Genesis 38

Genesis 38  •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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Presents one of those remarkable circumstances in which divine grace is seen gloriously triumphing over man’s sin. “It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda” (Heb. 7:1414For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. (Hebrews 7:14)). But how? “Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar” (Matt. 1:33And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; (Matthew 1:3)). This is peculiarly striking. God, in His great grace, rising above the sir and folly of man, in order to bring about His own purposes of love and mercy. Thus, a little further on, in Matthew, we read, “David the king begat Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias.” It is worthy of God thus to act. The Spirit of God is conducting us along the line through which, according to the flesh, Christ came; and, in doing so, he gives us, as links in the genealogical chain, Tamar and Bathsheba! How evident it is that there is nothing of man in this! How plain it is that when we reach the close of the first chapter of Matthew, it is “God manifest in the flesh” we find, and that, too, from the pen of the Holy Spirit. Man could never have devised such a genealogy. It is entirely divine, and no spiritual person can read it without seeing in it a blessed exhibition of divine grace, in the first place; and of the divine inspiration of Matthew’s gospel, in the second place, at least, of his account of Christ’s genealogy according to the flesh. I believe a comparison of 2 Samuel 11 and Genesis 38 with Matthew 1 will furnish the thoughtful Christian with matter for a very sweet and edifying meditation.