Jesus is the Promised Seed

Well, as we head into the Advent season, we're going to spend the next four weeks of our time together in Matthew 1 and 2.

! So I would encourage you, if you would please, to turn in your Bibles with me to Matthew 1.

We'll begin there right at the beginning.

If you're using a Pew Bible, you're going to find it on page 807.

807 there on your Pew Bible.

Those of you who are familiar with the Gospel of Matthew know that it begins, the first 17 verses of Matthew, is just a list of names.

So-and-so was the father of so-and-so, who was the father of so-and-so, and on and on it goes until you get to verse 17.

And maybe you think, how in the world are we going to have a sermon on a list of names?

How could it be any more boring than just a list of names?

And what I want to encourage you, of course, is that the list of names is not only inscripturated.

So it's God's idea to put that list of names there for us, and He thinks it's important.

But my goal this morning as we look at this list of names, we're not going to just see the names that are going to show up for us on the page.

But especially, I want you to understand there is a God that is in and around and through those names, creating His story,

and using individuals to eventually lead to His promised Son, Jesus Christ, who was the Messiah.

So as we work our way through Matthew chapter 1 and 2, we're going to just spotlight the promises of God

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

in the way that God has answered those promises for us, and thus provides a measure of hope,

a measure of confidence, and a measure of stability for us,

recognizing that it's God who sees through history, God who brings history about,

and because God is instrumental above history, we can trust Him.

You can trust God who is over history.

There has been a surge of public interest in genealogies, and I wonder, just as a show of hands,

how many have done a family tree in the last several years?

How many of you have been interested in a family tree, have done that for yourself?

Okay, several of you have done that.

There has been this surge of genealogies and finding ancestry

that has kind of erupted across our nation.

As a matter of fact, in 2014, apparently, doing family trees was the second most popular hobby of Americans,

second only to gardening.

Over 66% of Americans have reported wanting to learn more about their history, their family history.

And a significant portion of those people are even unable to name their grandparents or great-grandparents.

By the start of 2019, more than 26 million people were a part of a DNA test

where they would send their DNA sample into a laboratory,

and that laboratory would provide them with their ancestry as it relates to origins of where they were born

and the kinds of people groups that kind of make up the composite of who they are

in the various regions from which their ancestors came.

And it's expected that more than 100 million people will have continued that process over the next couple of years.

Ancestry and family trees have been a big piece of what has consumed a lot of people's time over the past several years.

Maybe we can understand this, especially coming off the Thanksgiving holidays.

I would expect that many of you had the opportunity to spend some time with family

and the joy of sitting around the table with people that are part of you.

Now, some of you may not have that experience.

And so there has been a growing interest in the family heritage because of that very thing.

Trying to discover, perhaps, their family secrets.

Who are those individuals who were part of their family in the past, and how can I identify them?

Or maybe even finding some long-lost siblings or long-lost relatives to be reacquainted with them

because of the broken home nature of our society.

Some people enjoyed doing this to gain an appreciation for the challenges and joys and struggles that their ancestors had

and being able to work through those struggles and especially those stories of overcoming difficulty.

We want to feel like we're leaving a mark in some way.

And so individuals want to understand who they're related to.

And do they have somebody in their past who has some significant contribution?

And I'm related to that individual, so I am significant because of them.

From a survey of 239 18- to 20-year-olds at seven different universities,

researchers found individuals who had the healthiest identity development

were those who had a connection and a sense of connectedness to their family.

We understand the significance of family.

We can appreciate that when we're connected to people, there is a sense of belonging.

There's a sense of identity.

There's a sense of accomplishment.

And there's a sense that we are connected to an individual or a group of individuals.

We're going to find in our passage today that there is this family tree

that traces its way to Jesus Christ.

It began and it traces back from Abraham.

And the promise that we'll look at this morning is that this promise that was given to Abraham

to make of him a great nation may include you.

So while you may or may not feel connected to a specific physical family,

because of the work of Jesus Christ, there is an invitation for you to belong.

An invitation for you to belong to the greatest family of history.

The family that includes Jesus himself.

To be a brother to Jesus.

And to have God the Father as your heavenly Father.

So if you're there with me in Matthew chapter 1,

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

let's begin our journey as we look through this genealogy together.

And we're going to see right at the outset that it is God who sets his plan in motion.

God is the one who takes initiative.

God is the one who sets this course in action.

It's God himself who has a plan and puts that plan to work.

