Genesis 38:6–30

It would seem that Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, was a daughter of the Canaanites, like her mother-in-law. Abraham had been most careful about the choice of a wife for Isaac; she was not to be a daughter of the Canaanites. But Isaac plainly did not step in when Esau took wives from the daughters of the Hittites, though they caused him grief. Isaac charged Jacob not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Yet Jacob does not seem to have been troubled when Judah joined himself to the Canaanites through Shuah, or when he took Tamar to be the wife of his eldest son, Er. There is much instruction for Christians in all this: how very careful we should be about our associations, both for ourselves and for our children.

Er was the firstborn of Judah's strength. His father named him, and his name may mean "watchful." Er, it seems, became watchful for chances to do evil… Er deceived himself. But was he not simply following his father? To bring up children in an evil world is not easy. When parents introduce their children to the things of this present evil age, they will find them throwing themselves into it with great energy. And that world lies in ruin, far from God.

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He kept that right from her, and in doing so blamed her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's favouritism toward his own family blinded him to the truth… Many people today let family ties sway their judgment in important matters.

Genesis 38 completely interrupts the story of Joseph. It would seem that the shameful story of Judah is told here to heighten in our minds the way Joseph stood firm under a temptation of the same kind. Judah appears to have been among the better behaved of Jacob's sons. Yet the practices that marked him and his family were evil, and it seems they were accepted as nothing very unusual.

It was Judah, not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Now he showed in his own house the evil that drew down curse on curse. In the end he had to admit the sad shame of Tamar — more righteous than himself, though he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet by this guilty Judah, and by Tamar, came He who cleanses from all sin by His blood, and will reign over the universe to God's glory.

With Tamar it is her sin that stands out, as with Rahab it is her faith. For Ruth to come in, the sentence of the law has to be set aside. And Bathsheba shows us grace winning even over a believer's sin. A salvation for sinners. A salvation by faith. A salvation from the sentence of the law. An eternal salvation. This is what the simple placing of these names declares… Tamar's sin alone brought her into the Lord's genealogy, and God has taken pains to record, doubly record, this striking fact. In the same way, simply as sinners, we have the right to rejoice in a work done for the need of sinners.

Judah does not guard his household against evil beforehand, as Abraham did. He does not grieve over evil once it has come in, as Isaac did. He is not even careless about it, whether it comes in or not, like Jacob. He brings it in himself! He does nothing less than take a daughter of the Canaanites to be the wife of his son Er!

He sold his brother, he deceived his father, he married a Canaanite wife, he had both his sons killed by the Lord for wickedness, he deceived his daughter-in-law when promising his son Shelah to her, then had two sons by the same daughter-in-law (unwittingly).

The only places where we find "Jehovah" in the rest of the book are in Judah's case, chapter 38:7-10, where you can see that these are His special ways and His government; and with Joseph sold and in trial, chapter 39.

The name "Jehovah," not just "God," stands out in both chapters. In Genesis 38 He judges the open breaking of His will. In Genesis 39 He makes the man prosper who sought to please Him, and that in the hardest circumstances — first as a slave, then as a prisoner.

Er was the firstborn of Judah's strength. His father named him, and the meaning of his name may be "watchful." Er clearly became watchful for chances to do evil. He thought his sins would have no consequences. But the biblical principle in Galatians 6:7 holds good for all time: "God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." Jehovah saw his wickedness, and he reaped what his actions deserved. Pay-day came fast for him: "and the LORD put him to death."

Er deceived himself. But was he not simply following his father? … When parents introduce their children to the things of this present evil age, they will find them throwing themselves with full energy into the world, in all its ruin and turning away from God.

Yet his line still goes on in the earth. God's wrath rests on the first two sons, whose names speak — Er of "enmity," and Onan of "iniquity" — while the third son, Shelah ("sprout"?), speaks of the divine power of resurrection, which brings out of death. So a remnant is preserved.

Judah was about to become not only the royal tribe above all others, but the ancestor of the King of kings. Yet he takes for himself, without any reverence, a daughter of Canaan. No wonder that wickedness killed his firstborn, and disgraceful sin his brother… Such is man, and such is Judah; but such too is God. Where terrible sin abounded, grace abounded far more.

One marked exception was needed to keep up tribal inheritance in Israel. It existed elsewhere, but it applied to no other people as it did to them, and still less to a Christian: a Levirate, or brother-in-law, marriage. It came into force when a man died childless. Then his brother or next of kin was called to raise up offspring for the dead man. The aim was to hold the family line and the inheritance together. If the nearer kinsman refused, the widow had the right to take off his shoe in public and spit in his face.

The law made a merciful provision (Deut. 25:5-10): no man's family should die out while a brother lived to carry on the line. In Israel, to be childless was a disgrace. If a man's name was blotted out — his family dying out — people saw it as a special mark of God's displeasure... In His provision there seems, too, to be a recognition of that hope in the heart of every Hebrew woman: that through her the promise of "the woman's seed" might somehow be fulfilled. This came true literally in the family line kept alive through Ruth.

Judah had no regard for the ancient landmark set up by Abraham, who said, "you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites" (Gen. 24:3)... The way he chose his wife is suggested by the phrase "And Judah saw," much the same as Samson in later years... There was no thought of making a choice according to the mind of God.

Onan married Tamar but then refused to grant her the privilege of being the mother of Judah's heir. He was prepared to marry her and enjoy conjugal relations, but he wanted to hold back his strength. The sin that is so displeasing to God in Onan's case was not simply spilling his seed on the ground, but selfishness. He wanted her to remain a childless and despised widow, and his whole attitude was governed by this. It was not a single sin but a repeated one, for the word "when" in verse 9 should read "whenever."

His seed still continues on the earth, even though God's wrath rests on the first two sons. Their names speak: Er of "enmity," and Onan of "iniquity." The third son, Shelah ("sprout"?), speaks of divine power in resurrection, bringing life out of death. So a remnant is preserved.

"It is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah" (Heb. 7:14). But how? "Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar" (Matt. 1:3). This is especially striking. God, in His great grace, rises above the sin and folly of man to bring about His own purposes of love and mercy... How plain it is that when we reach the close of the first chapter of Matthew, it is "God manifest in the flesh" we find. Man could never have devised such a genealogy.

