In recent years, some of my family members have been looking into their own genealogy, including their DNA. They have taken this on as a personal hobby, but also something they can share with their family members. Some unexpected discoveries have been made, including both good and bad things. They have uncovered some family secrets, and have also confirmed some other family stories. The Bible is full of genealogy, starting with Adam and Eve. Some people do not care at all of their family history and blood line, but others do.
Recently, the Women's Bible Study spent time on the story of Rahab. We first meet her early in the Book of Joshua, when she decides to hide the two Israelite spies on the roof of her house and lie to the king's men about their whereabouts. She makes a deal with the men, revealing that her own people are scared of the Israelite's powerful God and she . She wants her own family to be saved from the takeover of her own city by God's people. Rahab sounds smart and cunning, knowing which side to be on and recognizing who the true God is. Later we will see her name in the genealogy line of Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus the Messiah.
There are some wonderful things to say about Rahab. She is referred throughout the Bible for several parts of her character. She was also known as a prostitute. Some Bible translations say "innkeeper", but most of them describe her as I said. To have a person with such a profession in your family tree may not be something to brag about, but having someone with her kind of character (brave, smart, righteous) is someone to highlight. As she is saved by the Israelites from the destruction of her city, she lives among them the rest of her life. She became a believer and worshiped the true God. Her birthplace, her upbringing, her profession, did not count her out when it came to doing great things for the Kingdom. She made the choice to believe in the power of the Almighty, and to follow Him. Do you let your past, or your current situation, keep you from following the true God?
Matthew 1:1-17
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud, 15 Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
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