friday, december 14
Redemption
“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David...“
Matthew 1:5–6
I’ve quickly skimmed through the genealogy of Christ many times without seeing any personal relevance. But this last time I was suddenly struck by a name I’d never noticed before: Rahab. You remember Rahab, the harlot? She lived in the city of Jericho at the time of Joshua. She’d heard about the God of the Israelites and believed Him to be the God of all heaven and earth. By faith, she secretly hid the Israelite spies and helped them to escape. In return, Joshua spared her life, and she was later listed among the heroes of faith in the book of Hebrews.
But in these verses I see something even more amazing. Rahab, the harlot, gave birth to a son who was in the line of David, the line of Christ himself. And not just any son, Boaz: the kinsman-redeemer, the very picture of Christ our redeemer. God’s message of redemption is written in every seemingly insignificant line of Scripture. I stand in awe that He would take a common harlot who turned to Him in faith and not only redeem her life, but grant her the honour of being part of His plan of redemption for the world. It assures me that all of my past can be redeemed far beyond what I could imagine for His glory. What a wonderful redeemer is Jesus my Lord.
-----
by Joan Kosmachuk.
| DO |
| During the next snowfall, consider how God blankets our lives with his redemption. Let every particular snowflake remind you that “every seemingly insignificant line of Scripture” adds up to the big picture of God’s message of redemption. |
| PRAY |
| Lord, may I never forget the great price you paid for my redemption, and may I glory in the knowledge that all of my failings will one day be redeemed for your glory. |
{open a printer-friendly PDF of this devotional}
