Generations of Faithfulness - August 1

Read Ruth 4:18-22

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Reflect

What do you know about your family’s heritage? Is knowing who you came from important to you?

Genealogy has become a fun hobby for many people and a passionate pursuit for others. Some people can trace a basic family tree while others can go back hundreds of years. There are companies that help you trace your roots using vital documents or even your DNA. They don’t just tell you who you come from but also where you came from.

Today we are reading a genealogy. It may not seem all that exciting to read but genealogies are chock full of vital information. This genealogy starts with Perez, the son of Judah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar (Genesis 38). Now, the clan of Perez was the prime clan of Judah. But it’s the clan that almost never was. Judah’s sons were so wicked that God had to put two of them to death leaving Tamar a widow twice. Judah promised to give Tamar his youngest son in a levirate marriage when he grew up but never made good on his promise.

The big issue here is that Judah almost allowed his own family line to die out. It was Tamar, who had to resort to deceit and incest, who played the prostitute to trick her father-in-law into sleeping with her. It isn’t really one of those family stories that make you proud of your family but through her actions, Tamar did secure an heir for Judah in spite of Judah. Thus, Perez was born and the rest of this family tree was possible.

If we read down a few generations we see another familiar name, Boaz. Boaz was a descendant of Perez. If you reread Ruth 4:11-12, you see that the people gathered at the city gate and the elders of the legal assembly blessed Boaz’s house, praying that it would be like the house of Perez. They weren’t hoping that Ruth and Boaz’s family would engage in incest and prostitution. They were praying that their offspring would be prominent.

Boaz and Ruth’s son, Obed is listed next. After that, the narrator gives us a glimpse into the future. When Obed grew up, he fathered Jesse and Jesse fathered David—as in King David. I’d say the townsfolk’s blessing was fulfilled right there. Boaz’s house did indeed become significant.

But there is more, of course! We know that Someone else came from David’s line. That means Someone else came from Boaz and Ruth…the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Plus, did you notice where all of this took place? In Bethlehem! Where King David was born and where King Jesus was born.

If you trace this genealogy farther back in time (which Matthew did for us in Matthew 1), you read that all of this started with Abraham. In Genesis 12:2-3, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you.”

In the ancestry and the descendants of Boaz, we see the “hesed” of God—the steadfast, loving kindness of the Lord. “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations…” (Deuteronomy 7:9). Even when it looked like it was all about to fall apart, God kept His promise to Abraham throughout all of the generations!

Respond

Lord, great is Your faithfulness! Great is Your loving kindness. Thank You for this account of how You kept Your promises across the generations and through it all brought us a Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reveal

Remind someone you know today that God is faithful and keeps His promises! Share an encouraging word today!