IN the first chapter of Matthew is a comprehensive summary of prophetic fulfilment, a wonderful testimony to the validity of God's promises to Abraham. It contains a ground of faith that is built on actual, unerring sight—a sight magnified to large proportions by the great telescope of the Holy Spirit to those who believe God's Word. This chapter is one that is too commonly passed over as an ordinary genealogical record. It is a review of facts, a continuous train of circumstances, connecting the promises, "I will make of Thee a great nation" (Gen. 12:1-3) and "My covenant will I establish with Isaac" (chapter 17:19-21) with the birth of Him in whom the promises were and are to be verified. Notwithstanding all the obstacles which had been thrown in the way during the forty-two generations that had elapsed, the record of lineage had been preserved, proving the legitimacy of the succession of the Son of Mary, and His claim to the heirship of the material promise to Abraham—a promise which included the whole world. Rom. 4:13. Abraham had been promised that his Seed should possess the gate of His enemies (Gen. 22:17), and the possession of the gate of an enemy was to control the very entrance to his fortress, and such a vantage-ground was victory. The Seed here mentioned was Christ, as we are plainly told in Gal. 3:16. And the succession was to come from Abraham through Isaac, as Abraham was enjoined, "In Isaac shall thy Seed be called." Gal. 3:18. So our heirship comes of our being in Christ; for, "if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29. We thereby become "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." Rom. 8:17. "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise" (Gal. 4:28), therefore anything that proves progress in the fulfilment of the promise becomes of vital importance to us, and should be of more than passing interest. Turning then to Matthew 1 we read: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren," etc. Continuing down the unbroken line to verse 6, we read that "Jesse begat David the king. And David the king begat Solomon," etc. David was the first in the line who became king; therefore he is made a landmark in the progress of the fulfilling promise by its being renewed in him. God swore with an oath to him, that "of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." Acts 2:30; Ps. 132:11. Then with increasing interest we follow down the line from David and Solomon till we near the close, and read that "Matthan begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." Here is a complete genealogical record for forty-two generations (verse 17)—a record which the enemies of Christ, seeking every possible pretext for denying His Messiahship, never dared to attack in the open. In Luke 3 this record is fortified by a parallel line on the side of Mary the mother of Jesus. The birth of Jesus, then, as recorded in Matthew 1, also in Luke 1 and 2, is a prominent landmark in the fulfilment of the Gospel promises of the Old Testament. Then follow the testimony of the old prophet Simeon, and that of Anna the prophetess, to the true Messiahship of Jesus. Luke 2:34, 38. And when the time came for His public ministry to begin, John the Baptist was sent from God to prepare the way before Him and to declare Him to the world. To John's testimony was added, at the baptism of Jesus, the verbal acknowledgment of God the Father, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt. 3:17. During His ministry Jesus fulfilled all that had been spoken of Him by the prophets, even to the laying down of His life, and being raised again from the dead. What may be called the crowning landmark is that of His resurrection, because in that is the assurance of the eternal life of all who believe; for "if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom. 8:11. The record in the first chapter of Matthew is an assurance to all believers in Christ that the promises to Abraham are to his spiritual seed; that such as fell to the literal seed by the way were merely incidentals in the carrying out of the great purpose of the promises, in which they might partake through faith, but not by virtue of natural birth, which was a most valuable privilege or opportunity, but not of itself an assurance of heirship. "We are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Phil. 3:3. Matthew 1, then, is a most important testimony that by faith in Christ we have an undeniable part in the heirship with Abraham to the world, and a joint heirship with Christ in the throne of David. The promise to Christ is, "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:32, 33. And the promise to the believer is, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne." Rev. 3:21. The first chapter of Matthew is encouraging as proof of our right, through faith in Christ, to the promised blessing of Abraham.