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Mothers Of The Promise

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MATTHEW 1:3-16

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Mothers Of The Promise

Mothers are quite a precious commodity, aren’t they?  Each of us owes our very existence to our Mom!

 

Scriptures are specific when we speak to the blessed theme of motherhood.  In fact:

 

  1. God is interested in individuals – 2,930 individuals named.

 

  1. God is interested in women, 327 are women, nearly all mothers.

 

We know more specifics and good things about women from God’s word than any other ancient document.  Let’s go to the starting or origin point – Gen. 2:18-25.

 

  • We see her as the crowning act of creation, its completion.

 

  • She is that which made good God’s only bad report ‘not good man to be alone’.

 

So, He made one to match, complete, correspond to Him – helpmate – woman.

 

Some have said that there are actually two ways to look at it.

 

  • Woman’s view = God saw man and immediately thought He could do better – so woman.

 

  • Man’s view = God made the universe and rested and then made woman – and no one has rested since!!!

 

Let’s look back at Genesis to get to the heart of the matter of “Mothers of the Promise”.

 

Genesis 3:15 God said about women’s è Mother’s ministry after the fall of mankind into sin.

 

  1. Supernatural Birth Coming

 “Enmity between her seed and your seed”.

Women do not have seed  they are the bearers of the seed of a man this = virgin birth.

 

  1. Supernatural Conqueror’s Coming

 He shall bruise his head and you shall bruise his heel

All women were aware of this event and wondered for centuries – would they be a part of this promised Supernatural Conqueror’s coming – Messiah!

 

Well, turn to Matthew 1 a passage often used at Christmas and forgotten.

 

Look at those who were in the family tree of the Supernatural Conqueror known as Messiah.  Who did God pick to do such monumental work?  46 specifically named folks.  41 men and 5 ladies.  Let’s look at these mothers of God, the promise that they were!!

 

They were in the line that brought, from the Garden of Eden, and the death knell of humanity the curse upon fallen man.

 

  • A ray of light
  • A promised conqueror
  • A supernatural birth
  • A sunrise on sin’s night
  • A Savior – Christ the Lord

 

To be in that line was the realization of God’s greatest promise to man – SALVATION!!!

So, Matthew 1:1 starts our introduction of these folks.  Note how 5 of the 46 stick out.

They were women in a men’s list. Of 46 total listed 41 were men:

  • 3 Tamar
  • 5 Rahab and Ruth
  • 6 Bathsheba
  • 16 Mary

 

You can note that in the other list in Luke 3 no women are named.  This is unusual.

They are women with a mark.

  • When I say Tamar what to you think of?
  • When I say Rahab?
  • How about Ruth? Again, from the cursed, incestuously conceived nation of Moab.
  • Bathsheba? Synonymous with what?
  • Mary? Virtuous to us!  She was haunted for 33 ½ years with a shadow.  Fornication!

 

Let’s go to the central issue here:

God chose a plan to save fallen humanity.

His plan was to invade, and conquer this earth back!

His medium was a supernatural birth through woman.

 

 

Here’s the list!  And what do we find?

  1. Women
  2. Marked lives/stained women
  3. 60%+ unqualified women
  4. 2 Jewish at best – Mary, possibly Tamar
  5. 3 Gentile – Ruth/Moab, Rahab/Cananite, Bathsheba/Hittite

 

That’s astounding!  God went outside the covenant!  Only called one thing!  Grace.  This is most astonishing.

  • So what do we have? 5 women –
  • Tainted by sin or suspicion
  • Barely qualified by 3/5 – at best 1 or 2 qualified
  • All part of a grand plan

 

Women who were “Mothers of the Promise to bring Christ to portray grace.

 

Let’s meet each one personally!

 

  1. TAMAR – NO PAIN TOO GREAT. We can call her cheated, robbed, denied or Genesis 38 God kills her husband, she is forgotten, lied to, overlooked, takes law into own hands.  Has a child out of wedlock through an incestuous affair.  In all – defrauded.

 

  • Defrauded of normal life.
  • Defrauded out of a happy marriage.
  • Defrauded out of a good name.
  • Defrauded out of a sterling reputation.

