Genealogy of Jesus

Matthew 1

In the genealogy of Jesus, there were only 4 women mentioned: “Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah's Wife (Bethsheba)”.

Tamar. Genesis 38

In Gen 38, Tamar's husband, Er, was evil in the eyes of the Lord. So God killed him. Now by tradition, the wife must marry the second brother and have a child for the dead first husband. However, the brother refused to fufill his duty by producing an offspring for his older brother. So God killed him too. So at this point, Judah (Er's father) sent Tamar back home in fear of her getting his last son killed. However, Tamar wanted to give her first husband a child so badly, that she resorted to trickery and tricked her father in law by pretending to be a prostitute. Judah pretty much slept with Tamar, thinking she was just a prostitute and gave her his seal and his staff as a pledge. In the end, when Judah found out Tamar was pregnant, he realized she was more righteous than him since he wouldn’t give her his son Shelah. (Gen 39:26)

Tamar's desire to fulfill Jewish law, resembles Jesus fulfilling the law. The salvation of Christ includes fufilling the laws of the OT

Rahab Joshua 2

Rahab was a gentile in Jericho. She only heard about God's name, and through faith of God, she saved the two spies even if it risked her life.

Her actions represents our acceptance of Christ by faith. The salvation of Christ is acceptance by faith

Ruth – Ruth

Ruth was a daughter in law of Naomi and was a Moabite. She was also another Gentile married to a Jew and accepted the laws of Jews. Because of her submission to her mother in law, she married Boaz and was able to be part of the ancestry of Jesus.

The salvation of Christ applies not only to Jews, but to everyone. Everyone who believe (and baptised) will be saved. Mark 16:16

Bethsheba – 2 Samuel 12

David and Bethsheba committed adultery and murder. Yet even though they broke two commandments of the 10 commandments, through true repentance (Psalms 51), God's mercy and grace, extended to forgiveness and acceptance.

In Psalms 51, it is David's cry out to the Lord for forgiveness and it showed how much David really regretted sinning against God.

The salvation of Christ includes forgiveness of sins through true repentance because our God is a gracious and merciful God who delights in our coming home.

Summary:
Despite the lowliness of these women, and how condemnable their actions were, God saw the hearts and the motivations of them and they found acceptance in God's eyes.