Genesis 38:15 “When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.” 

THE END RESULT

 The 38^th chapter of Genesis is an interesting read (for adults).  When you read it, you can scratch your head and say, “Why would the Lord put this in Scripture?”  But we know that every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit and has a message for us.  So, what is the message of this chapter?  It is a story filled with deceit, lies and sin.

 Judah’s original lie against Tamar (promising her his youngest son) gave Tamar a “reason” to deceive Judah.  Judah’s decision to visit a harlot (sin) led to shame and humiliation for both him and Tamar.  What a “made for tv movie”!  But do you know who one of the sons became?  Perez, who was the twin brother of Zerah, is in the direct line of King David and thus, also in the lineage of Jesus.  He was NO mistake.

 TEACHING MOMENT

 Let me say upfront, this is a hard story to tell your children.  You might want to hold this one for when they are older.  They may have questions you don’t want to answer right now.  Lol.  But it’s in the Word, so be prepared.  For me, it is clear.  God does not make any mistakes.  The mistakes WE make can be turned around and made into blessings.

Perez played a key role in the tribe of Judah.  As I said earlier, he was a descendant in the Messianic lineage.  You can’t get more important than that.  All children are a blessing, whether they are planned or not.  God can use each child to be a blessing for others.

Tell your kids that.  Tell them they are a blessing.  Tell them God has a special plan for them.  Tell them…  Well, you get the picture.  Remind your children over and over again that God does NOT make junk.  They have a purpose for being here.

Creator of all life, thank you for creating me in Your image.  Show me how to show others their purpose in life.  Help me point my children to Your plan for them.