Jerry George

It took around 2 years to finish the chronological journey I started through the Bible. After all that, I don't remember much of my journey. Saddened to realize how poor my memory is and embarrassed to admit it. One thing I do remember from "how to read the bible and how to eat orange" is my reminder to myself that it is impossible to exhaust the pages of this book. As I spent about an hour scrolling through many different bible reading plans to help me stay on track, I finally stumbled upon the OliveTree Bible Study app's listing of reading plans. "Weekly Bible Reading Chart" was one plan that caught my attention which divided up the reading assignments based on different types of literature Genres (Gospels, Law, Poetry, Prophecy, Epistles and etc). I was curious and now am interested in pursuing the completion of this reading plan. A couple days ago was my very first assignment under this reading plan: Matthew 1:1- Matthew 3:23.

THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS.

I wonder if anyone else skipped reading over genealogies during family bible reading and prayer time. Any hands other than mine raised? Thankfully over the past couple years my family has stopped skipping over genealogies after realizing that the Lord didn't neglect or omit the genealogy. He made sure these names were recorded in His book. Each and every person recorded is known to Him by their name. He hasn't forgotten about any one of them. What a simple picture of some of God's attributes- faithful and loving to name a couple. So I set out on my new journey, the genre journey....and I got stuck. Don't worry, I don't mean it in a bad way. I meant I got stuck on a verse. Here's the culprit:
Matthew 1:5 "Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse." I had to read that again. "Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse."

Boaz, a type of Old Testament picture/shadow of the Lord Jesus, was born by a woman with a background like Rahab? If you didn't know, Rahab's early background included being a prostitute in a wicked land called Jericho. When the land was going to be destroyed, Rahab and her family was saved by the people of Israel because she aided a couple Israelite men in escaping from the hands of Jericho's king who wanted to destroy them.

My mind kept thinking about Rahab's background. Not only about her early past as a prostitute but more importantly about her life after choosing to obey the Lord. Rahab made a choice, a life-changing choice to protect God's people and ultimately submit herself to the Lord God. She wanted to leave her past and her wicked country that was about to be destroyed and join the people of God. Her choice to submit her life to the Lord, was the best choice she ever made. The results are seen many hundreds of years later in the genealogy of Jesus. It is also recorded that she became king David's great grandmother! You see, once she made the choice to leave her lifestyle of sinning behind her and follow God, she was even able to have children and grandchildren who were in some ways like Jesus! She was ultimately inserted right into the family tree of Jesus (genealogy found in Matthew 1). This made me start thinking about many people I know like myself with a background full of sin. Sin is sin. There's not one sin that is worse than another (although the consequences may be different). But a life that constantly chooses to follow the Lord, the Lord redeems. He transforms a dark and hopeless past into a bright and hopeful future. The moment Rahab chose to obey God, her past no longer defined her. She is no longer known as "Rahab the prostitute". I believe she is "Rahab the redeemed".

No matter what our past includes, whether it contains sins upon sins or choices to distrust the Lord and deny His power, if we submit our lives to Him, He will redeem it and make it fruitful and ultimately beautiful. There are many people who are too ashamed of their past and reluctant to stretch out their hands at the offer of grace that is freely given to them. But look at the example of Rahab. If she can be in the family line of Jesus, so can we be adopted into the family of God as His children by trusting in Jesus. She stretched out her hands and took God's offer of grace not looking back to her past but looking forward to what God would do with her life from that moment on. Remember, no past is too dark for Jesus to make bright. As cliche as it sounds, it sure does ring with sounds of truth.

The next time your past haunts you, remember that Jesus is a redeemer. He can take a life submitted to Him and use it for His glory which is the very reason you and I were created.

I'll leave this post with a couple links to some songs that have always reminded me of the grace and forgiveness God offers when a life is dedicated or rededicated to Him.

Well the past is playing with my head....
By God’s Word at last my sin I learned.....
That's how You forgive....
And you take brokenness aside And make it beautiful

I am a sinner
If its not one thing its another
Caught up in words
Tangled in lies
You are the Savior
And you take brokenness aside
And make it beautiful
Beautiful.