Christmas 2022 Ep. 2: “The Ladies of Matthew Chapter 1.”
The Ladies of Matthew chapter 1.
…and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar...v. 3
…and Salmon begat Boaz of Rachab…
…and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth…v.5
…and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba)…v. 6
THAMAR. RACHAB. RUTH. BATHSHEBA.
I am blown away by these names this morning! I have “noted” the last 3 on several occasions, but this morning, I noticed “Thamar,” too. WA_OOOW! In Jesus “family tree” listed in Matthew 1…there are 41 men, but only 4 women. Every one of these women have a “story.” Every one of these women have a history, a past. Their inclusion in Jesus’ genealogy is literally shocking, because each of these are women, who in some way are marked by scandal and tragedy. Their lives are not the “squeaky clean” lives I would’ve chosen for the bloodline of the Messiah. Yet there are their names, forever etched in black and white on the pages of Scripture.
Who are the ladies of Matthew 1?
THAMAR: Genesis 38 is a brief interruption in the 13 chapters about the life of Joseph. It is, in my mind, so out of place, and I have long considered it one of the most scandalous stories in the Bible. Thamar’s tale is sordid. In a very brief nutshell, Thamar is Judah’s daughter-in-law. She is married to both of his oldest sons who die at the hand of the Lord while married to her. The “law” required that the next son in line be given to her as a husband. Judah pledges his third son, Shelah, to her, but doesn’t make good on the pledge. In a brazen move, Thamar “took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil.” She literally pretends to be a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law. In this brief liaison, she becomes pregnant and retains proof that Judah is indeed the father. She gives birth to twins, (one of who’s names means “interruption”) and Pharez is ushered into the bloodline of Jesus. “Read Genesis 38..it’s far more scandalous than relayed here. Thamar’s story is outrageous, but God, in His sovereignty, chose for it to be memorialized on the pages of His Word and chose for us to be reminded of it in the listing of His human ancestry.
That is Thamar.
RAHAB: was a foreign prostitute. Our first introduction to her is in Joshua 2:1 à Joshua sends spies to the first city of conquest in the Promised Land. “And Joshua…sent out two men to spy secretly…and they went…and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there. Her name is listed 8 times in the Bible, and 4 of those IDENTIFY her as “a harlot” or “the harlot.” In spite of her identity, she hides the spies and secures salvation for not only herself, but for her family, as well. (Joshua 6:17, 23) When the famous collapse of Jericho happens, she and her family have been rescued by a scarlet cord placed in her window. We don’t have the rest of the story “in print,” but we do see that her scarlet cord ends up being woven into the bloodline of Jesus. Her identity as a harlot at some point shifted, and she was recorded in Matthew Chapter 1. In spite of being foreign…in spite of being from a disreputable background, she’s there.
This is Rahab.
RUTH: was a foreigner. Throughout the law, God had given strict instructions that His people were not to intermarry with foreigners. But Ruth was not simply a foreigner…she was a Moabite. In Deuteronomy 23:3, God had given implicit instructions regarding the Moabites: “A …. Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord…” (This was due to the fact that the Moabites had refused to give bread and water to the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt. (Deut. 23:4) Throughout the book bearing her name, Ruth is listed six times as “the Moabitess.” She “should not” be here. Her story doesn’t fit. She was a Moabite…an outcast.
We most often think of Ruth for her loyalty, and she WAS incredibly loyal to Naomi, yet some of her actions, in light of her day’s customs and protocols could’ve also been seen as extremely forward…bordering on impropriety. But foreign, Moabite, nor improper would not see here excluded from the Royal lineup.
That is Ruth.
BATHSHEBA: also know, according to Matthew, as “her that HAD BEEN the wife of Urias.” For most, this is probably the most well-known story of the 4. “Bath”-sheba was the bathing beauty who garnered both the attention and invitation of the king. David summons her to the palace, and after what appears to be a “one-night stand,” (2 Samuel 11: 3-5) she sends word to the palace that she’s “with child.” In a frantic scheme to cover his sin, David first attempts to bring her husband home so it will appear that the child is “his.” But Uriah refuses the comforts of home, because his “brothers” are yet on the battlefield, and instead, unwittingly carries his own death sentence to the front line of battle. David receives word back that Uriah is dead, allows Bathsheba a period of mourning, and then calls here back to the king’s house. 2 Samuel 11:27 says, “David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife and bare him a son.” The story continues that, the baby dies at 8 days old. Such an incredibly complex and grotesque situation.
Quite honestly, we don’t know much about Bathsheba’s side of the story. Clearly, we see scandal, and that she committed adultery which all began because she took a bath outside, but we don’t know if the encounter with David was unwelcome or forced. We do see that she suffered great loss of both a dear husband and an infant son. We know her as a seductress…a scandalous, roof-bathing gal, but undoubtedly, her story is far deeper. She is the 2nd face of one of the greatest and most widely known disgraceful stories of all time. Her story is not only disgraceful, it is also heart-breaking. She has gone down on the page of history with a scarlet letter, yet here we see her on the pages of the Word, highlighted for all time as “her that had been the wife of Urias.” Her scarlet letter didn’t exclude her from the bloodline of “Jesus Christ, the son of David…” (Matthew 1:1) …by her son, Solomon.
That is Bathsheba.
These four ladies are outsiders. These four ladies are unworthy. These four ladies are not the one’s I would’ve chosen. Their lives are messy…their stories, even the little we know of them, are complex and complicated…probably confusing at times. BUT THESE ARE THE FOUR LADIES THAT JESUS CHOSE TO IDENTIFY WITH. These are the women He chose as His great-great-great-Grandma’s…these are the ladies He chose to mention by name.
As I write this, Ephesians 2:12-13 keeps coming to mind… “at that time, you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
At the end of the day, we are all “far off…” all strangers…all unworthy…all “scandalous” in some way.
Scandalous stories called for scandalous grace. And that is precisely what Jesus provided. I believe He included the names of these four precious women as yet another image of those He came for. “He shall save His people from their sin.” (Matthew 1:21) He offered their names as a reference to their stories…He offered their “profiles” as a signal of hope. He paints a picture that says, “your past does not determine your future.” He came FOR the mess. HE came FOR the complications. He came as a solution FOR our hurts and our consequences. He came FOR those who knew they needed a Savior.
These four ladies of Matthew chapter 1 prove that He is not daunted by “outsiders.” He is not appalled by sordid sagas. He still reaches for the strangers and the scandalous. He is looking for those who’s stories “don’t fit.” He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Your story…my story…not matter what dark elements they’ve held and not matter what question marks may linger, if surrendered, will not see us excluded, but rather, “scripted in…” Your story, your pain, your past, your sin, your challenge is what qualifies you for grace, for salvation.
Thank you, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba for the reminder of grace.
Thank you for the HOPE your stories signal to all who are coming along behind. And, mostly, thank You, Jesus, that you never count anyone “out.”
Thank you for joining me for this journey!
Go grab your Bible and your journal!
I look forward to the power of this habit in your life.