A Prostitute and a Refugee

Everywhere we look we are bombarded by advertising encouraging us to look up our ancestry to find out where we came from. When it comes to the genealogies in the Bible however, we often speed-read our way through them. Which is why I was surprised when God stopped me at these verses in Ruth.

The story of Ruth is about a refugee who left her homeland when her mother-in-law decided to return to her native land. God used her, redeemed her through Boaz, and gave them a son, Obed, who was the grandfather of the great King David.

But where did Boaz come from? Matthew 1:5 tells us that, “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.” That’s right, Rahab, the prostitute saved in the fall of Jericho, was the mother of Boaz! God used a prostitute and a refugee to bring about his perfect plan of redemption in the lineage of his Son.

But too often in our own lives, we give in to the lies of the enemy saying that we are unable to be of any use to God because of our past, our background, or our weaknesses. Instead we need to learn from the story of Ruth and Rahab and see that God wants to use us just the way we are!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that in your infinite wisdom you included both a prostitute and a refugee in the family tree of your precious Son. What an awesome reminder that you can use anyone for your purposes, and that means that you can use me, just as I am. Help me to trust you to work in my life, regardless of what my past looks like or the mistakes I have made. Use me to make a difference for you. Amen.

Go Deeper — Are there things in your past that you feel have disqualified you to be used by God? Confess these things to him right now and then leave them at the foot of the cross. Ask God to help you move past that and join him in the work that he is already doing around you.

Read Further — Do you ever wonder how much sin God will forgive and whether yours are keeping him from using you? Our online, confidential, free mentors are here to help you work through that. Simply fill out the request form.