It is interesting to note that Judah, the man from whose human lineage Jesus would eventually come, was born under questionable circumstances. His mother, Leah, was given by trickery in marriage as a substitute for her sister, Rachel. She conceived, but not in love, and struggled with her sister for the affections of their common husband.
Aside from the issue of polygamy which was allowed in those days. Judah was not born into the greatest of circumstances. However, in God’s plan he became the father of kings and ultimately the human source for Jesus Himself. There was some lessons for us if we care to see them:
- It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish that counts. Judah did not have an ideal beginning, but in the end, his life produced a savior. This teaches us that we sometimes need to hold all judgment until the end of a matter to really see the true value of someone or something.
- God can make something great out of something invisible. The awesome creation came into being from things too small to see with the naked eye (Heb. 11:3). Imagine what God can do with your humble beginnings if you let Him?
- There is always a bigger plan. Our lives fit into a larger context and whether they are great or small, they are always played out against God’s bigger plan. We need to keep this in mind before we “give up” or “puff up”.
In the end, God draws us to the belief and love of Christ. Until we do so, we’ve not found the sure course for our lives, regardless of our beginnings.
