Advent Journey - Following the Seed From Eden to Bethlehem Sample

Day 12

SCANDAL

Perez (24)

There are some strange stories in the Bible. 

As you read certain accounts you might even wonder, “Why is this story here?” 

Often, it’s simply because of God’s pattern of tracking the Seed—the family tree from Adam to Christ. Jesus came from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah... then baby Perez, the child of Tamar. 

And who exactly was this mother, Tamar? Well, it’s quite a story! (Read Genesis 38). 

Perez was conceived when his father, Judah, visited a pretending prostitute, who unbeknownst to him was his daughter-in-law, Tamar! 

The short story is this: Judah’s first two sons were killed by God because of their wickedness (not a very impressive parenting legacy). 

According to tradition, Judah was expected to commit his third son to the widow of his deceased sons. (Tamar was the widow to the first son, and then the second son.) In this way, the Israelites fulfilled the duty of keeping the family name alive. 

But Judah and Son #3 (Shelah) did not cooperate. So in God’s divine and seemingly odd ways, He arranged for Judah an encounter with a lady disguised as a prostitute – who turned out to be his daughter-in-law, Tamar! 

Surprise! Through Judah, Tamar had twin boys. The oldest, and the one in the line of the Seed, was baby Perez.

Stories like these show God’s amazing sovereignty… and His desire to reveal for us the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

Reflections:

My maternal grandparents had no sons, only two daughters. So Grandpa’s family name ceased to continue through him. 

This is not a big deal today. But think about the significance of what this would mean for the line of the Seed!

Look at your own family tree. Can you identify examples where the family name ceased to continue?