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When Judah saw her,
he thought she was a harlot,
for she had covered her face.
Genesis 38:15
We will discover in our journey through Genesis that God has chosen for the scepter to never depart from Judah, yet at this point in history, Judah has no clue about this prophecy. He has not demonstrated Godly leadership thus far in his life.
We see in Genesis 38:2 that Judah takes for himself a Canaanite woman. We know from Genesis 9:25 that the Canaanite is cursed. We also know from Genesis 27:46–28:1 that Rebekah was not pleased with Esau’s Canaanite wives and that Isaac and Jacob were commanded by their father not to take a Canaanite wife. I believe this runs much deeper than just personal preference. I believe this had to do with the promised seed.
This Canaanite woman boreJudahthree sons. When he was of age,Judahchose for his firstborn, Er, a wife; her name was Tamar. Now Tamar was not a Canaanite woman. Er did evil and died without a son, soJudahgave Tamar, as was the custom, to his next born, Onan. Onan also did evil, and he died without a son.
Judahsent Tamar to live with her family as a widow until his third son would be of age for her. However,Judahhad no intentions of giving her to his third son, for he thought Tamar was the curse.
He did not see the evil in his sons.
Judahdid not keep his word and did not give Tamar to his third son. Tamar knew she had been dishonored as a woman, and so she took matters into her own hands. She had heard thatJudah’s wife had died and that he was visiting in her home town, so she portrayed herself as a prostitute, andJudahwent into her.
Tamar conceived.
When word came toJudahthat Tamar was pregnant, he was ready to have her stoned, yet Tamar was not an ignorant woman. She had askedJudahto leave her a pledge for his promised coming payment—his staff, his seal, and his cord—which he did. These items at this point and time in history were as good as DNA testing, so when Tamar laid these items at Judah’s feet in his answer as to whom she had conceived by, he knew she was more righteous than he.
“He who is without sin among you,
let him be the first to throw a stone at her”
(John 8:7).
ThroughJudahwould come Christ, but not through a Canaanite wife; through Tamar.
What I love about this twisted story is how it somehow retains its goodness in the fact that Judahnever laid with Tamar again. He took her in as his family, as an independent woman, and cared for her and his sons. He did not sin against God or Tamar again, but confessed his sin and repented and walked in righteousness before God and before her. I believe that it was at this point that God began an awesome work in the life of Judah, the son of Jacob.
Oh Father,
It never ceases to amaze me how You can take our worst mistakes and make them glorious. In You all things become good. You are sovereign even over sin. There is nothing that escapes Your mighty hand. No matter what we have done, when we bring it before You, You can heal and restore and make new. We may suffer consequences, but all consequences and circumstances are bearable if we are in right fellowship with You.
My Jesus, it’s in Your name I pray,
Amen.