Genesis 38:1-30
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Genesis 38:1-30
Genesis 38:1-30
Last week, we learned about Joseph and his special coat. What made this coat special wasn’t just it’s colors, because the word used isn’t directly translated as colors, it’s translated as long sleeved, and long hemmed. It was a tunic that would be worn by a man who was in charge, not someone doing work in the field.
At 17 years old, and his father’s favorite son, he did what his father asked him to do. He informed his father of all of the bad things his brothers were doing, and his brothers hated him for it. Because everybody loves a whistleblower.
Not only that, but he made a point to tell his brothers, who were all from 20-30 years old, a couple of dreams where he signified that his brothers would one day bow down to him. The second dream he told his father, and that one said that even Israel would bow to Joseph.
When you think someone is pompous, you don’t listen too much to them, do you? Especially when they spin tales of how they will one day rule over you. These prophecies would come true many years down the road, but right now, they were nothing but the wise mouth of a punk kid who never earned his position as the boss of his brothers. All he was to them was a snitch.
So what is the old movie saying? Snitches get what? Stitches. The brothers get out of town from Hebron, 70 miles to Shechem, then another 20 to Dothan where they are looking for him to come and report on their goings’ on. They went out there to plot the death of the boy. One voice of reason stood in the way, their oldest brother Reuben told them to just cast him in the pit, because he wanted to save him and bring him home.
The boys listened, kinda, they stripped him of his robe and cast him in the pit without killing him and sat down to eat a meal there while their brother was in the pit next to them. After noticing some traders, they thought they could make some money on him, so they pulled him up out of the pit and sold him to the men for 20 shekels of silver to a man named Potiphar.
Reuben came back and found the pit empty and tore his clothes in mourning, and found that his brothers had sent Joseph’s robe home ahead of them, dipped in goat’s blood, probably to make it seem like they had nothing to do with his death. When they returned, those sociopath boys tried to comfort their dad, not telling him what had happened.
The lesson last week, was that you can do all the right things, the wrong way, and ruin your reputation in the mean time. Thru time, you learn tact, and your communication will get better. Examine your words, use them to build others up, not tear them down. Learn the lessons from those salty ones around you!
This week, we’re going to be looking at the life of Judah. You’ll be asking some questions in your mind, I’ll try to answer those questions. I need you to know that this portion of scripture is kind of disjointed, but I’ll explain why that is too, and we’ll close with communion at the end too. Let’s pray and see what we can apply to our lives thru another chapter in God’s Word.
1 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her.
It came to pass means there was an indefinite amount of time that passed prior to these events, but it WAS after the events of the last chapter. Judah was the brother who had the great idea to sell Joshua to Potiphar for gain, right? His brothers, all but Reuben thought it was a great idea.
20 shekels of silver. 2 shekels of silver per person, if you don’t count Benjamin or Reuben. A shekel is a measure of weight. A shekel of silver these days is about $6.00. So they made $120 for him. There’s your cut, $12.00 for your brother. Probably not the most shrewd investment of Judah’s life.
Now, Judah did have friends. Adulla was about 8 miles from Hebron, where they lived as a family and this name Hirah means Noble. What does the name Judah mean again? Judah means “Praised.” Remember, names mean things in the Bible. This town of Adulla would be reclaimed by Joshua also when they crossed over the Jordan river.
Judah spotted a beautiful Canaanite woman named Shua. Was it good for the Hebrew people to be marrying Canaanite women? No it wasn’t! No doubt that Judah knows this, but he can’t resist. This woman Shua, her name means “wealthy” and Judah married her. This is an act of disobedience on Judah’s part.
Judah continues his winning streak, sell out your brothers for 2 shekels, then go take a wife from the pagans. Why were they to not intermarry with the Canaanite people? Because they were idolatrous and would turn the people of Israel from God. We don’t have that exact law because Moses hasn’t made it law yet, and we’ll see some other things that will become Hebrew law in this chapter as well.
How many generations are we from Israel the man? ONE. One thing we, as humans are good at, is being the first to do the wrong thing. Yay us! Let’s continue on:
3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
Names - Er means “protector or awake.” Onan means “strong or mighty.” Shela means “to petition.” Where were they? A place called Chezib which is translated as to lie, deceive or fail. What do these names sound like to you? Prideful names, right? Er is a Hebrew name, but Onan and Shela are Canaanite names. What does this say about the relationship between Judah and Shua? It says that she had influence on him, doesn’t it? This is why the law was given to not intermarry. Moses learned this lesson and saw it as good practice.
OK, so we have a Hebrew name and 2 Canaanite names for these boys, let’s see how these names represent them, shall we?
