Four Women in Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus

Sermon on Matthew 1:1-17

Introduction
[Main Sanctuary] A few weeks ago, Rev. Tan Tiong Ann preached also from Matt 1:1-17 on the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s gospel. Today we will look at the same genealogy from another perspective, specifically on the four women.

[Auditorium] Today we will look at Jesus’ genealogy from Matthew’s perspective in Matt 1:1-17.

Actually, there are five women mentioned in Matthew’s gospel, four of whom were Gentiles and one was a Jew. The role of Mary, being the only Jew, has been told and retold by many preachers over the years, especially during Christmas time. Today, we will spend some time to look at the significance and story of these four, very special Gentile women in the life story of our Lord Jesus. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (wife of Uriah). Their names can be found in Matt 1:3, 5 and 6. Women are generally not included in OT genealogies, for descent was normally traced through men as the head of the family. Yet, in Matthew’s account, there were mentioned of five women. It shows his emphasis may be different from other genealogies.

So, let’s begin first with…
Tamar the “Black Widow” who committed incest with Judah, her father-in-law
There are three characters by the name of Tamar in the Bible. The Tamar in Matthew refers to the Tamar who committed incest by sleeping with Judah, her father-in-law. In Hebrew, her name means “date palm” , a kind of palm tree which originated in the deserts of northern Africa and Western Asia. Her story is found uniquely in Gen. 38.

I will not read out the entire passage, but go home to read it on your own. Tamar was the wife of Er, the firstborn son of Judah. But Er was wicked in the sight of God and so the Lord put him to death (Gen. 38:6). No one knows the reason for his death or what his wickedness was. The Bible does not tell us. And when the Bible is silent on this, we too should not speculate further. The story gets more exciting. After Er’s death, without an heir, Judah told his second son, Onan, to sleep with Tamar so that his lineage of descendant is not broken. This is in accordance with levirate marriage laws at that time. If this had happened, she would be in two households : Er and Onan’s. Onan did not mind the sex but did not want to father his brother’s line of descendants. So, he withdrawn at climax and ejaculated on the ground instead. Again, this was seen as wicked by the Lord, and he was also put to death by God. No one knows why this was deemed wicked by God. But as the story unfolds, it gets even juicer!

Judah, after seeing both his sons died after having sex with Tamar, concluded that she must be cursed! A Black Widow! Judah had a third son, Shelah, and according to the levirate marriage law, he was next to marry Tamar and to produce an heir for his brothers. But Judah had other plans.

Gen 38:11 (NIV) Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.

After a long time, Judah’s wife also passed away, and after Judah had recovered from his grief, he went to Timnah. Tamar, knowing that Judah did not keep to his promise of his third son to her, tore off her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. She then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah, waiting for Judah. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a temple prostitute, for he did not recognize her as his daughter-in-law because of her veil. And so he asked her to sleep with him. A goat was proposed by Judah as payment for sex, but since he did not have his goat with him. Tamar asked for a pledge, an I.O.U. from Judah.

Gen. 38:18 (NIV) [Judah] said, “What pledge should I give you?”
“Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

This was very much part of Tamar’s plan. For when her pregnancy was found out three months later, Tamar was found guilty of prostitution. Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” What hypocrisy! It seems acceptable for a man to engage in sex with a prostitute, but when a woman is found guilty of prostitution, she must die. Then, Tamar sent a message to Judah.

Gen. 38:25b, 26 (NIV) “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.” 26Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.

Judah knew why Tamar had done what she did. She did this to preserve the line of Judah’s first born, Er. Tamar bore two sons to Judah named Perez and Zerah (Gn 38:6–24; 1 Chr 2:4). Tamar preserved the line of Judah through Perez (Ru. 4:12), and Perez is in King David’s lineage.

