Without Jesus none of us will make it into the Kingdom of God,it is all about grace!

Jesus: The Sovereign God

"But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out... And he was named Perez.
Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was
given the name Zerah." (Genesis 38:29-30)
Scripture Focus: Genesis 38

This unsettling incident reminds us again of our Lord's sovereignty over His
creation. Paul addressed the men of Athens in Acts 17:24-25 and spoke of Jesus
saying, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven
and earth... he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else."

The narrative of Genesis 38 is one of the most shocking in the Word of God. Just
look at the sin! God put Judah's firstborn, Er, to death for an unknown
wickedness. Then Er's brother, Onan, was executed by the Lord for not fulfilling
his duty to Er's widow, Tamar. Tamar then deceived and seduced her
father-in-law, Judah, who had illicit relations with her. Judah later accused
Tamar of the same sin and ordered her death. Then, when she delivered twins, we
come to verse 29, above. Matthew's genealogy (1:3) reveals to us wondrously
("Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father
of Hezron...") that Perez - born out of wedlock and from incest - was in the
line of Christ.

Insight: As We Look Back In Sorrow Over Sinful Decisions, We Can Rejoice In The
Savior Who Uses Even Our Sin To Accomplish His Purposes.



Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with
your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

Michael D. Inman
- The Only Thing Necessary For Evil to Triumph is for Good Men to do Nothing --
Edmund Burke...
"If the First Amendment fails, use the Second one."