One marked exception was needed to keep up tribal inheritance in Israel: a levirate, or brother-in-law, marriage. It existed elsewhere too, but it applied to no other people as it did to Israel, and still less to a Christian. It was used when a man died childless. His brother or next of kin then had to raise up a child for the dead man. The aim was to bind up the family line and the inheritance. This mattered so much that if the nearer kinsman refused, the widow had the right to take off his shoe in public and spit in his face.

The law made a merciful provision: no man's family should die out while a brother was still alive to carry on the line. In Israel, to be childless was a disgrace. For a man's name to be blotted out — his family dying out — counted as a special mark of God's displeasure.

Onan married Tamar but then refused to grant her the privilege of being the mother of Judah's heir. He was prepared to marry her and enjoy the relationship, but he wanted to hold back from giving of his strength. In Onan's case, the sin that is so displeasing to God was not simply spilling his seed on the ground. It was selfishness. He wanted her to stay a childless and despised widow, and that desire ruled his whole attitude. It was not a single sin but a repeated one, for the word "when" in verse 9 should read "whenever."

Onan, the second son, agreed to take Er's widow as his wife so as to have a child who would count as his brother's. But he did not honour his side of the agreement, and the Lord considered this serious enough to kill him too. The reason was his complete selfishness: the child would not count as his own, though in fact it would be.

In the rest of the book, "Jehovah" appears in only three places. The first is Judah's case, chapter 38:7-10, where one sees His special ways and His government. The second is Joseph sold and in trial, chapter 39. The third is Jacob's waiting for His salvation. We often get "God" — His dealings as ruling all things, in contrast with men.

This passage gives us the first crisis of succession in Judah. We know that our Lord came from Judah, so we can see Satan breaking into the situation. His aim was always to hinder the coming and work of the Messiah.

It seems the sorry story of Judah is told to bring out all the more how Joseph stood firm under a temptation of the same kind. Judah appears to have been among the better behaved of Jacob's sons. Yet the practices that marked him and his family were evil, and clearly accepted as nothing unusual.

Tamar's sin was the very thing that brought her into the Lord's genealogy. And it is simply as sinners that we have the right to rejoice in a work done for sinners. In a day that is near, Judah will find his right standing not in legal righteousness, and not in mere descent from Abraham, but in the truth that God has stressed for us here.

Onan married Tamar, but then refused to grant her the privilege of being the mother of Judah's heir. He was prepared to marry her and enjoy relations with her, but he wanted to hold back his strength. In Onan's case, the sin that so displeases God was not simply spilling his seed on the ground. It was selfishness. He wanted her to stay a childless and despised widow, and that desire drove everything he did. It was not a single sin but a repeated one, for the word "when" in verse 9 should read "whenever."

He did not keep his side of the agreement, and the Lord considered this serious enough to kill him too. The reason was his complete selfishness: the child would not count as his own, even though it really would be.

In the rest of the book, the name "Jehovah" is used in only a few places. One is Judah's case, chapter 38:7-10, where you can see that these are His own special ways and His government. Another is Joseph sold and in trial, chapter 39. Another is after Dan, where Jacob waits for His salvation, chapter 49:18 — the longing of an Israelite for the coming kingdom.

Judah could have cried out, "My house is not so with God!" Er, his firstborn, "was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death." Then Onan, his second son, rebelled against his father's command, and the Lord killed him too.

Judah was to be the leading royal tribe and the ancestor of the King of kings. Yet he shamelessly takes a daughter of Canaan for himself. No wonder that wickedness killed his firstborn, and disgrace killed his brother.

Judah's line still continues on the earth, even though God's wrath is on the first two sons. Their names speak of "enmity" (Er) and "iniquity" (Onan). But the third son, Shelah ("sprout"?), speaks of divine power in resurrection, bringing life out of death. In this way God preserves a remnant.

Yet from this guilty Judah, and from Tamar, came the One who cleanses from all sin by His blood. He will reign over the universe to God's glory. That reign goes far beyond all that Joseph pictured, just as He went far lower in humiliation and suffering.

Tamar's name appears in the Lord's genealogy in the gospel of Matthew. Her sin alone brought her there, and God has taken pains to record this striking fact — and to record it twice. In the same way, simply as sinners, we have the right to rejoice in a work done for the need of sinners.

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He kept that right from her, and in doing so he blamed her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's favouritism towards his own family blinded him to the truth… Many people today let family ties sway their judgment in important matters. Judah's values are twisted. On a practical note, the idea that Shelah could be a husband before he was full grown also goes against the mind of God… Every area of life calls for maturity: physical, mental and emotional. Shelah was much younger than Tamar, and that was not a good recipe for a marriage.

Judah promised Tamar that she could marry Shelah when he was grown, since he was still young. In the meantime he asked her to remain a widow in her father's house. But we shall see that Judah failed to keep his promise, just as the tribe of Judah has done again and again.

Tamar had the natural desire for children. She was clearly content to wait until Judah's third son was old enough to be her husband. That seemed to show she valued her place in the family of Jacob.

Her desire for children was a right one. We can admire how she valued a place in the family where God's Name was known, and the righteous, trusting qualities she showed in her patient waiting as a widow. But we cannot excuse what she did to get what she wanted. It showed a lack of confidence in God, and the sin itself was unnatural… How ready we are by nature to try to get God's blessing in our own way.

Judah's failure has features that strongly remind us of David's failure. First, Judah neglected his duty towards Tamar. Second, he indulged the flesh and so badly dishonoured the Name of the Lord. Third, he was quick to pass the death sentence on evil he was guilty of himself. Do we not see these very same features in the failure of King David?

Judah was to be the royal tribe above all others, and the ancestor of the King of kings. Yet he takes a daughter of Canaan for himself with no regard for God. No wonder wickedness killed his firstborn, and disgraceful conduct his brother. No wonder the widow got no regard from the third son… Such is man, and such Judah; but such too is God. Where terrible sin increased, grace increased far more.

