Matthew 1:1-17
1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Main Point: God is more concern about where you are going (your future), than He is about where you have been (your past).
Introduction
Let me give you two examples to support this:
1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
Main Point: God is more concern about where you are going (your future), than He is about where you have been (your past).
Introduction
Let me give you two examples to support this:
Listen to Jesus' words that He spoke to the crippled man after He had healed him by the Pool of Bethesda in John 5. "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you." (John 5:14)
When a woman who had been caught in adultery is brought before Jesus in John 8, Jesus dismisses the crowd with the famous words, "Let him who has no sin cast the first stone." And after they are gone - Jesus speaks these words to the woman, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." (John 8:10-11)
So here in Jesus' genealogy, his family tree, which is almost completely characterized by the names of men we find five women. Five extraordinary women, who through some of the worst circumstances that life can throw at you, are brought into the family of God.
5 Extraordinary Women
I.) Tamar: From Soap Opera To Blessing (Genesis 38)
After Judah was instrumental in selling his brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt, he left his brother to stay with a certain man named Hirah. There he took up with a Canaanite woman and had three children by her. His oldest son, Er, came to age and Judah arranged for him to marry Tamar. The Bible says that Er was evil in the sight of God and God killed him. According to Jewish Law, Judah's second son Onan was to take Tamar as his wife. He agreed, but knowing that the children would not be his he decided to not go through with it, this displeased God and God killed him as well. Now Judah does not want to give Tamar his third son because he fears that he will die too, so he tells her to go back to her father's house - an act that would be completely shameful to Tamar and her family. When Tamar hears that Judah is going out of town, because his wife had died, Tamar disguises herself like a prostitute and Judah has relations with him and becomes pregnant. When Judah hears of it he wants her burned, but then Tamar reveals to him that the child is his and Judah is shamed into repentance.
Tamar is unknowingly brought into a family that is completely characterized by deception and falsehood.
Tamar loses her first husband and is shamed publicly by her second husband and father-in-law.
Tamar, in desperation, resorts to wickedness in order to try and restore her good name.
In all these events, God uses Tamar's bad situation and bad decisions to accomplish his own good and His own glory. Tamar's son, Perez, becomes such an example of what a righteous man should be that the book of Ruth has this to say about him:
Ruth 4:11-12
11 All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 12 "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman."
Application: Your life might be a soap opera like Tamar's, but that doesn't mean that God does not have big plans for you.
II.) Rahab: From Prostitution To The Hall Of Faith
Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho as the nation of Israel was about to attack it and over-take it. Because the Bible says she lived with her family, she either came from a family of prostitutes or a family with little to no moral compass. When she heard of all the mighty acts that the Lord accomplished through the exodus of Israel from Egypt, she turned from the gods of her nation and believed in The God of Israel. At risk to her own life and the life of her family, she hid the spies that Joshua sent to stake out Jericho before they overthrew it. The spies agreed to save her and her family if she would keep her allegiance to Israel. Rahab kept her word and when Jericho fell, hers was the only family to survive the attack and they remained with Israel for the rest of their lives.
Rahab was a prostitute in a prostitute family.
She lived in a wicked and evil town, where false religion was commonplace.
But when she heard of God's actions, she fled from all that she knew and trusted in God for salvation and even risked her own life to gain it. Hebrews speaks this way of Rahab:
Hebrews 11:31
31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Application: From the worst environment that a person can be born into, Rahab was lifted by God to an example of how faith should look.
III.) Ruth: From Widowed Foreigner To Kinsman Redeemer (Ruth 1-4)
During the time when the judges ruled Israel there was a severe famine in the land. The book of Ruth records that a man named Elimelech and his wife Naomi, a couple from Bethlehem, fled to Moab with their two sons in order to survive. While in Moab Elimelech died and after this the two boys, Mahlon and Chilion, took wives for themselves from the Moabite women. After a period of 10 years, the two of them died and Naomi was left to live with her two daughters-in-law in a foreign land. Now about this time Naomi got word that the Lord had provided food in Israel and she was set to return home. Upon her leaving she tells her two daughters-in-law to return to their homes to take husbands from their own people. Orpah leaves, but the Bible states that Ruth clings to Naomi. Now the Bible seems to give two reasons for Ruth not wanting to leave Naomi's side.
Ruth felt obligated to provide for her mother-in-law and not leave her by herself.
Ruth had placed her faith in the God of Israel and did not want to return to the false gods of Moab.
