Consider the women listed. The fact that women are mentioned at all is unusual. Tamar is mentioned first. She played the role of a prostitute and became pregnant by her father in law. Next you have Rahab. Remember, she was the harlot from Jericho who hid and then lied about the Israelite spies. Then there is Ruth who was a Moabite, a people whom God had told the Israelites to annihilate. Next, you have Bathsheba referred to, but not by name. She was Uriah’s wife, but David committed adultery with her, then had Uriah killed in battle, and then married her. Finally you have Mary, the mother of Jesus.

 

Not one of these would have dreamed they would be a part of God’s divine plan to bring into the world the Savior. But they were.

 

When you read the names of the men in this genealogy you’ll come to the same conclusion. Few of them deserved to be blessed by God. Yet God in His wisdom and grace worked in and through them to accomplish His plan of Salvation.

 

An impact thought based on these observations would be: God can and will use you to build His kingdom if you trust in Him. None of us is worthy within ourselves. In fact, all of us have failed or found ourselves the victim of tragic circumstances. But God delights in taking broken lives and putting them together again, and then using them to accomplish His purpose.

 

Commit yourself to Him and trust Him to work in and through you to fulfill His perfect plan.