Judah leaves his brothers to join the world of the Canaanite (the Merchant) in all its ruined character. The actual words of Scripture, "went down from," show the path of departure he took. They warn the reader that what follows will be marked by sin. The consequences of Judah's deliberate departure will be serious. He will have to learn that he cannot please himself without reaping a harvest of sorrow. He has to learn that whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Gal. 6:7).

The chapter needs few words to prove how low Judah had sunk morally... It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, but Judah, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Now he showed in his own house the evil that drew down curse on curse. In the end the head of that house had to admit the sad shame of Tamar — more righteous than himself, who had sentenced her to die by fire.

Only four times in scripture do we read of sheep shearing. First, in Genesis 31:19; second here in Genesis 38:13 (Judah); third in 1 Samuel 25:4 (Nabal); and fourth in 2 Samuel 13:23 (Absalom). In each case, something unpleasantly selfish is involved. Peter was not told by the Lord to "shear My sheep," but "shepherd My sheep" and "feed My sheep" (John 21:16-17).

This shameful episode happened at sheep-shearing time, when something is taken from the sheep. To take and leave naked is Satan's work. The practices of the Canaanite religion increased sexual temptation. Ritual sex was part of their fertility magic. It seems Tamar posed as a temple prostitute. Such was the world that Judah had married into!

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He kept that right from her, in effect blaming her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's prejudice in favour of his own family blinded him to the truth.

Eventually Judah's wife died. Judah was not driven to the feet of the Lord by that loss, but turned to the company of one whom he thought was a prostitute. He had promised to give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar, but had not kept his promise. She therefore took matters into her own hands and deceitfully posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah (vv. 13-15).

Her desire for children was a right one. We can admire the value she put on a place in the family where God's Name was known, and the righteous, trusting spirit shown in her patient waiting as a widow. But her actions to reach that end cannot be excused. She lacked confidence in God, and the sin itself was unnatural... How ready we are by nature to seek God's blessing in our own way.

Out of this shameful history it is amazing to think that God has seen fit to bring about wonderful blessing. For Judah, Tamar and Pharez are all recorded in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 1:3. In fact, Tamar is one of only four women mentioned in that genealogy — Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and "the wife of Uriah" (Matt. 1:3-6). But this is meant to impress on us the wonder of God's pure grace, reaching guilty sinners through the gift of His holy, sinless Son!

Judah promised Tamar that she could marry Shelah when he was grown up, since Shelah was still young. In the meantime he asked her to stay a widow in her father's house. But we shall see that Judah failed to keep his promise, just as the tribe of Judah has done again and again.

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He withheld this rightful claim from her, and in effect blamed her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's bias towards his own family blinded him to the truth… To make Shelah a husband before he was full grown would also have been contrary to the mind of God. Maturity is assumed in every area of life: physical, mental and emotional. Shelah was much younger than Tamar, and this was not a good recipe for a marriage.

Judah leaves his brothers to join the world of the Canaanite in all its ruined character. The actual words of Scripture, "went down from," show the path of departure he set out on. They warn the reader that sin will mark what follows. The results of Judah's wilful departure will be serious. He will have to learn that he cannot please himself without reaping a harvest of sorrow.

The practices of the Canaanite cult increased sexual temptation. Ritual fornication was part of their fertility magic. It seems that Tamar posed as a temple prostitute. Such was the world that Judah had married into!

She took matters into her own hands. She used deceit, posing as a prostitute to seduce Judah.

Her desire for children was a right one. We can admire how much she valued a place in the family where God's Name was known. We can admire too the righteous and trusting qualities she showed in her patient waiting as a widow. But we cannot excuse what she did to reach her goal. It showed a lack of confidence in God, and the sin itself was unnatural. Her deceit showed the natural scheming that is only too common among those whom God has brought into a place of privilege.

In all this history of Tamar's there is no redeeming feature. She comes before me in this picture as a sinner and nothing else. She was the wife of two men, one after the other, and divine judgment cut off each of them for his wickedness. Yet she herself dares to provoke that same judgment by a crime equal to theirs. But the wonder above all this is that this very sin brings her name into the Lord's genealogy.

Tamar's history shows the boundlessness of divine mercy. We see God's own wonderful way of connecting Christ with Judah, and so Tamar is listed in the genealogy recorded in Matthew's Gospel. She is the first of the four women mentioned there, each with her own special place by God's grace.

This is one of those remarkable cases where divine grace triumphs gloriously over man's sin. God, in His great grace, rises above the sin and folly of man to bring about His own purposes of love and mercy… Man could never have devised such a genealogy. It is entirely divine.

Judah leaves his brothers to join the world of the Canaanite (the Merchant) in all its ruined character. The actual words of Scripture, "went down from," show the course of departure he had set out on. They warn the reader that sin will mark what follows. The consequences of Judah's wilful departure will be serious. He will have to learn that he cannot please himself without reaping a harvest of sorrow. He has to learn that whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Gal. 6:7). The heart that has strayed from God is easy prey to the deceit and enticements of men. Anyone who does not walk closely with God will soon walk with the unconverted men of the world.

Eventually Judah's wife died. Judah was not driven to the feet of the Lord by this, but turned to the company of one whom he thought was a prostitute. He had promised to give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar, but had not kept his promise. So she took matters into her own hands and deceitfully posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah (vv. 13-15).

This sordid event took place at sheep-shearing, the time when something was taken from the sheep. To take and leave naked is Satan's work. The practices of the Canaanite cult increased sexual temptation. Ritual fornication was part of their fertility magic. It seems that Tamar posed as a temple prostitute. Such was the world that Judah had married into!

I doubt that many serious readers will agree with one scholar's notion that the Hebrew word means a holy woman or seer. Far more probable is the ordinary view, which supposes a "consecration" to the corrupt Astarte, or Venus, of early and later idolatry. Terrible to say, prostitution was an almost universal element of heathen holiness!

What a hypocrite! Judah acts as if he is completely right and blameless, but it is he who has the greater guilt. It was he who caused Tamar to stumble, and now he wants her punished. If I cause another to sin because of my own wickedness, how great then is my responsibility. He has a double standard, which is not acceptable to a holy God. Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burnt, but she had secured a pledge from him. She now brought this forward as evidence (v. 25), and everyone saw Judah's part in the sin. Tamar is acknowledged to be more righteous than Judah (v. 26).

