Today’s Reading: Ruth 2-3, Romans 3

There are five women in the genealogy of Jesus – five women with stained reputations but also five women whom God chose to bless by placing them in this royal lineage. As Jesus was growing up, I am sure his parents taught him the stories of his ancestors.

What would Jesus have said regarding Ruth, the third of the women in his paternal genealogy? Let’s look at her story – a story that includes the loss of a husband and leaving everything she knows to go to a strange land, only to be treated as an outsider or foreigner. Ruth’s stained reputation had nothing to do with her actions and everything to do with the color of her skin and her ethnic heritage.

Just like Rahab, Ruth was a foreigner who took refuge under the wings of the God of Israel (Ruth 2:12). When given the opportunity to return to her family and their false gods, Ruth said to her mother-in-law, Naomi, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” – Ruth 1:16-17

Naomi returned to land that had been inactive in her husband’s absence. With no one there to plant the seed, there would be no harvest. Naomi sent Ruth out to gather what was left after the workers had harvested the fields. But God’s plan for Ruth was not for her to survive on leftovers, but that she would thrive in abundance. She had been faithfully devoted to both Naomi and to the Lord, and He was about to do something for her that was beyond her understanding.

In those days, the nearest relative to the patriarch in the family was referred to as the “Family Redeemer.” Boaz was a wealthy and influential man; a close relative to Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech. However, Boaz was not the closest relative, so he went on Ruth’s behalf and arranged to buy the land and take Ruth as his wife.

Like Tamar, Ruth was a widow who was left without children to carry on the family name. But God had a plan of redemption for Ruth, just as He had for Tamar. Not only would Ruth’s family be famous in Bethlehem, Bethlehem would become famous because of Ruth’s family.

The women in the town saw this union of Boaz and Ruth as Naomi’s redemption. She had lost her husband and both of her sons and was left alone with only her daughter-in-law to support her. Knowing that the Christ child was to be born in this family lineage, consider the powerful words of these unsuspecting women as they speak a blessing on Naomi and her descendants.

“Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. – Ruth 4:14-17

So Ruth was the great-grandmother to David, the first King of Israel and the one whose lineage would produce the Messiah. From the union of Boaz and Ruth, the ultimate Family Redeemer would be born. Because of our own sinful choices, we were slaves to our sin, but Jesus paid the debt and rescued us from slavery with the shedding of his scarlet blood.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. – Romans 3:23-25a

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. – Ephesians 1:7

This is the story of how Ruth came to be in the lineage of Jesus. Though others saw her as less because of where she came from, God saw her as more because He knew where she was going. God’s plan of redemption was not only for Tamar, Rahab and Ruth; God’s plan of redemption is for us. No matter who we are or what we have done, Jesus is our Family Redeemer. Though we are poor and have nothing of earthly value to offer, He has paid our debt and delivered us from slavery to sin.

Let us worship our Family Redeemer – the One who was born and then died to offer us eternal life. Let us humbly bow down and offer to Him all that we are, along with all of our past regrets, so that we can walk into His future and thankfully accept His gift of salvation.

Today’s Reading: Joshua 2, John 8:1-11

There are five women in the genealogy of Jesus – five women with stained reputations but also five women whom God chose to bless by placing them in this royal lineage. As Jesus was growing up, I am sure his parents taught him the stories of his ancestors. He would have known Rahab’s story – a story that includes prostitution, deceit, dishonesty and finally REDEMPTION and a new life.

Tamar had disguised herself and acted as a prostitute one time in an act of deceit but Rahab made a living from prostitution. Rahab opened her home up to strangers as an inn or hotel in the walled city of Jericho. It was common for women who owned this kind of business to also offer more than just a place to sleep for the night but to also offer their body to the strangers passing through town.

But this night was different. Her guests served the God she had heard so much about, the God who drew her to Himself in a way that perhaps made her feel loved and worthy for the first time. So when she received orders from the king of Jericho to bring out the spies, Rahab lied and said the spies were no longer there. To protect these godly men, she hid them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out on the roof and lied about their whereabouts. She lowered them to the ground out her window using a scarlet rope in order to help them escape safely.

Rahab’s desire was to live. But beyond the idea of escaping death, Rahab’s heart desired to REALLY live – to experience the kind of life the God of Israel could give her. She had heard the stories and her heart longed to be a part of what God was doing. This foreign prostitute had developed a faith in God in the midst of a pagan world.

