Scripture: Matthew 1:1-16
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab…
…Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
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Are you familiar with the story of Ruth? If not, you should go read this short, but beautiful story, only four chapters long. In short, Ruth was a Moabite woman married to a Hebrew man, whose mother was a widow named Naomi. (click here to read Ruth online: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth&version=NIV)
Ruth's husband and his brother both died, leaving Naomi in a very unenviable position, having no men left in her family to care for her. She instructed Naomi and Orpah(her other daughter-in-law) to go back to their people. Ruth refused to abandon Naomi, and instead returned with her to Bethlehem.
Through a series of events, guided by Naomi, guided by God (!), Ruth met Boaz, who became their kinsman redeemer. What does this have to do with the Christmas story?
Ruth and Boaz married and had a son, Obed, whose son was Jesse, father of David. Yes that David -- as in 'from the house and lineage of David'; and so we get the “genealogy of Jesus”.
It may have looked, at times, as if the Jewish nation might never survive to bring the Messiah. But remember; while we make our way through the tall grass and can, at times, see only what is in front of us, the Lord God's perspective is from the mountaintop, where He sees all.
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Questions:
1. Have you ever read the story of Ruth?
2. Do you find it incredible that the line to Jesus actually made it?
3. In what other ways have you recently allowed yourself to be amazed by God?
May we trust His plans and perspective above our own. Pastor Jim
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