God's Unusual Picks Part II

                                                                

GOD'S UNUSUAL PICKS-PART II

During our high school years, some of us had a strong desire to play a team sport such as Soccer or Football. Recollect the moment when you were being picked to be part of the team. In India, team captains select the best players, often their favorites, for the team. I badly wanted to play Soccer, but a few times I was overlooked, perhaps I wasn't good enough. So, I decided to play individual power sports like Weightlifting, Hammer throwing, Discus throwing, etc.

I have good news for you. Your desire to play in a team is fulfilled. When God wanted to put together a winning team, He overlooked many people and came to us, the most unlikely people to play on His team, so that when the team wins, He gets the glory.

Though at times He may use individuals to play significant roles in fulfilling His purposes, more often He wants us to work together as a team. Last week, we learned about two of God's Unusual Picks who were included in His redemptive plan. Today, we will learn about three more such Unlikely Women: Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Matthew 1:1-6 and Vs 16

I. Ruth: An Immigrant Becomes a Loyal Friend to her Jewish Mother-in-Law: (Ruth 1-4)

The book of Ruth follows the book of Judges. In Judges, we read about several of God's unusual picks who played crucial roles in redeeming Israel from its enemies. In contrast to everyone doing what was right in their own eyes, in Judges and in Ruth, we read about someone who set aside her own selfish interests and sacrificially served her Jewish mother-in-law. Ruth's story was about a migrant (Naomi), an Immigrant (Ruth), and a guardian redeemer (Boaz).

A migrant is someone who moves from place to place in their country or across borders, usually for economic reasons, seeking better opportunities." An Immigrant is someone who decides to leave their home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there."[1]

The Hebrew word for a guardian redeemer is a legal term for a relative who is obligated to redeem another relative in serious difficulty (Lev 25:25-55). During a famine in the land of Judah, Elimelek, along with his wife Naomi and two sons, migrated to Moab. Over time, Naomi loses her husband and her sons, leaving her with her Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah.

When the time comes for Naomi to return to her own country, Ruth decides to go with her, leaving her family and her country, and never to return. Listen to Ruth's covenant to Naomi and her God: "Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried." May the LORD deal with me, be it so severely if even death separates you and me." Ruth 1:16-17.

Ruth, a Moabite, immigrated to Judah and became a loyal friend to Naomi, as her name suggested. Ruth was at the prime of her youth, yet she did not pursue other young men in the land. Instead, at Naomi's advice, Ruth worked in Boaz's fields, those of a very wealthy and kind landowner who was also a guardian redeemer for Naomi. One day, he notices Ruth, admires her loyalty, and shows generosity and kindness to Naomi through her. Boaz loved Ruth!

Over time, Boaz fulfilled all the legal obligations and married Ruth. The Lord enabled Ruth to bear a son. The women said to Naomi, "Your daughter-in-law who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons has given you a son." Naomi took the child in her arms, cared for him, and named him Obed, who later became David's grandfather.

Matthew included the genealogy of Jesus Christ to show that God could use non-Israelites in His redemptive plan. In the NT. Christ is often regarded as an example of a kinsman-redeemer because, as our brother (Hebrews 2:11), in Ruth 3:9, when Boaz asks Ruth, "Who are you? She says, "I am your servant Ruth, spread the corner of your garment over me," in a way requesting His protection. Similarly, we can ask Jesus to redeem us and satisfy us with His love.

II. Bathsheba: A Sexually Exploited Woman Becomes a Queen Mother (II Samuel 11-12)

The name Bathsheba means, "Daughter of Abundance." "She was the daughter of Eliam, who was one of David's mighty warriors, an elite group of soldiers who played a crucial role in securing and expanding David's kingdom (2 Samuel 23:34)."[2] She was also the wife of Uriah, a faithful soldier who fought in King David's Army. And she was a gorgeous woman.