6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
Who took the wife for Er? Judah did. Is that what Judah did for himself? Nope, he didn’t do that at all, grabbed his friend and went out to the club and married a girl. That’s how we would explain it today. Then, as a father, he settles into tradition. Just to settle times here, this is at least 15 years past when Joseph was sold into captivity, but this story is kind of a footnote. At the end, we’ll talk about why this chapter is important, but we need to realize that this chapter doesn’t add to the chronology of time given for the story of Joseph that we’ll be back to next week.
So, Judah takes a wife for Er because it was tradition to do that. The father, in these times and still in most middle eastern countries, has full charge over the spouses of their children. They are more like business transactions than they are a love relationship, which to me is pretty sad. Most women don’t have much say in the matter, and I believe the Bible is clear that this is not a good practice.
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.
The word “finds” there is translated meet accidentally, to obtain, or to achieve. Solomon isn’t saying “he who has a father that matches me up with the best woman.” Be selective about your spouse, or you’ll end up like mine and be stuck on an endless loop of mystery and intrigue. Sometimes I feel like a secret agent and she’s along for the ride, not really attracted to me, just wanting to see what will happen next.
I kid, she signed the papers. The government makes us stay together for tax purposes. NO, We’re committed to each other thru it all. When things get tough, we pull each other in close, we don’t push each other away. If you don’t have that in your marriage, examine your heart.
After last week’s message, I’ve been having good talks with my kids...you can’t change how other speak or act toward you, you can only control how you respond to them, and your words especially can make or break a reaction. Outside our body, we can’t control anything, all we truly have dominion over is inside our skin. Even our Bibles can be rewritten and changed. HAVE PAPER, get a reputable translation. You DON’T KNOW if what is on your phone is accurate. One line of code can change it all unless you know these Words. You are a reflection of Christ, recognize that everyone around you judges that.
Names - that’s right, Tamar means? Palm tree. It’s still good to know the name, right? Even if you’re like “OK?” I can tell you however, the name is significant though. We’ll discuss that a bit later too, let’s continue on.
7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him.
What does Er’s name mean? Protector, right? Did he live up to that name? Nope. What did he do? We don’t know. We just know it was wicked, or evil in some other translations. Scripture here is specific, the Lord killed him for doing something heinous.
He has the power to humble us, to bring us to our knees, and to strike us down. If you’re living in sin, if that addiction is controlling you, grab a brother or sister and dig in deep. Here’s what they must know to help you. They must know when you’re weak. They must know what drives you to your sin. If a close friend knows your weaknesses, man do they fight for you in those hard times, and it’s not like throwing a floppy pancake on a fire, it’s a big wet blanket that puts it out.
Don’t underestimate the power of a close brother or sister in Christ. They fight when you don’t know about it, as well as when you can’t fight for yourself.
So, what was there to do, now that Tamar’s husband died?
8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
Jewish tradition meant that if a son died and they had no children, the next oldest son, who as not married, would fulfill the duties of the older brother and raise up a son with her to carry on the name of the deceased husband. In the Hebrew law, this practice would be expanded upon to include any family member, and sometimes there would be a “kinsman redeemer” as a part of the family, who would be a man who would fulfil this duty on their own. The name Boaz may sound familiar to some of you from the book of Ruth. He was a kinsman redeemer. We can find the law in Deut 25:5-10.
Onan means what? Mighty and strong, right? Is raising your brother’s son a mighty thing to do? NO, so he takes matters into his own hands, so to speak and makes sure his union with Tamar would not bring forth children. So what does God do? “Dead.” There are people who will teach that this is a proof-text against self pleasure, and I would disagree with that interpretation. That action has more to do with attraction to someone other than your wife or husband, it’s the sin leading to the action. So, before you start pointing to this as proof and punishment for that kind of behavior (especially when addressing it with your kids) please realize, that’s not why Onan was dispatched by the Lord.
Why did Onan need to die? This was an act of disobedience, not just to his father, but to God. His plan was that the messiah would come from the line of Judah, and God has a way of getting his plans achieved with or without us. Now, after 2 husbands...Judah is seeing a pattern, so he gives Tamar a recommendation:
11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house. 12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
Judah promised yet another husband to Tamar. While she was waiting, and Shelah is becoming a man to take on the duties (so she is lead to believe). Judah’s wife dies, but when the sheep shearers come, it’s always a festive time. In South America, a friend was telling me, all the surrounding shepherds bring their sheep once a year into the town square and they fence it off. All of the sheep are in the middle of the square and people catch them and bring them to the shearer to be shorn.
He was telling me that he used hand blades most places he went, but there were times when he watched men use the top of a can to shear off the wool. Always, though, there is a big feast and a party, and the whole town is involved. Even today, it’s a big event. It’s bigger than branding in terms of the number of people needed to get the job done.
