Rediscovering the Wonder of Christmas: Women in the Genealogy
Speaker: Luke Thomas
Read: Isaiah 5:1-2, Mathew 1:1-17, John 15:1-15, Galatians 3:29
God prophesied an eternal battle between the seed of woman and Satan. He then made a covenant with Abraham promising that through his bloodline would come the Messiah and that all nations of the earth would be blessed as a result of his offspring. Through 42 generations God found a resting place for the seed of His promise. Within the names listed in the Gospel of Matthew, we find four women, in additional to Mary the mother of Jesus, who protected the seed of the promise. Neither of them was perfect, but God does not need a perfect place or person. He simply wants a vessel willing to protect the promise.
Tamar, who had been cast away as she waited for the opportunity to carry on the bloodline, eventually applied God’s law in an unconventional way and acted boldly to protect the promise. Ruth, an unlikely foreigner, recognized her worth and became part of the bloodline by choosing not to compromise. Rahab, a single woman of ill-repute rose up as head of her household and protected her family from imminent danger. And Bathsheba after being seduced and taken advantage of by one in authority remained loyal to protect her seed, Solomon. As believers, we too are part of the Abrahamic covenant and have a responsibility to protect the promise, and then to nurture the vine such that God’s purposes are fulfilled.
God prophesied an eternal battle between the seed of woman and Satan. He then made a covenant with Abraham promising that through his bloodline would come the Messiah and that all nations of the earth would be blessed as a result of his offspring. Through 42 generations God found a resting place for the seed of His promise. Within the names listed in the Gospel of Matthew, we find four women, in additional to Mary the mother of Jesus, who protected the seed of the promise. Neither of them was perfect, but God does not need a perfect place or person. He simply wants a vessel willing to protect the promise.
Tamar, who had been cast away as she waited for the opportunity to carry on the bloodline, eventually applied God’s law in an unconventional way and acted boldly to protect the promise. Ruth, an unlikely foreigner, recognized her worth and became part of the bloodline by choosing not to compromise. Rahab, a single woman of ill-repute rose up as head of her household and protected her family from imminent danger. And Bathsheba after being seduced and taken advantage of by one in authority remained loyal to protect her seed, Solomon. As believers, we too are part of the Abrahamic covenant and have a responsibility to protect the promise, and then to nurture the vine such that God’s purposes are fulfilled.
What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it.
It was said that though we can count the number of seeds in an apple, we cannot count the number of apples in the seed. What does this mean to you? How could this relate to us as believers?
Skim through the following stories and Scripture chapters. For each, describe how these women protected the promise. What can we learn from their stories to apply to our lives?
Tamar – Genesis 38
Rahab – Joshua 2
Ruth – Ruth 2-4
Bathsheba - 2 Samuel 11-12
4. As believers, we are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to the promise. How can we protect the promise?
5. It was said that after protecting the seed, we need to nurture the vine so that it produces what it was designed to do. Read John 15:1-5 and discuss how we can nurture the vine. What is the resulting fruit that develops?
