Why Would God Bless Two Immoral Women?

Christian Questions Bible Podcast

God does not reward sin. On the contrary, He abhors it! Satan’s first rebellious thoughts against God will result in his eventual destruction. Adam’s sin of disobedience has and continues to result in the power of sin, evil and death plaguing our world to this day. Enter Tamar and Rahab. These are two Old Testament women who both acted immorally and yet found their way into a very unusual position of God’s favor. They were two of only five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus. How can this be? Did God make an exception for them? What was it they did or didn’t do to have the privilege of having Jesus be a descendant of their blood lines? The answers to these questions are found in the fascinating accounts and decisions of their lives. Who was Tamar? Tamar lived long before the nation of Israel was established. She lived at the time when Jacob and his 12 sons (who would become the 12 tribes of Israel) were alive. Tamar was the widowed daughter-in-law of Judah, one of those 12 sons. Tamar’s sin was to dress up like a prostitute and entice Judah (who was a widower at the time) into sexual relations. Tamar got pregnant, had twins, and one of those twins ends up being in the lineage of Jesus himself. Before jumping to conclusions, it is important to point out that at this time in his life, Judah was no shining example of morality himself. Could two wrongs make something right? Why would God allow the lineage of Jesus to come from such a profoundly immoral ancestry? Who was Rahab? Our next example is Rahab. She lived several generations later. She was a Canaanite woman who lived in the city of Jericho at the time Israel conquered it. Rahab didn’t just dress up like a prostitute, she was one. In spite of her profession, she was instrumental in hiding and aiding the two spies Joshua sent into the city. How did she help them? She lied several times. Rahab and her family were spared from death when the city fell. They were relocated to live with the nation of Israel and Rahab also was blessed with being in the lineage of Jesus. Once again the question arises, why would God use such an person with such a reputation to be part of Jesus’ own ancestry? Check out our May 23, 2022 podcast, “Why Would God Bless Two Immoral Women?” for more. We put these accounts of Tamar and Rahab in order by assembling and examining the details and their context. There are several profound lessons that this investigation reveals. One very foundational lesson is that no matter how it may appear, God does not condone immoral behavior. On the contrary, He always has and always will plainly condemn it. This foundation opens the door for being able to grasp how God was able to bless these women within the context of their wrongdoing. Join us for a fascinating journey into two rarely talked about biblical accounts that teach amazing lessons!