One afternoon, King David saw her bathing from the roof and sent messengers to bring Bathsheba to the palace, and slept with her, committing adultery. Men, refrain from throwing stones at David, saying, how could he do such a thing, and I would never do it. David's actions could be explained this way in modern terms: "A military officer's wife was violated and sexually exploited by the most powerful man in the land, the Commander-in-Chief of the army.

What was Bathsheba's crime? Where would she go for Justice? Who would vindicate her? To cover up his adultery, David gets her husband Uriah killed. We can only imagine the shame, the guilt, pain, and grief that Bathsheba endured. When her mourning was over, David took her as his wife, and she bore him a son. However, the evil that David did displeased God.

God sent his prophet Nathan to expose and rebuke David's sin. Amid this scandal, Bathsheba's innocence stands out. While confronting David, Nathan portrays her as a little innocent ewe lamb, who became a victim of the lustful appetites of a rich and powerful man. To punish David, God kills their firstborn son. Later on, they had another son, whom they named Solomon, meaning "loved by the Lord," who eventually became the wisest king of Israel.

Bathsheba's innocence leads her to become the Queen Mother. In Christ's genealogy, she was mentioned as Solomon's mother and the wife of Uriah. Bathsheba's story reminds us that God has a plan and can work, even through difficult situations and involving imperfect people.

III. Mary: A Teenager Becomes the Mother of the Savior of the World (Luke 1:46-56)

            Forty-two generations have passed from Abraham to the promised Messiah, yet God did not forget His promise, nor did He stop working on His redemptive plan. This time in the life of a teenage girl named Mary living in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. What do we know about Mary?

            Some scholars say Mary was around 15-16 and a virgin. The angel Gabriel appears to her and addresses her as "Highly Favored" (Luke 1:28). The phrase "Highly Favored" comes from a single Greek word that essentially means "much grace." Mary received God's grace. Grace is an unmerited favor, a blessing we receive from God, despite not deserving it. Though Mary was troubled by this unusual greeting, her response to God's will indicates her spiritual maturity.

            The shocking news was that she would become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, give birth to a son, and would call him Jesus, who would be the Savior of the World. Upon hearing the news, she bursts forth into a song of praise, saying, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, (Mary too needed a Savior), for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:46-48)

Much could be said about this teenage girl who became the mother of the Savior of the World. Here are a few reasons God might have chosen this unassuming young woman to fulfill His redemptive plan. Mary demonstrated faith and obedience to God's will. (Lk 1:38). She was not proud but took the posture of a humble servant (Lk 1:48). Her song of Praise was full of references to what God has done, indicating her scriptural knowledge.

            All five of these women were ordinary, yet God chose them to do extraordinary things. They did nothing to be part of God's winning team; it was all God's doing. He included them by his own choice in Christ's genealogy. If God could use these five unassuming women in His redemptive plan, He could use any of us, despite our backgrounds and imperfections.

 

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[1] https://www.rescue.org/article/migrants-asylum-seekers-refugees-and-immigrants-whats-difference#:~:text=Who%20is%20a%20migrant?,they%20were%20to%20return%20home.

[2] https://biblehub.com/topical/e/eliam.htm

God's Unusual Picks

                                                                     God's Unusual Picks

When basketball teams want to build their rosters and win a championship, they search for top talent in the NBA. They would love to have the #1 overall pick in the NBA draft. The #1 NBA draft pick is crucial because it's a team's best chance to acquire a potential franchise-altering superstar, a highly talented player who can lead to success.

Similarly, when God wanted to build His Kingdom and bring forth the Champion King who would rule the universe, He bypassed the talented and successful and chose some uncommon ones. In our Heroes of Faith series, we learned about several male heroes of Faith. Today, we will examine God's Unusual Picks of five women. Matthew 1:1-6, and 16.

God picked five Unusual Picks, not because they were women, they could have been men as well. But here they were, all women. That's what makes it unusual in a context where the majority of the Israelites disregarded the Gentiles and women during Biblical times. With that background, we explore what God saw in them that led Him to pick them for His Purposes.

