The Genius of God's Plan

“God Himself could not sink this ship,” boasted a deckhand aboard R. M. S. Titanic in 1912. The men who built the ship, the civilized world, the credulous public—all believed and boasted that the ship was unsinkable. But God was not mocked. It is said that when the captain gave the order to abandon ship, many passengers simply could not believe that the Titanic could possibly sink and refused to board the lifeboats. And the crew was almost criminally complacent. So 1,502 men, women, and children plunged into the depths.

—Prairie Overcomer

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 514 Perfection Personified

514 Perfection Personified

In basic training, our first sergeant made things very clear. He told us, “Don’t question anything I say or tell you to do. Don’t worry—I hardly ever make mistakes. Matter of fact, I’ve made only one mistake in my life. I once thought I was wrong about something. It turned out I wasn’t.”

—Dalex J. LeBlanc

Men tend to boast.

Men WANT to boast

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 509 Baby Food for Prisoners

509 Baby Food For Prisoners

Few prison rituals are more common than putting a troublesome prisoner on bread and water. Then came Dale Carson, a former FBI agent, to Florida as sheriff of Duval County (Jacksonville).

He discovered that the young toughs gloried in being on bread and water, because it proved how tough they were. They even brag about the bread-and-water treatment. So Carson substituted baby food. They eat it because they are hungry but they don’t brag about it. One day usually gets them on their best behaviour,” observed Carson.

510 No Women Sighted In Antarctic

Rear Adm. George J. Dufek, Naval commander of Operation Deepfreeze, tells this story of the day two airline stewardesses arrived on the only commercial plane ever to land in the Antarctic:

“The girls, ravishing in furs, were being wined and dined in the McMurdo mess hall. But I noticed there were some men missing, and I walked around the base to see what they were doing. I found them sitting glumly in their quarters, smoking, drinking coffee and obviously resentful. Their reason? They wanted to be able to say that, from the time they left civilization until they returned they hadn’t seen a woman!”

—National Geographic

Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 209). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Genesis 38, is a reminder that

Big Idea: The genius plan of God leaves no room for man to claim credit or boast his own achievements.

Today, we enter chapter 38, which stands as an odd hiccup in the Joseph narrative. It seems out of place in the middle of this story.

Joseph is 17 when sold - Genesis 37:2

He is 30 when he is elevated to second in command - Genesis 41:46

He is 39 when his family moves to Egypt. - Genesis 45:6

22 years lies between these events. The events of Genesis 38 are taking place within that gap.

Reading and Studying this week, one commentator pointed out a timing issue.

This gives a space of twenty-two years. In that same time span, Judah leaves the family, finds a wife and marries her, and has three children by her. These sons grow up, and the oldest gets married. When he dies, his widow marries the second, and he dies. After a time, Tamar gets pregnant by Judah and has twins. They grow up, get married, and have children, two of whom are in the group that goes down to Egypt (46:12). This requires two generations to be born, grow up, and have children of their own. Even if we assume that the males become fathers at the tender age of fifteen, this sequence would take at least thirty-five years—and that does not take account of the “after a long time” in 38:12.

This is not enough time.

This commentator goes on to note...

According to Cassuto’s calculations, if Judah left, married, and had sons in short order, his family could be in place by the time Joseph is twenty or twenty-one. If Er was married when he was eighteen, Joseph would be thirty-six, and the time of plenty would be in its sixth year. If Er and Onan both die in their first year of marriage and Tamar waits for one additional year for Shelah, we reach the first year of famine. It is perhaps at this juncture that the brothers make their first trip to Egypt. Then Tamar’s masquerade, her pregnancy, and the birth of the twins can come between the two trips. Consequently, this narrative is reaching its climax just as the Joseph story also reaches the climax of Joseph’s revealing himself to his brothers.1

1 Walton, J. H. (2001). Genesis (p. 667). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

So, as best as we can possibly tell from the narrative, from history, chapter 38 seems to be taking place between the time

Outline

Big Idea: The genius plan of God leaves no room for man to claim credit or boast his own achievements.

Simple outline. Nothing profound

We can see the same theme of God’s sovereignty over the sin of man still dominate in this narrative.

But likely, one of the main, if not the main, reason why this chapter exists here is not seen until the end.

Judah’s Marriage and Children - Genesis 38:1-5

Judah’s Wicked Sons - Genesis 38:6-10

Tamar in Waiting - Genesis 38:11-14

Tamar’s Desperate Plan - Genesis 38:13-19

Judah’s Guilt - Genesis 38:20-26

A Royal Legacy - Genesis 38:27-30

Why is This Text Here?

