The third movement of the genealogy covers approximately 500 years, from the Babylonian exile to the birth of Christ. Matthew lists nine names, most of whom we know almost nothing about. No great kings, no famous prophets, no dramatic stories. Just ordinary people living in the long silence between the Old Testament and the New.
During this period, Israel had no king, no independent nation, no temple (for much of it), and no prophetic voice. It must have seemed like God had forgotten His promises. The line of David appeared weak and insignificant. Where was the mighty King God had promised? Where was the restoration?
But God had not forgotten. Through all those silent years, He was preserving the royal line, keeping His word, working out His plan. And at just the right time, in the fullness of time, He brought forth the Messiah. The restoration came, not as a military conquest, but as a baby born in Bethlehem.
Sometimes you may feel like you are living in one of those silent generations. You are faithfully following God, but you see no dramatic results, no obvious movement, no clear evidence that God is at work. Do not lose heart. God is always faithful, even when He seems silent. What He starts, He finishes. The waiting is never wasted.