Matthew opens up the Gospel with this profound declaration:  Matthew 1:1, "This is the genealogy (account of the origin) of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham." David L. Palmer notes that each phrase in this statement conveys a significant theme. "First, "Jesus the Messiah, or Jesus Christ," Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one. The title "Jesus Christ" occurs more than 200 times in the NT, signifying that God's promised Messiah has come.

The second, "The son of David," conveys God's promise that the Son of David would have an everlasting kingship and universal dominion that is at hand. Third, "the son of Abraham," God's promise that all families of the earth would be blessed through Abraham's descendants, is now being realized in Christ."[1]

Contrary to the practice in Hebrew genealogies, which mentions only fathers, Matthew lists five mothers in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. By doing so, he recognizes his scandalous background as a tax collector before his calling and God's heart for all people and all nations. Cyril Dasari has extensively discussed these selections during one of the men's Bible times.

I. Tamar The Righteous (Genesis 38)

Our study focuses on Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah (Genesis 38). Tamar experienced a double tragedy: She lost her husband, Er, Judah's firstborn son, but was also denied the levirate marriage rights (Deut 25:5-10)—the marriage of a widow whose husband died childless and the brother of the deceased.

Tamar lived as a widow in her father's house. After some time, she disguises herself as a temple prostitute and becomes pregnant by Judah, her own father-in-law. When Judah learned about it, he was furious and, as per the law, wanted to burn her to death, but later realized that he was the culprit and commended Tamar, saying, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." Gen 38:26

When the time came, Tamar gave birth to twin boys—the older one, named Zerah (meaning scarlet). A midwife ties a scarlet thread to his hand, as it was put out. However, the first one to emerge was Perez (meaning "breaking out"). Perez, a breach baby, becomes David's ancestor. Though God killed two of his children, Judah, in his thoughts, held Tamar responsible. He deceived her by failing to give Shelah to her as her husband, as he had promised.

The people deemed her an adulterous woman. Yet, she was praised for being more righteous than Judah himself. God recognized her righteousness and chose her to preserve the messianic lineage. Matthew included her in Christ's genealogy, demonstrating that God is a God of justice and can use anyone, even the broken and hurting people, to fulfill His purposes.

II. Rahab: A kind, God-fearing woman of Faith. (Joshua 2, 4, Matthew 1:5, Heb 11:31)

Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, could easily read the minds of men who slept with her. But these two Israeli spies? Something different about them: they didn't come for her, but on a different mission. When the king's officials came knocking at her door, she hid the spies and lied to the officials. Generally speaking, lying is not okay, but in this case, God seemed to let it go.

She sends off the spies with grand declarations of Faith and powerful assertions of God's miracle-working power: "By Faith, she knew that the Lord had given Jericho over to the Israelites." How fearful and lacking in courage were the people of Jericho, including the king. She reiterated the Great deliverance of God's people from the land of their enemies.

She boldly declared, saying, "For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Before the city gate was shut, she let them over the wall after securing a promise that they would show kindness to her household, as she had shown kindness to them. Before Joshua's army could finally burn the city of Jericho, Joshua sent the same two spies to bring Rahab and her family and all that belonged to her unharmed. She lived among the Israelites.  

Eventually, Rahab marries an Israelite named Salmon, and they have a son, Boaz. She becomes the Ancestor of Jesus and is mentioned in Jesus' genealogy. Her story demonstrates that God can use anyone to fulfill his purpose, regardless of their background or past, provided they demonstrate a heart of Faith, show hospitality, and be kind to others.

This also shows that anyone, including pagans, can approach God, exercise Faith in our almighty God, and be saved. Rahab is a great example that God doesn't go by outward appearances or the labels other people put on them. When others saw Rahab as a prostitute, as an object of their pleasure. In contrast, God saw her as a kind-hearted, God-fearing woman of Faith. Rahab lost her own community, but God placed her among God's people.

III. God is Good To Women

These two stories and three more tell me that God is good to women, especially those who are disregarded in society and abused by men. What is unusual about these two women, and what are some of the commonalities they both have? What message would they send to us in the 21^st century? Tamar was like many women who were wronged, denied justice, and sidelined in a male-dominated society. Tamar had to take matters into her own hands and disguise herself as a prostitute to get justice from her so-called righteous father-in-law.