We need not dwell on this. We only note that the Tamar of this chapter is the first of the women listed in the genealogy of our Lord in Matthew 1. Of the four women mentioned, only Ruth had a clean record morally, and she came from an accursed race. Such names would never have appeared in the record without the grace of God — the grace that triumphs over human sin.

In our thoughts, the way of the harlot and the tax collector is worse than the easy, respectable course of the world. If we had the balances of the sanctuary, we would weigh things differently. "What is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God."

Genesis 38 cuts the story of Joseph off completely. Genesis 39 picks it up again and tells at once of the great temptation that faced him. The sad story of Judah seems to be placed here for a reason. It heightens our sense of how firmly Joseph stood under a temptation of the same kind. Judah seems to have been one of the better behaved sons of Jacob. Yet the practices that marked him and his family were evil, and clearly accepted as nothing very unusual.

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He withheld this legitimate entitlement from her, effectively blaming her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's prejudice in favour of his own family blinded him to the truth... Many today allow the ties of nature to sway their judgment in matters of importance.

Judah was not driven to the feet of the Lord by this, but turned to the company of one whom he thought was a prostitute. He had promised to give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar, but had not kept his promise. So she took matters into her own hands. She posed as a prostitute to deceive and seduce Judah. He promised to send her a young goat as payment for his immorality. She then demanded security, and he gave her three things that were clearly his own.

Tamar lay in wait for Judah. She may have valued a place in the family that knew the true God. Even so, her action did not spring from faith in God. On a human level, her act was more righteous than Judah's, as he confessed. But morally the two were alike, partners in a serious sin. Behaviour like this might suit Canaanite families. But it was hateful to the holiness of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What a hypocrite! Judah acts as if he is completely right and without blame, but it is he who has the greater guilt. It was he who caused Tamar to stumble and now he wants her punished. If I cause another to sin because of my own wickedness, how great then is my responsibility... He has a double standard, which is not acceptable to a holy God... A frank confession will secure His mercy.

In Tamar's whole story, what strikes me is that there is nothing good in it at all... She comes before me in this picture as a sinner and nothing else. But the wonder above all this is that this very sin brings her name into the Lord's family line. It was this sin that made her the mother of Pharez, one of the direct ancestors of Christ!

It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads who proposed the sale of Joseph. It was Judah. And now his own house showed the evil that drew down curse on curse. In the end its head had to own the sad shame of Tamar — more righteous than himself — whom he had sentenced to die by fire. Yet by this guilty Judah, and by Tamar, came He who cleanses from all sin by His blood.

Judah was not driven to the feet of the Lord by this, but turned to the company of one whom he thought was a prostitute. He had promised to give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar, but had not kept his promise. So she took matters into her own hands. She used deceit and posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah. He promised to send her a young goat as payment for his fornication. She demanded some security, and he gave her three things that were clearly his own property.

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He held back this right that was hers, and in effect blamed her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's prejudice in favour of his own family blinded him to the truth. Many today let family ties sway their judgment in important matters.

This passage gives us the first crisis of succession in Judah. We know that our Lord came from Judah. So we can see Satan pushing his way into these events. His design was always to hinder the coming and work of the Messiah. Note that this threatens more than Tamar's security. It threatens her right to become the mother of Judah's heir.

Judah acts as if he is completely right and without blame, but it is he who has the greater guilt. It was he who caused Tamar to stumble, and now he wants her punished. If I cause someone else to sin by my own wickedness, how great my responsibility is... Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burned, but she had secured a pledge from him. She now brought it forward as evidence, and everyone saw that Judah shared in the sin. This is the way God works. A frank confession will secure His mercy... Having established righteousness He is now free to show mercy.

She comes before me in this picture as a sinner and nothing else. She was the wife of two men, one after the other, and divine judgment cut off each of them for his wickedness. Yet she dares in her own person to provoke divine judgment by a crime equal to theirs. But the wonder above all this is that it is this very sin that brings her name into the Lord's genealogy — for it was this sin that made her the mother of Perez, one of the direct line in Christ's ancestry.

It was Judah, not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Then he showed in his own house the evil that drew down curse on curse, until the head of that house had to admit the sad shame of Tamar, more righteous than himself, though he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came He who cleanses from all sin by His blood, and who will reign over the universe to God's glory.

Stones with words, letters, or symbols engraved on them. In ancient times people pierced them and hung them from the arm or the neck by a cord or chain, or set them in rings and wore them on the finger. The design was pressed into pieces of clay attached to official documents. In the East people do not treat such documents as genuine unless they are sealed.

Judah's wife Shuah died… Judah was not driven to the feet of the Lord by this. Instead he turned to the company of one whom he thought was a prostitute. He had promised to give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar, but he had not kept his promise. So Tamar took matters into her own hands. She deceitfully posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah (vv. 13-15). He promised to send her a young goat as payment for his fornication. She demanded some security, and he gave her three things that were plainly his own (v. 18).

This shameful event happened at sheep-shearing time, the time when something is taken from the sheep. To take and leave naked is Satan's work. The practices of the Canaanite cult increased sexual temptation. Ritual fornication was part of their fertility magic. It seems that Tamar posed as a temple prostitute. Such was the world that Judah had married into!

Judah acts as if he is completely right and blameless. Yet he is the one with the greater guilt. It was he who caused Tamar to stumble, and now he wants her punished. If I cause someone else to sin by my own wickedness, how great is my responsibility… Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burnt. But she had secured a pledge from him. She now brought it forward as evidence (v. 25), and everyone saw Judah's own share in the sin. This is the way God works. A frank confession will secure His mercy.

It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, but Judah, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Now he showed in his own house the evil which drew down curse on curse. In the end the head of that house had to own the sad shame of Tamar — more righteous than himself, though he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came He who cleanses from all sin by His blood.

