Forbidden Yet Favored: A Love That Changed History (Rahab, Boaz & Ruth)

Forbidden Yet Favored: A Love that Changed History

Text: Matthew 1:5, Joshua 2, Ruth 4

Illustration:

"The Marriage That Never Argued Again"

A newlywed couple was traveling by horse-drawn cart during their first year of marriage. The sun was high, the road was long, and their horse—well, she had had enough.Suddenly, the horse stopped in the middle of the road and refused to move.The wife calmly got down, walked up to the horse, and said, “That’s one.”The husband raised an eyebrow but said nothing.She tugged at the reins, urging the horse forward. The horse took a few more steps before stopping again.She sighed and said, “That’s two.”The husband, now slightly concerned, leaned forward, watching.The horse started again but after a few more steps, it stopped completely, refusing to move another inch.Without hesitation, the wife pulled out her holster, shot the horse dead, and dusted off her hands.The husband, completely shocked, shouted, “What did you do?! That was our only horse! How are we supposed to travel now?”The wife turned to him, looked him straight in the eyes, and said, “That’s one.”

From that moment on, they never had an argument again.Moral of the story: Sometimes, silence is the key to a long and peaceful marriage!

Introduction

Love—the greatest theme in Scripture. Not just romance, but redemption. Not just feelings, but faith. Love is the language of God’s grace, the rhythm of His redemption, the story of salvation.

As we step into Love Month, let’s journey through a love story that shook history—one that wove a prostitute, a widow, and a redeemer into the royal lineage of the Messiah. This is no fairy tale; this is faith’s triumph over failure, grace over guilt, and redemption over rejection.

I. Rahab – A Love That Saves

(Joshua 2, Matthew 1:5)

Jericho’s walls stood high, but inside them lived a woman lowly in the eyes of men—Rahab, a Canaanite, a harlot, an outsider. Yet God, in His mercy, saw not her past, but her purpose.

1? Her Faith in God’s Power

• When the spies came, she did not see them as enemies but as emissaries of the true God. “I know that the Lord has given you this land…” she declared (Joshua 2:9).

• She saw what the Israelites sometimes missed—the power of the Almighty was unstoppable.

2? Her Act of Love

• She risked her life to hide the spies, trusting in a God she barely knew. And in return, she was given a sign—a scarlet cord draped from her window, a foreshadowing of the crimson blood that would one day redeem all mankind.

• Ellen White wrote, “By faith Rahab perished not with them that believed not” (PP, p. 492). Her faith saved her, and through her, God saved a generation.

3? Her Place in the Lineage of Jesus

• From the brothels of Jericho to the bloodline of the Messiah, Rahab became the mother of Boaz—her past rewritten by grace (Matthew 1:5).

• Her life whispers a timeless truth: God’s love is not about where you’ve been, but where He’s taking you.

Lesson: Grace does not consult your history before drafting your destiny!

II. Boaz – A Love That Redeems

(Ruth 2-4)

Rahab’s son, Boaz, grew up knowing what redemption looked like—for he himself was born of a woman once despised. He learned love is not based on status, but on sacrifice.

1? Boaz Showed Grace to a Foreign Widow

• Ruth was a Moabite, an outcast among Israelites. Yet when she gleaned in Boaz’s fields, he saw not her nationality, but her nobility.

• “The Lord recompense thy work…” he told her (Ruth 2:12). Boaz gave her more than grain; he gave her grace.

2? Boaz Became Ruth’s Kinsman-Redeemer

• He stepped in when others stepped away. He redeemed what was broken and restored what was lost.

• Boaz was a shadow of the One to come—Jesus Christ, our ultimate Redeemer.

3? Their Union Led to the Birth of a Legacy

• Boaz and Ruth had Obed. Obed had Jesse. Jesse had David. And from David’s line came the King of Kings!

• Ellen White confirms, “Through the lineage of faithful men, God preserved the knowledge of Himself upon the earth” (PP, p. 761).

Lesson: True love redeems—it does not reject. It covers—it does not condemn.

III. Ruth – A Love That Commits

(Ruth 1:16-17, 4:13-17)

Orpah turned back, but Ruth pressed on. She walked into the unknown, guided by faith. Her love was not fleeting—it was faithful.

1? Her Devotion to Naomi

• “Where you go, I will go… Your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth’s love was covenant, not convenience.

2? Her Trust in God’s Plan

• She worked in Boaz’s field, unaware that God was weaving her story into eternity.

3? Her Role in the Lineage of Jesus