Ruth does return to Bethlehem and extends her kindness to Naomi once more by not choosing to marry a young man, but an older man who is able to not only provide for her, but also to provide for Naomi as she is now a widow with much land to take care of. God honors Ruth's loyalty and self sacrificing attitude by giving her a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.
Ruth lost her first husband without ever having a child by him.
But,
Ruth chose dedication through hard circumstances over an easy way out.
Ruth chose to leave home, so that she could follow the God she believed in.
Ruth chose a husband that was good for her family, beyond what her personal desires might have been.
For all of this God honored Ruth. Even though she once lived in a foreign land and worshipped false gods, she now would be an ancestor- not only to the great King David- but also to the King of Kings and The Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ.
Application: Through unknown circumstances many people spend large portions of their lives as widows or caregivers. Ruth was both, but God sees your loyalty and faithfulness and will honor it in His perfect time.
IV.) Bathsheba: From Simple Life To Mother Of The King
Bathsheba's life was a roller coaster. The beginning was very simple; she had a simple life as the wife of a soldier living in the city of Jerusalem. During the springtime her husband was off at battle as all the good soldiers were, but King David had decided to stay in the city - and this would prove to be the end of Bathsheba's simple life. David sees her bathing from the roof of the palace and sends guards to bring her back. David takes advantage of her and she ends up pregnant. Now David, knowing that his infidelity will be found out, looks for a way to cover up his sin. First, he brings Uriah back from war, so as to pass the child off as his own. When that strategy fails, David gives orders for Uriah to be killed in battle. After Uriah's death, David takes Bathsheba as his own wife, thinking that he had dodged a bullet - but there is no such thing as covering up a lie with a God who sees everything. God sends Nathan the prophet to convict David of his sin and informs him that the baby will die because he did not obey the words of his God.
From Bathsheba's vantage point things are different.
She is robbed of the simple life that she knew with her husband.
She must not only mourn the loss of the husband she loved, but now marry a man who has multiple wives and be just one in a number.
Her new husband, in his disobedience, will be put to shame - watching both his own family and his kingdom break apart.
Added to all this, her first son dies due to the sin of her new husband David.
But,
God will give her another son. And not just any son; Solomon will be the wisest and richest king that the world has ever known and on top of this Israel will be at piece for the very first time throughout his entire reign.
With this she will become not only the mother of an earthly king, but become an ancestor of the Messiah - The King of Kings.
Application: Even when the life you hoped for has been robbed from you by the sin of someone else, God can use that evil to accomplish His great good in your life.
V.) Mary: From Favored One To Grieving Widow
From all indications Mary was from a godly family. Her relatives, Zacharias and Elizabeth, were from the priestly tribe- Levi. Mary had a vast knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures (Luke 1:46-46; The Magnificat). Both Matthew and Luke go out of their way to make the point that Mary was a virgin and for this, as well as other things, God calls her "favored one" (Luke 1:28). The Bible gives every indication that Mary was seeking and godly life - and a godly life it would be. But Mary's greatness would not be seen by her generation. Her piety would be known by God alone and the world would view her completely different.
God's plans for Mary were indeed great. She would bear a child, the greatest child heaven and earth would ever know, but not in the way that most girls dream it. Mary would conceive her child before she was married. A child, conceived in her by the Holy Spirit - but the world had never seen such a miracle and who could even believe it was possible. The dreams that Mary had as a child, whatever they were, were no match for the greatness she would experience.
She would be the fulfillment of Scripture.
She and Joseph would receive blessings from both angels and prophets.
Old men would call her baby Lord and kings would bow down to worship him before He could even talk.
Her child would be perfect, faultless, and display wisdom that exceeded even the greatest teachers in Jerusalem.
Her son would heal the sick, give sight to the blind, raise the dead, walk on water, heal the crippled, walk on water, and cast demons away with a word.
But,
Her life would be shadowed by rumors of infidelity.
She would spend several years in the foreign land of Egypt, running from an evil king.
She would spend the majority of her life as a widow.
But worst of all - she watch her son die. Her perfect and blameless son. The one about whom prophecies had been made, the one of whom she was told that he would be the redemption of Israel.
Mary's life did not go as she would have planned it. Mary would surrender the desires of her own heart to follow the Lord's perfect will. Whatever the cost, her resolve would be "may it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38).
Application: Your life may not have gone the way you had planned it either. But God can do things in your life that would make your own plans pale in comparison.
Conclusion
All of these women were different; from different countries, different families, different problems - you name it. Each would experience their own brand of heartache and loss. But through all of these difficulties God used each one of them for his great purpose of redemption.
