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Matt 1:1-17
This is a geneology of Jesus Christ. What is of interest to me is that most geneologies in the Bible do not include women at all. However this one does include women. Why the difference here?
Why Include Women?
One might conclude that there were some women who did spactacular things to overcome the cultures desire to show little regard for women in this way. If one concludes that way one would be wrong. The women are Rahab the harlot who helped Isreal defeat Jericho. They are the foreigner Ruth. Another is the “her who had been the wife of Uriah.” The writer is not trying to hide anything there.
Who were These Women?
Ruth was a foreigner. Foreigners are often not held in high esteem even today in america as we battle with how we will deal with foreigners who come into our land to work. And yet that Bible writer chose a foreigner to include in the list.
Rahab was a prostitute. While she did help Isreal why include her when we are dicussing Jesus’ geneology? Why not just set it aside. Finally the mother of Solomon. who can forget all the sex, murder, and intrigue that ended in the birth of Solomon. And yet the Bible writer wanted to remind us of that as being important in the geneology.
Perhaps God is telling us that God can bring the messiah even through our own mishaps. Perhaps God is telling us that God can bring the Messiah even through people who might be considered “other.” Perhaps God is telling us that there is no place that is unredeemable. I praise God that God uses even a foreigner, prostitute, and the situation that brought forth Solomon.
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