Read Genesis 38 – 40
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, bring her forth, and let her be burnt. Genesis 38:24 KJV
The Gospel of Matthew includes this incident in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:3). Through Tamar, Judah begot Perez and Zerah. Tamar was his daughter-in-law! She was married to his firstborn son, and then his second-born son, and was even promised to his third-born son, but Judah never fulfilled his promise, leaving Tamar barren and in shame because he feared his third son would die as the first two had. So Tamar dressed the part of a harlot and Judah not recognizing her went in and slept with her, and she conceived and gave birth to twins. Matthew reports the seed of the Messiah came out of this act of immorality. Surprising! Why would such a thing have been allowed to occur? One reason especially seems to stand out; it was to clearly show the Messiah was not the product of man’s effort in any way, but of God’s grace! God continues to surprise us by His grace.
Lord, I continue to be surprised by your grace. Judah was deserving of the punishment he angrily pronounced on his daughter-in-law. Yet, you used this dark moment of his life in the line of our Savior. What fitting evidence you came to save sinners!
A question to ponder: Although you have not deserved it, what are some surprising ways God has worked in your life by His grace?
