Ancient Words: The Spirit of Jesus, Bathsheba and David 25+ Biblical Roles for Biblical Women Their example shows that God can use difficult situations and redeem painful trials such as injustice (Tamar), abuse and loss (Bathsheba), war (Rahab), and famine (Ruth). A Sympathetic Look at Bathsheba Yudin, Joe. According to Jewish tradition, Proverbs 31 was written by Solomon in memory of his mother. Thank you for this publication. We have been talking this Advent about family trees, and some of the more interesting people in Jesus, and some of us might have a story or two like this in our family histories and family trees as well, a branch added where it wasnt supposed to have been though to my knowledge there were not actually any added branches in Governor Sanfords case. He probably doesnt plan to call. Thanks for reminding your readers of these interesting characters. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. Mary was not a Gentile, however; she was a pious Jew. Weve been hearing news from Aleppo for a long time now, but it reached a climax this point as the city fell to Assad and his forces, who apparently went around massacring people. Jesus is named Emmanuel, that is, God is with us (Mt 1:23). So I would say there is grace and redemption in there too, whether or not she could see it at the time. She was a prostitute, as the Book of Joshua attests (Jos 2:1), but the New Testament praises her for her faith and good works (Heb 11:31 and Jas 2:25). Craig Keener believes all four women were Gentiles and he comments on their significance, When Matthew cites these four women, he is probably reminding his readers that three ancestors of King David and the mother of King Solomon were Gentiles. Twitter has done its best to make me cynical. Matthews account of Jesus genealogy poses a number of challenges this Advent. Marrying close relations is seen in Isaac and Rebekahs marriage also. Margaret Mowczko 2020 Sure, David does a bad thing, but if you really think about it, its all Bathshebas fault. You can support my work for as little as $3 USD a month at Patreon. She is, for all we know, happily married to a prominent man, probably living a reasonably well-off life, and all of a sudden that life is shattered, all because one powerful man saw her and thought he should have her. He is encouraging us to stand with reverent trust before the mystery of God, as revealed in Christ. What does the story of Bathsheba mean today? Some of these women, especially Bathsheba, continue to be maligned. They might even have been embarrassed, especially when they saw Tamars name. He wrote things like Do you really comprehend how beautiful your smile is? Around 200 BC, during the period in which Simon II was the Jewish High Priest, the channel was enclosed, and a second pool was added on the south side of the dam. Of the four women, Ruth comes off the best in the Scriptures. A great book if you want to read about 5 women in the Bible who play a role in the life of Jesus - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. [4] Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Eerdmans, 2009), 80. Bathsheba (Heb. Obed fathered Jesse, 3:5 ), wife of David and mother of Solomon.Bathsheba was originally the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's warriors. History is not a linear series of events leading to predictable outcomes. But he remains the chosen king, through whose family line God will fulfill Gods promises. VisitMy Modern Met Media. She is only named once, and that also holds when we take Matthews genealogy of Jesus into account. The history of the pool began in the 8th century BC, when a dam was built across the short Beth Zeta Valley, turning it into a reservoir for rain water;[18][19][20] a sluice-gate in the dam allowed the height to be controlled, and a rock-cut channel brought a steady stream of water from the reservoir into the city. 1:20, 24). And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand." Could she have refused to respond to him, or did she feel she had to do as her king asked? Ten years ago, after reading Megan Mckenna's essay on the women in Matthew's geneology, I created a "one-woman show," protraying these women in a dramatic presentation, entitled: Jesus' Grannies: "Smart and Sexually Suspicious: My Rahab ("You can call me Robbie") is the whore with a heart of gold' "Ruth" is a Mexican illegal; Tamar fakes being a crossing guard to flag down her father-in-law and Bathsheba as the bored wife of a soldier husband who pays her little attention. It is now associated with the site of a pool in the current Muslim Quarter of the city, near the gate now called the Lions' Gate or St. Stephen's Gate and the Church of St. Anne, that was excavated in the late 19th century. Like. And that doesnt justify the bad happening in the first place, but it does mean that Gods purposes of love and life cant ultimately be stopped, even by us. (Lincoln, NE). The Women of Advent: Tamar by Gail Wallace (The Junia Project) Bathsheba is respected because she was the queen mother of Solomon and was given a throne at his right hand (1 Kings 2:19). When Uriah abstained, David had him murdered (2 Sam 11:11). I really enjoyed Fr. Bible Concordance Bathsheba (14 Occurrences) Matthew 1:6 Jesse became the father of King David. The biblical narrative continues by describing a Shabbat visit to the site by Jesus, during which he heals a man who has been bedridden for 38 years and could not make his own way into the pool. This is not a love story, and this is not a story of Bathsheba the wily temptress. 2. 1 Kings 1:11 KJV, "Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever." I agree that Bathshebas bad rap accords with the sexism in the church throughout the centuries. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you and know that I am with you always, until the end of the world! This is a lovely piece. Once Bathshebas period of mourning for her husband was over, David installed her as his seventh wife (yes, seventh), and in due time she had the child, a son. The Women in Matthews Genealogy of Jesus. (See NAS) 2 Samuel 11:3 David send and inquired after the woman. Theirs might be a star-crossed love, but they both know in that instant that nothing is ever going to be the same again. Instead, this is a story about a king who stayed home while all the other kings, and his own army, were out at war. The message of these women (for me) is they persevered in spite of the fact they had very little power. Required fields are marked *. (More about Levirate law here.) Maybe you heard reports of bodies littering the streets. We know nothing about Salmon, whom Matthew lists in Jesus genealogy as the father of her child, but one wonders whether he might have been one of her clients. Scroll down to see more images of this incredible sculpture, and