Mary's life did not end with her son being laid to rest in a tomb. For her sons death was the very thing that all of these women were living for. For in the death of this one righteous man, God has purchased salvation for everyone who believes. And just as Jesus was raised from the dead three days after he was put in the tomb, so do all of those who put their trust in Him look forward to the day when they will be raised to live eternally with the God who created them, loved them, and used five extraordinary women in the plan to save them!
I.) Tamar: From Soap Opera To Blessing (Genesis 38)
After Judah was instrumental in selling his brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt, he left his brother to stay with a certain man named Hirah. There he took up with a Canaanite woman and had three children by her. His oldest son, Er, came to age and Judah arranged for him to marry Tamar. The Bible says that Er was evil in the sight of God and God killed him. According to Jewish Law, Judah's second son Onan was to take Tamar as his wife. He agreed, but knowing that the children would not be his he decided to not go through with it, this displeased God and God killed him as well. Now Judah does not want to give Tamar his third son because he fears that he will die too, so he tells her to go back to her father's house - an act that would be completely shameful to Tamar and her family. When Tamar hears that Judah is going out of town, because his wife had died, Tamar disguises herself like a prostitute and Judah has relations with him and becomes pregnant. When Judah hears of it he wants her burned, but then Tamar reveals to him that the child is his and Judah is shamed into repentance.
Tamar is unknowingly brought into a family that is completely characterized by deception and falsehood.
Tamar loses her first husband and is shamed publicly by her second husband and father-in-law.
Tamar, in desperation, resorts to wickedness in order to try and restore her good name.
In all these events, God uses Tamar's bad situation and bad decisions to accomplish his own good and His own glory. Tamar's son, Perez, becomes such an example of what a righteous man should be that the book of Ruth has this to say about him:
Ruth 4:11-12
11 All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 12 "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman."
Application: Your life might be a soap opera like Tamar's, but that doesn't mean that God does not have big plans for you.
II.) Rahab: From Prostitution To The Hall Of Faith
Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho as the nation of Israel was about to attack it and over-take it. Because the Bible says she lived with her family, she either came from a family of prostitutes or a family with little to no moral compass. When she heard of all the mighty acts that the Lord accomplished through the exodus of Israel from Egypt, she turned from the gods of her nation and believed in The God of Israel. At risk to her own life and the life of her family, she hid the spies that Joshua sent to stake out Jericho before they overthrew it. The spies agreed to save her and her family if she would keep her allegiance to Israel. Rahab kept her word and when Jericho fell, hers was the only family to survive the attack and they remained with Israel for the rest of their lives.
Rahab was a prostitute in a prostitute family.
She lived in a wicked and evil town, where false religion was commonplace.
But when she heard of God's actions, she fled from all that she knew and trusted in God for salvation and even risked her own life to gain it. Hebrews speaks this way of Rahab:
Hebrews 11:31
31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Application: From the worst environment that a person can be born into, Rahab was lifted by God to an example of how faith should look.
III.) Ruth: From Widowed Foreigner To Kinsman Redeemer (Ruth 1-4)
During the time when the judges ruled Israel there was a severe famine in the land. The book of Ruth records that a man named Elimelech and his wife Naomi, a couple from Bethlehem, fled to Moab with their two sons in order to survive. While in Moab Elimelech died and after this the two boys, Mahlon and Chilion, took wives for themselves from the Moabite women. After a period of 10 years, the two of them died and Naomi was left to live with her two daughters-in-law in a foreign land. Now about this time Naomi got word that the Lord had provided food in Israel and she was set to return home. Upon her leaving she tells her two daughters-in-law to return to their homes to take husbands from their own people. Orpah leaves, but the Bible states that Ruth clings to Naomi. Now the Bible seems to give two reasons for Ruth not wanting to leave Naomi's side.
Ruth felt obligated to provide for her mother-in-law and not leave her by herself.
Ruth had placed her faith in the God of Israel and did not want to return to the false gods of Moab.
Ruth does return to Bethlehem and extends her kindness to Naomi once more by not choosing to marry a young man, but an older man who is able to not only provide for her, but also to provide for Naomi as she is now a widow with much land to take care of. God honors Ruth's loyalty and self sacrificing attitude by giving her a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.
Ruth lost her first husband without ever having a child by him.
But,
Ruth chose dedication through hard circumstances over an easy way out.
Ruth chose to leave home, so that she could follow the God she believed in.
Ruth chose a husband that was good for her family, beyond what her personal desires might have been.