Rahab, on the other hand, was a gentile, a Canaanite woman who was professionally a prostitute. Unlike her king, her fellow citizens of Jericho held a different view of the God of the Israelites. Her knowledge of God's power indicates an interest in a God whom she perhaps did not grow up believing in. She was kind, God-fearing, and a woman of Faith.

God saw in them what others denied them and failed to see in these two women. He saw in them righteous and faith-filled hearts, and those were the good enough qualities for Him. Thus, He was good to them and included them in the lineage of His Son, Jesus Christ, to indicate that man looks at outward appearances, status, or class, but God looks at the heart.

 God, out of his goodness, welcomed sinners, included them in His redemptive plan, and made room for them at the banquet table. During his ministry on earth, Jesus was kind to the Gentiles, women, and particularly to prostitutes. How about us? Regardless of our background or past, God wants to include all of His followers in His redemptive plan of salvation.

In our so-called Christian country and in the Churches of Jesus Christ, God calls us to follow the examples of Tamar and Rahab to maintain a heart of righteousness and integrity. Like Rahab, be kind and hospitable to people who are different because of their race, religion, or sexual orientation? As God has been good and kind, let us also be kind and good to others.

 

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[1] David L. Palmer, CASKET EMPTY New Testament Study Guide Page 57-58

God Of New Beginnings

                                                 GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Our gracious and merciful heavenly Father allowed us to see another New Year, 2026. It is going to be a fascinating journey with God into a fresh year filled with opportunities and challenges. As we look back, I hope we have only a few regrets and complaints, and a heart full of praise and thanksgiving for the manifold blessings of God.

Before we embark on the New Year, it is time to empty our trash (past sins, regrets, broken promises, outbursts of anger, failed commitments, illicit relationships, wasted resources, and indulgences) into a dumpster. It is like spiritual house cleaning. Once we threw all that bad stuff in the dumpster, we were ready for a fresh start with God and receive what God has for us.

On this first Sunday of the New Year, let us open our eyes of faith wide and look at what the Lord God Almighty, our dear heavenly Father, will do in us, for us, and through us. Let us observe whether He has any warnings, pay attention to any reminders, and hold on to the promises as we examine a familiar passage, often quoted on New Year's Day: Isaiah 43:18-21.

I. Background:

Through our CASKET studies, we have learned that due to relentless rebellion, disobedience, and idolatry, God sent the Israelites into exile in Babylon. In 586 B.C Jerusalem is destroyed and Judah is brought into exile. The prophet Ezekiel extensively writes about the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the remnant of Israel to Babylon.

Living in a foreign land, away from their beloved homeland, was not something the Israelites cherished; they wanted to return as quickly as possible. So they called in prophets who could predict their future return. They were given false hope by false prophets who predicted they would return to their homeland within two years; in contrast, God sent his prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied that they would remain in exile for seventy years. Jeremiah 28, 29.

               During their exile, they were to work the land, build homes, marry, and lead everyday day-to-day lives while hoping to return to their homeland one day. Towards the end of their seventy-year exile, God sent Isaiah to prophesy how He would deal with Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian Kingdom, and to make a way in the wilderness for the exiles to return to their home. This promise was fulfilled in 539 BC, when the Medo-Persians, led by Cyrus, overcame the Babylonian army. Let's look at how the promise unfolded and its implications for us today.

II. Let Bygones Be Bygones

Isaiah 43:18-19, "Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? This loaded phrase contains three crucial messages: a gentle reminder, a trustworthy promise, and a question to respond to. First, a gentle reminder: What does the phrase "forget the former things, do not dwell on the past mean?

In contemporary language, it could be said: "let bygones be bygones." The phrase 'Let Bygones Be Bygones' is used to indicate that unpleasant things that have happened in the past are best forgotten. In the Chronicles of Narnia movie, when Edmund finally came to realize his mistakes and was set free, Aslan brought him to his siblings and made this profound statement: "Here is your brother, and- there is no need to talk about what is past."[1] Aslan in the movie represented God's intimate knowledge of our lives and His love and forgiveness.

