It seems that at one time or another everyone becomes interested in their past. We become interested in who in our past played a role in history and in the making of who we are in the present. We look for our roots be researching our ancestry. Sometimes, in digging into the past we discover a bit of history that one wished they never discovered.
Yet, when we open our Bibles to the beginning of the book of Matthew and its introduction to the Christmas story, most people skip right past the geneolgy of Christ. Come to think of it, Did you ever receive a Christmas card with these words? "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: . . . " (Matthew 1:1 NIV)
Why do people skip over these verses? I suspect we all do, for even I have caught myself doing it? After all these are part of the Bible, the inspired word of God. Certainly there is a reson that they were placed in Matthew at the beginning of the Christmas story. Do we skip over the geneolgy because we struggle with the pronouciation? Is it possible that we skim past this list of names because we are lazy or short on time and do not want to make the effort to discover who these individuals are? Do we decicide out of lack of knowledge that this is just unimportant passages of Scripture? We must remember that God thought them important or He would not have inspired, Matthew, the writer to include them. Most people probably only recognize six or less names on the list.
If you will take the time to discover who these people are that are listed, you will discover that this geneology is a lesson on human life; its shortness, its changes; its succession. The list ranges in scope from a patriarch, Abraham, in whom God promised that in his "seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" to kings such as David to whom the promise was made that the Messiah would come through his lineage, to Joseph, a carpenter, "the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ" (Mastthew 1:16 NIV).
Looking at the list we find several names that one would think would be a disgrace for the Son of God to have in his lineage. To name three, there was Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:1-5,19,22), Manasseh (2 Kings 21:1-16), and Amon (2 Kings 19-23). How could God allow the likeness of such sinful men be placed in the lineage of Jesus Christ? Because we find Jesus appearing "in the likeness of sinful flesh" but yet without sin.
What really caught my interest was the fact that in this geneolgy were the names of three women and the mention of a fourth to which there is no doubt as to who she was. I find it surprising and interesting that women would be listed in a Jewish pedigree. And of all the women to choose from, four of the most unlikely candidates were chosen.
Tamar - twice left a childless widow. Was betrothed to be married to Judah's son, Shelah. It is thought that she may have been a Canaanite, a condemed race that Joshua had been commanded to destroy. When promises were not kept, she sought revenge by becoming a prostitute and committing adsultery.
Rahab - Also a prostitute and a Canaanite. However, she feared God and helped Joshua and the Israelites.
Ruth - a childless widow. She was a Moabite, a people hated by Jews and forbidden by God to enter the house of the Lord unto the tenth generation. Moabites were the result of incest on the part of Lot's oldest daughter. Yet, Ruth chose to remain faithful to God's people.
Bathsheba - She is not mentioned by mane, but the statement draws attention to her sin of adultery. She was as guilty as David. She undoubtedly used her seductiveness to draw attention to herself as David walked his roof in the evening and was able to look down upon where she lived.
What should all of this tell us? There are no limits or boundaries to God's grace. He can use any and everybody to work out His will.
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