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 6:25

This is the story of how Rahab came to be in the lineage of Jesus. In this story, Rahab risked her life in order to spare the life of two men of God. She walked away from everything she had ever known – the sin, the shame, the regret, the scarlet rope – and began worshipping the God who had always loved her.

A man named Salmon (a descendant of Tamar’s son Perez) looked beyond Rahab’s past and gave her a future as his wife. Perhaps Salmon remembered the redemption of Tamar when he looked at Rahab and was willing to offer her the same grace that had been extended to his ancestor. Together they had a son and they named him Boaz. All three of these names can be found in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

What would the young man, Jesus, have to say of this woman in his family story? What would Jesus have to say of this woman with a history of sexual immorality? Perhaps Jesus’ thoughts went to Rahab when he knelt down and wrote in the sand:

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned through the first stone!” Then he stooped down and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” – John 8:4-11

Perhaps there is a “scarlet rope” in your past that has kept you in bondage when God wants to use it for your escape. Just like Tamar and Rahab, God’s perfect plan for you includes redemption and forgiveness – new life in Christ.

Or maybe it is not YOU that you are using the “scarlet rope” against. Perhaps there is someone in your life for whom God intends redemption and forgiveness but you are using the “scarlet rope” to keep her in bondage, unwilling to forgive or forget the sinful decisions she has made.

Jesus is stooping down and writing something in the sand. Listen closely. He is saying something. “But let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Let’s put down the stone in our hand, unwrap the scarlet rope from around her reputation and offer her the same thing that God offers her – redemption and forgiveness; new life in Christ.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 38; John 4:1-42

There are five women in the genealogy of Jesus – five women with stained reputations but also five women whom God chose to bless by placing them in this royal lineage. As Jesus was growing up, I am sure his parents taught him the stories of his ancestors. We know that Jesus was well studied in the law and history of the Israelites. He would have known the stories of all those names in his genealogy – both the family lineage of the man who was known as his father, Joseph, and the family lineage of his mother, Mary.

What would Jesus have said regarding Tamar, the first of the women in his paternal genealogy? Let’s look at her story – a story that includes grief, abuse, rejection, abandonment, prostitution, deceit and finally redemption.

God had a plan – the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham and a descendant of Judah and a descendant of Perez. But Judah married a Canaanite woman, whose influence on his sons caused them to be evil in the eyes of the Lord. In spite of all of this, God continued to work out his plan. In spite of Judah’s sins of selfishness, God took the unholy union of Judah and Tamar and made a beautiful thing. Tamar was pregnant with twin boys. Zerah began to come out first but God’s plan was for Perez so he caused Zerah to pull back and Perez to be born first.

This is the story of how Tamar came to be in the lineage of Jesus. In this story, Tamar is first a victim of the sinful choices of three men in the lineage of Jacob, but Tamar did not remain innocent in this story. Desperate for love, she devised a plan of deception that included sexual immorality. Instead of trusting God to take care of her, Tamar stepped out of His plan and created her own. What would the young man, Jesus, have to say of this woman in his family story? What would Jesus have to say of the man, Perez, whose birth was the result of a crisis pregnancy?

Perhaps Jesus’ thoughts went to Tamar when he met the Samaritan woman at the well – a well that was near the field that Jacob gave his son Joseph. Perhaps he was thinking of Jacob’s daughter-in-law who would have perhaps drawn water from this same well at one time.

The story of the Samaritan woman had some resemblance to the story of Tamar – multiple husbands and then union with a man who was not her husband. Her story might have included the same elements as Tamar’s – grief, abuse, rejection, abandonment, prostitution, and deceit. What we know is that her story included redemption.

If you have some of these same elements in your story, perhaps these words of Jesus are for you today: “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water…Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” – John 4:10, 13-14

God’s perfect plan for your life probably did not include a lot of the junk that makes up your story but His plan for you has always ended in redemption. He sent His son to be born of a woman pledged to be married to Joseph – whose family story was far from perfect. That same son died on a cross in order to complete your story – to be sure that it can include a story of redemption from sins and eternal life that can be found by accepting the living water that He offers you today. Let us worship the One who was born and died to offer us eternal life. Let’s humbly bow down and offer to Him our past so that we can walk into His future.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9, 11, Psalm 45, 66

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.
Amon was the father of Josiah.
Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon). – Matthew 1:8-11

Although his father committed the same sins that his grandfather had, Asa did what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord. He banished the prostitutes from the land, got rid of all the idols and even deposed his grandmother as queen mother because of the obscenities she had set up. Asa’s heart remained faithful to the Lord throughout his life (1 Kings 15:14b). God’s people experienced peace during the 10 years of Asa’s reign, which allowed them to fortify their cities. They built walls, towers, gates, and bars while King Asa built up two armies of well-trained fighting men.

