Genesis 38:29

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.