"and Obed the father of Jesse," - Matthew 1:5c
The Gospel in its entirety, from Genesis to Revelation, is saturated with the story of redemption for mankind! It is a story steeped in love, mercy, and grace from our Creator. The account of our next two men in the genealogy of the Messiah is another small but integral piece of God’s grand design and redemption plan for humanity.
Not much is recorded about Obed himself, except that he was the father of Jesse. It is the story of how Obed was born that we see a glimpse of God’s providence and grace. Obed was the son of Boaz and Ruth. We see in the Book of Ruth that Ruth was a Moabite but turned from her background of idol worship and false gods to follow Naomi, eventually committing her life to the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob...and the God of Naomi. After overcoming great loss, famine, and a long journey to a new land, through what could only be described as God’s divine providence, Ruth is taken in by Boaz, the “Kinsman Redeemer.” They married and eventually conceived a son and named him Obed.
The Bible gives one act of Obed, but it is an important one. “Obed was the father of Jesse...” (Ruth 4:17, 1 Chronicles 2:12, Matthew 1:5, Luke 3:32). Jesse was the father of David - the King. It is within this story of the anointing of David that we come to the realization that God’s Kingdom isn’t always what we think it should be or appear the way we think it should appear. In 1 Samuel 16, as Samuel is called to anoint the next king of Israel (David), we see a great story of how God does not look at the outward appearance of man, but within the heart. Jesse is asked to summon his sons so that Samuel can seek the one God will anoint. One by one Jesse brings forth his sons and one by one they are dismissed. It is here, in 1 Samuel 16:7 where God speaks to Samuel and says “...the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” After all the sons had passed, Samuel askes Jesse, “is this all your sons?” Jesse reveals that he has one son remaining—David. It was David, the least likely one, the overlooked shepherd boy in the field that God would anoint to become king to continue the messianic line, the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” that would bring redemption to the world.
As we continue to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Advent and the birth of the long awaited Messiah, what are some of your expectations? Jesus didn’t come as many expected, but in a lowly manger, to the humblest of accommodations, in the least likely manner. Let us set our hearts on the desires and will of our King Jesus and lay our lives before him with full devotion, as we stand in awe of his glory and righteousness!
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth...” -Isaiah 11:1-4