Notice with me if you're there in Matthew chapter 1, verse 1, it says,

Matthew 1:1

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

This word for genealogy is the word for beginning, the word for origin.

It's kind of like the word Genesis, which is the book of beginnings.

This is the start of Jesus Christ.

At least the introduction to him in the New Testament.

As we turn the page to the beginning of this New Testament,

we find this new figure that emerges, Jesus Christ.

He becomes the epitome, the supreme figure that marks itself throughout the New Testament.

Matthew begins this gospel.

He wants his readers to understand something significant.

That God's plan in history is a plan that involves people.

That's our first sub-point this morning.

That God does fulfill his plan, but he fulfills his plan through people.

That should be an encouragement to all of us in this room.

Regardless of where you are, regardless of your history,

regardless of how adequate or inadequate you might feel,

how sufficient or insufficient you may feel,

God delights in using people to carry out his plan.

Matthew lays out this history.

It's a history that's actually rooted in the Old Testament.

A history that is established on a foundation of God's promises

that we'll look at this morning briefly.

A history that's built on people and on a nation.

But God is the one who takes the initiative here.

It's God who sets things in motion.

It's God who chooses from among the nations

and establishes his purposes.

It's God who will set those purposes in action, in motion.

And that purpose that God has fundamentally is a purpose

not just of salvation,

but salvation that comes through relationship.

Through a people.

God is interested in people and relationships.

We'll see this as we move through our passage today.

That standing as prominent members on this list,

Abraham and David,

they represent distinct moments in history

where God showed up to initiate a relationship.

Not just a promise,

but a relationship with them and to them.

He's gonna provide,

we're gonna provide more clues as we move through this

that that relationship would help to invite them

into deliverance and salvation.

Even now, God is taking initiative.

We understand from 1 John 4, verse 19,

1 John 4:19

this initiating work of God.

We love him because he, what church?

He first loved us.

If you love God this morning,

it's because of God's initiating love for you.

He drew you in.

He welcomed you.

He invites you.

And if you haven't participated or enjoyed

or experienced that love of God,

God is inviting you into that experience

of relationship with him

that comes through the apex of this genealogy,

Jesus Christ himself.

He invites you to participate

in that community of faith,

that family of God.

God initiates also in John 3, 16,

you know this verse.

For God so loved the world

that he gave his only begotten son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

That initiating work of God has a purpose.

That purpose of sending his son, Jesus,

is to draw you into salvation and forgiveness.

God took that initiative.

But that plan of deployment,

the plan of getting the message to the nations,

that plan of gospel propagation,

is also a plan that involves people.

Matthew chapter 28,

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

Jesus is telling his disciples,

he says,

go, therefore,

and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you,

and behold,

I am with you always to the end of the age.

God's plan involves people.

And that's encouraging

because the people

and the lives that we're gonna look at

in this genealogy

are full of broken,

sinful,

wicked,

rebellious individuals.

And I imagine

that if you're honest with yourself,

you can identify it.

But you're not disqualified

if you put your faith in Christ,

that God delights

in forgiving,

in cleansing,

in making you one with him,

and then deploying you

in the work of gospel mission.

This plan of God

that involves people.

In verse 2,

we come to understand

that God delights

in fulfilling his plan

by his power.

It is by God's power

that we come to experience

and enjoy this plan

that he has put in place.

Verse 2 of Matthew chapter 1 says,

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

and Isaac the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Judah,

and his brothers.

I think we often take for granted

the natural things

that happen in life,

especially as it relates

to childbearing.

And we think that

since these things

just seem to happen,

that promises that are made,

and names that are listed,

and fathers of sons

that continue to propagate themselves

is just natural.

But throughout the story

of Jesus' family line,

natural things like childbearing

proves to be a work of God,

and a work of God alone.

The three men listed in verse 2

had wives that were barren.

Any hope of establishing a legacy,

a family, a nation,

was entirely up to God

from the very beginning.

And God did that by design

to help these forefathers

to know

that if any nation

was going to be established,

it was going to be established

under His power

and His power alone,

not the power of men.

Beginning with Abraham and Sarah,

in this formation

of a people of God,

we come to Genesis chapter 12.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

And I know we've talked about

Genesis chapter 12

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

several times

over the past couple of years,

but it's important for us

to be reminded again

of the work of God

and His power

in establishing His promise

and carrying it through.

