Gospels Part 067
Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ’s legal lineage through Joseph contains several deep lessons when we dig beneath the surface.
Matthew’s genealogy has several interesting things that are easy to miss unless we’re really paying attention.
Considering the culture of the time, do you notice anything unusual in the list of names he records?
How were women regarded at that time? In general, not very highly. They were supposed to be seen and not heard, and often not even seen at all. But Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17) contains five different women—Tamar (verse 3), Rahab (verse 5), Ruth (verse 5), Bathsheba (verse 6), and Mary (verse 16)—or “Miriam” as she would’ve been called in Hebrew, named after the sister of Moses and Aaron.
Not only that, but the first three of these women are gentiles—non-Israelites—which is even more unusual. Notice that Bathsheba isn’t called by her name but referred to as “the wife of Uriah”—Uriah being a gentile Hittite, so Matthew stresses her gentile connection. Even more surprising, we see and know from the biblical record that one of these women, Rahab, is a prostitute, and two others, Tamar and Bathsheba, are adulteresses!
So, what’s the point of Matthew including these five women? The main lesson here is that of Galatians 3:28:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Matthew’s point is to show that God both could and did use both gentiles and women—and even individuals whose sins and faults are recorded in Scripture—in His plan to bring the Messiah to earth. Not only that, but even a figure as great as King David was the grandson of a gentile woman, Ruth the Moabitess, and the Messiah was born from the line of Solomon, conceived from an adulterous relationship between David and Bathsheba!
Matthew shows that God is willing to accept all people from all backgrounds, and willing to forgive all people and to use all people. We are not to turn anyone away based on their gender or background. Jesus will ultimately be the Savior of all people of all backgrounds, and that is how we are to view and treat everyone. As the well-known passage John 3:16-17 tells us,
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
© 2026 Scott Ashley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
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Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
