The Royal Line

Why?

Why does this chapter exist?

1.) Who is the first intended reader?

2.) Why do they need to know this?

3.) What do we have in common with them?

1.) Israel - moving through the wilderness into the promised land, looking for YHWH to fulfill the promise to Abraham

2.) They do not know when or how this promise will be fulfilled, but they do know who is doing it. They know they are sinful, but they know His promise supersedes and even works through that. Therefore should they not worry about sin? Absolutely not! Do they care to know the King? Serve the King? Rom. 6:1-4

Romans 6:1–4 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

3.) We have expectations for a promised land, delivered by a promised King, to a promised people. We are following Him in hope and trust that He will do it. Remember: Moses wrote and made sure to mention a genealogical account of Judah, because through him comes the royal line, the King. This was 1200+ years before Jesus arrives and Moses, through the Holy Spirit, detours from the story of Joseph to detail the genealogy of Judah. Why? Its about the King!

Sin

1.) v.2 - Judah takes a Canaanite wife

2.) vv.7, 9, 10 - Er is wicked, Onan as well, not fulfilling his duties toward his deceased brother (Deut. 25:5-10)

3.) Judah does not give his youngest, as promised, to Tamar. He places blame on her instead of his sons.

4.) Tamar deceives and Judah lusts for a prostitute.

Judah is the fourth born and will receive the blessing of the firstborn because of the sins of the first 3 of Jacobs sons. Even he displays his unworthiness.

Sovereignty

v.18 - She conceives

The Lord is in control of the womb (Is. 44, 66, 1 Sam 1:6)

Matt. 1:1-6

Matthew 1:1–6 (ESV)

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

The birth

Zerah was first, then retracted and Perez came forth first. Extremely unusual - displays Sovereign will of God at all times. He decides the firstborn, or to use the younger. Significant births foreshadow a significant role in redemptive history.

What matters now is not a lineage, but faith. There is a firstborn who has come forth through promise and received all blessing and honor and a name above all names. Therefore, what is important is a birth and the nature of that birth. Is it new, is it in Christ? It is all about Him now. He fulfilled all and now fills all.