Every family has a story.
Some families have stories they love to tell. Some families have stories they hope nobody ever asks about. Genesis 38 and our passage today (Genesis 38:27-30) most definitely belong to the second category.
27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez. 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.
Genesis 38:27-30, New International Version
If I were writing the Bible, I probably wouldn’t want to put this part in the family history. It’s filled with death, deception, sexual immorality, broken promises, and some incredibly complicated relationships. It’s really messy.
Yet, in the middle of all that mess, something significant happens: Tamar gives birth to twin boys, Perez and Zerah.
The circumstances surrounding their birth are messy, but their story doesn’t end there. Perez becomes part of the family line that eventually leads to King David. Generations later, this family line leads to Jesus.
Let that sink in. Seriously. Think about that for a second.
The Lord accomplished His redemptive purposes through an incredibly messy family. Genesis 38 is an uncomfortable part of the Bible because it’s full of missteps, and it’s heartbreaking.
But that’s one of the things I love about the Bible. It doesn’t sanitize the stories. It doesn’t minimize the sinful actions of people. While the Bible is entirely about the Lord, His story is told through imperfect people.
Abraham lied.
Jacob deceived.
Judah failed spectacularly.
David committed adultery and murder.
And yet our Lord continued His work.
Why?
Because His grace is greater than human failure.
That doesn’t mean our failures don’t matter. Sin is serious, and broken choices have real consequences. Genesis 38 doesn’t excuse Judah’s behavior or pretend everything was okay. As we continue moving through Genesis, we’ll see the real-life repercussions of these events here.
But it does remind us that our brokenness is never bigger than the Lord’s ability to redeem.
Perez’s name means “breaking through.” And that’s exactly what the Lord does.
He breaks through our failures. He breaks through our mess. He breaks through our past. He breaks through our circumstances. He breaks through the places where we can’t see a way forward.
We often look at our families and see what’s messed up, ruined, and broken. We look at ourselves and see the same. But our gracious Lord sees what He can redeem.
Maybe your family story isn’t what you wish it were.
Maybe there are painful chapters you would love to rewrite.
Maybe you’ve made choices you regret.
Maybe someone else’s choices have left scars on you.
Maybe your family has experienced divorce, addiction, betrayal, estrangement, or years of unresolved hurt.
Genesis 38 offers an incredible reminder: the Lord isn’t afraid of messy families.
He doesn’t need a perfect family to accomplish His purposes. He doesn’t need perfect people. He doesn’t need a spotless history. He is the God who writes redemption into broken stories.
And the greatest evidence of that is Jesus. The Savior of the world came through a family tree that included people with some seriously messed-up stories and very broken people.
That means your past doesn’t have to have the final word. Your family’s failures don’t have to determine your future. And you don’t have to hide either of those.
Grace doesn’t erase the story. Grace redeems it.
So don’t give up on your family. Don’t give up on yourself. And most importantly, don’t underestimate what the Lord can do with a story that looks hopelessly broken.
The same God who brought Perez through the mess of Genesis 38:27-30 is still breaking through and writing redemption where we least expect it.
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