In chapter 12,

verses 1 and 3,

it says,

Now the Lord said to Abraham,

Go from your country

and your kindred

and your father's house

to the land that I will show you,

and I will make of you

a great nation.

I will bless you

and make your name great

so that you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you

and whom who dishonors you

I will curse,

and in you

all the families of the earth

shall be blessed.

In these first three verses,

notice that it is God

who takes the initiative.

It's God who calls

Abraham and Sarah

out of Haran.

It's God who establishes

a promise

and the promise

that rests on His power alone.

I will do this.

I will make.

I will show.

I will bless you

and make your name great.

I will make this promise

and the fulfillment

of this promise

depends on the power of God

and the power of God alone.

From the account,

there's no indication here

that Abraham had any inclination

of who God was.

What we find in Joshua 24, verse 2,

Joshua 24:2

that Joshua said to all the people,

thus says the Lord,

the God of Israel,

long ago,

your fathers lived beyond Euphrates,

Terah, the father of Abraham,

and of Nahor,

and they served other gods.

It wasn't that Abraham's heart

was inclined to God.

It wasn't that Abraham

was searching for God

or pursuing God

or wanting God in any way.

His heart was distant.

His heart was opposed to God

and moving in the direction

of idolatry.

And yet,

God takes the initiative

and God draws

Abraham and Sarah to Himself

to establish a nation.

And the amazing part is this,

that God makes this promise

in the worst possible time,

where every human potential

of producing offspring

was all but gone.

We find in Genesis 12, verse 4,

Genesis 12:4

So Abraham went,

as the Lord had told him,

and Lot went with him.

Abraham was 75 years old

when he departed from Haran.

Abraham is an old man.

His wife Sarah is 10 years younger,

but at 65,

and as a barren woman,

there is no human possibility

of fertility in her womb

of bearing children.

Two aged people,

a barren woman,

both way past their prime,

and this is when God

initiates His promise.

Why?

So that what would be

at the front of the fulfillment

is the power of God,

not the power of men.

So about 10 years go by,

and Abraham is beginning to wonder,

is God,

did I hear God right?

I thought God promised me a seed.

There's no son yet.

And so in his wonderings,

God shows up to him again

in Genesis chapter 15.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

And it says this,

After these things,

the word of the Lord

came to Abraham,

or Abram,

in a vision.

Fear not, Abram.

I am your shield.

Your reward

shall be very great.

But Abram said,

O Lord God,

what will you give me?

For I continue childless,

and the heir of my house

is Eleazar of Damascus.

And Abram said,

Behold,

you have given me no offspring,

and a member of my household

will be my heir.

And behold,

the word of the Lord

came to him,

This man shall not be your heir.

Your very own son

shall be your heir.

And he brought him outside

and said,

Look towards heaven,

and number the stars,

if you're able to number them.

Then he said to him,

So shall your offspring be.

And he believed the Lord,

and he counted it to him

as righteousness.

God reaffirms his promise

to Abram.

Don't worry, Abram.

I will accomplish the word

that I gave you

ten years ago.

You will have a son.

It will be from your

very own loins.

And I will give you

a descendant.

Descendants that are more

than the stars of the sky.

You can count on it.

In the midst

of the impossibility,

it says that Abraham

believed God,

and it was accounted to him

for righteousness.

So that Abraham

becomes a model of faith.

And we're going to find

from this story

that Abraham is not

just to be

a father of nations

physically,

but that he's also

to be a father

of nations

spiritually.

And so to be part

of Abraham

is not just to be

a descendant of Abraham

in a physical way,

but to be part of Abraham

in embracing

the faith of Abraham.

Being a son

or daughter of Abraham

through faith in God

just the way

that Abraham believed.

Those who would be

true Israel

would be sons

and daughters

physically

and spiritually.

And as you probably remember,

Abraham and Sarah

thought they needed

to help God out.

It had been a while,

and so Sarah

gives Abraham

her maidservant,

Hagar,

and Abraham

has a son

through Hagar

named Ishmael.

But it would serve

as another spiritual lesson.

Hagar's son,

Ishmael,

would represent

those born

under spiritual bondage.

A physical descendant

wasn't all

that God had in mind.

He had a physical

and a spiritual

descendant in mind.

Those who were

sons of Abraham

physically

and through faith

in him

spiritually,

faith in God

spiritually.

Finally,

after 15 years,

Abraham was now

99

and Sarah

was 90.

25 years

after the original

promise

and God shows up

to Abraham

again

in Genesis chapter 17.

