The Worst/Best Chapter in the Bible 07/12/2020
At that time that you departed from his brothers and visited in certain, I do to my twitch name Tyron unisol there a daughter of a certain paying night. His name was to her so she can see what time her and she can speak again for stomach made him alone before still another son and make it is at that. She hold me now.
And her name was Kmart. But Jesus first born with evil in the sight of the Lord in Judah said the alarm going off to her and raise up Offspring for you brother. The Offspring would not be hit. So when he went to his brother.
The back but what he did was just leaving at 5, and you just came on her and your father's house and Steal My Sunshine.
After considerable charm Jewish daughter and when the morning ended it was at the Gateway Oaks Dam, which is on the road to tell me what she saw that she had grown up.
He thought she was a harlot or she had covered her face. So he turned aside to her and she said what would you give me the I will send you a young goat. She said moreover. Will you give a place until you send it on your homework and your staff so he gave them to her and went into her and she can see that the younger by his friend and all might receive the place from the woman. He did not want them. He asked the man of her place thing. Where is the temple prostitute? But they said there has been so he returned.
Otherwise, we will become a laughingstock after all that you did not find it 3 months later your daughter know that I'm with child by the man as much as I can and then he did not have relations me for a minute. It came about by the time she's giving birth.
But it came about as his brother came out and she said what a freak. Okie, dokie name he was named after what his brother came out and his name was here off.
What Martha just read? Is what I call the worst chapter in the Bible.
And I also call it the best chapter in the Bible. Matter fact, that's the title of my sermon today. the worst and the best chapter in the Bible Now we're talkin about the life of Joseph. Was Joseph even mentioned today? Not even mention 1/2. We left Joseph last week sold to some ishmaelites taking down to Egypt. and soul the manager of Potiphar's house and then all of a sudden become to chapter 38 and Joseph is not even mention and not only is he not mentioned? Is brother Judah is mentioned in the most unseemly light? that you could put someone in this is probably the most wickedest chapter in the Bible.
But is also the chapter in the Bible. That's so much shows God's grace.
It is the worst and the best chapter in the Bible. So what we need to ask. wine world with this chapter here in the story of Joseph and it doesn't even talk about Joseph. It talks about his brother. Well, I think the reason it does that. Is McCall's the Lord is trying to show us?
the depravity of man heart not Joseph Park the depravity of Judah Why would he show up the depravity of Judas heart?
Because Jesus Christ came from the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Judah is the promisee. I don't know about you, but could have been me if I would have been picking Brothers to choose who the Lord Jesus Christ and come from. I would have chosen go with it. He's the good guy. It seems like. but Christ chose Judah and not only did he choose Judah but Jesus Christ came through the lineage of Judah a wicked sexually immoral. jealous murderous, man and Jesus Christ came through the sea. Canaanite Pagan woman
That just shows God's grace. They can take the broken things of this world in the sinful people in work it out for good. Amen. And that's what he's done in our lives as well. Well I have about I have about six bucks. But I read each we talkin about the life of Joseph. And four of the six books that I read. Did not have chapter 38 in their commentary. You go to read commentaries and you'll see many commentators Bible scholars. They don't even talk about this chapter as it concerns. The Joseph many see this chapter is just weird and why in the world would it be put there and some don't even believe it's part of the Bible. They believe it's just some Misfits some Fairy Tail that was put in there and many preachers won't even Regional. McCall's just how awful that it is. But there's a reason Moses in the Lord put this it remember the life of Joseph is about contrast about Joseph and in good and light and his brother and Jacob darkness and evil, and now we turn and we see this evil from his brother Judah and the color contrast with what Jacob does next week in chapter 39, you see both of these brothers are Or in this temptation of sexual immorality, but we see today what Jutsu did he fell for it? He laid with his daughter-in-law.