 

When God said to the Israelites, "Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. He was speaking to them, "I know, how rebellious you have been, to teach you the importance of obedience, I sent you to exile for seventy years. Now it is all over, don't feel bad about what you have done. Please don't dig up your past; it is better to forget it and move forward with me.

What does this mean to us today? God disciplines us when we sin and walk in rebellion, but when we repent, He forgives our sins and restores us to Himself. But the devil would like us to dig up our past and feel guilty about all our mistakes and failings. In the process, we begin to doubt God's love and His forgiveness. The scriptures remind us that when God forgives, He also forgets our sins and no longer remembers them. It doesn't mean that God has amnesia. Forgiving and forgetting our sins is a deliberate choice of God:

Jeremiah 31:34, "For I will forgive their wickedness, and I will remember their sins no more." Isaiah 43:25: "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Psalm 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Hebrews 8:12: "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."

 

Here is the lesson we need to learn: when God graciously forgives our sins, we have no business going back to keep digging up past failures and regrets, only to feel miserable all over again. If we do that, then what Christ has done on the cross to forgive our sins is meaningless. Instead, we forget the past and focus on what God is doing in the present. What past regrets or sins are still dwelling on? It is about time you forget them and look at what God is doing. 

III. The God of New Beginnings

            Isaiah 43:19, "Behold, I will do something new; now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness Rivers in the desert." Here is the trustworthy promise of God: that He is doing something New, and we need to behold it. It speaks to the fact that our God is the God of New Beginnings.

Stephanie Rische notes in an article, "the writers of Scripture didn't have commas or exclamation marks at their disposal; they did have access to other tools to get their readers' attention. Most notably, they used the word for behold, which means "to keep or to hold." It comes from the Greek word "to see." It was intended to force its readers to slow down, to hold this truth in their hearts, to really see. The word behold is used more than a thousand times in the ESV Bible, which makes me think there must be a lot God wants us to pay attention to."[2] Let's see what God wants us to pay attention to.

Behold, I will do something New. What was that new thing meant for the exiles in Babylon who had been displaced from their homeland and stripped of all their freedoms? The New thing was freedom and restoration to their beloved homeland. Returning home seemed highly impossible, but God said to them, " Don't you see, don't you perceive it, I will make a roadway in the wilderness and Rivers in the desert. If we read the book of Ezra, we will learn about the Joyous return and the resettlement of the exiles in their homeland, Jerusalem.

What does this mean to us on this first Sunday of the year 2026? The scriptures tell us that when we sin against God, we become slaves to sin. John 8:34. When we live in sin, we are, in one sense, exiled away into the enemy's land, far away from home. In one way, Peter calls all believers exiles on this earth, longing to return to our heavenly home. I Peter 2:11

 

No matter what we do, our longing to return to our heavenly home can not be fulfilled because we were shackled in our sin and living in misery and shame. For some of us, this life of bondage to substance abuse and addiction may have lasted a long time, while for others, who might be struggling with deep depression due to rejection, it may have lasted a considerable amount of time. Whatever your situation is, you may feel there is no way out.

I have good news for you. Your struggles with sin and guilt are finally over; your time to return home to be with God has come. If you think there is no way out for you, Jesus is standing here and saying to you, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me. The Savior is here, declaring to you, "Behold, I am doing a new thing among you. According to the scriptures, that new thing is the forgiveness of your sins. Your deliverance from the bondage to Satan and death. John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." 2 Cor 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the New creation has come; The old has gone, the New is here! Christ sets us free so that we might proclaim His Praises forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] https://gospelaccordingtosuperheroes.weebly.com/posts/the-repentance-of-edmund-the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-chapter 13#:~:text=Aslan%20calls%20Edmund's%20siblings%20to,known%20as%20Confession%2C%20about%20them.

[2] https://www.boundless.org/faith/the-power-of-beholding/