Scripture

Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth.

Observation

Matthew’s gospel begins with a genealogy, a list of the ancestors of Jesus. This list concludes with “Mary gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.”

There are, in total, 42 generations from Abraham to Joseph, listed in three groups of 14 generations.

Application

I don’t get excited about genealogies in the Bible. The lists of names do not resonate with me. They were important for ancient people to locate individuals in the great stories of history.

Matthew mentions three women in his genealogy. This is a political or theological statement in its own right. Women are important and a big part of God’s plan.

Rahab helped Joshua’s invasion of the Promised Land. She was a prostitute. Anybody can be a part of God’s people regardless of their past.

Ruth was fiercely loyal to her mother-in-law Naomi through family tragedies. She clung to faith in the God of Israel, even though it seemed that God had abandoned them.

Bathsheba was widowed because of the lust and subsequent perfidy of David.

These women were all dealt bad hands in life, but in different ways remained faithful to God.

As a result, they became big names in God’s story.

Prayer

Lord, success in your kingdom is just being faithful to you. Please help me to trust you and obey you always. Amen.