Joseph is going to be tempted next week to about Potiphar's wife and he runs the other direction. You think one man is living in the flash one man is living in the spirit. You see the contract. This is what Moses is trying to do but what this chapter is all about and the reason is so important is because God is showing us the depravity of man heart all of what he's showing us is all of us are capable of what Jutsu did he's showing us the depravity a man's heart, but he's also showing up the wonderful amazing grace of God. This is what this chapter is all about God. He is in charge of all things. He's working things out. He's arranging events that we don't understand. But that will further his purpose is so Genesis chapter 38 just offers us another look at God Providence and his power even though he's working through trying circumstances. We can understand how God moves through the situation of Judah and Tamar then I think we'll be able to understand why I chose up was sold into slavery. You say God knew I believe. That he had to get Joseph out of painting. He had to get him out. You say what why did he have to get it out? That's the promised land because they were grave moral dangers there and it was practically impossible for God's people to remain pure as long as they stayed in the land of Canaan in so what he does about that is he sells Jose up to go pick ninja the land of evil the land of the graves. And so this story of Judah is just but one example of how God is going to save his people by sending them to Egypt where eventually they'll be four hundred years into captivity, but then they'll break away from Egypt and come by and Conquer The Land of Canaan, but right here. God says you can't stay here. This is your land. You will possess it. But right now it is just two people. We got to get you out. Let me without reading everything that Martha has red. Let me give you four points today what this story I think is all about and point number one.
It's about the sin that destroys the sin that destroyed Judah brother. He's the one remember who suggested. Hey, let's sell Joseph. Let's get some money out of it. Let's not killing. Let's just selling they'll take him somewhere. We'll never see him again. We'll get some money out. And so he departed and he goes and he sells Joseph the brothers do remember they take Joseph coat back to the father and said look here. Here's is this the color of your son? Will you please examine that Genesis chapter 37 verse 32 remember? What Judah was the probably the one talkin remember what he says that his father. Will you examine this? Is this your is this your son's coat? Remember what time are set? The man the man who I'm pregnant by these are his things would you please examine this and see if you see how it comes back on Judah the way he deceived his father now his daughter-in-law is deceiving him. With a piece of clothing. So here's what you to know, you failed Joseph and for some odd reason he goes to a foreign country to spend time with pay. Why the world would he do that and while he was there he fell in love with this Canaanite woman the couple married to have three sons or the older Onan the side and then Sheila was the third. Shirley Judah was out of God's will he should have never been Associated himself with the people the Canaanite people because they were just Wicked people who did not know God surely Judah had a hard heart, but surely Judah knew that what he was doing was wrong. Look at Genesis chapter 24 verse 3 and look what the Bible says. And this is Abraham talking to his server as he's going out to find Isaac a wife. Look at this and I will make you swear by the Lord the god of Heaven and the god of the earth that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among who I'd well Abraham said you did you get him a wife, but you better not take them from the Canaanites.
