11. A Man Separated for a Blessing
Obed-Edom also had sons… (for God had blessed Obed-Edom). (1 Chronicles 26:4-5)
We can find out why Obed-Edom was blessed by referring to 2 Samuel 6:11.
The ark of the LORD stayed three months in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite, and the LORD blessed him and all his house.
12. Women are cited in the genealogy of the Messiah
Four women are mentioned in the line of Messiah, and they all had dubious reputations. This shows us how the redemptive plan God had for mankind excluded no one. All he asks for is repentance and trust.
Tamar: Judah, the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. (Matthew 1:3)
Rahab: Salmon, the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. (Matthew 1:5a)
Ruth: Boaz, father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. (Matthew 1:5b)
Bathsheba: David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. (Matthew 1:6)
The genealogies of Jesus differ in some respects in accounting from Matthew and Luke. These are not differences. Although both use the name Joseph, the tradition at this time was to trace ancestry back to the father. Matthew’s inheritance is the line of Joseph, even though the line of Joseph did not enter the body of Jesus. Luke’s context traces Mary’s family history using Joseph as the supposed father of Jesus.
The roots of Joseph contain an inheritance from Jeconiah, and Jeremiah prophesied that no descendant of Jeconiah would sit on the throne of David because of the wickedness of Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:24-30).
A new way to view genealogies
If we can learn to view the genealogies of the Bible as an exploration of history and an adventure to learn more about biblical saints, we may find that they are not as boring as we thought.
Because the Lord included these meticulous details in His Word, there is no doubt that Jesus’ birth fulfilled prophecy regarding his right to the throne of Israel. And we can learn from the mistakes certain characters make while observing the rewards that come from obedience.
These things happened to them as examples and were written as warnings to us upon whom the culmination of the ages has come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)
Everything in the Word of God is for our benefit and training. We can avoid a lot of pain when we listen to it instead of going to the school of hard knocks.
Photo credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/JerryGrugin
