Write out your verse and comments below if you have time. I love to read them!
Sorry this is SO long, friends. Did you manage to read it all? No worries if you couldn’t. I am commenting on the genealogy part, today, because that’s what struck me. But, I’ll also share, below that, my thoughts on why God chose Judah, the fourth son of Israel, to be the one whose line led to Jesus, the Messiah. So … read on:
Here’s my verse and comments:
Matthew 1:5 “Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab.) Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth.) Obed was the father of Jesse.”
Oh Father, what a cluster of amazing people in this verse! Boaz’s mother was Rahab, the woman who chose to believe in Israel’s God, hid the spies and asked that her life be spared along with her relatives. A woman of unique courage and decisiveness. But … is that why Boaz was older and still unmarried? Did no one want their daughter to marry the son of a foreigner? And then Boaz marries Ruth, another foreigner. Another woman who chose You over her own gods. And then came King David just a few generations later. Thank You, Lord God, for including these brave women in the line of Christ. It thrilled my heart this morning. You welcomed outsiders who sought You … even in the days before Christ … and you elevated them to a place of honor.
Thoughts on Judah:
Genesis 37:26 – Judah had a soft heart even in his early days. He did not want to kill Joseph, like the other brothers did. He knew it would tear at his father, whom he loved.
Genesis 44:17-45:2 – Judah was willing to sacrifice himself for his father’s sake when Joseph (in disguise) demanded that Benjamin be left behind when the brothers came to buy food during the famine. “My life for his,” Judah basically said, foreshadowing Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, His life for ours.
Genesis 49:8-10 – The prophecy is here, from Israel’s lips during his blessing of Judah. From Judah, fourth-born son, but dear in God’s heart, would come the Messiah.
Hope that is helpful, friends. I promise this was the longest reading. But how could we skip either the genealogy or Judah? We couldn’t. And so we didn’t. Thanks for being on this journey with me. Thanks for your comments. They cheer me on, knowing you are doing this study alongside me.
