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Genesis 38
August 27, 2004
Reading through the
Bible in one Year: Numbers 9-12
Weekly Memory Verse: John 1:12
Good Evening Brothers
and Sisters,
I was digging through
the archives and when we studied this during our Acts study last year it
sparked quite a discussion. It's worth looking into if you want to see a
little more and read an interesting discussion look it up. I moved all the
information over to the new archive page which is easily accessed by going
to either the archive on the website and clicking on the passage, or going
to the schedule and clicking on the link.
Genesis 38:1-11 (NASB95)
1 And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his
brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2
Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua;
and he took her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a
son and he named him Er. 4 Then she conceived again and bore a
son and named him Onan. 5 She bore still another son and named
him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him. 6 Now Judah
took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the
Lord, so the
Lord took his life. 8
Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform
your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your
brother.” 9 Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so
when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in
order not to give offspring to his brother. 10 But what he did
was displeasing in the sight of the
Lord; so He took his life also. 11 Then Judah said to his
daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son
Shelah grows up”; for he thought, “I am afraid that he too may die
like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
[1]
As I read through this
account I was impressed by the way that deception is still continuing
through this family. Judah deviated from the original standard that his
father and ancestors had kept not to mix with Canaanite women. He also
chose her for himself according to the indication of the scriptures which
deviated from the way that chosen women were picked according to the family
heritage. Why was there deviation from the original marriage where the
woman was picked by the family? I wonder if it was because of Jacob being
thrust out on his own when he was a young man and being required to pick the
wife as a result of being ran out of his country.
God brought judgment
upon Er for some reason, that is not made clear to us. Wickedness covers a
broad area, it was enough to where God struck him dead. Follow that with
Onan failing to take responsibility for fathering a child according to the
custom of the land. God also struck him dead. We need to consider the
reason behind that one in America, it was because Onan took the place of God
in making the decision whether a child was born or not. When people in
America make the decision to have abortions, aren't they playing god?
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 (NASB95)
5 “When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no
son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the
family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and
take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to
her. 6 “It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall
assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted
out from Israel. 7 “But if the man does not desire to take his
brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the
elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to establish a name for his
brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband’s
brother to me.’ 8 “Then the elders of his city shall summon him
and speak to him. And if he persists and says, ‘I do not desire to
take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the
sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face;
and she shall declare, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his
brother’s house.’ 10 “In Israel his name shall be called, ‘The
house of him whose sandal is removed.’
[2]
The third son's name
is revealing, "shelah" meant "a petition, request, or an appeal for
solicitation..." (Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains).
Tamar was requesting him as one to fulfill the duties of her husband. God
had set up the ordinance to preserve the people. Judah was understandably
worried about losing another son. Although this custom is not clearly
dictated by God before the law, it is implemented into the law.
Genesis 38:12-23 (NASB95)
12 Now after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of
Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his
sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13
It was told to Tamar, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to
Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she removed her widow’s
garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and
sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw
that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had
covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and
said, “Here now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was
his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come
in to me?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a young goat
from the flock.” She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send
it?” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she
said, “Your seal 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.
19 Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her
widow’s garments. 20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend
the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find
her. 21 He asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the
temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has
been no temple prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah, and
said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said,
‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’ ” 23 Then Judah said,
“Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I
sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
[3]
Tamar was patient and
waited for Shelah to grow up. Judah did not prove to be true to his word.
I puzzled over the actions of Tamar when she heard that Judah was going to
sheer the sheep. The chance of a woman getting pregnant the very first time
that intercourse is made is very slim. There are a lot of things that have
to be working right, along with timing and other considerations. Doesn't it
make you wonder what the motive of Tamar was when she played the harlot? I
wonder if she was getting revenge on Judah by having him use her as a
prostitute. She could have entertained the idea of getting pregnant, or
could have had a revelation or knowledge that if she had intercourse she
would become pregnant. She could have also been trying to gain some of his
things in order to use them later to force Judah's hand.
Leviticus 16:8-10 (NASB95)
8 “Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the
Lord and the other lot for the
scapegoat. 9 “Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot
for the Lord fell, and make it
a sin offering. 10 “But the goat on which the lot for the
scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the
Lord, to make atonement upon
it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
[4]
Tamar requested a goat
as a payment for her services, yet she dissappeared before the payment could
be made. Later the goat is used to bear the sin of the people and to be set
free into the wilderness. I wonder if this commemorates this event where
injustice was done and a goat was allowed to live as a result of the sin of
Judah.
Genesis 38:24-30 (NASB95)
24 Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed,
“Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also
with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be
burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent
to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these
things belong.” And she said, “Please examine and see, whose signet ring and
cords and staff are these?” 26 Judah recognized them, and
said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my
son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again. 27 It
came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins
in her womb. 28 Moreover, it took place while she was giving
birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread
on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But it
came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then
she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez.
30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread
on his hand; and he was named Zerah.[5]
Judah's
sin found him out. He was furious when he found out that she was pregnant,
enough to burn her to death. Isn't it interesting that when he found out
that he was the one responsible that the tables turned back on him. His
lack of integrity was revealed for everyone to see.
Matthew 1:3 (NASB95)
3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the
father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.
[6]
The child of Tamar by
an illicit relationship with her father-in-law became one of the fathers in
the line of Joseph, who the kingly lineage was passed on to Jesus through.
God ordained the child of sin to become a father of the line of the Child of
God! What would have happened if she were burned at the stake? God does
not like sin, but will use the product of sin to form our lives, and in this
case He used one of the children born to be a father of the Savior. The
next time that you hear about someone who is contemplating abortion, pass
this story along.
When you consider this
chapter, it teaches us a few things about human nature. First it teaches us
about integrity. God does not expect Christians to live a double standard,
the way that we live in our homes should also be the way that we live when
we are away from our homes. How often people will be working away from home
and go to bars, clubs, and dabble in other things they would not consider
while they are at home. Those of us who live and work on the railroad have
seen this happen over and over again. Usually the people get away with
their stupid behavior away from home, but occasionally a girl will get
pregnant, or the word gets back home in some manner. Judah demonstrated for
us the importance of spiritual integrity, even if he was trying to cover the
loss of his late wife.
The second thing that
I see in this chapter is the way that sin grows in the life of believers.
Tamar used the sin of the family to deceive Judah. She used cunning
deception to get what she wanted. This wasn't an accident, Tamar had to
travel, change the way she looked and intentionally place herself in the
path of Judah. It was a deliberate and intentional deception which involved
lots of planning.
Time is up for today,
the beeper got me. If you have any comments that you would like to add be
sure to write in.
Questions for thought:
Would you consider
Tamar to be right in her use of deception to take advantage of Judah?
Why did Judah react to
the news of Tamar's pregnancy the way that he did?
Father, as we consider
Your word, and consider the tremendous truths that we are confronted with in
this study, make each person in this study a beacon of light in a dark
world.
In Him,
Joe Turner.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The
Lockman Foundation.
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