The Younger Twin Brother of Perez
Zerah is the younger twin brother of Perez. They are sons of Judah and Tamar (1).
When Tamar is in labor, the hand of one of her babies emerges. The midwife ties a scarlet thread around his wrist. Then the hand withdraws.
The baby who is born first, however, doesn’t have the scarlet thread around his wrist. The baby who’s born second, does. They name him Zerah, which means “scarlet” or “brightness.”
Though Zerah is nearly born first, he isn’t. His brother Perez beats him. Birth order is important to the people at that time. As a result, Zerah’s parents elevate Perez’s life over Zerah’s.
Zerah no doubt grew up hearing the story of his hand emerging first and the midwife tying a scarlet thread around it. But his brother enters the world before him.
We can suspect Zerah spends his life wondering what might have happened had he been born first.
In what areas of our lives do we wonder what might have been?
How can we move beyond what we wish had happened in the past to make a difference today?
[Read about Zerah in Genesis 38:27–30. Discover another set of twins in Genesis 25:21–34.]
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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