Asa led the people of Judah in renewing their covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. The decision his forefathers had made to serve God was now impacting the entire nation as their example was followed and God was worshipped. They had set an example of what it looks like to fully follow God and their descendants were experiencing the joy of living in a right relationship with God — when someone seeks God and God faithfully responds.

All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with ALL their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. – 2 Chronicles 15:15a

But when things started to heat up between the people of Judah and the people of Israel, Asa called upon the King of Aram for help instead of trusting in God. He missed his chance to experience victory and the time of peace ended as Judah went back to war.

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. – 2 Chronicles 16:9a

Jehosophat sought after God as his father had at the beginning of his reign. He was deeply committed to the ways of the Lord, and he became very wealthy and highly esteemed. 1 Kings 22:43 says he followed the example of his father, Asa. But his son, Jehoram, made the decision to follow after the examples of the kings of Israel and was wicked. The next few generations of kings rejected God and are not mentioned by Matthew in this genealogy — Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah.

Uzziah was a successful king but gave himself the credit instead of God. He did not recognize God’s generosity, nor was he thankful for it. Jotham did what was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, but his son Ahaz was a very wicked king. It was during this time of darkness and despair that the prophet Isaiah cast hope for God’s people that a Messiah would come.

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine…
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” – Isaiah 9:2,6-7

We can all probably look back at our own genealogy and see examples of those who made good decisions and those who made bad decisions. We can see the evidence of pride and self-reliance, but we can hopefully also see the evidence of those who followed God. We all have a choice to make — what legacy will we leave behind for those who come after us?

May Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor, guide our hearts toward him. Like Hezekiah, may it be said of us that we trusted in the Lord and remained faithful in everything we did. May it be said that we sought after God wholeheartedly. Like Manasseh, will we have a repentant heart and take the new start God has given us to make some major life changes? Or like Amon, will we refuse to humble ourselves and follow the Lord’s ways? May it be said of us that we had a heart like Josiah’s:

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years…He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor, David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. – 2 Kings 22:1-2

Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa. – Matthew 1:6-7

As we continue through the genealogy of Jesus, we see several familiar names. Of all the names, David might be the most significant. David was the first king of Israel and it was his son who built the Temple in Jerusalem, which was known as the City of David. Most of the songs or psalms in the bible were written by David, words we continue to use today to sing praises to our God. It was significant that Jesus was born in the lineage of David because Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come from David’s family.

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. – Isaiah 11:1

In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. – Isaiah 11:10

Then God will establish one of David’s descendants as king. He will rule with mercy and truth. He will always do what is just and be eager to do what is right. – Isaiah 16:5

I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. – Isaiah 22:22

The angel referred to Joseph as the son of David when he told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife (Matt. 1:20). Two blind men followed after Jesus shouting “Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matt. 9:27). A crowd was amazed when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who had been blind and couldn’t speak. They asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” (Matt. 12:23)

A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” – Matthew 15:20

Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” – Matthew 20:30-31

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” – Matthew 21:9

The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant. – Matthew 21:15

“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.” – Matthew 22:42

So many people recognized who Jesus was — that he was the one they had been waiting for, the one who would bring salvation. The question for us is whether or not we truly recognize who Jesus is. We are surrounded by those who deny His supremacy. We are bombarded with arguments that he was just a good man. But who do you believe him to be and are you allowing this Son of David to be the Lord of your life?

Lord Jesus, as we begin our study of your earthly life, we want to start by recognizing where you came from and why you came. Help us to recognize you as clearly as the blind man did and to acknowledge your power like the demon-possessed man did. Give us eyes to see you at work in our lives today. Amen.

Today’s Reading: 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 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?

Today’s Reading: Genesis 15, 24, 32, 38

Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram. – Matthew 1:2-3

THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM TEACHES US TO BELIEVE GOD WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO.

