The Gospel of Matthew 1:3 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;” (Matthew 1:3 KJV).

In this passage, we mark the inclusion of a woman who was flawed and marginalized in the person of Thamar with whom Judah fathered twin sons. She is highlighted to refresh us of the mechanics of their relationship. The twins were born out of scandalous way as we trace back to Judah’s sexual solicitation escapade revealed in Genesis 38. While Tamar was originally Judah’s daughter-in-law having been the wife: first, of Judah’s first son Er; And then when Er died early due to his behavior described as wicked, she was given by Judah as wife to his second son Onan so she could bear a child for Er and Judah’s family as a whole. Onan also died due to a wicked act, as well. Hence, there no more grown up son to give her, Judah returned Thamar to live as a widow with her own family.

The circumstance that transpired between Judah and Thamar was one of a bizarre nature. Judah, who sometime later also just got widowed, went to a place called Timnah to shear his sheep. As he entered the town he came upon a woman dressed with covered face who he thought was a prostitute. Judah negotiated to sleep with her with a promise to pay her a goat which he secured with his signet ring and shepherd’s rod. In short, that encounter bore them the twins Pharez and Zara or Perez and Zerah. And Perez is now in the physical lineage of the Lord!

This demonstrates God’s Sovereign Grace, pure redemption, and pattern of working through the broken and the flawed. Hence, for you and I in our flaws - by faith in Christ Jesus who came through a lineage of imperfect people, the Scriptures affirm, as it is written: “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8 ESV).

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
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