Again we are reminded of the importance of genealogies in Scripture. Today’s is of great significance!
Isn’t it fascinating that of all the names listed, there are only three who are women? And even more fascinating is that two of them acted as prostitutes.
Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah. She was married to Judah's son Er who died and to Onan, his brother, who also died. After the death of Onan, Judah promised his third son, Shelah. This promise was not fulfilled and so Tamar sought revenge (of sorts), by playing the part of a prostitute with Judah. (See Genesis 38).
Rahab, whose story is told in part in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6. She was the prostitute in Jericho who received Joshua's spies. She had a house, perhaps a lodging convenient for travelers, which was situated on the wall. Rahab no doubt knew about the Israelites, their escape from Egypt, the miraculous passage of the Red Sea, and the victorious battles that had already taken place, not to mention the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. At the risk of her life, she sheltered the spies and for that she was richly rewarded, becoming the mother of Boaz and an ancestor of Jesus.
The beloved Ruth is remembered as an important link in the ancestry of the greatest king of Israel and of the Messiah Jesus. Ruth was a Moabite woman who was redeemed into the family of the Hebrews. What a great foreshadowing of our redemption into the family of Jesus!
Reference is made to a fourth woman who is not named.
Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah. She was married to Judah's son Er who died and to Onan, his brother, who also died. After the death of Onan, Judah promised his third son, Shelah. This promise was not fulfilled and so Tamar sought revenge (of sorts), by playing the part of a prostitute with Judah. (See Genesis 38).
Rahab, whose story is told in part in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6. She was the prostitute in Jericho who received Joshua's spies. She had a house, perhaps a lodging convenient for travelers, which was situated on the wall. Rahab no doubt knew about the Israelites, their escape from Egypt, the miraculous passage of the Red Sea, and the victorious battles that had already taken place, not to mention the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. At the risk of her life, she sheltered the spies and for that she was richly rewarded, becoming the mother of Boaz and an ancestor of Jesus.
The beloved Ruth is remembered as an important link in the ancestry of the greatest king of Israel and of the Messiah Jesus. Ruth was a Moabite woman who was redeemed into the family of the Hebrews. What a great foreshadowing of our redemption into the family of Jesus!
Reference is made to a fourth woman who is not named.
Matt 1:6
and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,
and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,
Uriah’s wife was Bathsheba. Just another example of how God uses people no matter what their station in life or their circumstances to accomplish His purposes. He uses all kinds of people today to accomplish His will. How does He use all of us? Are we willing to be used?
Notice in the genealogy that both Mary and Joseph trace their lineage back to King David. Mary traces hers through David’s son Nathan and Joseph through David’s son Solomon, both of them sons of Bathsheba. Matthew is careful to list Joseph as the husband of Mary and not the father of Jesus.
If ever we may be tempted to scan over the seemingly insignificant and boring genealogies, we must remember that they are important to God. Why else would He have included them?
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