📖 Genesis Chapter 38 ➿ JUDAH AND TAMAR ➿

Joseph’s story is interrupted by a story involving his brother Judah. Thus , the story of Judah and Tamar shows God working out His plans for His people through someone who suffers unfairly .

📌 JUDAH – A disturbed man
After Joseph was sold into slavery ( 37:25-36 ) Judah left his brothers and went to stay with Hirah – a Canaanite man. Perhaps he could not face his father, knowing that they were responsible for his pain and suffering ( 37:34-35 ). He violated the wishes of Abraham and Isaac, and ignored the tradition of his ancestors by marrying a Canaanite woman. She bore him three sons ( 38:2-5 ) . He arranged a marriage for his eldest son, Er with a Canaanite girl named Tamar. Because of his wickedness, God killed him and Tamar became a childless widow .

📌 TAMAR – A desperate widow
By way of Levirate marriage , during that period of time, Judah asks his second son , Onan to take Tamar as his wife and to fulfil his responsibility of producing offspring for his elder brother. But Onan was not interested in having a child with Tamar , and the Lord regarded his attitude as wicked and uncaring . So He put him to death . As a result Judah told Tamar to live as a widow in her father’s house until his youngest son, Shelah grew up and could marry her. Thus , her life was in chaos :
~ She was a childless widow.
~ Her two husbands died
~ Widows during those days were not cared or respected
~ Judah rejected her thinking she was unlucky and would bring more killings in his family .

➿ In due course of time, Judah had shifted to Timnah . Tamar came to meet him , disguised herself and slept with him ( v13-24 ) . The Lord blessed her with twin boys ( v 27-30 ) . To cut the story short it is interesting to note with what Judah has declared about Tamar : “She is more righteous than I..” v 26
📌 Although Tamar’s act of sleeping with her father-in-law is shameful ; she is remembered not for her sinfulness but for her righteousness. This is GRACE .

✅ Tamar’s righteousness was acknowledged in the time of Boaz and Ruth ( Ruth 4:11-12 )
✅ The genealogy of Tamar’s son Perez was count down to David ( Ruth 4:18-22)
✅ The greatest of all– Tamar’s name was mentioned in the GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST ( Mat 1:3) and she became the great grand mother of Jesus 🙌

📌 GOD’S WAYS AND TIMING ARE DIFFERENT
Isaiah writes, ” For my thoughts are not your thoughts , neither are your ways my ways….” 55:8-9 . Yes , His ways are different . He will make a way for us where there seems to be no WAY 👣👣
TRUST HIM ✝

Glory to God 🙏
✍🏽 Mark Boje , ArP 🌄