It is all through the Old Testament in Genesis. Don't mess with a Canaanite. Don't interact with the Canaanite don't live with the Canaanite. What's the first thing you did after yourselves Joseph if he marries a woman and he has three children by her. So you see how sin is going to destroy? Where was the Bible say about Judas old? I don't think I've ever read this in the Bible before birth what it says in verse set. We know nothing about her except his name in this is what it says, but I heard you the first born was wicked in the sight of the Lord and the Lord healed. I just know that we know nothing but we know that he was so where did you decide? I didn't say that he died early then they got killed in a car wreck. You had a heart attack Lord killed him. He was so wicked. That's a Lord Heal it. And then dude explain to his second son that look your eldest brother has died. He was married to Taymar. Now, you've got to take Tamar as your wife and you got to raise up a seed for your brother that's called the leave a ride or leavorite law. That's the way they did back then if you had a brother and he was older and he died. He was married. If you would marry you had to take your brother's wife and you had to raise up a co9 do that. And he also knew this. That's not that's not going to be he's not going to be the air. I'm not going to be there and then I'm going to hang out 15 to 20 years and take care of this child. That's not the woman that I want. I don't want my brother's wife. I'm not going to do that is what he says, even though that's what he was supposed to do. So he just made a pretense. He says I will have sex with but I'm not going to impregnate. I'm not going to do what I supposed to do it. So what he got to do he killed him, too. It's the old him for not doing what he supposed to do because he was disobedient and then the third son is younger, of course. In Jesus as the paint bar. He said wait till Sheila grows up. And then when he grows up, I'll give you Sheila and then he can come into you and you can have an air by him. But what Judah was saying is this? This woman is a jinx. This woman is a curse. I've had two sons to marry her and both of them have died. You think I'm going to give my third and last lines of her so he just told me that you go back to say to your father and then when she gets old enough you can have him know he was never planted that as we see in the story that he was not going to do that. You see what our own thing and it blinds us to reality here is Judah trying to say that you're the boss Kmart is your fault because not to boys or dad know the fault is is the sinfulness of Judah himself. Who did not raise his boys the way he should he went to town? And when he shouldn't he married a Canaanite woman that he shouldn't have married the fault lies with Judah. He's the center heater. not Taymar all these problems came about What cause of judah's on sin? well He just demonstrates complete blindness to God's Judgment of his son because it says well, I was wicked and the Lord killed it. He was making in the lordship of Jesus judgment in these matters. It's so ungodly and simple that he don't even understand the Divine Judgment of God is coming up on his family and he blames his daughter-in-law and then what does he do? He has relations with a woman. He believes is a temple prostitute. His wife had died judah's wife and I to go see her that she'd but whatever which is a big party in time. He sees this woman here. And what does he do? He knows that she's a harlot. He knows what she's asking for it. And this is what does he say why I'm in the line of the Savior to come and I want you to get out of that lifestyle and I want to show you the way. My name is Judah and I'm going to come this is the promise seed that the messiah's coming from. I want to help you. Your life, right? What does he say to her? Can I come in to you? And didn't even know it was his daughter-in-law. Didn't even know it but he was willing to be involved with a heart. but then when someone says to him
and she's supposed to be in your son why she had played the heart. What does Junior say? He said bring her out in this burner? They not something he's going to burn her for playing the Harlot but yet he likes to play with the Harlot himself. You say this is how far he has fault. We see Injustice and betrayal everywhere here in the life of Judah friend. Let me tell you what I said.
And that is that God's law of the Harvest will always come true. It is true in your life. Truly my life in the law whatsoever. A man soweth that shall he also be That's the way it will always come true. If you're something about the wall. You will reap the same kind that you so. If you soak corn in the fall, you're going to harvest corn. You sow to the spirit love joy peace contentment happiness in the fall. You going to read Lovejoy Pizza in Temple? You sold to the flashlight Judith you will reap of the flesh. You will always reap the same kind that you suck number to you will reap more than you sow. You plant a corn stop. You only get one here though, you get more. You sow to the spirit God's going to bless you and a numeral way. You sold to the flash. You're going to get multiple ears of corn. What you sow you will reap the same time you sow you will reap more than you sow and the last law of the Harvest list. You will reap later than you so you so up you plant a field of corn today. You're not going to harvest it tomorrow. It's going to be months down the road. Juda says, I will treat my man. I will trip tomorrow. I will live an ungodly life. I will do what I want to and 20 years later. He reached what he supposed later you say in chapter 37. That's a 24-hour tractor. Everything happens is 24 hours here in chapter 38. It's a 20-year chapter 20 years is taken up by chapter 38 and some people say
You say you will reap what you sow the saying that you sold more than you sow later than you sow friends. We do not get away with living on. Maybe four season eventually is going to come by and that's exactly what happened to Judith. We see here the sin that destroys number 2. We see the shame that demeans. Love years later. Haymar knew that judah's son a grown up and he was old enough to be married. But she also knew that you two had not said a single word to her about marriage. So she realized that you two had no intention whatsoever of giving another one of his sons to her. So she can talk to the plant. She says I know what my father-in-law's like. I know how ungodly is. I know how a sexual pervert that he is. I want to dress up like a prostitute. I'm going to take off the garments of a widow and I'm going to put the garments of a prostitute on and I'm going to go to stay at and when he comes by me, he won't be able to resist. It's what she saying? So she took off the winter garments cover herself with a veil and she sat where she knew Judah would walk by and let's look at what happened starting in this 50.