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

It says,

When Abraham

was 99 years old

and the Lord

appeared to Abraham

and said to him,

I am the God Almighty.

Walk before me

and be blameless

that I may make

my covenant

between me and you

and may multiply

you greatly.

Then Abraham fell

on his face

and God said to him,

Behold,

my covenant

is with you

and you shall be

the father

of a multitude

of nations.

No longer

shall your name

be called Abraham

but your name

shall be called Abraham

for I have made you

the father

of a multitude

of nations.

I will make

you exceedingly fruitful

!

And I will make you

into nations

and kings

shall come

from you!

And God said,

Abraham,

As for Sarai,

your wife,

you shall not

call her name

Sarai

but Sarah

shall be her name.

I will bless her

and moreover

I will give you

a son by her.

I will bless her

and she shall

become nations.

Kings of peoples

shall come

from her.

Abraham,

this should have been

abundantly obvious

to you from the beginning

that when I promised

you a son,

I promised you

offspring,

it was for you

and your wife

Sarah

not you

and some other

random stranger.

But let me make this clear.

This promise is to you,

this promise is to your wife

Sarah,

I will make you

into nations

and I will bring you kings.

As you know the story,

in the midst of human

impossibility,

God shows his power

to provide for them

a son named Isaac.

It was completely

dependent on the power

of God

and not the power

of men.

400 years would go by

and the people

of Israel

would make their way

to Egypt

and after 400 years,

God would send

a deliverer,

Moses,

who would lead the people

out of Egypt

and they would wander

for 40 years

in the wilderness

awaiting the time

to go into the promised land.

Once they entered

the promised land

for 300 years

they would be

delivered

and governed

by judges

who God would raise up

and provide

as those who would help

provide both spiritual

and physical deliverance

from the various trials

they experienced

as people.

But the moral decline

during this period

of judges

is summed up

at the end of Judges

Judges 21:25

chapter 21

verse 25

in this way.

In those days

there was no king

in Israel.

Everyone did

what was right

in his own eyes.

A king had not yet come.

And so the people

decided that they

were going to take

initiative

and they were going

to do for themselves

what this promise

to Abraham

had included.

Let's have kings.

So they took the initiative

and they sought out Samuel.

They demanded a king

and God gave them

Samuel.

Excuse me.

God gave them

King Saul.

As you know

Saul had a heart

that was divided.

Saul was not committed

to the Lord.

Saul was not

God's original plan

for king.

And so

this anointed

man

because he was tall

and handsome

was not God's selection

for his people

and the people

did not flourish

because of his leadership.

So God would take

initiative again

and God would raise up

a king for himself

King David.

And that's what leads us

to our next point

this morning

that God will fulfill

his plan

by his purpose.

By his purpose,

his plan,

his design alone.

Verses 3 to 6

we're back in Matthew

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

it says

and Judah

the father of

Moriah.

If we had time

to follow

the twists

and turns

and ups and downs

of this genealogy

and pursue the stories

that are laid out

for us

throughout the Old Testament

we would come

to see

that what was

the plan

of the people

as it related

to birthright

and blessing

and that being

established

through the firstborn

was not the plan

of God

for his people.

God's plan

would not follow

that normal course.

God had a design

of his own

at least as it relates

to Judah

who ended up being

the fourth son

of Jacob.

He stuck

towards the end

of the first group

of kids

that were born

to Leah

his wife.

Judah

whose story

is marked

with blatant

sin against God

and yet Judah

was the chosen one

the father

of this future king.

Then the twists

and the turns

of David

this shepherd boy

this youngest son

in a family

of eight sons

the smallest

in stature

the least likely

candidate

to be king

yet the one

that God chose

by his design

it was according

to his purposes

his design

as God

being the master

planner.

