Israel, Recapitulated image

Israel, Recapitulated

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"Matthew organised his account of the life of Jesus as an Irenaean recapitulation of Israel's history," argues Peter Leithart, "in which Jesus replays both major individual roles of that history (Moses, David, Solomon, Elisha, Jeremiah) as well as the role of the nation herself." His two volume commentary, The Gospel of Matthew Through New Eyes, draws out the remarkable parallels and makes a very strong case. You may have come across some of this before, but if you're teaching through Matthew, there's plenty to get your teeth into here:

Book of Genesis (Matt 1:1; Gen 2:4; 5:1)

Son of Abraham (Matt 1:17; Gen 12-26)

Joseph the Dreamer (Matt 1:18-25; Gen 37)

King kills children (Matt 2:13-15; Ex 1-2)

Deliverer rescued, flees, leaves Egypt (Matt 2:14; Ex 2)

Deliverer returns to the land (Matt 2:19-23; Ex 3-4)

Prophet announces judgment (Matt 3:1-12; Ex 5-12)

Passing through the waters (Matt 3:13-17; Ex 14-15)

Temptation in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11; Ex 17-19)

Assistant leaders appointed (Matt 4:18-22; Ex 18)

Teaching delivered on a mountain (Matt 5-7; Ex 20 - Num 10)

Crowds leave the mountain (Matt 8:1; Num 10:11)

Healing of leprosy (Matt 8:2-4; Num 12:1-16)

Ten miracles (Matt 8-9) versus ten plagues (Ex 7-10) and ten rebellions (Num 14)

Opposition from Jewish leaders (Matt 9:34; Num 16)

Sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36; Num 27:27)

Commission of twelve apostles/spies into the land (Matt 10:1ff; Num 13-14)

Instructions for mission (Matt 10; Deut 1-26; Josh 1-5)

Rest provided (Matt 11:25-30; Josh 11)

Jesus as David (Matt 12:1-28; 1 Sam 15-21)
- Compassion, not sacrifice
- Showbread on the Sabbath
- Persecuted by leaders
- Exorcisms by the Spirit

Jesus as Solomon (Matt 12:42-13:52; 1 Kgs 8-10)
- Queen of Sheba
- Greater than Solomon
- Speaks wisdom in parables
- Old and new treasures in the house

Murderous king and queen: Herod/Herodias (Matt 14:1-12) and Ahab/Jezebel (1 Kgs 19-21)

Jesus as Elisha
- Departure of John/Elijah (Matt 14:1-12; 2 Kgs 2)
- Multiplied loaves (Matt 14:13-21; 2 Kgs 4:42-44)
- Miraculous floating on water (Matt 14:22-33; 2 Kgs 6:1-7)
- Sidonite woman’s child is healed (Matt 15:21-28; 1 Kgs 17; 2 Kgs 4)
- Food miracles (Matt 15:32-39; 2 Kgs 4:38-44)
- Greater than Elijah (Matt 16:13 - 17:13; 2 Kgs 2-10)
- Disciples/Gehazi cannot heal (Matt 17:14-21; 2 Kgs 4:29-31)
- Bizarre miracle (Matt 17:24-27; 2 Kgs 2-10)

Move into Judea (Matt 19:1; 2 Kgs 11)

Triumphal entry (Matt 21:1-11; 2 Kgs 9)

Cleansing of temple (Matt 21:12; 2 Kgs 10-12)

Jesus as Jeremiah
- “Den of robbers” (Matt 21:13; Jer 7:11)
- Withered fig tree (Matt 21:18-21; Jer 8:13)
- Vineyard parable (Matt 21:33-46; Jer 12:10-11)
- Temple sermon (Matt 23; Jer 7, 26)

Olivet sermon (Matt 24-25; Ezek 8-11)

Exile and Death
- Blood of the covenant and remission of sins (Matt 26:28; Jer 31:27-40)
- Rejection of the innocent prophet (Matt 26-27; Jer 26)
- Suffering servant (Matt 27; Isa 53)
- Gall, cup of judgment and abuse from passers-by (Matt 27; Lam 1-5)

Resurrection (Matt 28; Isa 25-26, 54-55; Ezek 36-37; Dan 12)

[Mic drop]

Commissioned by the king (Matt 28:16-20; 2 Chr 36)

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