Matthew 1:3 – 6 … and Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nashon, and Nashon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the King. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah …(ESV)
In verses 3 through 6 Matthew introduces us to three men whose birth came about due to sin: Perez, Obed, and Solomon. Judah fathered Perez with his daughter-in-law Tamar when she deceived him by pretending to be a prostitute. This was after he deceived her by promising to let Tamar marry his youngest son but then refusing to sanction the marriage.
Obed was the son of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth came to marry Boaz because she was the widow of Naomi’s son. It was against God’s law, and therefore a sin, for Naomi’s son to marry Ruth because she was a Moabite.
Solomon was the second child produced from the union of King David and Bathsheba. Their marriage came to pass because of adultery and murder.
Each of these men was born because of someone’s sin. Yet God included them in the line of Jesus’ human family. God took the circumstances that brought their parents together and redeemed it because of repentance. Judah acknowledged his sin against Tamar. David confessed his sin before the Lord. Naomi turned back from the sin of her family abandoning the Promised Land and Ruth turned her back on her culture and religion by declaring herself to be a Jew.
That is the beautiful truth represented by these men’s inclusion in this genealogy. God redeems! How wonderful that is for us! We all sin yet sin does not have to be what defines us. God redeems us from our sin and can turn the result into something wonderful.
Make no mistake, sin is bad and should be avoided at all costs. Sin has consequences. Even though God does redeem, those consequences can be painful. David’s first son with Bathsheba died due to David’s sin. Ruth and Naomi suffered great loss before redemption happened. It is a grave and dangerous error to believe that we can sin with impunity.
At the same time, our past sins, even though they may have consequences, need not frame our future. Because of God’s redemption we can live holy Christian lives and be part of something wonderful. God has good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Our past sins cannot keep us from doing those good works as long as we repent and move forward in the grace and power of God.
Most gracious and merciful God, You are the Redeemer! You have brought us up from the miry pit and given us a new life. You make our life meaningful and worthwhile. Lord please grant us the grace to live a holy life in response to the great work You have done in us and for us. Amen.