Today’s Reading: Genesis 38 & 44; Psalm 86
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). – Matthew 1:1-3a
Jacob had 12 sons and God chose the lineage of Jacob’s fourth son, Judah, for the birth of the Messiah. Genesis helps us understand a little more about this far from perfect man, from whose descendants our source of salvation would be born.
When Joseph’s brothers were frustrated with his bragging and their father’s favoritism, it was Judah who came up with a plan to sell their little brother into slavery. Reuben planned to come back later and rescue Joseph from the cistern in which they had thrown him, but Judah planned to make some money at Joseph’s expense. He showed himself to be disloyal, greedy and unkind.
Around the time of this betrayal, Judah chose to leave home and start his own family. He married a Canaanite woman and had three sons — Er, Onan and Shelah. Eventually, Judah arranged for Er to marry a young woman named Tamar. Er was wicked and the Lord took his life, so Onan took Tamar to be his wife as the law required. Tradition commanded him to have a son with his dead brother’s wife in order to produce an heir for the deceased. Onan refused and the Lord took his life. Next it was Judah’s responsibility to give Tamar to his youngest son, once he was of age, but instead Judah sent her away with a promise to bring her back some day.
Once more Judah showed himself to be disloyal, greedy and unkind. When Shelah came of age, he chose not to bring Tamar back to their family. This meant Tamar would have to spend the rest of her life in shame as the barren widow who had been rejected by her husband’s family.
Genesis 38 reveals the ugly details of how Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and had sex with her father-in-law. When Judah found out she was pregnant, he demanded she be burned for her sexual sins. But Judah recognized the evil in his own heart when he saw his own seal, cord, and walking stick.
Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Tamar again. – Genesis 38:26
WE SERVE A GOD OF SECOND CHANCES.
But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. – Psalm 86:15
The circumstances around this conception were shameful, but we serve a God of grace. God took the mess Tamar and Judah had created, and He wove their story into His plan of redemption for all mankind. God redeemed Judah’s story and chose for the Messiah to be born in the lineage of Tamar’s son, Perez.
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
hear my urgent cry.
I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
and you will answer me. – Psalm 86:5-7
When we fast forward to Genesis 44, we see a changed man. When it became evident that Benjamin would have to stay in Egypt because he was being accused of theft, Judah stepped forward. When it became obvious that his father’s heart was about to be broken over the loss of one more son, Judah stepped up.
“My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’ So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!” – Genesis 44:32-34
WE SERVE A GOD OF SECOND CHANCES.
Lord, thank you so much for taking this selfish and greedy heart and making something worthy of your service. Thank you for seeing a heart in need of transformation and patiently making me into the person you have created me to be. Reveal in me any self-serving attitudes and unkind opinions. Teach me, guide me, mold me, break me. May your transforming power continue the work you have begun in my heart and life. Amen.
Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever,
for your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death. – Psalm 86:11-13