God Put Those Kind In His Bloodline | Jentezen Franklin
Monday, October 19
Through the story of Rahab, this message shows how God can look past our history and rewrite our future. Regardless of past mistakes or where you start, faith opens the door to hope and transformation.
Key scriptures
Joshua 2:1; Hebrews 8:12; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25; Matthew 1:3-6; Joshua 2:10-15; Joshua 7:21-25; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Titus 2:11-12; Matthew 23:23; Malachi 3:10; Malachi 4:6; Revelation 22:21
Puntos clave
- God has forgotten your sin. God chooses to forget your past. If God has forgotten your sin, you should too. When you get into the bloodline of Jesus, God doesn’t see you according to your sin anymore.
- Don’t treat the sacred like it’s common. If you’ve been in the church for long, your heart can become cold to the things of God. Worship, giving, and attending church aren't common; they're sacred. Testimonies of God’s power should melt your heart.
- True grace brings true teaching. You can’t say you are saved if you go right back to the same things God saved you from. True grace convicts and teaches you to live a holy life.
Introducción
In his message “God Put Those Kind in His Bloodline,” Pastor Jentezen Franklin reminds us that God’s grace can rewrite our stories. Instead of allowing our past mistakes to define us, God places a divine comma—a pause of mercy and grace—reminding us that our past is not the end of our story. As we study Joshua 2:1, we will discover how God can use unexpected people, despite their past, to fulfill His divine purpose.
As we study this message together, we will explore:
- Those Kind In The Bloodline
LET’S START THE DISCUSSION:
- What stood out to you in this past Sunday’s message?
- What does it mean to you that God put a comma, instead of a period after our failures and sins.
The Divine Comma
Joshua 2:1 (NIV)
“Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. ‘Go, look over the land,’ he said, ‘especially Jericho.’ So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.”
In Joshua 2, two spies were sent with a clear assignment: go quietly and look over the land of Jericho. They were never told to go to a prostitute’s house, but that is exactly where they ended up. Between “So they went” and where they arrived, the story pauses. In the King James Version, that pause is marked with a comma: “they went, and came into an harlot’s house.”
A comma is a pause. It interrupts the rhythm of a sentence and lets the reader know there is more to the story. Scripture doesn’t explain why the spies ended up at Rahab’s door. Maybe they thought it was an inn. Maybe they were being followed and ducked into the first door they found. Only they know, and God knows, and God isn’t telling. That silence is a merciful comma.
The same is true of our lives. All of us have chapters we are grateful God has not put on display. He knows every place we have been and everything we have done, yet when we come to Him, He covers it with the blood of Jesus and chooses not to bring it up again.
Hebrews 8:12 (NIV) “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
A comma also means the sentence isn’t finished. You may have struggled with addiction, but that is not the end of your story. Your family may be broken, but it doesn’t have to stay broken. Paul lists a long line of sins in 1 Corinthians 6, and then he writes some of the most hopeful words in Scripture:
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV) “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
“That is what some of you were” is the pause. “But you were washed” is the rest of the sentence.
Application This is not a message that excuses sin; it is a message that celebrates mercy. If God has forgiven something and chosen to remember it no more, we should stop rehearsing it too. Whatever you are walking through right now is not the period at the end of your life. Bring it to Jesus, and let Him write the rest of the story.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think God chose not to explain the spies’ motives in Joshua 2? What does that silence teach us about His mercy?
- Is there a part of your past that you keep treating like a period when God has already turned it into a comma? What would it look like to let Him write the rest of that sentence?
Those Kind In The Blood Line
Three times Scripture labels Rahab a harlot—once when the spies enter her house (Joshua 2:1), once in the “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11:31), and once when James affirms her justification by works (James 2:25). Yet when Matthew records the genealogy of Jesus, her past is not mentioned, nor are the pasts of Tamar, Bathsheba, and Ruth. Still, this was the human line into which God’s Son was born.
These women were less-than-sterling examples, yet God’s plan was never thwarted by their sin. He sent His Son as Savior of all people—those pretty good and those very evil.
Hebrews 11:31 (NIV)
“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”
James 2:25 (NIV)
“In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?”
Matthew 1:5-6 (NIV)
“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.” (This refers to Bathsheba.)
The depth of sin does not exceed the height of redemption, and no past places anyone beyond the reach of His blood. When you are in the bloodline of Jesus, your story is no longer defined by what you did; it is defined by what He did. You may have failed, but you are not a failure. Paul tells us that:
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
The same grace that rewrote Rahab’s record rewrites yours. Condemnation loses its grip because the blood has already covered what the enemy keeps trying to replay. As the commentary reminds us, Rahab did not allow her past to keep her from the new role God had for her, and neither should we. God can restore and redirect any life that comes under the covering of Christ’s blood.
Discussion Questions
- How does seeing Rahab, Tamar, Bathsheba, and Ruth in Jesus’ lineage change the way you view past failures in general?
- Rahab’s past did not disqualify her from the role God had for her. How does her story (and the inclusion of the other three women) challenge the idea that certain people—or certain parts of your own story—are beyond being used by God?
Conclusión
As we conclude our study, “God Put Those Kind in His Bloodline,” we are reminded that God’s grace is greater than our past, our failures, and the labels people place on us. In Joshua 2:1, we see Rahab, a woman with a complicated past, become part of God’s greater plan. Her story reminds us that God does not disqualify us because of where we have been. When we place our faith in Him, He can redeem our past and use our lives for His glory.
God’s divine comma reminds us that our story is not over. What others may see as a period, God may use as a pause before something new. He can bring purpose out of pain, hope out of brokenness, and transformation out of what once seemed impossible. The same grace that reached Rahab is available to us today.
The question is not whether we have a perfect past, but whether we are willing to trust God with our future. Let us stop allowing yesterday’s mistakes to define today’s identity and begin walking in the purpose God has prepared for us.
Call to Action
1. Embrace God’s Grace. Stop allowing guilt, shame, or past mistakes to define who you are. Receive God’s forgiveness and trust that His grace is greater than your past.
2. Rewrite Your Story Through Faith. When you feel as though your story has reached its end, remember that God can place a divine comma where you expected a period. Trust Him to lead you into a new beginning.
3. Refuse to Label Others. Do not disqualify people because of their history, reputation, or present circumstances. Ask God to help you see people through the eyes of grace and recognize their potential in Him.
4. Surrender to God’s Purpose. Like Rahab, be willing to trust God even when His plan is unexpected. Make yourself available for Him to work through your life, your testimony, and your obedience.
5. Live as Evidence of His Redemption. Let your life reflect the transforming power of God’s grace. Share your testimony, encourage someone who feels disqualified, and remind others that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy.
Final Reflection
Take a moment to ask yourself: Where do I need God to place a divine comma in my story? Am I allowing my past to hold me back from the future He has for me?
Remember, your past may be part of your story, but it does not have to determine your destiny. God is still writing, His grace is still working, and your story is not over.
Oración final
"Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace, mercy, and redeeming power. Help us to stop defining ourselves and others by our past. Teach us to trust You when we cannot see what lies ahead. Place Your divine comma in the areas of our lives where we have given up hope and give us the faith to believe that You are still working. Use our lives, just as You used Rahab’s, to fulfill Your purpose and bring glory to Your name. May we walk in forgiveness, extend grace to others, and live as testimonies of Your transforming love. In Jesus’ name, Amen. "
Recursos
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWwO-rnM7O8&t=2646s
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tzcRsosGRDvIYuGDZcZJZ
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