Women in the Genealogy? What's that about?

Women are never listed in the Bible's genealogies and yet, here in Matthew chapter 1, Matthew lists 5 different women who are in the blood line of Jesus. What's that about? And what is Matthew saying of them, and of himself as well?  You won't want to miss this final episode in the interim season 2 of the Bobs Your Uncle podcast. 

Transcript

Devotional #5:   Women in a genealogy? What!

The Jesus Genealogy: What’s the point?

We read in chapter 1 of Matthew:
3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

 Jews didn’t list women in their genealogies. Men have children. But Matthew records 5 women in the full disclosure list of the heritage of Jesus. Why did he do that?  And who were they anyway?

The first one listed is Tamar. She was Judah’s daughter-in-law and he had sex with her producing twins. The evil he represented in his actions and his lying is embarrassing at least and devilish at worst. 

Woman #2 is Rahab, and all we know of her profession as inn-keeper is that she was a harlot. The Bible is raw and exposes the dark side of its own heroes. Woman #3 is Ruth who came from the Moabites whose history is at best checkered as well. She was to have been sent home across the Jordan, but Boaz married her, and she became the great-grandmother of Israel’s great King David.

And speaking of David, he also knew sexual impropriety with woman #4. Her name is Bathsheba, and she was married to a man named Uriah. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and basically had Uriah killed on the field of battle. 

Woman #5 is Mary, and her story is landmark. She announced to everyone in her small village that she was pregnant and that she was still a virgin. You can imagine the whispers in town. 

All five of these women had reason to be embarrassed at some impropriety and indignity in their lives. Why include them? Matthew alone includes them, perhaps to help us understand his own thankfulness.

Later in his biography he reports this, “Jesus said to the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the day), “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.” (21.31) 

Matthew as a tax collector was despised by most Jews. Prostitutes were similarly discarded by society. Here Yeshua says that even for them, there is great hope. Why? They know their needs. They cry out to God for mercy and God will give it to them. No wonder Matthew equates his standing with that of the prostitutes. No wonder he includes those wayward women in his genealogy of Yeshua. 

Grace abounds to those who desperately call on the Lord. If you want what Matthew found. If you want what I have found in the forgiveness and grace and mercy of the Lord, then call on him while he is near. 

Yes, your background may be sketchy and daggy, but God can make his Messiah come to and through you. Don’t be afraid, it’s the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. 

Thanks for joining me for this episode 5 of the interim season 2 of the Bobs Your Uncle podcast. Remember, when things seem bleak or uncertain, look up to God, he’s in his heaven, and Bob’s your uncle. Shalom from Sydney.