Bathsheba: Victimized yet Victorious (2 Sam. 11-12; Matthew 1:6)
For anyone who has ever in any way been a victim of the sin of another this story is for you. Jesus came to give life to all. He was announced to lowly shepherds who were marginalized in the society. He was born to a poor couple who were ostracized from their community and eventually fled as refugees to Egypt to escape danger. He was worshiped by magi from the East. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this week, we need to remember that he is Lord for all of us. The story of Bathsheba and her inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus if nothing else reminds us of God’s grace and healing for all.WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Dec 22, 2019Bathsheba: Victimized yet Victorious (2 Sam. 11-12; Matthew 1:6)
Bathsheba: Victimized yet Victorious (2 Sam. 11-12; Matthew 1:6)For anyone who has ever in any way been a victim of the sin of another this story is for you. Jesus came to give life to all. He was announced to lowly shepherds who were marginalized in the society. He was born to a poor couple who were ostracized from their community and eventually fled as refugees to Egypt to escape danger. He was worshiped by magi from the East. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this week, we need to remember that he is Lord for all of us. The story of Bathsheba and her inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus if nothing else reminds us of God’s grace and healing for all.
- Dec 15, 2019Ruth: Faithful and True
Ruth: Faithful and True
The book of Ruth is one of the more tender stories in the Bible. First we, see this woman who is a foreigner, who is marginalized by those in Bethlehem, and who even describes herself as not even having the standing of a servant. But we see her as faithful to one who had no means of providing. Willing to trust the word of her mother-in-law, and courageously placing herself under the care of a man who was a stranger to her. God rewards the faithfulness of this marginalized foreigner and welcomes her into his family. Something for us to consider. - Dec 8, 2019Rahab: Daring and Defiant (Joshua 2)
Rahab: Daring and Defiant (Joshua 2)
Daring, defiant, and unrefined. All terms that could describe Rahab. Her profession was the only one available for a single woman in 1400 BC. And yet God still used her to help his people. Her faith was raw and unrefined but it was real. She is not just one listed in the genealogy of Jesus, she is considered by the writer to the Hebrews as a hero of the faith (Hebrews 11:31). Consider what we can learn by this woman that while eschewed by others was chosen by God to show us the power of simple, unrefined faith. - Dec 1, 2019Tamar: Forgotten and Desperate (Genesis 38; Matthew 1:3)
Tamar: Forgotten and Desperate (Genesis 38; Matthew 1:3)
Forgotten. If you have ever felt forgotten and neglected, then you can begin to understand Tamar. But there is more to her story. The covenant hung in the balance. Judah's sons are men of evil and sin and God takes both their lives. Tamar is forgotten and takes action in to her own hands. It is unorthodox, unwise, and ill advised. But in his grace, God sometimes works through the forgotten and the desperate.