follow the artist on Instagram for peeks into his creative process. She prayed to Baal, who is thought to be the god of. The New Testament traces Jesus lineage through David and Abraham. What did happen that night? Do the four women in Matthew 1 have anything in common? The biblical authors do not judge or condemn Rahab in any way for being a prostitute, whatever that looked like for a Canaanite woman living in the bronze age. Her home is referred to as an inn or lodging house (kataggion) by Josephus in Jewish Antiquities 5.1.2 (line 7). By highlighting Jesus universal mission, Matthews genealogy poses some penetrating questions today. [2] A.L. It is only in Matthew 1 that we learn she became the mother of Boaz. [8] R.T. France, Matthew (TNTC; Nottingham: IVP, 1985, 2008), 79. Their second child was Solomon, renowned for his wisdom. Did Miriam the prophetess only minister to women? I always saw it as a way of God vindicating these women in all the ways you mention. Beth hesda ( /), means either house of mercy[1] or house of grace. Password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email address. Forty generations are recorded from Abraham to Marys husband Joseph, but Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriahs wife (Bathsheba) are the only Old Testament women mentioned. 11:2). The Futurechurch's genealogy begins like this: "A genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of Miriam, the daugher of Anna: Sarah was the mother of Isaac, and Rebekah was the mother of Jacob. So I honestly dont know what I would say to the people of Aleppo this Christmas, if for whatever reason I had the chance. ~ When Judah discovered the truth of Tamars actions which led to her pregnancy, he declared her more righteous than himself. Judah was the father of Perez (Mt 1:1-17). Uriah the Hittite (Hebrew: ryy hat) is a minor figure in the Hebrew Bible, mentioned in the Books of Samuel, an elite soldier in the army of David, king of Israel and Judah, and the husband of Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam.While Uriah was serving in David's army abroad, David himself, from the roof of his palace, looked down on his city . Otherwise, she is simply on the passive end of Davids actions. The Bible that accepted Davids mixed race also implied it for the messianic King Gentiles were never an afterthought in Gods plan [4]. [18] The reservoir became known as the Upper Pool ( ). Do we remain insulated, as Matthew feared was the case for many of his readers? Mary could have been stoned to death for being pregnant to someone other than Joseph, her betrothed. But we do know that it is her son Solomon who becomes king after his father, even though he is not the oldestin fact, Bathsheba herself has a hand in that, which is the most assertive she has been in her whole story. David fathered Solomon by Uriah's wife. It turned out he was actually in South America visiting his Argentine mistress, thus giving new meaning to the words hiking the Appalachian Trail for a long time to come. All the women were respected.[9]. Since that plot didnt work, Davids next idea was to have Uriahone of his mighty men, one of his elite soldierskilled in battle. As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important Americas voice is in the conversation about the church and the world. When you register, youll get unlimited access to our website and a free subscription to our email newsletter for daily updates with a smart, Catholic take on faith and culture from, Were sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. Its a heavy burden. Excellent summary and conclusions. Jesus' Family Tree: Bathsheba's Story - God's People in the World Two U.S. bishops were recently subject to Vatican visitations. He founded the Judaean dynasty and united all the tribes of Israel under a single monarch. But God does not reject or give up on David. [1] ~ Rahab lived in the Canaanite city of Jericho and was a Gentile. [1] He was a younger brother of Shammuah (sometimes referred to as Shammua or Shimea), Shobab, and Solomon. God uses the unexpected to bring an unfolding plan to fulfillment. As we commence our series on the Old Testament women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy, we start with the woman who is unnamed. According to Jewish works such as the Seder Olam Rabbah, Seder Olam . Maybe you saw tweets from people like one who identified himself as 7-year-old Bana, who wrote, This is my last moment to either live or die. Maybe you heard it called a massacre along the lines of Rwanda, 1994. Especially Bathseba being called Uriahs wife is not a bad reflection of her in my opinion or a diminishment of her character or importance (contrary to several assumptions Ive seen expressing the opposite) but I believe Gods way of honoring her. She loses her husband and newborn son and I believe this mention of her along with Nathans comparing her to an innocent lamb during his confrontation with David, proves God redeemed her too from the pain (and potentially abusive initial relationship) she may have endured. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Strikingly, this fare-well command combines the two themes that the evangelist in-troduced so creatively into the infancy narratives: providence (I am with you) and universalism (all nations). And Solomon is the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam is the father of Abijahall the way down the line to Joseph, the (adoptive) father of Jesus. We imagine, maybe, that there David was, getting some fresh air up on the palace roof, when all of a sudden this beautiful woman on a neighboring rooftop catches his eye. I appreciate the post, especially your treatment of Bathsheba. Your email address will not be published. The Hebrew Bible does not plainly say Rahab was an innkeeper, but in many cultures, inns offered sexual services as well as bread and board. She looks over and their eyes meet, and right or wrong, its love at first sight. ~ Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, a Gilonite (2 Sam. While he is gone, David sees his wife Bathsheba bathing on the roof of a nearby building. [2][3][4][5], Alternative renderings to the name (Bethesda),[6] appearing in manuscripts of the Gospel of John, include [7] (Beth-zatha = [8]), a derivative of Bezetha, and Bethsaida (not to be confused with Bethsaida, a town in Galilee), although the latter is considered to be a metathetical corruption by Biblical scholars. The infancy narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke give no indication that Mary did anything to bring about her pregnancy. And David says, thats nice, and he has her brought to the palaceyou can imagine hes not going to take no for an answerand he does what he wants to do, and then he sends her home.
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