• Old Testament

    The Power of Genealogies and the Promise of Seed in Scripture

    Genealogies are often perceived as some of the most tedious portions of Scripture. However, they are actually among the most helpful parts of the Bible. Certain books use genealogies to draw attention to significant theological points. By paying attention to the genealogies we can glean tremendous theological benefit. The book of Genesis serves as an example of this. Genesis relies on genealogies (for example, Genesis 5 and Genesis 11) and employs specific vocabulary terms to enable the reader to trace God’s promise from Genesis 3:15 throughout history. This pattern continues beyond Genesis in notable junctures. For example, Ruth 4 continues the genealogies of Genesis, pointing ahead to a Messianic figure who will fulfill the promises of Genesis. Similarly, Matthew 1 establishes a final and comprehensive record of God’s faithfulness to the genealogical line of the Messiah. The Offspring Theme in Scripture Not only to genealogies function to point the reader…

  • Old Testament

    Was Boaz the Son of Rahab?

    Almost every year when teaching through Old Testament survey class, I get asked whether Boaz was the son of Rahab. According to the genealogy of Matthew 1:5, Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab. So that seems to settle the issue then. Many people assume that Boaz was Rahab’s son, and perhaps Rahab herself would have told stories to Boaz about God’s gracious intervention in her life. Rahab being the mother of Boaz certainly preaches well! However, there are some complications. Boaz Probably Lived 200+ Years After Rahab We have a bit of a conundrum, because Ruth 4:21–22 gives us David’s likely relationship with Boaz. We can trace David’s genealogy as follows: We know David becomes king over Judah around 1010 BC. So, if we trace the Ruth genealogy, we see that the story of Boaz probably took place shortly before 1100 BC. We can calculate that by running…