The first person mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus is Abraham, a man who was known for having such a great faith in God that He willingly packed up and followed God’s command to move to the land of Canaan. God told Abraham to look at the stars in the sky and trust that God was going to make his descendants as numerous as all the shining lights above him.

“Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. – Genesis 15:6

God told Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, and He did. God told Abraham that he would be famous, and He was. God told Abraham that all the land he could see in every direction would one day be his, and it was. Abraham had faith in God because he knew God to be faithful.

THE LIFE OF ISAAC REMINDS US OF THE POWER OF PRAYER.

Abraham’s servant prayed specifically to God for success in finding a wife for Isaac and God showed His unfailing love by clearly answering that prayer. It was while Isaac was spending time with God, walking in the fields and meditating on God, that he looked up and saw Rebekah approaching him on a camel. He recognized God’s provision in his life and fell deeply in love with this beautiful gift from God. When life became difficult, Isaac turned to the Lord in prayer.

Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. – Genesis 25:21

FROM JACOB WE LEARN WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO STRUGGLE WHILE PERSISTENTLY SEEKING GOD’S BLESSING.

Jacob struggled to receive his father’s blessing, and his love story was complicated by the struggle he had with his uncle. Jacob wrestled with God and got what he wanted. Jacob’s struggle continued as his daughter was raped and his sons took revenge, creating powerful enemies for his family. Jacob, who had struggled with his brother in the womb, had to deal with the struggle between his sons. He grieved when he thought his son, Joseph, was dead and praised God when he was reunited with Joseph years later. Although struggle was a consistent theme in his life, God blessed Jacob and the nation of Israel was formed through this children and grandchildren.

Abraham was known for his strong faith in God and yet there were moments when he struggled to trust God to protect him. Isaac inherited his father’s faith and found that God was faithful to answer his prayers. Jacob became the master manipulator but learned what it felt like to be on the receiving end of someone else’s manipulation. He struggled to accept God’s plan for his life and persistently sought God’s favor. Perez came from the unholy union of Judah and Tamar, yet God used him in the story of redemption through the birth of Jesus Christ.

Lord, I ask for you to strengthen our faith for what is ahead. Give us the desire to follow you wherever you will send us, and the humility to treat others as you have taught us. May we be the prayer warriors you have called us to be, hearing from you and recognizing the many ways in which you will answer our prayers today. Give us the courage to be honest about our struggles and persistent in our prayer life. May we see our story woven into the story of Jesus.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38

We have spent the last seven months reading through the Old Testament, studying the faith journey of God’s people. We have seen them at their best as they trusted in God and obeyed all He asked them to do, and we have seen them at their worst as they quickly forgot the goodness of God and took their eyes off His plan for their life. We began with the reminder that God created man for relationship but that man chose sin, which caused a separation between sinful man and the holy God who created him. But God had a plan to rescue His people from their sins, and we will see in the New Testament the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies of redemption and restoration.

The New Testament begins with the genealogy of Jesus, which we are going to use to look back and remind us of the threads of redemption and restoration that are woven throughout God’s story. Two of the writers of the gospel – Matthew and Luke – saw the importance of their readers knowing where Jesus came from. Both genealogies showed that Jesus was a descendant of David, one more indicator that he truly was the Messiah. Matthew shows us the genealogy of Jesus from his paternal lineage. He starts with Abraham and lists all of the descendants until he lands at Joseph (Matthew 1:1-16)

“Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gives birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.” – Matthew 1:16-17

Now Luke takes it from the perspective of the maternal lineage of Jesus. Mary, too, was a descendant of David and therefore a descendant of Abraham. Mary descended from David’s son Nathan while Joseph could trace his ancestors back to Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba.

Matthew traced Jesus’ family back to Abraham, showing that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Jewish people. Luke traced Jesus’ family even farther back to Adam, showing that Jesus came to be the Savior for ALL people everywhere (Luke 3:23-38). “And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Who will He save? HIS people. Who are His people? We ALL are His people because we have all descended from Adam. Salvation is for each and every one of us.

Consider your family on both sides. Take a moment to think of the influence the family on your mother’s side has had on your life. Now consider the impact of your father’s family on who you are and where you are at today.

When you look at the genealogy of Jesus, you will see a list of people who made mistakes. Almost each one has a story of how God in grace reached out to them and used them even after they had messed things up. You can probably look up at your family tree and see a lot of imperfections in those who have come before you. Yet the God of grace still chose them to give the world YOU!

