Should the Church Abandon the church? Part 6

The OTHER Women
As we've been talking about how far the church has drifted from it's original purpose and design, we've recently been looking at an interesting aspect of God's nature. He seems to choose the broken things to redeem.
We'd all like to believe that He picks from the best of us to promote. But, in reality, it doesn't seem to happen that way. It almost appears like He purposefully picks the pitiful and destitute. So, if you feel like you've been called into church ministry, consider that. Did He call you because you were great and strong and would be able to show your potential? Or, did He call you because you were broken and weak, and His strength could lift you up?
Could the same thing be true of the church?
In looking at how He chooses the scandalous and scattered, we've been looking at the seemingly boring passage of Matthew 1 containing the genealogy of Christ. This passage mentions 4 women (for Matthew to mention women at all in a genealogy was ground-breaking in his day). Let's see what conclusions we can draw in looking at why he chose those 4 women. Last time, (Part 5), we looked at the first woman, Tamar. And, if you don't know the story, it's a hoot. Really.


Woman #2 and Woman #3. Rahab and Ruth.
Matthew 1 continues listing the lineage of Jesus, and in Matthew 1:5 we come across 2 women in one verse.

Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. - Mat 1:5 NLT

Do you recognize the name Rahab? I'll bet most of the guys in the Ancient City of Jericho did. Rahab the prostitute.The 2nd chapter of Joshua tells the story of Joshua sending spies in secret into the great city of Jericho. They hid with Rahab.
I'm not sure how this conversation went with the spies' wives.

"Okay, so we're going to sneak into the city..." whispered darkly.
The wife's breathless reply, "Ooh, tell me more... tell me more."
"Once we get in the city, we're gonna have to find a place to hide, there'll be danger on every corner..." darker still.
Shivering, "You're so manly."
All in one tumble, "So, Joshua said that we should go to Rahab the Prostitutes place...
"Joshua WHAT??!!??!?"

I LOVE the parts of the Bible that we skip over and don't even pay attention to. That's almost like our American Soldiers in the Middle East doing recon on a city-stronghold of the Taliban and getting caught in a Strip Club. (Not that the Taliban would allow Strip Clubs). But, as my friend Tim says, "Come ON!"
I digress, Joshua 2 tells the story...

Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, "Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho." So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. But someone told the king of Jericho, "Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: "Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land." - Jos 2:1-3 NLT

Does anybody else find this situation amusing? Spies come to the house of Rahab and stay the night. Someone tells the King, "Some Israelis are spying tonight." The kind responds, "Israelis? Oh, they must be at Rahab's place!" Too funny for me. What was it "Rahab's House of Carnal Desires and Spy Hideout Extraordinaire"?
I digress again. Let's continue.

Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, "Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn't know where they were from. They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them." (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) - Jos 2:4-6 NLT

As we continue into the story, we start to see some character similarities to Tamar. Beside the whole prostitute thing. Here are two women who are willing to lie and manipulate in order to preserve their family line. Somehow there is honor found in their ability (despite their current situation) to see beyond the moment and in to the future.

Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. "I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them. "We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. "Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families." "We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety," the men agreed. "If you don't betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land." Then, since Rahab's house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. - Jos 2:8-15 NLT

The 3rd woman of Matthew 1 is not nearly as salacious, but let's take a close look at Ruth anyways.
Ruth was from Moab. The Moabites where related to the Israelites through Abraham's relationship with Lot, his nephew. So, while they were fairly friendly, they were still very separate.
I'm not going to try to explain this away. Or, try to make it politically correct. The truth is that our modern ideas of Tolerance and Diversity were a serious No-No in God's commands at the time to the Children of Israel. Looking back on it, we now recognize a lot of the rules he laid out as obvious wisdom as far as cleanliness (not touching dead bodies), and avoiding parasites (not eating pork) that the Children of Israel could not have understood. But there are other parts that just rub us the wrong way, No cripples allowed. No interracial relationships. I'm not trying to lobby for these things to be re instituted, I just don't think I should "pretty-up" the past. It was what it was. I could explain it all away with the idea that God was looking to protect their national identity and through natural selection preserve the lineage of Jesus. But, I don't have to explain it away. It wasn't my decision, and I'm not sure I understand or agree with it. Speaking specifically of the Moabites, let's jump in to Deuteronomy 23 for that and some other choice nuggets of ignored Bible passages.

"If a man's testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. "If a person is illegitimate by birth, neither he nor his descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. "No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. - Deu 23:1-3 NLT

Not even going to talk about the first part, but still had to leave that in there. So, Ruth is a Moabite, not only is she not allowed to be part of the Jewish system of Tabernacle worship, but for ten generations, none of her offspring would be allowed either.
Honestly, Ruth is a breath-taking and beautiful love story. (Read the book of Ruth through, it is really worth it.) But, if Ruth is the Mother of Obed, and Obed's son was Jesse. If you know your Jewish history, you know that Jesse was the father of David. David, as in King David (who we will talk about in a little bit). That means Ruth is King David's Great-Grandmother. King David, probably the most celebrated Isrealite King of all time. Not ten generations removed from his Moabite Great-Grandmother.
Again, another woman who should be disqualified, but in each case, something honorable is found in the squallor of their dishonor. And Matthew points this out.

Next, Woman #4, and she's got quite a story