Four Women, One Good God

Four Women, One Good God:

Scandal, Scraps, and Sovereignty

If you’ve ever visited the Veterans Bridge in Pueblo, you know how overwhelming it is to see over 7,000 names etched in stone. At first glance, it’s just a list. But when you stop to think, you realize every single name represents a life—hopes, dreams, fears, and moments of courage. They are all connected by a bigger story of service.

Matthew’s genealogy in Matthew 1:3-6 is exactly like that. It’s a list of names that can feel overwhelming, but when you look closer, four names jump off the page. In a time when genealogies usually only listed "prestigious" men to prove a king's worth, Matthew does something shocking. He includes four women.

And he doesn't choose the "safe" ones like Sarah or Rebekah. He chooses women whose stories are messy, scandalous, and complicated. Why? Because Matthew wants us to know that the Kingdom of God isn't built by perfect people—it’s built by people who cling to God in the middle of their brokenness.

Tamar: Faith That Won’t Give Up

Tamar’s story (Genesis 38) is wrapped in injustice. After her husband died, her father-in-law, Judah, abandoned her, leaving her with no future and no security. In a desperate and messy move to secure the future she was promised, she disguised herself and tricked Judah into fathering her child. While her methods were scandalous, Judah himself later admitted, "She is more righteous than I." Why? Because while Judah was willing to let God’s promises die for the sake of his own comfort, Tamar was bold. She fought for what was right when everyone else had given up on her.

The Lesson: God isn’t looking for people who "look the part" but ignore what is wrong. He honors a heart that holds on to His plan, even when life is incredibly hard.

Rahab: Faith That Risks Everything

When Israel stood at the gates of Jericho, they met Rahab. By every cultural and religious standard, she was an outsider—a Gentile and a prostitute. She had a choice: trust the massive, "safe" walls of her city, or trust the God of Israel she had only heard stories about.

She chose God. She hid the spies and risked being executed as a traitor. The New Testament doesn't praise her for her past or her lies; it praises her boldness.

The Lesson: You don’t have to be perfect to be used by God. You just have to be willing to trust Him more than you trust your own "walls" of security.

Ruth: Faith in the Vulnerable Moments

Ruth was a penniless widow from a "cursed" nation (Moab). She could have stayed in her homeland where it was safe, but she chose to follow her mother-in-law and the God of Israel into the unknown.

She spent her days picking up scraps in the fields just to survive. When the opportunity came, she took a bold, vulnerable risk to ask Boaz to be her "redeemer." She stepped out in faith, and God moved this foreign immigrant from the scraps of the field into the direct line of the Messiah.

The Lesson: Bold faith isn't always loud or dramatic. Sometimes, it’s simply being vulnerable and trusting God when you have nothing left to lose.

Bathsheba: Faith That Speaks Up

Matthew refers to her as "the wife of Uriah," reminding us of the pain in her story—adultery, the murder of her husband, and the abuse of power by King David. But later in life, when God’s promise that Solomon would be king was threatened by a usurper, Bathsheba didn't stay quiet.

She walked into the King’s presence—a risky move—and spoke up to ensure God’s plan moved forward.

The Lesson: Faith speaks up when it would be easier to stay quiet. It reminds us that God can take a story defined by someone else's sin and turn it into a story of His sovereignty.

Main Point: Live a Bold Faith

You might feel stuck today. Maybe things are so good you don’t want to risk anything, or maybe things are so messy you don’t think you can do anything. In both cases, the temptation is to do nothing.

These four women would tell you: Do not waste this moment.

Bold faith doesn't mean you have to be the loudest person in the room. It means:

Choosing what is right over what is convenient.

Trusting God when the situation feels risky or awkward.

Moving forward even when you feel "messy."

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Challenge

Ask yourself: What is one thing I know God wants me to do that I’ve been avoiding?

-Is it a conversation with a coworker?

-Is it forgiving someone who doesn't deserve it?

-Is it starting a new habit, like praying with your family?

Take that step. Not because you’re perfect, but because your King is good. Jesus didn't come for the "put-together" people; He came to save the messy and the broken. He lived the sinless life we couldn't and died for the sins we committed so that we could be part of His eternal story.

If Jesus is your King, don't just sit back. Step into what He is doing.