The Women of Christ's Lineage

Matthew 1:1–17 CSB

An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram, Aram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered King David. David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife, Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa, Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah, Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah, Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah, and Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor, Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud, Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, Matthan fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Christ, fourteen generations.

1. Tamar: The wronged one who bore through deceit.

Matthew 1:3 CSB

Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram,

Genesis 38:1

Genesis 38:6–30 CSB

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and produce offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so he put him to death also. Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He might die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house. After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers. Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” So she took off her widow’s clothes, veiled her face, covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. He went over to her and said, “Come, let me sleep with you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me for sleeping with me?” “I will send you a young goat from my flock,” he replied. But she said, “Only if you leave something with me until you send it.” “What should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your signet ring, your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. She got up and left, then removed her veil and put her widow’s clothes back on. When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get back the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her. He asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There has been no cult prostitute here,” they answered. So the Adullamite returned to Judah, saying, “I couldn’t find her, and besides, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’ ” Judah replied, “Let her keep the items for herself; otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.” About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out,” Judah said, “and let her be burned to death!” As she was being brought out, she sent her father-in-law this message: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Examine them. Whose signet ring, cord, and staff are these?” Judah recognized them and said, “She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her intimately again. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread around it, announcing, “This one came out first.” But then he pulled his hand back, out came his brother, and she said, “What a breakout you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread tied to his hand, came out, and was named Zerah.

For the sake of time, I will not read the full account of the events. Here is a brief summery.

Because of the wickedness of Judah’s oldest son and the husband of Tamar who’s name is Er, God put him to death. As a result Tamar was barren and a widow.

The custom would be for the next oldest child to take over the responsibilities of caring for the widowed woman, which would include sexual relationships.

Judah gives Tamar to Onan because of this tradition.

Onan, angry because any child born to Tamar through him would “belong to” his dead brother not himself. He refused to allow a child to be conceived. God found his actions to be evil and put him to death also.

Judah fears his son Shelah will meet the same fate of death if Tamar is given to him. So Judah sends Tamar back to her father’s house.

Judah’s wife passes away.

After much time has passed and because Judah has not given Tamar to Shelah, Tamar hides her identity and dresses like a prostitute in the hopes of running into Judah.

Judah’s wife passes away, he travels to sheer his sheep. He sees Tamar but doesn’t recognize her because of her coverings.

Tamar agrees to have sex with Judah, the payment is his signet ring, his cord, and the staff.

3 months later Judah is told that Tamar has been acting like a prostitute and is pregnant.

Judah wants to kill her but Tamar sends his stuff to him saying this is the one who got me pregnant.

Judah acknowledges she is more right than he in their conducts because he failed to give her to Shelah.

It is her first born Perez

Rahab: The gentile harlot saved through faith.

Matthew 1:5 CSB

Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse,

Rehab protects the spies of Israel, she hides them from the king of Jericho.

She admits she knows the LORD has given the land to Israel.

Admits their God is “God in haven above and on earth below.”

She is given the promise of protection for not betraying the Israelites.

Listen to the result of the conquest of Jericho.

Joshua 6:22-

Joshua 6:22–25 CSB

Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her.” So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel. They burned the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel today.

Ruth: The gentile moabite who demonstrated faithful loyalty.

Ruth is widowed along with her sister in-law.

Ruth chooses to follow Naomi and to have God be her own God.

She finds favor with Boaz

Boaz faithfully redeems her and takes her as his bride.

If I am doing this right,

Boaz was only 1/2 Jew because of his mother Rahab was a gentile.

Obed was only 1/4 Jew because his mother was Ruth, a gentile.

David would only be around 3/4 jew

Bathsheba: The sinned against one who bore after the heart ache of death.

First born died because of David’s sin.

Solomon, the second born is the next king and part of the lineage of Christ.

Marry: The faithful teen virgin who found favor in God’s sight.