 

Robbed of it all by sin!  Know anyone like this?  But, God graciously places her here as a “Mother of the Promise” to bring Christ to portray grace.

 

 

  1. RAHAB – NO PAST TOO BAD. We can call her defiled.

Joshua 2 finds her:

  • A businesswoman in two ancient trades that often were interchanged – prostitution and innkeeping.
  • So, a harlot,
  • in a doomed city
  • on a wall about to be demolished
  • among a race God was exterminating

She was in every sense a most defiled woman.

  • Sexual sinner
  • Cursed race
  • Doomed city dweller
  • Sitting on a bomb!!!

 

Sound like anyone you know?  What a picture of the lost sinners we are!

God needed no spy report, He wanted Rahab.

But, God reaches down pluck her out with her family of the inferno of Jericho’s oblivion and plops her graciously.  And, how the Word glows in her case!

God graciously puts this defiled woman in his plan as a “Mother of the Promise”.  To bring Christ to portray grace.

 

  1. RUTH – NO PROBLEM TOO BIG. Such a pitiful case – we can call her despised.

 

Her distant forefather (Genesis 19 Lot) had sired her race in the midst of a drunken orgy with his own daughters.  Yes, Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and drunkenness, condemned in God’s word (Genesis 19, and an unscrupulous daughter produced a tribe of people under God’s judgment.

 

Here is a woman that because of God’s  (1406 B.C.) curse no Moabite could enter God’s assembly to the 10th generation (Dt. 23:3-4)

So, despised though personally having done nothing to deserve it!  Think of it!

 

  • She is of the wrong race.
  • She is out of the wrong family.
  • She is tainted by a bad past.
  • She is hounded by someone else’s sin.
  • She is scarred by a family scandal.
  • She is plagued by a dark mark of stain.

 

And, after a short, sad marriage with her husband dead and famine about her God writes one of the sweetest Old Testament stories of grace.  And she is a “Mother of the Promise”  to bring Christ to portray grace.

 

  1. BATHSHEBA – NO STAIN TOO DEEP. 2 Samuel 10, 11 – Wrong place, wrong time, we can call her defeated.

You know the story – she was unwise at best.  Immodest in display.

She then –

  • Listens to a grand suitor. ANOTHER WOMAN’S HUSBAND.
  • Muffles her heart’s warning. CONSCIENCE
  • Stifles those virtuous vows of life long loyalty.
  • Ignores a wonderful husband.
  • Throws herself to passion and sin.

 

And, sins – a monumental, public, shameful, sin.

Her husband lies murdered.  The son conceived chokes away in death and all the world knows she is defeated!

But, God graciously lists her to be a “Mother of Promise” to bring Christ to portray grace.

 

  1. MARY – NO TASK TOO GREAT. We can call her

Born a normal sinner, comes to faith in true God, she is quiet, knows God’s Word, is willing to obey.

  • Falls in love.
  • Meets an angel.
  • Receives a commission.
  • Supernaturally conceives.
  • Her fiancée plans to dump her.
  • People scorn.
  • She bears public shame for 1/3 of a century!!
  • People falsely accuse her.
  • Jesus Christ puts her in her place.
  • Unbelieving sons sadden her!

But, through it all God has graciously reached down and made her a “Mother of the Promise”.  She bore Christ.  She partook of grace. She rejoiced in “God my Savior” (Luke).

 

None of these five deserved it, all were sinners.

  • Tamar Defrauded
  • Rahab Defiled
  • Ruth Despised
  • Bathsheba Defeated
  • Mary Determined

Do you see anyone you know?  Could it be you?  Have you ever been –

  • Defrauded
  • Defiled
  • Despised
  • Defeated

Today, Mother, will you be DETERMINED as Mary and each was, to be a “Mother of the Promise” to bring Christ, demonstrate his grace.

Let’s close with, how!

1 Tim 2:15 – Paul says women can be “saved through the bearing of children”.  What?  Yes, saved, or better preserved – from what?  Second Place by raising one to know Jesus Christ.

Today and onward you can join “Mothers of the Promise”.  Don’t take second place in life.  Be a Godly Mother who points to the promise God can use –

  • Defrauded
  • Defiled
  • Despised
  • Defeated

who will but determine by his grace to obey

Slides

 


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