children number fourteen.  That sound remotely like this reference, except that Rachel's children are not included in the genealogy of Jesus, and it is about total people not generations between events.  Really the only points of contact are the Jewish context and that it involves people born to someone.

I suppose my point really is that this reference is interesting, but not important.  Much can be made of counting words or letters in Hebrew or Greek text, counting this or that in some remote corner of Scripture or even out in common texts.  But in reality, I suspect that it all amounts to this: interesting, but not important.  I doubt very seriously that some hard-nosed atheist is going to shed his tenaciously held belief because he can count the generations between Abraham, David, the Jewish Exile, and Jesus.  I doubt that counting words or letters in Esther would achieve any such result either.  It's just not that important.

What is important is that Jesus was born of Mary while she was still a virgin.  His birth fulfilled many prophetic writings, more than even the prophets really understood.  The birth of Jesus was the unfathomable amalgamation of humanity and divinity, holy and common, omnipotence and frailty.  The birth of Jesus was the watershed event that altered human history leading to eventual salvation from all that separates us from our Creator.  Holding the manger in tension with the cross and empty tomb are the important things.  Holding the Child in tension with the King of Kings is the important thing.  It's not how many or of what, it's the One saving us and forming stars.