Scripture References: Matthew 1:1-6, 16; Joshua 2:1
(Tip: You can read these foundational chapters in full on The Bible App to follow along with today’s study.)
In our previous lessons, we broke down the core foundational questions of our faith and how God uses even our messiest baggage for His glory. Today, we are going to answer a deeply vulnerable question that many people face when they start getting curious about Him: “Am I too far gone for God?”
When we look at our past mistakes, our history, or the labels that society has slapped on us, it is incredibly easy to secretly worry that we are simply too far gone for God. You might be carrying that exact fear today. Let’s explore this together and see why your past doesn’t scare Him at all.
But before we proceed, let’s have a brief word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank you, we bless you, and we glorify your holy name. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving us the opportunity to learn at your feet again today. Father, as we read your word, I pray you teach us yourself from above. Open up our understanding and let it speak to us in a way that we will truly understand, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Perfect-Imperfect Family Tree
Our focal scripture today is the ancestry of our Lord Jesus Christ, found in Matthew 1:1-6, 16:
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: 2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah… 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
What do these verses have to do with God’s love? They show us how perfectly imperfect lives get transformed when they come to the Lord.
In the genealogy of Christ, we see four specific women before Mary. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Every single one of them had “scars” and labels. Yet, because they came to faith, God transformed their lives, proving they were worth loving regardless of their past. In our last study, we looked at Tamar and today, we’re looking at Rahab.
Society’s Naming System vs. God’s Clean Slate
Rahab is introduced to us in Joshua 2:1:
“Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.”
Her public identity was “HARLOT.”
Society has a way of naming us by our flaws, it happened back in Bible times, and it happens today. That was Rahab. But she did something significant for the Israelite spies by risking her life to protect them. I often wonder: How did she know how to hide men so well? It was likely because her profession involved hiding clients from public view. God took her exact reality, her street-smarts, and redirected them for His purpose.
She heard about the God of Israel, decided she wanted to be part of His promise, and helped the spies. In turn, when Jericho fell, she and her household were spared. God didn’t just let her survive; He gave her a clean slate. By the time she appears in the book of Matthew, that label is gone. If you read Matthew without the back story, you wouldn’t even know she used to be a prostitute. That is the power of God’s love.
Current State vs. Transformed Future
Do not let anyone tell you otherwise: God loves you in your current state, but He loves you too much to leave you there.
For some of you, this story gives you hope because your inadequacies feel like nothing compared to Rahab’s. But for others, you might feel heavy, thinking you are too far gone for God because your situation feels worse. I am here to tell you that nothing can separate you from God’s love (Romans 8:35). Take a moment and say: “God loves me.” Put your own name in there.
Yes, you are totally worth loving. The Maker of the universe died for you. Think about that, the actual Creator of everything chose to die for you.In Naija parlance: “you sef no small!”
An Invitation to the Family
If you want to accept God as your Lord and Savior today, I want to offer you a hearty congratulations! The Bible says in Luke 15:10 that there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents. There is a party in heaven just for you.
If you are ready to take that step, please say this prayer with me:
“Lord Jesus, I humbly come before your presence today. I am tired of being away from you. I want to experience the fullness of your love and enjoy a relationship with you. Please forgive my sins. Wash me thoroughly with your blood so I can be white as snow. Give me the grace to be able to flee from temptation and help me, Lord, to build a relationship with you. Amen.”
Congratulations! We belong to the same family of Christ now. Stay tuned for more lessons as we look at the rest of the women in this lineage and learn how to grow deep in our relationship with God.
God bless you, and till next time! ❤️
Scriptural Cross-References for Further Study
- Matthew 1:5 – Her place in the royal genealogy.
- Joshua 2:1 – Her original identity and encounter with the spies.
- Joshua 6:17-25 – Her deliverance from the fall of Jericho.
- James 2:25 – Her faith highlighted as an example of righteous action.