Tamar was not a black widow. Both of Judah’s first two sons had died because they have done wicked things in God’s sight. Isn’t what she has done also wicked? Was she a victim of incest or deceit? It is not our place to judge her. Her story is unique. Her actions were even more extraordinary. She would go to the extent of committing incest and deceit to continue the line of Judah’s descendants. Despite what she had done, Judah described her as more righteous than he. Even though it is believed that Tamar was a Canaanite but she understood the importance of Jewish heritage more than Judah.

I do not think that it is God’s will for Tamar to commit incest. I do not think that God pre-planned for Tamar to “trick” his father-in-law. Rather, I believe that God can carry out his will despite the wrongful or immoral acts in history. Tamar was recognized as righteous not because she was morally righteous or sexually pure. She was righteous because she had placed others before herself. She put down her own dignity and put on shame for the sake of her husband’s family. How many of us can say the same for ourselves?

Rahab the “Prostitute” who saved the lives of two spies
Next we come to the story of Rahab. Unlike Tamar, who was a one-time pro, Rahab was a full-time prostitute. Her story is found in Jos. 2 during the time when Joshua and the Hebrews were preparing to cross the river Jordan to attack the Wall of Jericho. In a final preparation, Joshua sent our two spies to “spy the land”. They swam across to Jericho and stayed in Rahab’s house. The king of Jericho knew there were spies in his land and sent his men to questioned Rahab. Not only did she protect Joshua’s spies by hiding them up on her roof, she also diverted the king’s pursuers in a different direction!

Rahab had long heard many stories of how the Hebrew God dried up the Red Sea and led the Hebrews out of Egypt, and completely destroyed their enemies. Rahab, a Gentile, knew the mighty power of YHWH and acknowledges His sovereignty. She tells the spies in Jos. 2:11: “for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” Before the spies came down from the roof, Rahab went up and made a request with them.

Jos. 2:12-13 (NIV) 12Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.”

The spies came back five days later and reported to Joshua what had happened. And when the city of Jericho fell, Rahab and her whole family were persevered according to the promise of the spies. They were later incorporated among the Jewish people. Not long after, Rahab became the wife of Salmon, a prince of the tribe of Judah (1 Chr. 2:11; Matt. 1:5). Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David (Ruth 4:21-22). The author of Hebrews in the NT includes her among ancient examples of faith in God (Heb. 11:31). In the letter of James, Rahab is quoted as one who was justified by her works.

Jas. 2:25 (NTL) Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.

Again, we see another non-Jewish person being used by God in miraculous ways. Again, we see someone who placed the lives of others before her own. She could have been killed for hiding the two Hebrew spies. Many have lost their lives when brave individuals and family hid Jews in their homes during the Nazi regimes. She did not just asked for her own life to be preserved but also the lives of her parents and siblings. Another interesting thing I learn about Rahab was her name. In Hebrew it means “broad” or “large”. And indeed, she has a big heart of kindness!

Up to this point, in the line of King David, we learn that one of his ancestors committed incest (Tamar), and another was an ex-prostitute. Let’s look at the next character.

Ruth the “Temptress” who “uncovered the feet” of Boaz and laid with through the night
Ruth was a Moabitess who lived in the time of the Judges. Her story is, of course, recorded in the book of Ruth. In the land of Moab, Ruth had married Mahlon (Ru. 4:10), the elder son of Elimelech and Naomi, who were Israelites from Bethlehem-Judah. They had moved to Moab during a famine. If you thought Tamar was a black widow, Naomi was far worse! Not only had her husband died, both her sons died too! Naomi was concerned with her second daughter-in-law, Ruth, and wanted her to remarry and start a family. Naomi did not wish for Ruth to remain a widow all her life. She instructed Ruth to wash and perfumed herself and put on her best clothes and sneaked into the threshing floor late at night where Boaz, a close relative, works. Naomi told her to lie down next to him and uncover his feet. Naomi had to do this because Boaz was probably much older than Ruth, in the same generation as Naomi. Ruth agreed to Naomi’s mini “invasion” plan.

