SET UP: When we think of someone’s lineage or when we share stories about our ancestors, we tend to share our ties to people who did amazing things. On my dad’s side, one of my ancestors is Daniel Boone. On my mom’s side, grandmother was a descendent of the Hohenzollerns, a royal family from Germany.
It was prophesied that Jesus would come from the line of King David. It would make sense that the Almighty Savior of the World would be descended from one of the most powerful kings in Israel’s history. But God often uses unexpected people to bring His plans to fruition.
In Jesus’ day, women typically weren’t included in the genealogy list. It was more important who your male ancestors were; however, in Jesus’ genealogy, God saw it fit to include five women - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah, and Mary (Matthew 1:1-16).
The stories of these women are some of my favorite accounts told in Scripture. Not only does God highlight the faith of women in a time where their stories were rarely told, but He shares the stories of women who were looked down on by society.
Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and slept with her father-in-law as a weird version of revenge.
Rahab was a prostitute who hid Israelite spies and later joined the Hebrews.
Ruth was from a pagan culture looked down upon by the Israelites.
The wife of Uriah is never explicitly named, but her husband was killed by King David in order to cover up his affair with her.
Mary became pregnant out of wedlock while engaged to her future husband.
Sadly, if we met these women today, many of us would write them off as helpless cases. But God not only chose to change their lives around, He also used them to bring His Son into our world. They hoped in something bigger than themselves, and they are now recorded in God’s Word.
Maybe your heritage isn’t that fantastic. Maybe your family is the epitome of dysfunction. But God can use anyone as long as their hope is in Him and His promises.
PASSAGE TO READ: Matthew 1:1-16
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
How does your family or your background impact your faith?
Does your hope affect how you interact with your family? How?
PRAYER IDEA: “God, thank you for using people who don’t seem that special in society’s eyes. Thank you for wanting to use us in Your work, even though it’d most definitely be easier to do it on Your own. I know Your plan for me is greater than my background and my heritage. No matter what my history is, I can hope in Your promise to use my life in a way greater than I could ever imagine. Amen.”