We tend to not read the genealogies in the Bible. This one however is about the lineage of Jesus. Jewish genealogies rarely listed women. Yet in these verses Matthew lists four women in this abbreviated list that follows the line to Jesus. Why does Matthew not mention Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca or even Abigail or some other more notable women? Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba would not be in most people’s list! For a good Jewish person they would be uncomfortable to have in their family line. Perhaps this is why these four women are picked out for special mention. Notice three things:-

1 – God’s grace

Three in particular had questionable lifestyles and one was a Gentile! Tamar, Rahab and Ruth were not Israelites but God used them.

• Tamar – See Genesis 38. Judah did not fulfill his promise to Tamar by having his  son marry her and have children When Judah’s wife dies, Tamar finds out and disguises herself as a prostitute to lay with Judah. She becomes pregnant. When  Judah finds out Tamar is pregnant, he is furious until he realises he is the father!
• Rahab – Joshua 2. She was a prostitute who ran the inn that hid the two spies sent by Joshua to spy out Jericho. She was the mother of Boaz.
• Ruth – See book of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite, a spin-off descendent of Israel  through Lot. She married an Israelite called Elimilech but when he dies she  remains with Naomi her mother-in-law. She eventually meets Boaz and they get married and have a son who becomes the grandfather of David, the future king of Israel.
• Bathsheba – Bathsheba may have been an Israelite. She was seduced by David while still married to Uriah but then becomes pregnant. David has Uriah killed and then marries Bathsheba. God tells David that because of his evil actions that the child of their sin would die. However, in God’s grace, David and Bathsheba have another child who is Solomon, another future king of Israel.

God uses imperfect people to accomplish His purposes. People can make mistakes and learn. These women were chosen by God and they managed to change their lives around for the better. God’s grace is greater than our sin. Don’t let people or the Devil cast up past sin. There is no longer any condemnation.

2 – The badge of authority

See Leviticus 21:16-17. Under the Old Testament law there are so many possible  conditions and defects that most people were unqualified to be priests. See Hebrews 7:20-22 and 1 Peter 2:9-10. We are to speak out. We are to tell of the night and day difference in our lives. Under the new covenant we are now qualified. We are qualifies if we have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ. We don’t need a degree in theology. God says we are qualified to proscribe the gospel to others. God’s Holy Spirit is our badge or seal. We need to open our mouths and have a voice.

3 – Equipped for the job

See Ephesians 3:7-10. Paul was a Hebrew, yet God sent him to the Gentiles. You would not have expected that if you were making the plans yourself. God gave Paul the gifts to do the job. He was not naturally quipped for the job that God wanted him to do.

• The Holy Spirit – See Luke 24:45-47. God gives us the Holy Spirit as our helper. We need to look into the scriptures for ourselves.
• God’s Word – See Hebrews 11:3 and 2 Timothy 3:;16-17. We are to steep ourselves in God’s Word.
• The local Church – The local church helps to build us up. It is not perfect. However, it is necessary. We are in a battle with the powers of darkness. We should be together on the same side. If we take ourselves out of the Church then we will most likely fall away.
• Travel light – See Matthew 10:5-9. We are to travel light. You are the equipment that God wants to use. You just need three meals a day. We don’t need fundraising to get started. We don’t need to go far away. The need is close at hand.

Categories: Matthew