Today’s Reading: Matthew 1:4-5, Joshua 6, Ruth 4, 1 Samuel 16

Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse. – Matthew 1:4-5

We have very little information about Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, or Nahshon except to know that they were leaders of the tribe of Judah and faithfully gave their offerings to the Lord. There is not much said about Salmon and yet he is one of my favorites.

Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house. So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. – Joshua 6:22-25

SALMON WAS THE KIND OF MAN WHO WAS WILLING TO LOVE A WOMAN WITH A PAST.

Rahab, the hero in the story of Israel’s defeat of Jericho, was brought into the family of God. She had been a prostitute and yet God used her in a mighty way to fulfill His promise to Abraham. Her courage and her willingness to serve the God of the Israelites not only gave her a place in the tribe of Judah, it gave her a place in the lineage of Jesus. This woman was rescued through the love of her husband, forgiven by the grace of her God and redeemed by the blood of her descendant — Jesus.

The Lord blessed the union of Salmon and Rahab, and they gave birth to a son whom they named Boaz. Just as Salmon had been the Family Redeemer for a woman named Rahab, Boaz was the Family Redeemer for a woman named Ruth.

BOAZ WAS THE KIND OF MAN WHO WAS WILLING TO LOVE AND CARE FOR A WIDOW AND HER MOTHER-IN-LAW.

This Moabite woman, who was raised by her family to worship false idols, made the choice to walk away from everything she knew and serve the God of her mother-in-law. Her dedication to care for Naomi and to worship the God of the Israelites led to her own journey of redemption. Ruth was embraced through the love of her husband, cared for through the compassion of her God and redeemed through the blood of her descendant — Jesus.

The Lord blessed the union of Boaz and Ruth, and they gave birth to a son whom they named Obed. Obed’s claim to fame is that he was the father of Jesse, whose story is told in 1 Samuel 16. As an obedient response to God’s direction, Samuel went to Jesse with a flask of olive oil and the intent to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the new king of Israel. So in the small town of Bethlehem, the future birthplace of the Messiah, Jesse lined up his seven sons for Samuel to choose from. One by one, Samuel recognized that the Lord had not chosen any of these brothers to be king.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

He asked Jesse if he had any other sons and Jesse sent for his youngest who was out in the fields watching the sheep and goats. David was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. The Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him” (16:12).

JESSE WAS THE KIND OF FATHER WHO WAS WILLING TO LET GO OF HIS SON AND ALLOW HIM TO PURSUE GOD’S CALL ON HIS LIFE.

These men and women in the genealogy of Jesus were not perfect, but they were chosen by God. They were unaware that the Messiah would come through their direct line of descendants, but their influence was passed down from generation to generation. Have you considered what God has ahead for those in your family line? The decisions we make today have the potential to influence their story. What will they say about us? What story will be told about our faith?

Father God, we submit to your plans for our life. We let go of our own dreams and allow you to weave our stories into your story. Even though it is a harder decision to make, we also trust you with our family, and we look forward to watching as you make something beautiful out of the lives of those we love most. Thank you for this morning’s reminder that you love us regardless of our past, that you are our family Redeemer, and that you are asking us to give our loved ones space to pursue all that you have for them. Amen.