So, Judah grabs his old friend Hirah and he heads to town. Tamar would know that if Judah was coming, Shelah would be there with him too, she’s sure that Judah would not forget his promise to her, considering the fact that 2 of his sons were already married to her.
Most scholars say that the reason why Judah sent Tamar away was because he wanted to protect Shelah and was hoping that Tamar would just go away, for all intents and purposes. So what did she do? The Bible tells us:
14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.
Tamar wanted to make herself presentable and be in a place where she would definitely be noticed, and she was, by Judah. Did Judah say Shelah, remember your brothers? The ones that God struck down after marrying her? Yeah, this is Tamar, your wife.
You would know the status of the women in the culture of the time by how they dressed. They were not free to do as they pleased, they were property, and that’s sad, but that’s why God changed that relationship thru the years. They served a purpose, and leave it to men to take God’s plans and screw them up, right? That’s about the one thing we are good at, taking something good and making it worse trying to fix it.
Judah didn’t say anything to Shelah though. What did Judah do? I’m glad you asked
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?” 18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
Lonely people do desperate and irrational things. Intimate relations between a man and a woman were made to glorify God and propagate life. Judah was not a righteous man by any stretch of the imagination, and he has a desire and seeks to fulfill it.
Like I said previously, if you struggle with your desires drawing you towards sin, find good friends. Judah was with a friend, right? Hiram wasn’t a voice of wisdom, he was a wingman. He was there when his buddy needed a girl all those years ago, and he’s a bro to the end. That’s not a good friend. A good friend helps you make good decisions. Be wary of your friends.
So, Judah desires this woman whom he doesn’t know and discusses an exchange of goods for a moment of pleasure. A kid of his flock, dinner. Only, what’s being shorn? Sheep, not goats, right? Judah has no goat with him, so Tamar requests collateral on the dinner offer. So what does she ask for?
His signet and the cord attaching it to his neck, and his staff. His signet, or seal, would be a ring or cylinder that would be dipped into wax to seal envelopes and other important things to not only show who it came from, but it was ancient tamper protection also.
The staff is also translated as a scepter. It wasn’t just a walking stick, wealthy people, like Judah, would carry a staff that would distinguish them from the average person.
This is a shrewd bargain for Tamar, she knows this is her father-in-law. How much this is played out today thru the act of this sexual sin is so familiar. Ask my wife, most people caught up even in online viewing of sexual sin give up SO MUCH of themselves that they do not even know. So much data that identifies you, where you live, all of this personal information that will be used against you. Be wary of what you share with people, you give up a lot. Judah here handed over his identification to this woman, a woman who now knows she had been deceived because he could have been a man of his word and sent his son to fulfill the plans for her.
So, Judah knows he owes a debt, and he wants his stuff back, so he goes to get it, right?
20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?” And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”
He sends Hiram to get his stuff back, assuming that he’s just going to walk into town and ask who the town harlot was and they would point him in the right direction. There were towns that had what was called a “temple harlot” who was available as a servant to the fertility gods of the time, so that could have been what Judah thought she was, but there wasn’t one, so Hiram brought word to Judah:
22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”
Judah finds the urgency in finding her, because it was really a bad look on a wealthy man to be taken by a harlot. The words “lest we be shamed” is also translated as he will be a laughing stock. Especially because Hiram went in and asked EVERYBODY where she was. So Judah would have to live with this loss of his identity over a single act, and he thought it would be forever.
24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.” So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”
What a hippocritter!
As I was saying, in that time, women were considered property, and if something brought you dishonor, it was dealt with harshly.
Where was the punishment for HIM? He was hoodwinked by a harlot. Brought shame and ridicule. I’m sure 3 months ago, he was feeling like the victim, now he’s turning his own wrath on the true victim in this story, Tamar, whom he not only lied to when he sent her away, but engaged with her in a moment of weakness for both of them. She just wanted her rightfully promised husband, it was the deal, right? That he went back on. She’s the victim here, not Judah. This is all too often the issue in this culture, the men get away with their hippocracy, and the women pay with mutational or worse, their lives.
So they go drag Tamar out into the square for her burning, it was a public spectacle at that time too, and she brought the receipts:
25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.” 26 So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.
Judah thought the public shame from famous “goat” incident a few months ago was bad, she just made an example out of him before everyone. Confronted with this, Judah didn’t conceal his sin, he could have said “these were stolen from me.” He instead confessed of his role and went further, acknowledged the circumstances surrounding Tamar’s actions and why she was innocent. It’s important that we recognize that, Tamar went out looking for her rightful husband, and now it turned out, instead of Shelah, it became Judah who now had to fulfill the duties.