For all of this God honored Ruth. Even though she once lived in a foreign land and worshipped false gods, she now would be an ancestor- not only to the great King David- but also to the King of Kings and The Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ.
Application: Through unknown circumstances many people spend large portions of their lives as widows or caregivers. Ruth was both, but God sees your loyalty and faithfulness and will honor it in His perfect time.
IV.) Bathsheba: From Simple Life To Mother Of The King
Bathsheba's life was a roller coaster. The beginning was very simple; she had a simple life as the wife of a soldier living in the city of Jerusalem. During the springtime her husband was off at battle as all the good soldiers were, but King David had decided to stay in the city - and this would prove to be the end of Bathsheba's simple life. David sees her bathing from the roof of the palace and sends guards to bring her back. David takes advantage of her and she ends up pregnant. Now David, knowing that his infidelity will be found out, looks for a way to cover up his sin. First, he brings Uriah back from war, so as to pass the child off as his own. When that strategy fails, David gives orders for Uriah to be killed in battle. After Uriah's death, David takes Bathsheba as his own wife, thinking that he had dodged a bullet - but there is no such thing as covering up a lie with a God who sees everything. God sends Nathan the prophet to convict David of his sin and informs him that the baby will die because he did not obey the words of his God.
From Bathsheba's vantage point things are different.
She is robbed of the simple life that she knew with her husband.
She must not only mourn the loss of the husband she loved, but now marry a man who has multiple wives and be just one in a number.
Her new husband, in his disobedience, will be put to shame - watching both his own family and his kingdom break apart.
Added to all this, her first son dies due to the sin of her new husband David.
But,
God will give her another son. And not just any son; Solomon will be the wisest and richest king that the world has ever known and on top of this Israel will be at piece for the very first time throughout his entire reign.
With this she will become not only the mother of an earthly king, but become an ancestor of the Messiah - The King of Kings.
Application: Even when the life you hoped for has been robbed from you by the sin of someone else, God can use that evil to accomplish His great good in your life.
V.) Mary: From Favored One To Grieving Widow
From all indications Mary was from a godly family. Her relatives, Zacharias and Elizabeth, were from the priestly tribe- Levi. Mary had a vast knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures (Luke 1:46-46; The Magnificat). Both Matthew and Luke go out of their way to make the point that Mary was a virgin and for this, as well as other things, God calls her "favored one" (Luke 1:28). The Bible gives every indication that Mary was seeking and godly life - and a godly life it would be. But Mary's greatness would not be seen by her generation. Her piety would be known by God alone and the world would view her completely different.
God's plans for Mary were indeed great. She would bear a child, the greatest child heaven and earth would ever know, but not in the way that most girls dream it. Mary would conceive her child before she was married. A child, conceived in her by the Holy Spirit - but the world had never seen such a miracle and who could even believe it was possible. The dreams that Mary had as a child, whatever they were, were no match for the greatness she would experience.
She would be the fulfillment of Scripture.
She and Joseph would receive blessings from both angels and prophets.
Old men would call her baby Lord and kings would bow down to worship him before He could even talk.
Her child would be perfect, faultless, and display wisdom that exceeded even the greatest teachers in Jerusalem.
Her son would heal the sick, give sight to the blind, raise the dead, walk on water, heal the crippled, walk on water, and cast demons away with a word.
But,
Her life would be shadowed by rumors of infidelity.
She would spend several years in the foreign land of Egypt, running from an evil king.
She would spend the majority of her life as a widow.
But worst of all - she watch her son die. Her perfect and blameless son. The one about whom prophecies had been made, the one of whom she was told that he would be the redemption of Israel.
Mary's life did not go as she would have planned it. Mary would surrender the desires of her own heart to follow the Lord's perfect will. Whatever the cost, her resolve would be "may it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38).
Application: Your life may not have gone the way you had planned it either. But God can do things in your life that would make your own plans pale in comparison.
Conclusion
All of these women were different; from different countries, different families, different problems - you name it. Each would experience their own brand of heartache and loss. But through all of these difficulties God used each one of them for his great purpose of redemption.
Mary's life did not end with her son being laid to rest in a tomb. For her sons death was the very thing that all of these women were living for. For in the death of this one righteous man, God has purchased salvation for everyone who believes. And just as Jesus was raised from the dead three days after he was put in the tomb, so do all of those who put their trust in Him look forward to the day when they will be raised to live eternally with the God who created them, loved them, and used five extraordinary women in the plan to save them!
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