Jesus’ Genealogy Part 2

This is the second part of our look through the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter one. Why are we looking at it? Because there are four women listed in it. This is interesting for a couple of reasons:

1. Women usually aren’t in these lists. It’s about the property and lineage of men.
2. These women all have stories that put them outside the mainstream. Either because they’re not Jewish, or their life went in an unexpected direction.

We looked at Tamar and Ruth. Let’s pick back up with Rahab.

^“5Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab.”

Now Rahab lived in the city of Jericho. She was a sex worker out of her home. Joshua sent two Israelites to look over the land before they invaded it. They stayed with Rahab because it wouldn’t look odd for strange men to come in and out of her house. But the king heard about it and demanded she hand them over. Instead, she hid them and told the king they’d left. Then she struck a deal with the men: when they invade they’d spare her and her family. They told her to tie a scarlet thread in the window and keep everyone inside. Rahab did, and she and her family were the only survivors of the invasion.

“²² Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” ²³ The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. ²⁴ They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it.”

And that’s how Rahab and her family ended up part of the “mixed multitudes” traveling with the Israelites.

Now we come to Bathsheba. Or as she’s known in this chapter, “her who had been Uriah’s wife”.

“David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife.“

Here we are in the 11th chapter of Second Samuel. This is a heavy story with all kinds of implications. Let’s dive in.

Israel was at war, so Bathsheba’s husband was gone. The Bible says she was on the roof taking a bath. David, who couldn’t sleep, was watching her do this from his castle. He decided she was pretty and he wanted her. She’s married, sure. But he’s the king. She’s not allowed to refuse him. The Bible works hard to make it sound mutual and consensual though.

“⁴ And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her—for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to her house. ⁵ And the woman became pregnant and sent and told David, I am with child.“

Uh-oh! If David were a regular guy, he’d be in trouble. But he’s the king. He has an idea!

⁶ David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent [him] Uriah. ⁷ When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the people fared, and how the war progressed. ⁸ David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of food [a gift] from the king.”

He figures hey, Uriah’s human. Surely he’s missed his wife. The dates are close enough to pass the baby off. Problem solved. Until it isn’t.

“¹⁰ When they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house? ¹¹ Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

Well crap, now what’s a king to do? Something really despicable.

“¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down and die.¹⁶ So when Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah opposite where he knew the enemy’s most valiant men were.¹⁷ And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David fell. Uriah the Hittite died also.”

“²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for Uriah. ²⁷ And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Nathan the prophet proclaimed that David would be punished. The baby was born sick and then died. After David repented, Bathsheba had another child named Solomon, who grew up to be King.

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