The Wife of Urias (Matt 1:1-17)

“And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias” (vs6).

God uses and saves sinners, not because we are worthy of grace, but because He is good, wise, and holy enough to do so. Having punished our sins in Christ, He uses even the sins of His people for their good and His glory.

David was wrong for his adultery, even as we are wrong for every sin in our life. And, yet, God used it for good, though David hurt from his error. God did not forsake him, leave His promises, or do anything but use the evil of his child to benefit the kingdom and save God’s elect.

God chastises, but He never forsakes. He reproves and shows anger, but He never HATES those He’s loved, never backs up an inch, and He KNOWS and ordains this before we ever believe and receive the rewards of obedience. When David was anointed, God ordained that David’s evil would show itself in Bathsheba. When David slew Goliath, receiving honor from God, it was the same David who would slay Uriah, his friend. God knows the end from the beginning, and though we STUMBLE along the way, He charts every believer’s course for good.

1. “Judas and His Brethren” were evil sinners (Matt 1:1-3). They murdered in cold blood, slept with harlots, and did evil abundantly (Gen 38:15-16). Nothing positive is mentioned of any in Christ’s bloodline to exalt His mercy to sinners and His power to bring light out of darkness. Falls teach us we are weak, He is STRONG, and salvation is God’s. He doesn’t save BECAUSE we are strong; it is BECAUSE He is strong that we are saved.

He keeps us from sin, or we’d die in sin. David is KEPT from being what he would have been, a tyrant, a king like all others, by God’s grace. He’s made a king after God’s heart, because it pleased the Lord to make him king and to bless him with salvation (II Sam 6:21).

2. The sin’s of God’s people only lead to our good, even as, “Boaz begat Obed of Ruth”, the Moabite (Matt 1:4-5). We have pain along the way because of what we do, but there is nothing that breaks the covenant, not David and his sins nor yours and mine. Sin cannot break the covenant God made with Christ, when He made Him propitiation for us (I John 2:2). Because Christ died, all that believe on Him of every nation shall be saved. The BLOOD is enough to procure the END. Even if the sin and misery of today are great, they cannot stop the accomplishment of redemption. He didn’t promise a life of ease, and our sins have wrought havoc upon us, causing pain repeatedly. And yet, the God of grace glorifies Himself in keeping us from departing the gospel, purifying us thereby and calling us to peace. The grace of God is not diminished by the sinner, but it is magnified in saving as promised. He saved Ruth through the fault of Naomi and her resulting bitterness of soul. Yes, God’s hand hurts, but it SAVES. He comforts and reproves, but DELIVERY is promised to all that believe – “For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death” (II Cor 7:10).

Don’t say, “It is over”. Believe God for the salvation that He gives. Learn of me, He says. You have not sinned beyond hope, if you deal with Him in Christ.

3. God brings good out of evil kings, even as an evil “Amon begat Josiah” (Matt 1:10). He makes ways where there are no ways, and He raises up kingdom’s at His will. Josiah was young and had an evil father, but God gave him heart to hear the word and seek God’s will (II Chron 34:3). The Pure One purifies whom He will, coming to us in new covenant love. If He came in wrath, we’d have no hope or restraint from sin. But, GODLY sorrow works repentance not to be repented of. Grace conquers sin, makes light where it was dark, and compels sinners to honor God (II Cor 7:11).

We don’t know what wind will carry the word of the Lord to what place and where God’s elect shall be saved. He can take a family that’s been torn apart, a relationship gone bad, and a lifetime of sin, and change it to something that honors God.

4. A godly man’s children will die in sin, unless God intervenes, because even a good “Josiah Begat Jechoniah and his brethren” who were, “carried away to Babylon” (Matt 1:11). No amount of holiness in the parents can assure salvation to one soul. Our children and those we preach to are ELECT or they are not, saved or they are damned forever, and God unlocks the door. We live in hope, which is PEACE before God and love to men, but we don’t live to see our wishes answered and our hearts soothed by ANYTHING other than God’s glory in Jesus Christ. The parent prays, and God says “no”. These things happen with men who preach also. These things happen to churches and to people that we care about. We say, “Save”, and God says, “No. I will do my will”, even as Isaac begat Esau and said, “it shall come to pass when you shall have the dominion, that you shall break his yoke from off your neck”, meaning that you won’t love your brother, and you will die in sin (Gen 27:40).

God’s people love God, and we are taught to yield to His wisdom because salvation is MORE to us than everything else. He purges us from all else by doing as He wills and teaching us the goodness of His love.

Be warned, child of God. This is not an easy “everything I want” religion. But, God will bring Christ before your eyes, save you forever, and bring you to Himself, where there shall be no more sin or crying, forever!

Christ Preached Among the Gentiles (Spurgeon)

Eph 3:8, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”.

… This is the most delightful theme of all—to tell poor sinners that there is an unspeakably rich Savior! I lament to say that there are preachers who do not preach this among the Gentiles. They have a great deal to say to God’s own people, but they have nothing to say to the Gentiles, to the sinners—to the insensible, unquickened sinners—nothing to say to them. I have known them close a sermon by saying, “The election has obtained it, the rest are blinded,” and sit down with not a word for those dead in sin.

Brothers and Sisters, we have not so learned Christ! We delight to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery. What have we to say to Gentile sinners? Why, we have to tell them that our Lord Jesus is so rich in Divine Grace that He keeps open house all day and all night long— and, “Come and welcome,” is written over His palace gates! “Whoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely.” We have to tell you that, though millions of sinners have already come, the banquet table is as loaded as it ever was! He has as much Grace and Mercy to distribute as He had 1,800 years ago! He is as able to cleanse from sin, as able to justify and to sanctify as He was when first He began His work of mercy! There is no limit to His Grace for those that come to Him! Whoever comes to Him shall receive eternal salvation!

My Master is so rich that He needs nothing from any of you. You need not bring a rag with you—He will cover you from head to foot. You need not bring a moldy crust—He will give you of the Bread of Heaven! You need not stop to cleanse away a single spot—He will wash you white as snow. Help from you? Does the sun need help from darkness?
Christ needs no help from sinners! Let them come empty-handed, naked, sick, helpless and believe that He is able to do for them all that they require. I am bold to tell you that my Master’s riches of Divine Grace are so unsearchable that He delights to forgive and
forget enormous sin! The bigger the sin the more Glory to His Grace! If you are over head and ears in debt, He is rich enough to discharge your liabilities. If you are at the very gates of Hell, He is able to pluck you from the jaws of destruction. So mighty is His Mercy that no case did ever exceed His power to save or ever will!

I will challenge you to a contest with regard to my dear Lord and Master, that if you will sit down and think the best and largest thoughts you can of Him, you will not think Him to be so good and loving as He really is! If you will try and wish for the largest blessings you can conceive, you shall not be able to wish for such blessings as He is prepared to bestow! And if you will open your mouth wide and make a request for the greatest favor that ever a human being asked of God or man, you shall not ask for a tenth of what He is prepared to give!

Charles Spurgeon

full sermon: http://www.recoverthegospel.com/Old%20Recover%20the%20Gospel%20Site/Spurgeon/Spurgeon%201001-2000/1209.pdf