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Happy Easter Weekend. As my last A to Z Challenge post before Easter, I thought it would be quite fitting to share Jesus’ Genealogy.
In the Books of Matthew and Luke, we get two genealogical lines listed. I won’t get into schematics about which is right or why they offer differing lists. I’ll just leave you to chew on this from R.A. Torrey –
Hence it appears that Matthew, who wrote principally for the Jews, traces the pedigree of Jesus Christ from Abraham, through whom the promises were given to the Jews, to David, and from David, through the line of Solomon, to Jacob the father of Joseph, the reputed or legal father of Christ; and that Luke, who wrote for the Gentiles, extends his genealogy upwards from Heli, the father of Mary, through the line of Nathan, to David, and from David to Abraham, and from Abraham to Adam, who was the immediate “son of God” by creation, and to whom the promise of the Saviour was given in behalf of himself and all his posterity. The two branches of descent from David, by Solomon and Nathan, being thus united in the persons of Mary and Joseph, Jesus the son of Mary re-united in himself all the blood, privileges, and rights, of the whole family of David; in consequence of which he is emphatically called “the Son of David.
What I want to focus on today are the 5 women mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy line: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.
Tamar.
The twice-widowed daughter-in-law of Judah (Brother of Joseph) who took it upon herself to have a child by her widowed father-in-law. Mother of Perez and his twin brother.
Fictional Book Portrayals:
Unveiled by Francine Rivers (Novella)
Betrayed by men who controlled her future, she fought for the right to believe in a loving God.
Rahab.
The prostitute in the city of Jericho who hid the two spies on the rooftop and in turn was spared with her family from the destruction of her city. Mother of Boaz.
Fictional Book Portrayals:
The Crimson Cord by Jill Eileen Smith
Wife to a gambler who took one too many risks, Rahab finds herself sold as a slave to cover her husband’s debt. Forced into prostitution by Dabir, counselor to the Syrian king, Rahab despairs of ever regaining her freedom and her self-respect. But when Israelite spies enter Jericho and come to lodge at her house, Rahab sees a glimmer of hope and the opportunity of a lifetime.
Unashamed by Francine Rivers (novella)
Exploited by men who saw only her beauty, she held fast to her faith in an all-powerful God and was rewarded by being grafted into the family tree of the Messiah.
Ruth.
The widowed Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi who returned to Israel with her mother-in-law and worked in the fields of Boaz to support her mother-in-law. Mother of Obed.
Fictional Book Portrayals:
Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats (mention)
“Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn”
Ruth by Lois T. Henderson
A girl who gave up everything to follow her mother-in-law to a strange land. A girl who lost her husband but found love again. A girl who wouldn’t turn her back on her newfound Faith, though many rejected her.
Unshaken by Francine Rivers (Novella)
Her loyalty—especially toward her mother-in-law Naomi—helped her to persevere in the face of tragedy, and God gave her a second chance at love.
Bathsheba.
The wife of Uriah who had an affair with King David resulting in the murder of Uriah and in a birth of a son (unnamed) who died a few days later as a result of David and Bathsheba’s sin. Mother of Solomon.
Fictional Book Portrayals:
Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith
Bathsheba is a woman who longs for love. With her devout husband away fighting the king’s wars for many months at a time, discontent and loneliness dog her steps–and make it frighteningly easy to succumb to King David’s charm and attention.
Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty by Angela Hunt
After receiving God’s promise of a lifelong reign and an eternal dynasty, King David forces himself on Bathsheba, a loyal soldier’s wife. When her resulting pregnancy forces the king to murder her husband and add her to his harem, Bathsheba struggles to protect her son while dealing with the effects of a dark prophecy and deadly curse on the king’s household.
Unspoken by Francine Rivers (novella)
David and Bathsheba’s scandalous affair did not end in one night. To many, her name means seduction and sin, yet God called Bathsheba His own, worthy of the legacy of His Son.
Mary.
The virgin who conceived Jesus miraculously through the Holy Spirit. Mother of Jesus.
Fictional Book Portrayals:
Unafraid by Francine Rivers (novella)
she was an ordinary woman striving to please God in the same way that women still do today. When God spoke, Mary responded in simple obedience.
Happiest of Easters to all!
