She is more righteous than I

 

Genesis 38

Often while reading the Scriptures, a chapter seems to be out of place; we have this great story of Joseph and right in the middle of it, we are interrupted with a new story of Judah and Tamar.  Why is it there, why Judah and not the other brothers, and what are we to glean from this chapter?

We know that Judah is the forth son born to Jacob and Leah, that he played an important role in keeping his brothers from killing Joseph.   Then we have this account of Judah marrying a Canaanite woman name Shua, and he had sons with her, the first being named Er, next came Onan and the third was named Shelah.

It’s like fast-forward, because the next thing we see is Judah finding a wife, named Tamar, for his son Er.  Picking up the story in verse seven, “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.”  So Onan was obedient to his father up to a point, he went in to Tamar as he was instructed to do, but would waste the semen on the ground so as not to give offspring to his brother.  Then in verse ten, “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.

Judah has lost two sons to this woman and he is not about to let Shelah go to this woman, so he sends her back to her father’s house and he hopes to be done with her.  Sometime later, Judah’s wife dies and after a time he and a friend went to Timnah to his sheepshearers and Tamar was told that her father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.  So Tamar takes off her widow garments and puts on a veil, and goes to the road where Judah and his friend would pass, on the way to Timnah.

Judah thought she was a prostitute, and he asked her how much and she said a young goat, and since he did not have a goat, she ask for some sort of payment until Judah could get a goat.  He said, “What do you want?”  Tamar asked for his signet and cord and staff in his hand, and he agreed.  As soon as he left, she put back on her widows garments and went back home.

He sent his friend back with the goat to pay for the service, and she was nowhere to be found and some three month later, he was told that his daughter-in-law had been immoral, and was pregnant.  In verse twenty-four, “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.”  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.”

What we think is a suggestion, from God is never a suggestion, and it is always a command. God is very serious about His commands!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice