Jesus’ Family – Genesis 38:27-30
Tamar gave birth to two sons:
- Zarah – which meant “rising one” – the one Tamar thought would be the firstborn.
- Perez – which meant “one who breaks through” – the one God chose to be the seed-son of the Savior.
Genesis 38 stands as a most blessed display of God’s amazing grace to sinners. The events of Genesis 38 should:
- Affirm our faith in God’s divine providence.
- Even though Judah and Tamar were actively engaged in sin, God was working things out behind the scenes according to His divine plan.
- Affirm our faith in God’s divine election.
- There was nothing good or noble about Judah – every choice he made was out of selfishness, but God had chosen Judah as the seed-son, and so it would be.
- There was nothing holy or pure about Tamar – she had no comprehension of a covenant God, but God chose to provide a way for her to receive salvation, even through the birth of her “incestuous” son.
- Affirm our faith in God’s immutability.
- God had chosen the seed-line to flow through Judah.
- Man’s sinfulness could not frustrate God’s plans; what He had ordained would be carried out.
- Affirm our faith in God’s impartiality.
- Just as God dealt with Judah and Tamar, so He deals with everyone – by His grace alone.
- God even uses our gravest sins to achieve His sovereign purpose, including our redemption.
God chose Tamar and one of her twin sons to be included in the genealogy of Jesus, who became our Savior. Tamar is a woman of hope. Tamar was a Gentile widow who seduced her father-in-law into a sexual union from which Perez was born. Tamar shows us that no pain is too deep for God’s grace, for out of that incestuous relationship came Rahab – a woman of faith.