Genesis 38 interrupts the story of Joseph… It seems that Judah's shameful story is told here to sharpen in our minds how firmly Joseph stood under a similar temptation… The Tamar of this chapter is the first of the women named in the genealogy of our Lord in Matthew 1. Of the four women named, only Ruth had a clean record morally, and she came of an accursed race. Such names would never have appeared in the record without the grace of God — the grace that triumphs over human sin.

Her desire for children was a right one. We can admire how she valued a place in the family where God's name was known… But her actions to achieve her ends cannot be excused. They showed a lack of confidence in God, and the sin itself was unnatural… How ready we are by nature to try to get God's blessing in our own way.

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He kept this right from her, and in doing so blamed her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's prejudice in favour of his own family blinded him to the truth.

The practices of the Canaanite religion made sexual temptation stronger. Ritual fornication was part of their fertility magic. It seems that Tamar posed as a temple prostitute. Such was the world that Judah had married into! Can there be anything so dreadful as this kind of union?

At once she left the area and changed her clothes, going back to her widow's state. Of course, Judah then sent the young goat, expecting to get back the pledge he had left. But his messenger could not find the prostitute. He was even told that no prostitute had been in that place.

Everything must come to light. The stream may flow for a time underground, but sooner or later it will break out. We may go on for years in a course of secret evil. We may cultivate some unholy principle, indulge some unholy desire, or feed some unholy temper or feeling. But the smouldering flame must break out in the end, and show us the real character of what we have done.

Judah acts as if he is right and free of blame. But it is he who has the greater guilt… Judah is ready to have Tamar burnt, but she had secured a pledge from him. She now brought it forward as evidence (v. 25), and everyone saw Judah's part in the sin. This is the way God works. A frank confession will secure His mercy. Tamar is acknowledged as being more righteous than Judah (v. 26)… Having established righteousness He is now free to show mercy.

The history of Tamar shows us in God's own marvellous way how Christ comes into connection with Judah. So her name appears in the Lord's genealogy in the gospel of Matthew. It is the first of four women's names there, and their presence shows the grace which has stooped to take up men. Each of these four has its own gospel feature to bring out. The record presses Tamar's sin, as it presses Rahab's faith… Tamar's sin alone brought her into the Lord's genealogy, and God has taken pains to record this striking fact, and to record it twice.

She left the area at once and changed her clothes, going back to her widow's dress. So Judah sent the young goat, expecting to get back the pledge he had left. His messenger could not find the prostitute. He was even told that no prostitute had ever been in that place.

He promised to send her a young goat as payment for his immorality. She asked for some security, and he gave her three things that were clearly his own property. From that one occasion she conceived a child.

It is sad to watch Judah leave the relative safety and enjoyment of his brothers' company. His heart was already far from the joy of communion with his father. Now he takes this further step and leaves his brothers. We have seen this often with people whose hearts have grown cold. In time their feet follow where their minds already lean. A heart that has wandered from God is easy prey to the deceit and pressure of men. Someone who does not walk in fellowship with God will soon walk in friendship with the unconverted people of the world. In verse 1 we see that Judah must have had common interests with Hirah. In verse 12 he is called "his friend Hirah the Adullamite." James tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4), but a man set on doing his own will had no room for such thoughts.

Judah chose to walk away, and the consequences will be serious. He will have to learn that he cannot please himself without reaping a harvest of sorrow. He has to learn that whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Galatians 6:7).

God knows your most secret sin... Look into the word. You will find that God has usually shamed in this world those who counted most on secrecy in their sinning.

Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burnt, but she had secured a pledge from him. She now brings it forward as evidence, and everyone can see Judah's share in the sin. This is the way God works. An honest confession will secure His mercy.

Judah, the head of the tribe, had to admit the sad shame of Tamar. She was more righteous than he was, and he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came the One who cleanses from all sin by His blood. He will reign over the universe to God's glory.

She comes before me in this picture as a sinner and nothing else... But the wonder above all this is that this very sin brings her name into the Lord's genealogy. This sin made her the mother of Perez, one of the direct line in Christ's ancestry.

Judah leaves his brothers to join the world of the Canaanite in all its ruined character. The actual words of Scripture, "went down from," show the path of departure he set out on. They warn the reader that sin will mark what follows. The consequences of Judah's wilful departure will be serious. He will have to learn that he cannot please himself without reaping a harvest of sorrow.

The practices of the Canaanite cult increased sexual temptation. Ritual fornication was part of their fertility magic. It seems that Tamar posed as a temple or cult prostitute. Such was the world that Judah had married into!

He had promised to give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar, but had not kept his promise. She therefore took matters into her own hands and deceitfully posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah. He promised to send her a young goat as payment. She demanded some security, and he gave her three things that were unmistakably his own. From that one occasion she conceived a child. She left the area at once and changed her clothes, going back to her state as a widow. Then Judah sent the young goat, expecting to get back the pledge he had left. His messenger could not find the prostitute, and the men there told him that no prostitute had ever been in that place.

How bad it is to try to cover up sin! God says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." But you must thank God if He makes your sin find you out now. If not, it will find you out when you stand before God's judgment throne. God says, "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).

What a hypocrite! Judah acts as if he is completely right and without blame, but it is he who has the greater guilt... Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burned, but she had secured a pledge from him. She now brought it forward in evidence, and everyone could see Judah's share in the sin. This is the way God works. A frank confession will secure His mercy.

She did value a place in the family where the true God was known. But her plan to trap Judah on the road did not spring from faith in God. Humanly speaking, her act was more righteous than Judah's, as he admitted. Yet morally they were alike — partners in a grievous sin. Conduct like this might suit the families of the Canaanites. But it was hateful to the holiness of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

She comes before me in this picture as a sinner and nothing else. She had been the wife of two men in turn, each cut off by God's judgment for his wickedness. Yet she dared to provoke the same judgment herself. But the wonder above all this is that this very sin brings her name into the Lord's genealogy. This sin made her the mother of Perez, who stands in the direct line of Christ's ancestry.

The Spirit of God is leading us along the line through which Christ came, and He gives us, as links in the chain, Tamar and Bathsheba!... Man could never have devised such a genealogy. It is entirely divine. No spiritual person can read it without seeing in it a blessed display of divine grace.