Ruth 3:7-14 (NIV) 7When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
9“Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.”
10“The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. 12Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. 13Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”
14So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

That last sentence would tell you that it was not a usual practice for women of noble character to be sneaking into threshing floor and spending the whole night alone with a man. We are told that she uncovered his feet and asked Boaz to spread the corner of his garment over her. Woah! That’s an invitation no man could refuse! Ruth the Temptress! No one knows how much of Boaz’s feet or legs did she uncover.  There are occasions in the OT where the term “feet” is used to describe the sexual organs. The expression “to spread the corner of the garment” is likewise used with sexual overtones in a betrothal context in Ezekiel 16:8. Ruth “uncovering” act may have been a proposal for marriage.

Even though the “text of Ruth does not suggest a blatant sexual act but [it] is provocative in its ambiguity.” What Ruth did, under Naomi’s instructions, were controversial enough, with or without the need to conclusively believe that Ruth and Boaz engaged in any pre-marital sexual activities. The author left it as ambiguous, and so we should do likewise. The sexual overtones may be the author’s intention to convey emotions of love between Ruth and Boaz, in an otherwise emotionless story.

Ruth 4:12-13 (NIV) “12Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” 13So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

Like Tamar, her actions may be controversial, but again, she did it not for her own benefits but for the sake of her first husband’s family. Naomi’s instruction was for Ruth to have a secure future; but it was Boaz’s concern for the continuation of Elimelech’s family line. Both of these agendas could only take place when Ruth puts her noble reputation at risk and went ahead with the controversial plan. At the end of the day, she was nonetheless, self-less and righteous in her actions. Allow me to share an insightful conclusion from a biblical scholar.

Campbell: What now happens at the threshing floor is as essential to the story-teller’s purpose as what happened on the Moabite highway between Ruth and Naomi, or what happened in the harvest scene when Boaz praised an impoverished widow who was gleaning, or what will happen in the solemn civil hearing at the city gate. At each of these points in the story, a moment of choice is presented to both actors and audience, and at each of these points the choice is made in favor of what righteous living calls for.

Because of what Ruth had done, the line of David is preserved again. Her next nearest kinsman was not prepared to marry her under the levirate marriage law. Boaz was next in line and he would act as her kinsman-redeemer (cf. Lv. 25:25, 47–49). Ruth was married to Boaz, and their first child Obed was given to Naomi to continue the names of Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion. Obed was the grandfather of David (1 Ch. 2:12; Mt. 1:5). God had used this young woman’s unusual circumstance to preserve the line of David’s descendants.

Bathsheba (wife of Uriah) the Adulteress who slept with King David
Finally, we come to the last of the four Gentile women, wife of Uriah, Bathsheba the adulteress. Her story is found mainly in 2 Samuel. Uriah was King David’s top military man. A national hero. While Uriah was off fighting under Joab, King David saw a beautiful woman taking her evening bath. Discovering her name and that her husband was away on duty, he sent for Bathsheba and had sexual intercourse with her (2 Sam. 11:1–4). Soon, Bathsheba conceived and sent word to David about her pregnancy. David recalled Uriah back and requested for him to return to his home. David had hoped for Uriah to impregnate Bathsheba while he is home. But Uriah considers himself still on active duty, did not go home but chose to sleep at the entrance to the palace instead. His heart was with his brothers at war. He was a Hittite, far more honorable than King David, in every way. His loyalty was unquestioned.

After failing twice to make Bathsheba’s pregnancy legitimate through Uriah, David conceived an even more devious plan instead. He asked Joab his commander to send Uriah to the front line where the fighting is fiercest and then withdraw from him so that he will be struck down and die (2 Sam 11:14). This time his plan worked. Uriah was killed in the line of action. A betrayal at its worst. Each betrayal begins with trust (Phish). A great and loyal man died in the hands of a cowardly man whom he had trusted.