When Jesus saw her remember that he didn't know who she was he thought she was a heart because she had covered her face. then he turned to her by the way and said Please let me get you out of this lot. So well, please let me come in to you. For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said will you what will you give me that? You may come into me you see her plan? She said give me something. I want something with your name. Hope I can use that later the showed me what you really are and who you really are. I think he says young goat from the clock that's not going to work. So she said will you give me a pledge to you send it to you send the signal and cord wrapped around your neck. And it had your initials or name inscribed on it? She wanted something that she can do and he said your cord and your staff that is in your hand. The staff also had the person's name on it at the top. You think she wanted that it would be like in our day we give someone our social security card or driver's license so we can you know us a form of identity is what she's asking and it says birthday team did he gave them to her and went into her and she conceived by him. So she arose and went away and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood. So she changed by her garments. You see he was in the area here that sheep shearing and they were throwing a wild party and his wife just died Zab Judah. Do you want to go out? Party, and he probably had some friends there. He was partying with he wanted to have a good time with a woman so she came are enticed Judah, of course pretending to be a harlot. He gave her all the things with his name on it and all and so Jesus ain't well, you know, I don't mind giving up a goal and I like that and then you know later on I'll just go by get my stuff from her, you know, and so did you two gave her those things as payment for sleeping weather and tomorrow's going to keep them for evidence? So she went home finally pregnant with the air that she deserved. You say was it right for her to play like a harlot know when you go back to listen to Bible. The Bible never says anything negative about Kmart matter fact. She's in the line of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was trying to get Judah to do what he was supposed to do even though she send to do it. In the Bible that look at her in a negative way because of that. It's all the negativity is for Judah here. Well Judah sent one of his men to look look after and I like that so they go and they asking people that actually works the Harlot at the temple prostitute. We don't have a prostitute around here. And so he just thought well that's just in the story and and look what he says in verse 23 ben-judah said well let her take them for herself. Lest we be set. But he knew that if word got out that he had played the Harlot himself that he would be shaped. Brain Shane on the his name and his family's name in those days. If a woman and a man or call him adultery. Both of them were supposed to be killed. Mobile so he said we'll just let her happen. I don't care. I'm getting me another license. I can get another social security card. Just let her have them, you know, we can't find her and I don't want my family. I don't want us to be ashamed you see this is the shame that demeans. Judah had lied the Tamar and he was wrong and despite all his failings. He failed to keep his word and would not give his younger son to her. And then he slept with a prostitute friend son has consequences consequences of his shameful Behavior were about to catch up with him. Just about the ketchup number 3. And we also see not only the send that destroys the shame that demeans but the sun's that Define well three months later Judah was informed that Tamar was pregnant immediately. He became just ballistically angry and he ordered her to be part. Well, my son supposed to marry you. What are you doing sleeping around now all of a sudden you're pregnant. Well, does that sound a little bit hypocritical sound just a little bit considering that he was wanting fat brother. So but you know, it's common for us to be tougher on others. You are guilty of the same sins that we struggle with. If you struggle with lime. You going to be really hard on people who lie to you? If you struggle with sexual immorality, you going to be really hard against people who are sexually anymore. You don't have to drop the hammer on why why is that because we suffer from the same seeing it when we see it and someone else we ate it. But we we put up with it in our own life. Let's just be depravity of man's heart. Vegeta was ready to impose full punishment on this woman because she had acted immoral. Well Taymar realized she was in trouble. So she sent a package with you. And she said well by the man who these things belong to I am with child. Well, he probably open the box maybe was like a present. If you open the box and all the sudden, they're his necklace. And there is his staff. Y'all want that State Farm commercial that lady come downstairs and said Jake from State Farm. What do you wearing? He said someone hit for him say what he was at mine. Mine. Those are mine. Remember Judah went to his father and said This corresponds, would you examine this to see one of the season? now the deceiver has been to see Could you play it's the same? It's the same Hebrew phrase in both chapter 37 38. Could you please examine and tell me who? Vegeta looks at it.