Judah leaves his brothers to join the world of the Canaanite (the Merchant) in all its ruined character. The actual words of Scripture, "went down from," show the course of departure he began. They alert the reader that sin will mark what follows. The consequences of Judah's wilful departure will be serious. He will have to learn that he cannot please himself without reaping a harvest of sorrow. He has to learn that "whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Gal. 6:7).

Of course when Judah sent the young goat, expecting to get back the pledge he had left, the messenger was not only unable to find the prostitute, but was told that no prostitute had even been in that place.

God knows your most secret sin: "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence" (Ps. 90:8)... The word tells you of an informer you carry in your own heart: conscience. It goes along with you, and it witnesses all your carefully laid plots. What it sees, it writes down, for it is a court of record... Consult the word. You will find that God has usually put to shame in this world those who promised themselves the most secrecy in their sinning.

Shame merely drives them to hide from God and to make excuses to Him. And so with ourselves: as long as the shame of sin continues, we try to hide it, to get away from it, but it only drives us farther and farther from God. It is not a conscience taught by God, because we are more concerned about the shame before men than the sinfulness before God.

Judah's pretended virtue is about to be exposed by what happens next... He has a double standard, which is not acceptable to a holy God. Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burned, but she had secured a pledge from him. She now brought this forward as evidence (v. 25), and Judah's part in the sin was made plain to everyone. This is the way God works. An honest confession will secure His mercy.

It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, but Judah, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Now he showed in his own household the evil that drew down curse upon curse. In the end the head of that house had to admit the sad shame of Tamar. She was more righteous than he was, and he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came the One who cleanses from all sin by His blood. He will reign over the universe to God's glory.

Shame only drives Adam and Eve to hide from God and to make excuses to Him. It is the same with us. As long as the shame of sin lasts, we try to hide it and escape it. But it only drives us farther and farther from God. That is not a conscience taught by God, because we care more about the shame in front of people than about the sinfulness before God... our sense of the guilt of sin should always be deeper than our sense of its shame.

Judah's pretended virtue is about to be exposed by the subsequent events... Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burnt, but she had secured a pledge from him. This she now brought forward in evidence (v. 25) and Judah's complicity in the sin is manifested before all. This is the way God works. A frank confession will secure His mercy.

God knows your most secret sin: "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence" (Psalm 90:8)... You have an informer in your own heart — your conscience. It goes along with you and witnesses every plot you lay. What it sees, it writes down, for it is a court of record... Look into the word. You will find that God has usually shamed in this world the very people who counted most on secrecy in their sinning.

The actual words of Scripture, "went down from," show the path of departure he had set out on. They warn the reader that sin will mark what follows... The heart astray from God is a ready prey to the deceit and incitements of men. Someone not walking in communion with God will soon walk in fellowship with unconverted people of the world.

It seems we have the sad story of Judah told here to heighten in our minds the way Joseph stood firm under a temptation of the same kind... the Tamar of this chapter is the first of the women mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord, recounted in Matthew 1. Of the four women mentioned, only Ruth had a clean record from the moral point of view, and she came from a nation under a curse. Such names would never have appeared in the record had it not been for the grace of God — the grace that triumphs over human sin.

How shocking that she claimed her right in such a shameless and incestuous way! How self-righteous Judah was, ready to burn the mother of babies who were his own without his knowing it! And one of those babies is carefully marked out in Messiah's direct line. Such is man, and such Judah; but such too is God. Where heinous sin abounded, grace much more exceeded.

Tamar's plan worked as she had wanted. Three months later, someone told Judah that she was pregnant through prostitution (v. 24). He had no hesitation in condemning her, and passed sentence that she should be burned to death. Clearly he never even thought about the man involved in the case. Judah could sin and no one asked a question. Yet for the very same sin he thought Tamar must die!

What a hypocrite! Judah acts as if he is completely right and without blame, but it is he who has the greater guilt. It was he who caused Tamar to stumble, and now he wants her punished. If I cause another to sin because of my own wickedness, how great then is my responsibility. Judah is the one who started these sins, and now he places all the blame on Tamar… He has a double standard, and a holy God does not accept it. Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burned, but she had taken a pledge from him. She now brings it forward as evidence (v. 25), and Judah's part in the sin is shown to everyone. This is how God works. An honest confession secures His mercy.

When Judah heard about Tamar's condition, he said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." He was quick to pass the harshest sentence on a sin he had shared in himself. So it was with David! Nathan the prophet told the king his story. David's anger blazed against the man in it. He said to Nathan that as the Lord lives, the man who had done this thing must surely die.

Judging our brother is a very deep-seated tendency in our heart. The Lord forbids it. If we do it anyway, two penalties are sure to follow, as He shows here. First, we ourselves shall come under judgment, and have measured out to us just what we have measured to others. Second, we shall drift into hypocrisy. As soon as we start judging others we become blind to our own defects… The most profitable form of judgment for each of us is self-judgment.

Tamar's plan to trap Judah did not come from faith in God. That is true even if she valued a place in the family where the true God was known. On a human level, Tamar's act was more righteous than Judah's, as he confessed. But morally they were the same: partners in a grievous sin. Conduct like this might suit the Canaanite families, but it was hateful to the holy God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It may be hard for us to judge Tamar's true worth. Her desire for children was a right one, but her actions to reach her goal cannot be excused.

It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, but Judah who proposed the sale of Joseph. In his own house he then showed the evil that drew down curse upon curse. In the end the head of that house had to admit the sad shame of Tamar. She was more righteous than he was, and he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came He who cleanses from all sin by His blood. He will reign over the universe to God's glory.

In Genesis 38:18, 25 the Hebrew word means "cord," and it was probably the cord by which the signet was hung.

When he promised to send her a young goat as payment for his fornication, she demanded some security, and he gave her three things that were unmistakably his property (v. 18). From this one occasion she conceived a child.

He had no hesitation in condemning her, and passed sentence that she should be burned to death. Evidently he never even thought of the man who was involved in the case. Judah could sin without any question being raised, but he considered that for the very same sin Tamar must be killed!