The centuries

old promise

that God made

to Abraham

and Sarah

would finally

come true

God would

raise up

a king

through Judah

and David

as you know

would be this man

of God

a man after

God's own heart

a man of faith

a man of worship

a man of devotion

and a man of patience

Samuel would

anoint David

king

but it would

require David

to wait

for God's

ultimate

fulfillment

of that promise

faithfully

serving King

Saul

but constantly

on the run

in danger

of losing

his life

yet trusting

in God

and waiting

for his timing

and not taking

matters into

his own hands

David

trusted in God

God's

master plan

to see it

through

nearly a thousand

years has

transpired

now since

Abraham

and that original

promise

for there

to be

a king

and now

finally

David

is here

and David

is waiting

and now

God

brings

a promise

to David

we find

in 1st

Chronicles

chapter 17

verses 7

to 14

now therefore

thus shall

you say

to my

servant

David

thus says

the Lord

of hosts

I took

you

from the

pasture

from following

the sheep

to be

the prince

over my

people

Israel

and I have

been with

you

wherever

you have

gone

and have

cut off

all your

enemies

from

excuse me

from before

you

and I will

make for

you a name

like the name

of the great

ones of the

earth

when your

days are

fulfilled

to walk

with all

your fathers

I will

raise up

your offspring

after you

one of your

very own

sons

and I will

establish

his kingdom

he shall

build a

house for

me

and I will

establish

his throne

forever

I will

be to him

a father

he shall

be to me

a son

I will

not take

my steadfast

love from

him

as I took

it from

him

who is

before

you

but I

will

confirm

him

in my

house

and in

my kingdom

forever

and his

throne

shall be

established

forever

David

don't forget

where you

came from

don't forget

I took

you from

the pasture

I was

the one

who took

initiative

as a

lowly

shepherd

the youngest

of your

family

you were

the least

likely

candidate

to be

king

but I

took

initiative

by my

design

I drew

you out

and by

my power

I'm

making

you

king

I put

you in

place

you were

merely

a shepherd

but I

raised

you up

and I

fulfilled

my purposes

and my

promise

to you

by establishing

you as a

priest

and protecting

you from

danger

and preserving

your life

by cutting

off your

enemies

and so

because

of the

way in

which

I've been

able

to

fulfill

my

promises

to you

you can

trust

that the

promises

that I'm

making

about your

future

offspring

your

future

son

it will

be true

you can

trust me

because

I will

raise up

a seed

verse 11

I will

establish

his

kingdom

verse 11

I will

establish

his throne

forever

I will

be a

father to

him

and he

will be

a son

to me

I will

not take

my love

from him

I will

confirm

him

his throne

will be

established

forever

this

is my

design

you

can

trust

it

I will

see

it

through

and

throughout

the

Old

Testament

Israel

awaited

this

king

they

anticipated

the

promise

they

knew

that

God

was

faithful

to

carry

it

through

and

as

God

took

the

initiative

and

as

God

demonstrated

his

power

they

knew

that

the

promise

keeping

God

was

going

to

fulfill

!

