As you read through Matthew 1:1-17 once again, I’m praying that God will inscribe His statutes and ordinances not on rocky stones but on the tablets of our hearts.
The Women In Jesus’ Genealogy
As the Bible gave account of men in the opening pages of Matthew, God was initially silent about women. As the generational count went on from Abraham to David and so on, one would have expected literarily that the account of women would start along with. Several generations passed by before God mentioned the name of a single woman. And if any woman would be mentioned probably it should start with Sarah the wife of Abraham. Right? Or what do you think?... On the contrary however, the women mentioned had questionable records of account; quite unlike what we would have expected of the messianic genealogy. Only five women were mentioned in Jesus’ Genealogy in Matthew chapter one and they all had one terrible record or the other except for Mary.
1. Tamar (Genesis 38:1-end)
2. Rahab (Joshua 2: 1, 3; 6:17, 23, 25; Hebrews 11:31)
3. Ruth (Ruth 1: 1-end)
4. Bathsheba (2Samuel 11:3, 27)
5. Mary (The mother of Jesus)
The question we need to ask ourselves is that what could God be doing by bringing Jesus through the generation of prostitutes? Can’t God look for better grandparents for Jesus than these women who had very rough beginnings? Maybe you’ll need to take time to study further on each of these women so you’ll understand what I mean. I see God passing across a very strong message to you and me with what He did by choosing these women who had poor beginnings.
As I look through these pages over and over again the Truth in the scriptures became more obvious. Let’s look at it together:
1. Even though God had a perfect plan in mind, He can still use imperfect people. i.e. God can perfect his perfect plan through imperfect people.
2. God does not necessarily use the best of people; but people who whenever they commit sin and fail always realize themselves and plead for forgiveness. i.e. God searches for sincerity and a broken spirit (Psalm 51:8-12) in the heart of His children. Rahab was sincere and humbled herself before the truth. Bathsheba also cried for mercy over shedding innocent blood. Ruth was very sincere.
3. God acknowledges genuine repentance. Despite their sinful nature, these women genuinely repented of their sins and the merciful God still deem it fit to put them in Jesus’ lineage. Infact, Rahab the prostitute was mentioned among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
4. God has a place in his heart for everyone no matter what we have done or have gone through. He’s willing and able to forgive us so we can have a fresh start with Him.
5. God reserves the right to have mercy on whoever He wishes to. Irrespective of records, God’s mercy can still speak.
This is the message for this Christmas season: That no matter what the devil has done with your life, God wants to accept you, redeem you and transform your life to the shame of the devil. At this sensitive time of the year when many people are counting on how much they’ve lost, we should know that there is sufficiency and rest in Christ Jesus. Jesus was not brought into the world for the “perfect” but that everything that was imperfect would be made perfect and all that had been lost could be regained back even in double fold (Mathew 15:24, 18:11; Luke 15:1-2). He did it in the life of the woman he met by the well in Samaria (John 4:1-29), He can do in your life once again. Why not come today. Tomorrow maybe too late (Acts 17:30; 2Corinthians 6:2).
Shalom,
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