What a hypocrite! Judah acts as if he is completely right and without blame, but it is he who has the greater guilt. It was he who caused Tamar to stumble and now he wants her punished… God's Spirit will say, as to his great heir David, "You are the man" (2 Sam. 12:7). He has a double standard, which is not acceptable to a holy God. Judah is ready to condemn Tamar to be burned, but she had secured a pledge from him. She now brought it forward in evidence (v. 25), and it showed Judah's part in the sin before all. This is the way God works. A frank confession will secure His mercy.

The sense here is not absolute but comparative justification, just as in Judah's expression in the Greek version of Genesis 38:26: "Tamar is justified rather than I" (that is, more righteous).

It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, but Judah, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Now he showed in his own house the evil that drew down curse upon curse. In the end its head had to own the sad shame of Tamar, more righteous than himself — the woman he had sentenced to die by fire.

Here divine grace triumphs gloriously over man's sin. "It is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah" (Heb. 7:14). But how? "Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar" (Matt. 1:3)… The Spirit of God is leading us along the line through which, as to the flesh, Christ came, and in doing so He gives us, as links in the genealogical chain, Tamar and Bathsheba! How clear it is that there is nothing of man in this!

The sense here is not absolute justification but comparative justification. It is like Judah's words in the Septuagint version of Genesis 38:26: "Tamar is justified rather than I" — that is, more righteous.

Judah at least gave her credit for being more righteous than he was (v. 26). But he was in fact more guilty than Tamar, and righteousness was not involved in the matter at all.

Judah acts as if he is right and without blame. But he is the one with the greater guilt. It was he who caused Tamar to stumble and now he wants her punished... Judah was the prime mover in these sins and now he places all the blame on Tamar... He has a double standard, which is not acceptable to a holy God.

When Judah was told of Tamar's condition, he said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." He was quick to pronounce the most severe sentence against a sin he had taken part in himself. So it was with David! When Nathan the prophet told him his parable, David burned with anger against the man in the story, and he swore to Nathan that the man who had done this must die.

When Judah exclaimed, "She is more righteous than I," we cannot doubt it was the evidence of a divine work in his soul. The precious fruit of that work came out later in his words to his father and to Joseph.

This is the way God works. A frank confession will secure His mercy... Having established righteousness, He is now free to show mercy.

It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, but Judah, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Now his own house showed the evil which drew down curse on curse. In the end its head had to own the sad shame of Tamar — more righteous than himself, though he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet by this guilty Judah, and by Tamar, came He who cleanses from all sin by His blood.

The history of Tamar shows us in God's own marvellous way how Christ comes into connection with Judah, and so her name appears in the Lord's genealogy in the gospel of Matthew... It is Tamar's sin that is insisted on... Tamar's sin alone brought her into the Lord's genealogy, and God has taken pains to record it, and to record it twice. In the same way, simply as sinners, we have a title to rejoice in a work done for the need of sinners. Judah shall find in a coming day his title, not in legal righteousness, nor in descent from Abraham, but in what God has emphasized for us here.

Genesis 38 completely interrupts the story of Joseph. In Genesis 39 the story starts again... It seems that we have the shameful story of Judah told to sharpen our sense of how Joseph stood firm under a temptation of the same kind... The Tamar of this chapter is the first of the women named in the genealogy of our Lord in Matthew 1. Of those four women, only Ruth had a clean record morally, and she came from an accursed race. Such names would never have appeared in the record if it were not for the grace of God — the grace that triumphs over human sin.

Even here grace secures a pledge. Pharez is a second supplanter, one who takes another's place. The hope of Israel is in the womb, and a blessing is in the cluster. Yet it is the cluster of a wild vine, fit to be doomed to the sickle, if sovereign, abounding grace did not say, "Do not destroy it." Isa. 65:8; Matt. 1:3.

The colour "scarlet" stands for the rights of the Lord to rule. It is both remarkable and instructive to see how the thought of Christ's supremacy runs through Scripture like a "thread of scarlet." This beautiful thought first appears in what may be one of the darkest chapters in the Old Testament, Genesis 38. In dark, sordid circumstances something shows itself that has power to "break through" and to "rise up" — as the names of the twins suggest. This leads at last to the line from which David comes.

Pharez, the "breaker forth," breaks out into fruit beyond counting, which fills all the later history of Judah. From him come her kings, and her great King. His twin is Zerah, whose name means the sunrise, and from him come singers later on, such as Ethan, and warriors, such as Shammah, Sibbechai and Maharai, strong defenders of the throne.

Tamar gave birth to twins. One began to come first, but the other took his place (vv. 27-29). This is another lesson of the first being last and the last first, as with Esau and Jacob, and many others.

The closing verses (vv. 27-30) of this chapter show how mercy rejoices over judgment... The midwife had seen nothing like this before and exclaims, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" (v. 29 — older translations read, "How have you broken forth?"). But in this way the line to Christ moves forward. Pharez comes out, the second Jacob, one who takes another's place. From him would come the True Inheritor of every blessing. Christ is the righteous One who takes the place of every usurper. He will prevail, and His kingdom will stand for ever.

It is Tamar's sin that brings her in, and Rahab's faith that brings her in. For Ruth to come in, the law's sentence against the Moabites had to be set aside. And Bathsheba — named even as the wife of Uriah — shows us grace triumphing over even a believer's sin. Salvation for sinners, through faith, apart from law, and eternal: this is what the simple placing of these names declares.

Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came the One who cleanses from all sin by His blood. He will reign over the whole universe to God's glory. That reign goes far beyond all that Joseph pictured, just as He Himself went far lower in humiliation and suffering.

The colour "scarlet" stands for the rights of the Lord. It is both striking and instructive to see how the thought of Christ's supremacy runs through Scripture like a "thread of scarlet." This beautiful thought comes in at one of the darkest chapters in the Old Testament, Genesis 38. In dark, sordid circumstances something appears with power to "break through" and "rise up" (as the names of the twins suggest), and it reaches its high point in the family line that David comes from (Ruth 4:18-22).

Tamar gave birth to twins. One began to come out first, but the other took his place (vv. 27-29). This is another lesson of the first being last and the last first, as in the case of Esau and Jacob, and many others.

