As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.
When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
Comment: Timing it well, as she is led out to be burned, she waves Judah’s very significant personal identification items under Judah and his power-brokers’ noses. Before it became too widely know Judah called an end to the burning and he appears to be repentant. We don’t know if she ever had the third son as a husband, but Judah had two sons ‘on the other side of the sheet’. Jesus is known as the ‘Lion of the tribe of Judah’. We have here a brushstroke showing us some of what was Jesus’ background on the ‘Man’ side of His nature. One of those twins was about the 9th generation grand-parent of King David, Jesus is in the Kingly line of David, but sits on a much higher Throne in the Heavens.
Prayer: Thank You God-Man Jesus that as God You effectively bore in Your man-body the punishment for all our sins.
As I read it! 