Our summer series for the months of July & August is Honorable Mentions. The dictionary defines Honorable Mention as: "An award or recognition given to someone or something that does not make it to a higher standing but is worth mentioning in an honorable way."
We are looking at a number of lesser known characters in the Old Testament. Each study takes an in-depth look at someone in the Bible and their life story.

Our Bible passage today is Genesis 38:27-30.
At first glance, these verses don't give us much explaination or insight into why these twins give us an important lesson. So we'll look into some additional scripture and background that will bring to light a more complete picture. We will see that these twins are really part of a larger family tree with some serious troubles.

Location:
Beginning in chapter 38 Judah moved to Adullam in Canaan. We know that Canaan would later be given by God to the Israelites as the Promised Land.

Culture:
Canaan and the Canaanites had no national government. The people were from many different backgrounds and ethnic groups. There was both nomadic and settled tribes with each tribe having their own customs & practices. Their focus was on survival as a tribe.

Religion:
The structured Jewish faith or the early church had not yet been founded so people basically personalized a faith that was convenient. The tribes were polytheistic gods who believed in animal and human sacrifices. They were not God's people.

Family:
This period of the Bible is referred to as the Age of the Patriarchs (Genesis chapters 12-50).
Abraham = Ishmael and Isaac
Isaac = Jacob and Esau
Jacob = Joseph and Judah

With the history, geography, culture, religion, and family background established, let's take a look back at our passage (Genesis 38:27-30).
Judah had 3 sons with his wife - Er, Onan, and Shelah.
Er married Tamar- no kids
Onan married Tamar- no kids
Shelah was promised to Tamar- never fulfilled
Judah's indiscretion with Tamar- leads to Pharez & Zarah
In chapter 38:27-30 we see another set of twins being born. We see the midwife tie the scarlet thread to Zerah. Then the babies switch spots in the womb and Perez was actually delivered first.

Once again we see a struggle over birthright.
-The birthright would go to the first son of the first wife according to tradition.
-First born son assumed the father’s authority and responsibilities.
-He inherited twice as much as the other sons (as a son and also the head of the household).
-If your father was a king you could inherit the throne.
-If your father was a priest he would become a priest.
-The birthright connect to God through his first born son, Jesus Christ.

Here are some possibilities that could arise from the birthright of P & Z:
-Looking back through the family history would it surprise you if there was bad blood between P & Z?
-Would it surprise you if the sibling rivalry continued throughout their lives?
-Could you see Zerah, with his scarlet thread not getting the same treatment as his twin brother?
-Could you see Z getting jealous and wishing bad things on his brother?
-Could you see Z acting out or doing things he would not do if he were the heir to Judah?
-Could resentment take over Zerah’s life?

Here's what we see if we fast forward 3 generations of Zerah:
-Achan, the son of Carmi, a descendent of Zimri, the son of Zerah (Josh 7:1)-Great grandson of Zerah
-Achan was a warrior for Israel during the time of Joshua
-Achan violated the Lord’s commands when he decided to keep some treasure from Jericho for himself instead of turning it over to the Lord
-Achan’s violation brought the Lord’s wrath on all of Israel
-Achan’s actions cause Israel to be defeated by Ai
-Joshua 7:16- describes how Achan was brought out before the tribe of Israel
-Achan and his family were stoned to death by the Israelites for sinning against the Lord

Now that we have carefully examined the birth of P & Z, what is the great story we are seeing unfold?
We can look to Matthew 1:1 to see the dysfunction in this family line.
Just like us and our own families, these people had their own moments of sin and failure but each of them was redeemed by God.
How do we handle our sin and failure?
Does our sin and failure keep us from being used by God?
Should we just submit to the old adage "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?

We should seek God and His will for our lives, rather than using our own wisdom and taking things into our own hands.

Looking back on how God redeemed this family to include them in Christ's lineage, what are some practical things we can take away? Focus on 1 or 2 of them in the coming week.

1. THANK God for all circumstances because He will use them for good.
Romans 8:28

2. SEEK to reconcile rivalries and misunderstandings as soon as possible.
Ephesians 4:26

3. ASK God each day to guide your decisions, emotions, and actions so they honor Him and help others.
Proverbs 3:5-7

As we leave today there will be a small piece of red string that will be handed out to each of you. Take the string and use it as a reminder this week of the gift that God has given to each of you. We are called to turn away from our sins, we are called to lead our families as they walk with God and we are called to represent God as we deal with the people we have influence over. Don't let a moment of failure define you for eternity.

Birthdays and Anniversaries:

Sunday, August 1 - Ridge Mater, Jess & Liz Crofoot
Monday, August 2 - Kyle Booher, Alli Brandon, Cadence Byers
Wednesday, August 4 - Chris DePyper
Friday, August 6 - Kathy Sears
Saturday, August 7 - Hudson Carpenter