Genesis 38:1-30 ESV
It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord , and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord , and he put him to death also. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house. In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.” About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 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.
Rev. Dan Whang
Sibling rivalry, in-law troubles, hypocrisy, and sexual immorality. What a way to start advent!
Advent is about more than gifts and celebrations. It is about Jesus coming and our expectant waiting. For this series, we are covering the mothers in Jesus' genealogy. Most Jewish genealogies left out gentiles, women, and immoral ancestry. But Jesus' is different, it brings in, those outside the promise. This is not a good moral story. It is an R-rated story that is to make us uncomfortable. God us telling us that He is familiar with the mess of real life. He can handle our most messy and intractable problems in our lives.
Joseph had been sold off into slavery. Jacob was in mourning. It could be that this intense mourning drove Judah away. We do know that Judah left his family and made friends outside of his family.
Tamar's shame
Tamar was probably a teenager. After getting married, she was shortly widowed. In those days, the plight of widows was dark. They could not get a job and move on with her life. She was vulnerable. Judah gave his second son to her, but Onan only took advantage of her. He would have sex with her, but avoid impregnating her. The first born inherited. Onan doesn't want that to happen. But more than that, he uses this widow for his own pleasures. God puts him to death. Judah should have given his youngest son to her. Instead, Judah sends her back to her father's house. She has been effectively abandoned. Judah uses the excuse that his youngest wasn't old enough, but after some time, the youngest has grown up. Tamar realizes Judah does not plan to give his youngest son to her.
Tamar's plan
Tamar hears that Judah is going on a business trip. Men are easily tempted on business trips. Tamar makes a plan. She wants to get pregnant and also get back at her father-in-law. She takes off her widows robes and dresses like a prostitute while covering her face. In many ways, evil begets evil. Tamar has gotten pregnant by her father in law. Judah hears that Tamar was immoral and calls for her to be burned.
But God reveals Judah's sin. Tamar is about to be executed by burning. And why burning? This is an unusual method. Judah probably saw it as getting himself from the curse of Tamar. The black widow that kills his sons. It allows him to ignore his failures as a father. But Tamar brings out the evidence. And Judah is revealed. He is awakened to the fact that he has sinned much against Tamar. He saw her as the problem rather than his own sin. He is spiritually slapped awake. He admits that Tamar is more righteous than him. Not that she was without sin, but that he had sinned much more.
Tamar's redemption
In this mess, God illuminates the sin in Judah's life through this situation. But not only that, Tamar gives birth to twins. And the youngest slips past the older. This mirrors the birth of Jacob and Esau. She is reinstated into the family of promise. She exits the hopelessness of childless widowhood. Judah calls her righteous because he was found caught in sin. Jesus would call her righteous because he had taken away her sin.
Application
Repent of the sin in our lives. Don't get distracted by the sin of people around us.
Extend grace to those around us who have made a mess of their lives.