Let us not take lightly the role God has played in our lives since before we were born. Each story that precedes us sets the backdrop for our story. God has known us, loved us and developed a plan for our lives in spite of our family tree – whether that tree is one of a strong spiritual heritage or a weak faith of our fathers. God had a purpose for the life of Jesus, His only Son – to save the world. In the same way, the genealogy of your fathers comes to you and leads to a moment in history when you carry out God’s plan for your life.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me! – Psalm 139:15-18

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Plans for your future – plans for you and for those who will follow you in your family tree. What story will be told of you? Will you submit to God’s plan – the plan for which He created you? Those coming after you are counting on you.

Lord, we thank you this morning for the heritage passed down to us from our parents and grandparents. Your workmanship in our lives is marvelous – how well we know it! We thank you for the love and investment of time into our lives that have made us who we are today. We pray that you will take our own imperfect attempts to love and allow us to positively influence the next generations. Help us to shine your light onto the path you have set before them – a path marked with hope for their future.

Today’s Reading: Malachi 3-4

A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES

Not only did Malachi speak to them about their lack of sincerity, he also spoke of how unconfessed sin can stand in the way of God accepting our worship – again pleasing ourselves instead of obeying God to please Him:

Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altars with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. – Malachi 2:13-14

These blocks to our sacrifice and worship involve loyalty. Putting God first includes the vows we made before Him, whether that’s marriage or anything else we have promised to do. God wants us to put Him first and to give Him first place in our lives. If we pour out ourselves to God, He will pour out blessings on us.

“Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. – Malachi 3:7b-12

SINCERITY – Are we going through the motions of our Christian walk or are we sincerely following Him? Our sacrifices and offerings to God are defiled when we give less than our best, less than He requires of us. He wants us to give from our heart, genuinely showing our love and faithfulness. He wants us to give to please Him and not to please ourselves, or to satisfy the minimum requirement of being a member of a congregation.

QUALITY – Are we giving our best or doing our best with what God has entrusted to us? Are we hanging on tight to this life or do we live as if everything we have comes from Him and belongs to Him?

LOYALTY – Are we committed to God? Are we faithfully following through on all we have promised before God and to God?

Lord, open our eyes to the areas of our lives where we are cheating you, and therefore cheating ourselves of your blessings. Lord, open the windows of heaven for us. Pour out a blessing so great we will not have enough room to take it in! Lord, bless us with your presence today and reveal where we have lost our spiritual fervor. Give us the desires of your heart and help us to see what you see. We love you, Lord – sincerely, giving our best to you, and remaining forever committed to who you have called us to be. Everything we do, we long to do for you and not just to please ourselves. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Malachi 1-2

A QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY

Do you ever question why we have some of our traditions or why we do the same things year after year? Is it our responsibility to carry on these traditions? After God’s people returned to Jerusalem, they asked the question: “Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?”

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply: “Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?” – Zechariah 7:3-6

A QUESTION OF SINCERITY

A question of responsibility was answered by a question of sincerity. God was exposing the heart of His people. I have to admit I feel a little exposed as well. How often do we go through the motions on a Sunday morning? Has the worship become more about what pleases us or are we sincerely offering our praise to God so that He will be pleased? How often do religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter become more about family traditions, food and gifts than about God? Do we have a routine of going to church or do we have a growing relationship with Christ?

The prophet Malachi also spoke of the tendency of God’s people to offer less than their best to God – to sacrifice for the sake of fulfilling a ritual instead of making a true sacrifice of the heart.

A QUESTION OF SACRIFICE

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!
But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’
You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.
Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’
You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that theses worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings… – Malachi 1:6-10

Our sacrifices and offerings to God are defiled when we give less than our best, less than He requires of us. He wants us to give from our heart, genuinely showing our love and faithfulness. He wants us to give to please Him and not to please ourselves, or to satisfy the minimum requirement of being a member of a congregation.

Father God, give us a fresh passion for the rituals of our faith. May we open your word with a new love to learn from you. May we sing your praises with a heart that is open to the moving of your spirit. Lord, wake us up from the habit of prayer and awaken our minds to actively calling out to you. We are ready to stop looking for the minimum requirement and start chasing after you with a sincere heart willing to love sacrificially.