God gave special rights to the firstborn son of each family (a double inheritance). Again and again we meet firstborn sons who fail, and their blessing goes to another who has no claim to it. Cain was the firstborn, but Seth took his place. So it was with Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Reuben and Joseph, and others. The underlying principle is clear: the firstborn speaks of man in his natural strength: 'for he is the firstfruits of his vigour' (Deut. 21:17). And this is the point: natural man acting in his own strength always leads to failure. For blessing to come at all, God has to provide the 'second'. Hebrews 10 states the principle plainly: 'He takes away the first that he may establish the second' (v. 9).

Shelah is fruitful, but Tamar's children far more so. From them Pharez, the "breaker forth," breaks out into a vast fruit that fills the whole later history of Judah. From him come her kings, and her great King. Twin with Pharez comes Zerah, whose name means the [sun] rise, and from him come singers later on, such as Ethan, and warriors such as Shammah, Sibbechai and Maharai, strong defenders of the throne.

The closing verses (vv. 27-30) of this chapter show how mercy triumphs over judgment. J. G. Bellett wrote of this, "The hope of Israel is in the womb, a blessing is in the cluster. Yet it is truly such a cluster of wild vine as might well be doomed to the sickle, if sovereign, abounding grace did not say, 'Destroy it not' (Isa. 65:8; Matt. 1:3)." The midwife had never seen anything like this, and she cries out, "How have you broken forth?" (v. 29). But in this way the line to Christ is carried on. Pharez comes out, the second Jacob, one who takes another's place. From him would come the True Inheritor of every blessing.

This chapter needs few words to prove how low Judah had sunk… And notice that it was not Reuben or any other head of a tribe, but Judah who proposed selling Joseph. He then showed in his own house the evil that drew down curse after curse, until he himself, the head of that house, had to admit the sad shame of Tamar. She was more righteous than he was, though he had sentenced her to die by fire. Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came the One who cleanses from all sin by His blood and who will reign over the universe to God's glory.

In Judah's history we find the utter wandering and misery of Judah, but in it and out of it comes the genealogy of grace. He marries Canaanite women. Sin is in his family. He commits sexual sin with his own daughter-in-law. Everything had gone wrong. Yet from this sprang the One in whom men would bless themselves. They would say, "May the Lord make your house like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah," and "may you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem." Yet of Perez himself it might be said, how have you broken out?

The midwife had seen nothing like this before and exclaims, "How have you broken out?" (v. 29). But this is how the line to Christ moves forward… We wonder how any good could come out of such a disastrous series of events. But what is impossible with men is not impossible with God. He brings glory to His Name out of the darkest shame.

Shelah is fruitful, but Tamar's children much more so. One of them is Perez, the "breaker forth." He breaks out into a large family that fills all the later history of Judah. From him come her kings, and her great King. His twin is Zerah, whose name means the sunrise. From Zerah come singers later on, such as Ethan, and warriors, such as Shammah, Sibbecai and Maharai — sturdy defenders of the throne.

Judah is brought to know and confess his sin… and then mercy triumphs over judgment. Perez comes forth, and he is a second Jacob, the supplanter. Despite his elder brother's natural claim, he gets the birthright. The kingdom suffers violence at his hand, and he takes it by force. And from this Perez comes the true Inheritor of the blessing. He is the righteous Supplanter of every usurper. He will prevail, and His kingdom will stand for ever. (Matt. 1:3.)

The story of Tamar shows us how, in God's marvellous way of grace, Christ comes into connection with Judah. So her name appears in the Lord's genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew. Hers is the first of those four women's names, and their presence there shows the grace that has stooped to take up men… It is Tamar's sin that brings her in, as it is Rahab's faith. For Ruth to come in, the law's sentence about the Moabites had to be set aside. And Bathsheba — named even as the wife of Uriah — shows us grace triumphing over even a believer's sin. A salvation for sinners, through faith, apart from law, and eternal: this is what the simple insertion of these names declares.

Is it not remarkable that the elders and the people should take the house of Perez as a pattern of blessing for the house of Boaz? Who was Perez? Let Genesis 38 answer… But it was through Perez, son of Tamar, that the promised blessing had to come. God led His line of promise through the base things of the world, and took up those whom man would spurn. This was to magnify His grace and exalt His name.

The colour "scarlet" stands for rights of lordship. It is both remarkable and instructive to see how the thought of Christ's supremacy runs through Scripture like a "thread of scarlet." This beautiful thought appears in what may be one of the darkest chapters in the Old Testament, Genesis 38. In dark and shameful circumstances, something with power to "break through" and to "rise up" (as the names of the twins suggest) is clearly at work. It leads on to a generation from which David springs.

In that beautiful passage, Isaiah 60:1-7, the same thought is in view. Sin, darkness and turning away from God have marked His people, and thick darkness covers them. But the Lord rises upon them, His glory shines out, and nations and kings come to acknowledge the "rising" (Zerah) that has broken through the darkness and shown His supremacy over all.

Scripture always puts Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar, ahead of his twin brother Zarah, or Zerah, so he held the right of the firstborn. In David's reign the family of Perez held the highest rank in the tribe of Judah, and it appears to have stood out for its many children and its strength.

Perez, the "breaker forth," breaks out into abundant fruit, which fills all the later history of Judah. From him come Judah's kings, and her great King. Twin with Perez comes Zerah, the sunrise. From him came singers, such as Ethan, and warriors, such as Shammah, Sibbechai and Maharai — strong defenders of the throne.

Of all the women who might have been named, these four were, in different ways, the apparent blots on the genealogy. Far from hiding what was shameful about them, the record brings in details one might have thought could be left out. It is as if it wants to draw our attention to what might otherwise have been less noticed. So it mentions Zerah's twin birth with Perez, though Zerah himself is not in the line of the genealogy, as if to recall the sin that brought them into being.

Genesis 38 shows one of those remarkable cases where divine grace triumphs gloriously over man's sin. "It is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah" (Hebrews 7:14). But how? "Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar" (Matthew 1:3). This is especially striking. God, in His great grace, rises above the sin and folly of man to bring about His own purposes of love and mercy.

Yet through this guilty Judah, and through Tamar, came the One who cleanses from all sin by His blood. He will reign over the universe to God's glory.