“Then Judah acknowledged them and said, ‘She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her away to my son Shelah.’ And he did not lie with her again. When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. While she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a crimson thread, saying, ‘This one came out first.’ But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother; and she said, ‘What a breach you have made for yourself?’ Therefore he was named Perez.” Genesis 38:26-29

“Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nashon, Nashon of Salmon, Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.” Ruth 4:18-21

Over the horizon faith, that faith I/we are called to have in God. Do I believe that even my lapses of judgment, my mistakes, and/or my sins can result in something good? Do I believe that God can and will make all things right? Even if the work in progress isn’t revealed even partially for many generations? Judah was less than forthcoming in carrying out the practices of the culture of his time. He left his daughter in law without means of support, he didn’t follow through on his original pledge. Tamar took things into her own hands to force the situation. God used the situation to, in ten generations, produce, David, a “man after God’s own heart,” who according to the genealogies in Matthew and Luke is in the direct line of Jesus’ ancestry in two different ways. How will what I do today affect those in the Kingdom of God in ten – twenty generations? Does it matter?