Please read Genesis 38.
www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/gen/38/1/s_38001
Meditate on verse 7.
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD,
so the LORD took his life.
Joseph’s life story foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ. Why would God include such a scandalous story in the middle of it? Observe the chapter carefully, for it also contains the Christmas story.
Genesis 38 begins with God killing two men because they were evil and displeasing to Him (vs. 7, 10). The story continues with Tamar, the wife of the dead men, tricking Judah, her father-in-law, into having a physical relationship with her. He thought she was a prostitute, so he paid to have sex with her. Amazingly, God did not kill Judah and Tamar for their wickedness. In fact, God allowed Tamar to get pregnant by Judah. She gave birth to twins and named them Perez and Zerah.
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah ...
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar;
Perez was the father of ...
—Matthew 1:1, 3
Genesis 38 is the graphic story about people in the lineage of Jesus! It is a chapter that is usually left out of most Advent readings. Yet, it is the reason the world needs a Christmas story. Without Christ, everyone is Er and Onan, Judah’s two sons who were struck dead by God because of their sin. All deserve to die because of their evil, displeasing acts against God and man. But God extends His love, grace, and mercy to everyone, even those who deserve it the least, just like He did to Judah and Tamar. The LORD redeemed their hopeless situation, and they became the great, great, great ... grandparents of Jesus Christ.
But God, being rich in mercy,
because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ.
By grace you have been saved.
—Ephesians 2:4-5
Pray Genesis 38:7 and 26 over someone for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman who needs the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
“LORD, please give ________ more time on
earth to turn from evil to You.
Make them righteous and let them stop doing what displeases You.
In Your name, Jesus~”
The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell
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