And he says well, they're mine and then he said something in verse 26. That I think this led to the change in Judah Park look at it and verse 46 so Judith knowledge them and said she has been more righteous.
That was the chain that Judah needed from here on out in the story of Joseph. Judah is always pictured in a good life. And I think it's part change right here for God changing. Well judah's name was written all over him. So he had to acknowledge it and scripture say that came on forehead when and what I'm stuck his arm out before they came out. They tied up a Scarlet thread around it. And then but the other one came out first which was Pires and he comes out first and he Pires is going to be in the line of King David in the line of the Lord Jesus Christ and so is Tamar the Harlot and so is Judah are we know what we'd call him the worst man in the Bible, but yet he's in line of the Lord Jesus Christ in the baby's name was Pires and that word means breach and he reached through and he came through first. Well, that's the worst part. That's why it's the worst actor in The Bible. But let me tell you why it's also the best chapter and that brings us the point for in that is the savior that deliver and I will give you three points about how Jesus of God delivered them even in these horrible circumstances. Number one. We see the concern of God for his people this story illustrates God's concern for his people at the very time that Joseph was being sold to pasta. Jeter was taking leave of his brothers and moving in with the Canaanites two things are happening at once. The Lord wanted to move his people out of payment into Egypt and that's why he sold Joseph into Egypt and he was setting things up for Jacob's family eventually settle there. And to remove themselves from the evil presence of the Canaanites God was working to protect his people sometimes God works in our life and he puts us in a pit and we fill out we've been sold to Egypt and We complain but what he's doing is he's working to protect us and we don't even realize if he was protecting Joseph. He was preparing a place for them that they would spend the next four hundred years in slavery. But yet they would break out and come settle the land of Canaan capture it and it would become the promised land. Always has appointment. It may not work out the way we want it to work out. It may not start the way we wanted start but God is Sovereign he is in control. God always has concern for his people always Well do something else here? And that is and I've already mentioned this contrast between the spirit and the flesh chapter 38 is just a man who lived in the flash chapter 39 39 you going to see Joseph who live in the spirit? So we see Joseph contrasting with Judah See it we appreciate what the spirit of God can do in a man's life. And if you just read your Bible all the way through you'll see God's always contrasting people. He contrasted Abraham Abraham said we'll just take whatever, you know area, you won't he was very selfless or lots and I think the best I'm taking that he was very selfish. You see the Bible's compare it remember married. She is contrasted. She was just busy and helping at all like that. She's contrasted with the breed of Judas why you wasting that all or don't waste that all you can get money out of only love this money didn't love you so much that he sold his Savior for 30 shekels of silver. But you see the contrast there and see the world wants us to believe. But everyone is involved in sexual immorality. That's what the world wants us to believe. In the world wants us to believe that anything is okay. Greg told me the other day daddy. He said all my friends. They live with their girlfriend. All my friends that I know live with their girlfriend where the world wants you to think that that's the way it is. That's the way it ought to be. This is the way it's supposed to be with the Bible makes it clear that everyone is not like Gina. Everyone is not like there's still some Joseph around what we need to do special young people. You need to dare to be a Joseph. You need to be sexually pure just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean that is right to do. You're still a lot of jokes around willing to take a stand for? morality So it's just think just think for a second of Jacob family. This is the chosen family. Who Christ is going to come true? Just think of this family jacket boys grew up watching Jacob deceive and scheme. Ruben was up spineless deceiver. He slept with one of his father's girlfriend's and then he wouldn't stand up when Joseph was sold Simeon and Levi murdered and entire Village slaughtered the men there Judah is the worst of them all. He goes down the