"Breakout" - 01/25/14 - Gen 38-40

So she named him Perez (Breakout). (38:29)


Judah.  One of Jacob's sons.


I love how ABBA's Word encourages us.  How at times we have to read "the rest of the story", to see how Majestic He is.  To see how at all times, He is in control and uses all things for His Glory. 


The accounts of Jacob's sons focus mainly on Joseph.  "Come closer to me," Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. "I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt.  But don't feel badly, don't blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives. There has been a famine in the land now for two years; the famine will continue for five more years - neither plowing nor harvesting.  God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance.  So you see, it wasn't you who sent me here but God. He set me in place as a father to Pharaoh, put me in charge of his personal affairs, and made me ruler of all Egypt."  (45:4-8)


Naturally when you read of the great things God used Joseph to do, who represented Christ in being used to save the Israelites linage, it would be him who we think would be one of "the ones". 


Not Judah.

"So Judah stepped in and told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow at home with your father until my son Shelah grows up." (38:11)


"Judah saw her and assumed she was a prostitute since she had veiled her face. He left the road and went over to her. He said, "Let me sleep with you." He had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law." (38:15-16)


And yet God used Judah.  He used one of the twins "Perez", fathered by Judah with Tamar. 


"Perez" - which means "breakout". 


Perez was also "one of the ones".  



They are part of the lineage of our Savior.


Our Savior who has rescued us from the encasement of our sins.  Our own personal "Breakout".When we screw everything up, God comes along and breaks us out.  How God continually uses persons, throughout time, for His glory.  How He continually uses each one of us today, with all of our mistakes, to be a Vessel for Him.  Only God could do that.  Take something we have completely screwed up and turn it around, rebuild it, fix it - so it is completely right.  What an Awesome God we have - one who is completely in control. 


Our hope.