Redeemable

Genesis is full of interesting stories, and they involve people God has blessed. Yet in them we see some atrocious behavior. Last week was a bit hectic for me, so today you get the insight I had last week.

In Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, but God rescues Lot, Abraham's nephew. He escapes with his wife and two daughters, but the wife looks back and is turned to a pillar of salt. The go to a near by town, Zoar, but leave because we are told Lot was afraid to stay there. The end up living in a cave in the mountains.

What follows is a story of his two daughters, knowing they won't find husbands in the mountains, seeking a way to preserve their family line. They get their father drunk and sleep with him. For a long time I've wondered why we are told this story, what was the point of all of it. But in my most recent read through I noticed this, "The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day" (verse 37).

Moad was east of the Jordan, and during a time of famine Elimelech of Bethlehem, took his wife and two sons to Moab. The sons married, but the father and sons all died in the land. A grieving wife and mother returns home, accompanied by one of her daughter-in-laws, a young woman named Ruth. And now the connection is made.

Ruth married Boaz, they had a son named Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, who had a son named David. David became King of Israel, and God promised that one of his descendants would sit on the throne forever. A few centuries later, Jesus is born.

God can take any act and redeem it. If you think about it, that is what God does. He sees something that isn't good, and He makes it good. Now this doesn't excuse sin. It doesn't permit us the attitude of "I can go do whatever I want, God will forgive me for it later." Paul wrote in Romans 6.1-2, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"

When we come to new life in Christ, God has redeemed us from the old life of sin. We cease living in sin, and live as Christ. But don't be discouraged by the past. Your past doesn't disqualify you from the love of God. God can take anything and redeem it.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you