Canaanite and has three sons and two of them dies because they're Wicked he can't even see that blames it on table get even see that. Play all the secret sins of rebellion in Jacob's life were repeated in the lives of his son's friend. Send not only corrupt man. It corrupt entire family. We can't see it in a bathroom. How many centimeters in a while do this? Nobody knows about it now hit a fat it will not only affect me. It will affect my family friend. We can choose to allow us into corrupt us or we can choose to allow the Spirit 2 controllers. is one of the other Well, then finally we see here. The reason is the best chapter is because we see the Continuing Story of God's grace. God track Jacob all over this country. Pizza track him everywhere. He went he was agent he was long-suffering. He was persevere and Jacob just kept receiving and manipulated. But God he tracked him the whole way even wrestled with God never allow his grace to leave Jacob because that was the chosen family the Lord loved Jacob. So he discipline them until he surrendered his life to him friends. The grace of God is absolutely unbelievable in chapter 38 if you read chapter 38, this is what if you don't hear anything else today you hear this chapter 38 is a prime example of that salvation is by grace alone this look at the people we talked about today. Nothing in them that we see was good. But yes, I'll vacation is by God's grace. He had chosen that family and he was going to use that family. David had when he sang with Bathsheba I memory tonight when I was younger I stay to myself but why did God why didn't he just take the kingship away from it can't do that because he had made a covenant with that. You're going to be David. You're going to be the king and he would not change his my God will never go back on his work. He is just full of grace first transform his light then he'd dealt with Tamar. She was in an awful situation. But then remember that the little baby that come out of her room. Was an ancestor of the Kingdom Keys that's how graceful and how much grace God shown in this store here and shows in our own life as well. He's more forgiving than we understand. God's grace takes the sry elements of our life. And he used this way home for his purposes. There is nothing more marvelous in the world. Then the power of God's grace, you know that not a single one of us in here this morning preserve to be safe. We can all say we all have a heart like Jesus. But God took that Heart of Stone and made it a heart of Flesh and he called us to be his children. He forgives us he lifts us up. He transforms us. He restores us be reconciled. He is the guy that would be nice if that's what we see here in chapter 38 this awful situation and turned it for good. This is how God. It's true. That one is broken can never be unbroken. What is also true that what is broken can be fixed. And the great grace of God's love is that he can heal broken hearts and he can mend broken Lots. The gospel comes the hearts that are broken by sin and despairing of it offers us. Peace and pardon and Purity Only a God of rain to take a rebellious man, like Judah and a pagan woman like Taymar and somehow use them to bring forth Jesus Christ. That is nothing but Grace, but that's what God does he redeems people? He came to this earth to save the Judaism the Kmarts in the Jacobs and all the rebellious people in the world. So let me ask you about your life is your life. Just been a mess. I don't know how many people I've heard. Tell me. Well, I would turn to God, but you don't understand what I've done. No, I don't understand what you've done. But I understand what you did. And I understand that Jesus Christ is the lion of the tribe of Judah. It don't matter how bad you been and what you've done God's grace is always greater than any sin. You can commit this is exactly what we see in chapter 38. He's trying to show us by his grace is greater than our sin in his grace abounds to you and me eat and every day. Let's pray father we do. Thank you and praise you and love you today for your word Lord. We thank you for this very difficult chapter lord. It's just hard to read Lord is the worst chapter in the Bible. The Lord is also the best chapter because we see your grace no matter how far we falling no matter how bad we've been no matter what we've done in our life. You can take a lumpy and bumpy piece of clay and put us on the wheel and make a beautiful vessel out of it Lord help us to see this morning that your grace is amazing. But our hearts are depraved and all we need to do is to turn to you and you can make something wonderful and beautiful out of a life. That is broken Fortune Christ name, I do pray for his Say Amen.