Bad Moms of the Bible

“But there’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.” Mitch Albom

  There are no perfect mothers. You didn’t have one. If you’re a mom, you won’t be one. Since Eve first handed the forbidden fruit to Adam, we’ve all been contaminated by sin. Our family tree is a big mess, but so was Jesus’. 

  Most of us when we read the Bible tend to skip through the genealogies. The Jews of the first century would be quite surprised by our attitude. For them, the genealogy was an absolutely essential setting for the story of Jesus’ birth. They paid very close attention to questions of genealogy. For instance, whenever land was bought or sold, the genealogical records were consulted to insure that land belonging to one tribe was not sold to members of another tribe, thus destroying the integrity of the ancient tribal boundaries. You couldn’t just put the money down and take the deed. You also had to prove that your ancestors came from the same tribe.

  The most wonderful genealogy in the Bible is found in Matthew 1. The genealogy in Matthew 1 establishes Jesus as part of the royal family of David. It’s the same principle we see in the British royal family. The rulers of England must come from the house of Windsor and those rulers are determined strictly by genealogy. The same is true for Jesus Christ. His right to the throne is determined by His genealogy, which establishes beyond question that Jesus is indeed a literal descendant of King David.

  What anyone who has studied the Matthew 1 genealogy loves are the mothers listed out. It’s a chronicle of the grace of God. If you study these names in detail, it’s almost as if God pulled together a list of the worst Moms of the year. It’s not a list of plaster saints.

  It was unusual for a Jewish genealogy to include women. Family trees traced from father to son, but Jesus came to save men and women. And these were not nice women. At least three of them were exceptionally bad. These women wonderfully download for us the gospel.

  Tamar. You’ll find her sordid story in Genesis 38. She was the daughter-in-law of Judah who was the son of Jacob, grandson of Abraham. Tamar found herself husbandless and childless. She was impatient and unwilling to wait for God to take care of things so she hatched a scheme to trick her father-in-law Judah into sleeping with her. Her plan was simple – dressing up as a shrine prostitute, she seduced Judah into sleeping with her, whereupon she became pregnant and gave birth to twin boys—Perez and Zerah. What she did was evil and immoral. But Jesus didn’t come to save good people. He came for people like Tamar and Judah, and people like you and me.

  Rahab. Most of us know more about her. Whenever her name is mentioned in the Bible it has a phrase attached to it, Rahab the harlot. She was also a Canaanite, the hated enemies of Israel. Her most exemplary act was the telling of a lie. But her story is tied in with the larger story of Joshua’s conquest of the walled city of Jericho. When Joshua sent spies into the city, Rahab hid them in her house. In exchange for safe passage out of the city, they promised to spare her and her family when the invasion took place. All she had to do was to hang a scarlet cord from her window so the Israelites could identify her house. The spies hid in her house because people were accustomed to seeing strangers come and go at all hours of the night. But Rahab was a woman of faith. Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith Rahab …” She was a believer! You can’t be saved without faith.   

  Ruth. She was from the country of Moab. a cursed people who were birthed from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter (Genesis 19). Jews hated Moabites. But the book which bears her name tells of the romance that blossomed between Ruth the Moabitess and Boaz the Israelite. They were a very unlikely couple but in God’s providence, they were brought together in marriage. Boaz “redeemed” Ruth. Like everyone who comes to Christ for salvation, it’s the “romance of redemption.” They had a son named Obed who had a son named Jesse who had a son named David, making Ruth King David’s great-grandmother. It’s how a woman from a despised nation entered the line of the Messiah.

  Bathsheba. The last mother is not mentioned by name. She’s identified as the woman “who had been Uriah’s wife.” The account of Bathsheba’s adultery with King David is well-known. But adultery was only the beginning. Before the scandal was over it included lying, a royal cover-up, and ultimately murder. As a result, the child conceived that night died soon after birth and David’s family and empire began to crumble. Eventually, David married Bathsheba and they had another son—Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Quite a result for a union that began in adultery. There’s dirt all over this episode. But the main point is that Bathsheba made the list. Her name isn’t there but she’s still mentioned. Personally, I believe that she reminds us that even those who of us are the people of God and know what is right, like King David, are capable of the most horrible evil, like adultery and murder.

  Why these Moms? God did it so that His grace might be richly displayed. Can a prostitute go to heaven? What about an adulterer, a murderer or a liar? Absolutely! The stories of these four mothers and all of the men on the list remind us not to focus on the sin, but on God’s grace. The hero of the genealogy story is God. His grace shines through the darkest pit of human sin as He chooses flawed men and women and places them in Jesus’ family tree. This genealogy is in the Bible to let us know that Jesus had a background a lot like ours. He called Himself “the friend of sinners” and said that He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

  Do you want to be a great Mom (or Dad)? You have to know Jesus. We’re all one big mess. But no matter what you’ve done, Jesus can save you. The Moms in Jesus’ family tree remind us that no matter what your past looks like, or what your present feels like, no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, God’s grace is enough. He can forgive you and give you a fresh start. He wants to make you a trophy of His grace!

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