Peculiar Genealogy

Years ago I was asked if I preached on the genealogy of Jesus At Christmas time. I replied yes to which the person questioning me asked what you preach about the genealogy? I find Jesus genealogy rather interesting. The most interesting genealogy to me is the one we find in Matthew chapter 1. I find it most interesting because this particular genealogy includes five women. As humans we tend to hide from others what we might think is damaging to ourselves and our reputation. Matthew, on the other hand, included these five women who had some questionable backgrounds.

 

First of all they were women in a predominantly male directed society. Tamar, through a series of events we can find in Genesis 38, dressed up like a harlot and seduced her father-in-law Judah to sleep with her so she could have a son and keep the inheritance for her first late husband Er. 

Secondly there's Rahab. She was unknown harlot, she was not a Jew nor was she an Israelite. Yet God chose her to protect the spies sent into Jericho to scout for the upcoming battle and include her in the genealogy.

Thirdly there's Ruth. A wonderful story of redemption. However, she had some difficult barriers to overcome as well. She was a Moabite and her only connection to Israel was by marriage. After she lost her first husband that connection seemed to fade away. She is then married to Boaz after the first kinsman redeemer refuses to marry her.

Fourthly there's Bathsheba. She is the one with whom David commits adultery. David then has her husband Uriah killed to hide the sin.  Yet we find her mentioned in Jesus genealogy.

The last woman that is mentioned is Mary the mother of Jesus. She was betrothed to Joseph but was with child before they were actually married. In that day that carried the penalty of death. One couldn't hide pregnancy forever. It was absolutely scandalous.

If these kind of difficulties were in my past I would probably try to hide some of those things. But I think there's a reason God allows those individuals to be mentioned in Jesus genealogy. Consider the barriers: gender, nationality, religion, and sin. Three of them were created by God: gender, nationality, religion. Both God and man can cross those barriers. The fourth barrier sin, which was man-made can only be crossed by God.  God crossed all of those barriers and sent His Son Jesus to die for mankind. What grace and mercy!

God’s Bigness (Part 6 of 6)

The one thing that impresses me the most from the book of Job to all that happened in the book and especially to God’s discourse about Himself.  Consider Job’s reaction in chapter 40:3-5

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?

 I lay my hand on my mouth.

 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;

 twice, but I will proceed no further

And in chapter 42:1-6

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

 “I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? ’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

 ‘Hear, and I will speak;

 I will question you, and you make it known to me. ’

 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

 therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes

Most of the time, we just need to shut our mouth and listen!  God is not interested in our answers.  God wants us to be interested in the God of the answers.  I have often heard “I could never go through what Job went through.” If you have said that, you are probably right.  You are too big and God is too small.  When God is big,  we can face anything life or Satan throws at us.  God is so much bigger than life or Satan.  He is bigger than anything we can imagine!

God’s Bigness (Part 5 of 6)

As I write this portion of the blog, I am listening to the song More Than Wonderful.  How fitting! Towards the end of the book of Job, God speaks of His own bigness.  One would think that Job ‘s friends and especially Job had a great view of just how big God is, but God reveals to them just how much bigger He is than they had imagined.  Consider what God says about Himself by the questions He asks Job:  38:4-11

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

 On what were its bases sunk,

or who laid its cornerstone,

 when the morning stars sang together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

 “Or who shut in the sea with doors

when it burst out from the womb,

 when I made clouds its garment

and thick darkness its swaddling band,

 and prescribed limits for it

and set bars and doors,

 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,

and here shall your proud waves be stayed’

This is just a taste of what God says about Himself .  He does not need a book, a satellite or a doctorate in physics to know these things.  He has all the knowledge He will ever have or need.  He cannot get any more intelligent or wise.  He is incomprehensible, yet He has given us a lifetime to experience Him, a lifetime to only begin to comprehend Him.  Just think of what Heaven will be.  

God's Bigness Part 4 of 6

In the middle part of the book of Job, Job and his friends all speak of how big God is.  Consider what they say of God:

Chapter 9 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded? —he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger, who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; who made the Bear and Orion, he Pleiades and the chambers of the south; who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him

Chapter 12 With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open. If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. With him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his. He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty. He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light. He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man

Chpater19 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

Chapter 25 Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high heaven. Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not arise

It is said of God: He redeems, He accepts, He restores, He raises up, He judges, He punishes, He listens, He gives life, He takes life, He offers hope.

That is a GREAT BIG GOD!!

God’s Bigness (Part 3 of 6)

God’s Bigness (Part 3 of 6)

After being attacked once by Satan and losing all that Job had lost, most people would have reacted the way Job’s wife had:  “Curse God and die”.  I can’t imagine losing the little that I have or my children but to lose all of that in a few moments time and then to lose my health an wife on top of all that loss would be unbearable… without a great big GOd. 

Job tells us just how big his God is by his reaction.  After the first attack: Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.   Job 1:20-22 (emphasis mine) He worshiped.  He did not ask why or why me.  He worshiped! He did not sin, he did not tell God he chose the wrong person, He worshiped!

After the second attack, his wife suggested “Curse God and die”.  Emotionally she was hurting just as much if not more than Job.  Before you condemn her for that reaction, remember, these things had happened to her as well. Job said “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil.”  I don’t suggest that any man say the things that Job said to his wife, but I think we all need to be rebuked once in a while. 

Once again, Job’s reaction speaks of how big God was to Job: In all this Job did not sin with his lips.  Oh that our God would be that big to us!