1 Chronicles 2 – 4:23 “From Messy to Masterpiece”
After the listing Israel’s 12 sons, the section of these Scriptures focus on the descendants of Judah. Besides conspiring against Joseph to be sold as a slave to Ishmaelite travelers, Judah married a Canaanite [Bath-shua] who bore him three sons. “…And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death. Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah…” (3b-4a). Having moved from the influence of his family, Judah married a Canaanite woman (Genesis 38). He took a wife for his son [Tamar] but, as noted in verse 3, God put him to death. Not mentioned here, God also took the life of his son Onan who refused to raise up children for his brother. Fearing the loss of Shelah, he withheld Shelah from Tamar. Consequently, Tamar played the harlot with her father-in-law conceiving two more sons, Perez and Zerah for Judah. In the meantime, God raised up Joseph to save the lives of the very family that betrayed him. At this time Judah becomes repentant and stands in the gap for Benjamin before Joseph [whom he does not know is his brother] out of deep concern for his father. From this messy family, God places a son of harlotry [Perez] into the lineage leading to King David and eventually to Jesus. God is a master of transforming messy lives into masterpieces.