His

promises

to

David

and

so

they

waited

God

is

one

we

can

trust

to

keep

his

promises

we

see

not

only

this

initiating

God

in

this

genealogy

but

we

also

come

to

understand

he

is

a

God

of

mercy

a

God

who

includes

the

nations

we

see

that

here

in

verses

3

to

6

there

are

three

names

of

ladies

that

stand

out

in

these

verses

and

as

we

read

these

key

women

in

these

verses

we

come

to

understand

these

are

women

of

faith

but

they're

also

women

of

the

world

they're

women

outside

the

people

of

Israel

who've

been

drawn

in

although

two of

them

had a

dark

history

providentially

God

incorporated

them

into

his

genealogy

to

make

a

statement

and

that

statement

is

that

he

would

be

faithful

to

answer

the

promise

to

Abraham

and

Sarah

that

he

would

bless

the

nations

through

them

all

the

families

of the

earth

would

be

blessed

not

just

those

of

Israel

this

first

woman

on

our

list

her

name

is

Tamar

Judah

and

Tamar

we find

their

story

in

Genesis

38

Tamar

is a

Canaanite

woman

who was

first

given

to

Judah's

firstborn

son

named

Ur

Ur

was

wicked

and so

God

killed

him

so

then

Tamar

was

then

given

to

his

brother

the

second

oldest

named

Onan

Onan

too

was

wicked

so

God

killed

him

now

Tamar

is

left

without

an heir

and

without

a son

and

at

this

point

Judah

is

beginning

to

wonder

if

it's

wise

to

give

Tamar

to

his

youngest

son

so

Tamar

begins

to

take

matters

into

her

own

hands

she

tricks

her

father-in-law

and

then

gives

birth

to

a

set

of

twins

named

Perez

and

Zerah

we find

their names

listed

for us

in this

passage

this

twisted

story

of

sordid

wickedness

and the

details

that come

that help

us

understand

that God

he overcomes

sin

God

is drawing

the nations

and God

uses broken

people to

accomplish

his purposes

God

delights

in using

brokenness

to demonstrate

that his

plan

can continue

to move

forward

not on

our

strength

but on

his

strength

alone

the next

woman

that comes

in our

list

we find

her name

in verse

five

Rahab

we discover

is the

mother

of Boaz

if we

remember

the nation

of Israel

here they are

they've left

Egypt

and they're

on their

way

through

the

wilderness

and they're

just on

the verge

of the

promised

land

and they're

waiting

and looking

over the

Jordan

and the

first city

they see

is this

city of

Jericho

this foreboding

city

that had a

double walled

system

and those

walls would

tower over

the landscape

and the

people within

those walls

were giants

their military

might preceded

them

but before

crossing the

Jordan

Joshua

sent two

spies

into the

land

to scope

things out

and providentially

the spies were

met by this

prostitute

named Rahab

who took

the spies

into her

home

and hid

those spies

on her

roof

among the

flax

she tells

them

what actually

was on the

hearts

of everyone

in the

land

we find

her account

in Joshua

Joshua 2:8–11

chapter 2

verses 8

to 11

here's what

she says

before the

men lay

down

she came

up to

them

on the

roof

and said

to the

men

I know

that the

Lord has

given you

the land

and that

the fear

of you

has fallen

upon us

and that

all the

inhabitants

of the

land

melt away

before you

for we

have heard

how the

Lord dried

up the

water of

the Red

Sea

before you

when you

came out

of Egypt

and what

you did

to the

two kings

of the

Amorites

who were

beyond the

Jordan

to Sihon

of Og

whom you

devoted

to destruction

and as soon

as we heard

it

our hearts

melted

and there

was no

spirit

left in

us

any man

because of

you

for the

Lord

your God

he is

God

in the

heavens

above

and on

the earth

beneath

so Rahab

asks for an

exchange of

kindness

she asks

that when

the people

of Israel

come and

conquer

Jericho

that she

and her

family

would be

delivered

she becomes

for us

a model

of faith

she

represents

the fear

that was

on the

entire

land

of Canaan

because of

the testimony

of God's

work

in leading

the people

out of

Egypt

and then

Matthew

here records

the prominence

of Rahab's

faith

in making

her part

of the

line of

David

ultimately

in the

line of

Christ

the lesson

for us

is that

regardless

of our

background

whether

you're

an outsider

whether

you're

a

prostitute

whether

you have

done

other

sins

that

you

are

ashamed

of

whatever

your

history

God

is

strong

enough

to

forgive

he

overcomes

your

sin

by

sending

Jesus

who

can

forgive

your

sin

if

you

ask

for

forgiveness

if

we

confess

our

sin

he

is

faithful

and

just

to

forgive

our

sin

and to

cleanse

us

from

all

unrighteousness

he

did

that

for

Rahab

Rahab

who

was

marked

out

for

destruction

everyone

in

Jericho

was

going

to

die

and

yet

God

rescued

Rahab

because

of

faith

a

model

for

the

entire

land

of

Canaan

if

they

too

had

come

to

God

in

faith

and

had

trusted

in

him

like

Rahab

they

too

would

have

experienced

and

enjoyed

deliverance

the

question

for us

for

you

this

morning

have

you

believed

have

you

come

to

a

place

of

acknowledging

your

sin

of

asking

for

forgiveness

and giving

your

heart

and life

to

Jesus

Christ

God

inserts

into

his

genealogy

this

record

of

amazing

rescue

and

salvation

and

forgiveness

and

faith

then

we

come

to

Ruth

Ruth

we

find

there

in

verse

five

as

well

Boaz

the

father

of

Obed

by

Ruth

Ruth

who

is

one

of

my

favorite

characters

in

the

Old

Testament

this

young

Moabite

woman

who

for

all

intents

and

purposes

had

no

right

or

opportunity

to

even

be

married

by

anyone

in

Israel

this

young

Moabite

woman

who

was

loyal

to

her

mother

in

law

who

left

her

family

who

abandoned

her

idols

who

embraced

the

God

of

Israel

she

like

Abraham

and

Sarah

continue

to be

this

example

for

us

of

what

it

means

to

leave

the

things

behind

and

to

pursue

God

in

many

ways

she

becomes

this

continuing

example

of

commitment

to

the

Lord

knowing

that

she

was

leaving

Moab

that

which

was

comfortable

that

which

was

familiar

leaving

her

family

behind

and

she

was

coming

with