27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.
Twins were considered a sign from God in the Bible as well, as a double blessing. Tamar had endured hardship for many years. Now she would have her children and fulfill the beginning of the line towards Jesus thru David. Like with Rebekah, feeling the war in her womb which is representative of the struggle within us between good and evil, there was a struggle in childbirth for these boys.
Let’s look at the names, and see if there is any meaning we can glean from them: Perez means “to breach, to break thru.” Zerah means “shine or rise up.”
As we point to Jesus, we can see this dichotomy of brothers in that struggle between good and evil. What is our nature? It’s to sin, to fulfill what we want, satisfy ourselves first, right? It’s what prevails most, it’s what rises up in us first, isn’t it? What does the name of the fallen angel Lucifer mean in the book of Isaiah?
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Lucifer means to cause to shine, the morning star or the cresent moon. The hand of Zerah goes out, it’s marked as being first...but then out of nowhere, comes a disrupting force. Thru Perez would be the line of Jesus. Love broke thru and snatched the blessings and glory from Zerah.
COMMUNION
Now, I’m NOT saying that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers. Jesus is fully God and fully man. Lucifer is a angel. They are not compatible. However, the struggle is real between who you will follow. The one you feed more will prevail. Is it your sin nature, or is it your pursuit after God’s will in your life? You can’t have it both ways. You’re either moving towards Him, or away from him.
Next week, we will be actually going back in time to be closer to the end of chapter 37, which begs the question, why is this chapter in the Bible anyway? If it’s out of order, what does it all mean? This Judah guy seems like a dirt bag of a guy.
This chapter is here, to show us that it’s not by works that we can spend eternity with God in Heaven, it’s thru faith and God’s sovereign Grace that reigns supreme. God’s plans are confusing sometimes. They’re hard to fathom, even to understand.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Sometimes that’s the only comfort we have when we’re in the throes of pain and agony.
4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
Leading someone is different than helping them. Most sheep don’t know why or where they’re being led, they just walk behind the shepherd and have faith they will take care of them. Sometimes those walks go thru enemy territory. Thru mine fields, briar patches and thick trees that you can’t see thru. Sometimes up hill, both ways, and you’re begging for it to stop. Don’t ever think the shepherd doesn’t hear those please to stop and relent. Just as we must have faith in Him, we must realize that He has faith in us too.
It’s scary to walk thru the valleys of this world, but He leads us there. He proves to us that we were made for the valleys, not for the mountaintops. Oswald Chambers says that the mountaintops are where we get inspiration and see the hope of the Lord, but our jobs, our mission, our purpose is in the valley to teach others how to climb.
It seems evil to us to serve the Lord sometimes, because we can’t see the outcome. We live at this point in time and it brings us so much pain and confusion. We don’t think He can possibly understand, but He had to give His son up for the saving of the world. Jesus had to suffer, and God had to let him, and it was worth it to Him if even one life was saved.
See that your pain has a purpose. Feel his hand on your head, lifting your eyes to Him as he reminds you that YOU ARE HIS CHILD. YOU were worth THIS to HIM. Don’t think for a second that He doesn’t understand your struggle, He’s felt it too.
As you look at your elements, the top is tricky, you break it down to get to the bread, then peel up the for the juice. As we look at the bread, it’s to remind us of the body that was broken and beaten for us. The pain inflicted on him, the shame, the heaping on of all of the sin that we so easily get ensnared with, He took the punishment for our sin upon that body, the living and last sacrifice for our weakness because we aren’t able to bear it. We would just screw it up, wouldn’t we?
Let us remember the body, that tapestry that was nailed by our hand upon that Cross and repent.
In the Bible as well, the blood of any living thing was seen as being the life of that animal. As Jesus was beaten and scourged, his blood flowed, and as he hung on the cross, he was pierced thru the heart, spilling the remainder of that blood because God knew, and Scripture tells us, the only way to atone for sin is thru that blood.
That blood was precious to the Lord, and he knew that it would take every drop to redeem us from the pits that represent our lives. It’s the only way we can stand before the Father, is if that blood has been applied to our lives. How do we know if it is? If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe that God raised Him from the grave, then you will be saved. It’s not about a prayer you pray, it’s about the state of your heart. Let us take together.
If you struggle with if you are saved, or what it means to be born again into the body of Christ, please come see me after the service. I’d be more than happy to answer your questions about it and pray with and for you. Some of you here today may be thinking about a recommitment to the Lord and I commend you for that. If that’s you, come and see me, I’d love to give you some encouragement. If you need fellowship and accountability, don’t walk out of here today without seeing the people sitting at this table right here. They will get you plugged in and come alongside you.
Let’s pray as our worship team comes up
