And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar… and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab, and Booz begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed begat Jesse. Matthew 1:3,5
Huge boxes of documents were stacked high in a room on the top floor of the museum. They weren’t much to look at, and the guide told us that those boxes contained material that nobody had taken the time to go through for anything of value. Documents and materials from many sources were stored there, all of them with something to say but nobody to determine whether they were worthwhile to look at. They were like the genealogies in the Bible, which most people ignore as not worth exploring or studying. But those boring li8sts of unpronounceable names are in Scripture for some reason, or the Holy Spirit would not have placed them there. A look at today’s texts, for example, reveal some very exciting pieces of information that have a direct bearing on you and me.
The genealogy of Jesus Christ is marked by three references to women, as we have read. Of Tamar’s background we know nothing, although it appears she was a Canaanite. So was Rahab the Harlot of Jericho. Ruth was a Moabitess who had been an idol worshipper before her trek to Bethlehem. All of these women had questionable pasts, but all of them were noted for individual, specific acts of faith. And in so doing, they assured themselves of a personal blessing and of a listing in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Rahab even earned herself a place in the Hebrews 11 listing of the Old Testament faith hall of fame. And Ruth has an entire book named after her. When we speak of the Lord Jesus extending His blessings to the Gentiles after He was rejected by the Jews, we miss the point that He extended His blessings to Gentiles before His birth also. These ladies speak to us today of what God has done for us.
With each of these three women, it was an individual act, not a lifestyle or a family connection, that marks their inclusion in the blessing. That single act marked the difference between blessing and destruction. And so it is with us. In each of our lives came that moment when we trusted Christ as Saviour. No other moment of our lives is significant except as it relates to that time of conversion. From that event spring all of the blessings we receive in Christ, both here in this life and for all eternity. Just as those women could never have imagined what their acts of faith would result in, we have little realization of what our act of faith has accomplished. We are objects of God’s great purposes, and, like the three Gentile brides of Jesus’ genealogy, we can only thank Him for whatever small part we play in those purposes.
Like the Gentile brides of antiquity, we appreciate our connection with our Lord’s great plan. – Jim MacIntosh