Matthew 1:3-5

2008
Thursday, December 11

Reading Matthew 1 gave new meaning to God's grace after refering to MacArthur's book 12 extraordinary women. Interestingly described in Matthew 1 is the geneology of Christ. And found within it are the names of 4 women - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba.

It must have been pure grace that brought these women's names into the bible to be preserved wherever the bible was read.

Tamar was actually Judah's daughter-in-law. She married Judah's eldest son Er. But because Er was wicked in God's sight, God killed him and Er's younger brother Onan had to continue Er's family line as was tradition. But unwilling to do so, God killed him as well. And Judah sent Tamar home promising her he will marry the youngest son Shelah when he is of age. But of course he had no intention of doing so. (Genesis 38)

In the end, Tamar became pregnant because of her father-in-law. Posing as a temple prostitute, Judah slept with her without knowing who she was and from that union came offsprings Perez who was part of the line of Christ.

The other women were just as facinating. Rahab was a prostitute or the prostitute that hid the spies from Israel in Jericho. An act so-to-speak that sealed the fate of the city, of course and she saved her whole family. (Joshua 2)

Ruth was a gentile (not a Jewess) who married a Jew but became a widow. She followed her mother-in-law (Naomi) back to her hometown despite Naomi's circumstance. And in the end Ruth's name was included in the Word of God as well.

Last but not least, Bathsheba, the famous lady who took a bath on the rooftop of her house (as was common in those days) and King David "happened" to see her and lusted for her. In the end committed adultary and had her husband, who was his own able general, murdered in the frontlines.

Amazing stories of intrigue, adultary, human failure. All these were included in Christ's family line.

God's greatness and soveriegnty surpasses even human weakness and sin. That is how great our God is...