Four Women

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. 

Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab.  Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. 

Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother [Bathsheba] had been the wife of Uriah.

Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph.  Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah.  Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. 

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok.  Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. 

Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1-17)

Quite the genealogy!  Why all this detail at the very beginning of Matthew?  The key would appear to be the strange inclusion of four gentile women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba who were all sexually compromised women.  Matthew’s genealogy proclaims that the line that produced Jesus flowed through the incest of Tamar, the prostitution of Rahab, seduction of Ruth, and the adultery of Bathsheba.  This is the way Matthew introduced his story of the miraculous birth of Jesus.  

Matthew countered enemies of the Jesus movement who insisted Jesus was an illegitimate child of Mary. Matthew believed God could bring holiness out of any human symbol of brokenness, inadequacy, or even evil.  

Matthew knew God could bring holiness out of incest, prostitution, seduction, and adultery.  Therefore, those trying to assassinate Jesus’ character by suggesting he was “baseborn” could not be successful.  God can work through any set of human circumstances to bring holiness out of life.

Should we take this genealogy literally?  No, but it makes a marvelous point, especially for those of us who are “baseborn.”

Deacon David Pierce