After Bathsheba’s short period of mourning, David installed her in the palace as his seventh wife, and she bore a child. The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to pronounce judgment on David’s sin through a parable. Nathan prophesied a series of tragedies in David’s household, beginning with the death of Bathsheba’s infant son (2 Sam 11:26–12:14). David confessed his sin and repented, but the infant became sick and died.

Adultery led to betrayal. Betrayal led to the death of one man and a child. All because of a woman by the name of Bathsheba. But she is not the only person to take blame. David’s role in this tragedy is undisputed. What good could come out from such a tragedy? [pause] True repentance. David’s repentance was captured in Ps. 51. I will only read to you the first four verses.

Psalm 51:1-4 (NIV)
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. 2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

Conclusion
What can we learn from the stories of these four women in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus? These four women represent what could be regarded as “moral blemishes in the history of the Davidic dynasty— Tamar, a victim of incest; Rahab, a prostitute; Ruth, a Moabitess; and Bathsheba, an adulteress.” All of us have our blemishes in life. All four were Gentiles. All four were in controversial situations. But not all four did the right thing. Other than Bathsheba, the first three were considered righteous in the biblical sense. Tamar, Rahab and Ruth have placed the needs of others before their own and at times even putting their own life security at great risk. Their reputations were at stake.

Their stories are no excuses for our misdeeds. I can go on sinning because God can use it for good. Their questionable actions should not be our excuse for our misdeeds. We must be careful not to justify our wrong doings with these unique stories of these four women. Our God is a God who justifies when He judges. You can lie to the world and even to yourself. But you cannot lie from God.

Do not do evil in the sight of God. God is able to turn an evil situation around for good. But this does not mean that He will necessarily do it at every situation. There are times when He chooses to punish those who do evil in his eyes. There are times when He allows for repentance. No one can tell you exactly when it happens. We just learn to do the right thing at the right time. The right thing may not seem right in the eyes of men. It is good that we check our motives behind our every action or in-action. Have we been self-less in our actions?

I believe that God can use all people, in all situation and circumstances to fulfill his will. I do not see God’s will as pre-deterministic, that everything in the world is all pre-ordained. Life is merely the unfolding of God’s pre-destined plans? Man has no part in this history? No. Rather, I believe that God’s will in our lives is dynamic. It is organic. It is life-evolving. It is living. It changes with the actions and co-actions with mankind. God participates actively in our world and in our lives. Even though we may make certain mistakes in life, it may not be the end for us. There is redemption and renewal for each of us when we return to God. Just like David. We can repent.

In light of Jesus’ redemption on the cross during Advent, I believe that God’s salvation plan did not begin only at Jesus’ birth. It begins also at Creation. It begins when God created Adam and it will only end when Man is completely re-created in the likeness of Christ. This re-creation has already begun. God has not stopped creating since Genesis. This is what Matthew’s genealogy is trying to tell us. God is actively participating in history. He is constantly creating yesterday, today and tomorrow. You and me.

Let us pray.

1 1) Tamar who slept with his father-in-law, mother of twins, Perez and Zerah; 2) Tamar, daughter of David, who was raped by Amnon her half-brother, and avenged by Absalom her blood-related brother; and 3) Tamar, daughter of Absalom, who was named by her father in honor and memory of the previous Tamar.

2 In Hebrew, her name means “date palm”, a kind of palm tree which originated in the deserts of northern Africa and Western Asia. This palm tree produces an edible sweet fruit, known as a “date”. One interesting thing about this date palm is its plant sexuality . Most plants have male and female parts grown together in their flowers. But date palm trees could only produce either male or female parts separately. Such plants are known by botanist as dioecious plants which mean "two households". Tamar’s name has some interesting connection to her life story.

3 See footnote 2.
4 Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (1029). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
5 Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Ru 3:9). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
6 Bush, F. W. (2002). Vol. 9: Word Biblical Commentary : Ruth, Esther. Word Biblical Commentary (156). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
7 Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (152). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
8 Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (519). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.