The Scarlet Thread

Keep your head up

Matthew 1:1–6 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.

Now let us skip all the way down to verse 16:

Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

I recently read the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:21-38 and Matthew 1:1-17, and we might see the genealogy of Jesus as another list of names—as the Gospel writers begin efforts connecting His lineage to David or God. 

As we read these names we see a patriarchy of who’s who from Abraham to David. Without any context it might appear irrelevant; why should we care about the genealogy of Jesus or a list of male names?. 

Yet, with a clear eyed view focused on what was there, and then you see this bright blinking light. Why are there women in this patriarchy? A look into Genesis we would only see the names of the male descendants, and it is consistent from Adam, Cain, Seth, and Noah. Yet in this new covenant we see the names of five women; Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. This particular day I would like to speak on “The Scarlet Thread of Redemption”, from the subject Keep your head up

Keep your head up verse Tupac

I got three points I want to try and get to

A heavy load carrier

A burden bearer

A priceless treasure

I believe these women exemplify these characteristics, as well as their lives shows us its about playing the hand you are dealt. There are certain cards you are given, and you can’t throw them back. There are even times that we would act as though women don’t have a right to express, or even walk in their calling.

How many matriarchs of our faith have been forgotten due to the simple fact of them being female? 

Who were they? What did they sacrifice?

Nevertheless these women did more than carry Jesus’ ancestors in their wombs. Every single one of them had a unique personality and identity, and struggle. 

They had hopes, dreams, and their own relationship with The Divine. They passed down their faith, raised their children in the eyes of the Creator and sacrificed for their families.  

Five women are recorded in Matthew’s genealogy—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. All were recorded due to the shocking nature of their stories, surviving the actions of the men around them. 

My brothers and my sisters I believe to often we forget about the condition in which the bible was written. The Bible is not simply some great fairy tale where everything is sweet. The Bible is a book of struggle: a book that documents the hard times of broken people. We have a tendency to believe the Bible is about perfect people, but there’s none perfect, no not one. The Bible is a book about a Perfect God that reveals Himself to an imperfect people. It’s a book about a faithful God that reveals His deliverance to an unfaithful people. Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favour rather than silver and gold.”

Genesis 38:6–11 “And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also. Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.”

A heavy load carrier

Tamar, known as the daughter-in-law of Judah, had to trick her father-in-law into impregnating her, ensuring her future. Genesis 38:24–25 “And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.”

A burden bearer

Rahab had a covenant made with her but the Bible says don’t make agreements with them. Deuteronomy 7:3 “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.”

 Leviticus 19:29 “Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness Joshua 2:17–21 “And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.”

Rahab became a prostitute to survive. She protected the Israelite spies and provided the victory of Jericho.  A burden bearer

at Jericho there was a woman shouting for change there was a woman shouting for a breakthrough there was shouting form the inside to breakdown walls that had kept her trapped and carrying

Ruth, a Moabite, protected her mother-in-law, Naomi, and sought out Boaz. 

Ruth 1:16-17: “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.”

Bathsheba was forced to become David’s wife after he “slept with her” and killed her husband. 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, became pregnant at an early age, out of wedlock, facing the risk of being shunned from society.

We remember a history, appearing throughout the Bible, where women are treated as vessels to be used and second-class humans. 

We remember that there is a woman for every man in Jesus’ family tree: a mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, grandmother, niece, aunt and wife.  

We remember they are equally made in the image of God, demanding our attention.

Keep your head up

As I have often heard throughout my life, there is a reason we study history, theology and ethics. It forces us to remember the evils of humanity.