So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Matthew 8:7-11
In the genealogy of Jesus, five women were mentioned: Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, Ruth, and Mary. You might have thought them lucky to find themselves in the genealogy of the great savior, Jesus Christ. “You can say that again!”
Their experiences were not small either. They went through real-life issues. Was it Ruth who lost her husband, or Rahab who lost everything she had labored for, or Bathsheba, who lost her home and husband, or Tamar, who lost her husband and was deceived by her father-in-law (Gen. 38:11)? Oh! Should we then talk about Mary, who had to go through the mystery of being pregnant without knowing a man and almost went through the trauma of being stoned to death if not for an understanding fiancé? How many of your fiancés can do that? Answer yourself, yourself! Smiles.
But, for the purpose of this article, we will dwell on two of these women. Further discussion in the next article will discuss the remaining three.
Rahab and Ruth are our case study in this article.
Who is Rahab?
Rahab was a prostitute, she is a Moabite
Rahab was listed in the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11 as “Rahab, the prostitute” (11:31). We all remember the picture in “My Bible Stories” where Rahab saved the spies with the red scarlet; this was what gave Rahab the transformation of a lifetime. It was such a great transformation that took place in her life for her to be listed in Hebrews 11! An anonymous ancient Christian writer commented: “Since Salmon was considered noble among the children of Israel and was of the tribe of Judah and the son of the prince, he saw the faithful Rahab thus converted to goodness and beloved by God and led from Jericho at God’s command and counted among the daughters of Israel.
Did you note the word, CONVERTED! That was what made the difference. Her story certainly affirmed the power of God to transform a life from both ignorance of God and a sinful lifestyle to a woman who was beloved by God and praised for her goodness.
LESSON 1: Your present worth does not matter. A prostitute, arm robber, kidnapper, terrorist, liar, fraudster, murderer…call it anything. Jesus is here stretching His amazing hand to you not only to save you but also to change your worth. Who knows, being a prostitute does not stop you from marrying a man who will become the next general overseer or a powerful vessel in this generation. And guess what, when those clients come wondering or questioning why you should be Mummy G.O., this is what Jesus has to say to them, as written in today’s passage, verses 7 and 11b:
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
11b Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Ruth
Ruth, a widow and a Moabite, became the daughter-in-law of Rahab. Ruth’s story is a beautiful one of loyalty. She is one of the few women in the Bible who have a whole book named after her. Her vow to the mother of her dead husband has become a classic quote, often used in weddings to indicate the bride’s and/or groom’s intentions of loyalty: “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).
Ruth’s loyalty was rewarded, and she became the wife of Boaz, who belonged to the family of her former mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi led to faith in God and loyalty to the God of Israel. In the reflection of the genealogy of her new mother-in-law, Rahab, Ruth became a part of the lineage of Jesus because of her faith.
LESSON 2: You might be a young widow/widower, thinking life has ended. Or you are in your 30s/40s/50s thinking you are too old to get married. They are already calling you old cargo.
I am here to tell you that life has just started for you. The Lord who turned Ruth’s life around, when she chose to believe in the living God despite being an unbeliever, that same God will choose the right man/woman for you. He will give you a beautiful gift (spouse). You will get married and live ever happily in fulfilment of God’s purpose for your life in Jesus’ name.
God will arise and have mercy on you, for the time to favour you is NOW. No one can determine your worth. God is not through with you yet, He is working things out for you.
Confession:
I surrender my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ today. I believe He is the Son of God and died for my sin. Please come into my life, save me, transform me and deliver me from sin so that my worth can be of your value. Help me to follow you to the end.
Prayer: Father, please add value to me and increase my worth in Jesus name.
Family Princess Abimbola Ige
Facebook: @kingsfamily
E-mail: kfparkroyals@gmail.com
Tweeter@kf_park
Website: www.kfpark.com
Leave a Reply