What Does This Text Have For Us?

Sermon Body

Big Idea: The genius plan of God leaves no room for man to claim credit or boast his own achievements.

Judah’s Marriage and Children - Genesis 38:1-5

Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

At some point, after the sale of his brother, Judah leave his families home and goes to reside with Hirah, an Adullamite.

Adullam, Adullamite. Old Canaanite city between Lachish and Hebron, as well as a cave region nearby. The first biblical mention of the city is in the word “Adullamite” (someone from Adullam), used of Hirah, a friend of Judah. After acting as a ringleader in selling his brother Joseph into slavery, Judah left home and lived in Adullam with Hirah (Gn 38:1, 12, 20).

Adullam was in the lowlands of Judah’s tribal territory (Jos 15:35). It was one of 31 Canaanite royal cities conquered by Joshua (Jos 12:15) and one of 15 cities later fortified by King Rehoboam of Judah (2 Chr 11:7). After the exiles’ return from captivity in Babylon, Adullam was again resettled by Judah’s tribe (Neh 11:30).

A cave near Adullam figured in several events in David’s life. It was a refuge when he fled from King Saul (1 Sm 22:1) and a stronghold in his war against the Philistines (2 Sm 23:13–17; 1 Chr 11:15–19). The Hebrew superscriptions to Psalms 57 and 142 indicate that David wrote them at the time of his experiences in the cave. Adullam is identified as modern esh-Sheikh Madhkur.1

1 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Adullam, Adullamite. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 32). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

We are not told WHY he leave his father’s house, but one can speculate the Joseph drama to be part of the problem; tied with his father’s grief and the misery it invokes.

We are not told much about the Adullamites, or about Hirah. Simply that they are friends and Judah goes to live with him.

While living here, he takes a wife, Shua. They have three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah.

Er - Watcher; awake, on the watch (Root=to awake). Stirring up

Onan - Iniquity; pain; strong. Their vigor (feminine); their iniquity.

Shelah - Prayer, petition, peace. #2 - Sent, shooting forth (ie of waters)

He was living in Chezib at the time of these births.

Achzib. 1. City in Judah’s territory (Jos 15:44). The prophet Micah listed it among cities that would be destroyed with Samaria (Mi 1:14). It was probably the same as Chezib (Gn 38:5) and Cozeba (1 Chr 4:22, kjv Chozeba).1

1 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Achzib. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 17). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Chezib is near Adullam and not far from Hebron. (Show Pic)

Judah’s Wicked Sons - Genesis 38:6-10

In the course of time, their boys were grew up.

Judah took wives for his firstborn Er.

We are told he was wicked…nothing more…and that he was killed for that wickedness.

Onan, then, was to perform the duty of a brother in law to her and raise up offspring for his brother Er.

Now, what is this about?

Levirate Marriage

Women held no rights during that time. They were dependent on a male to provide for them, support them, protect them.

This would begin with her father and then transfer when she married to her husband. Not only was it transferred to her husband, it was transferred to her husband’s family. So if the husband died, the brother in laws, and father in a law would assume responsibility for her.

The Levitical Law, which would come later, explains it like this in Deuteronomy 25:5-10

If a brother dies before having a son, the brother of the deceased is to marry his sister in law, perform the duty of husband to her. The first son born to them is by law, not the new husbands, but the deceased man’s son, to bear his name, to inherit his birthright, blessing, inheritance, etc.

If the brother refuses, he is make it public that he refuses and he brings shame and scorn upon his name and his families name.

Boaz and Ruth is one prime example of this in practice.

Ruth 1:3-4 - The death of Naomi’s husband Elimelech and her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, left all three women without a male provider.

Ruth 1:6-14 - Naomi’s admonishment was to return to the protection of their father’s house. They at least, had that and perhaps may find another husband and if not, their father’s house would supply for them for a time.

Notice, Noami’s words...”I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown?”

This is the very concept we see in Genesis 38 of Tamar waiting for Shelah to come of age.

Under these marriage laws, customs, marriage was a family ordeal. The brothers were embracing the responsibility of their siblings wives in the event of their untimely passing. It was expected, and later commanded by the law, for them to do so.

Jesus is posed with this question by the Sadducees in Luke 20:27-40

The passage they quote by Moses refers back to Deuteronomy 25:5-10

Even at Jesus’ time this command and custom were still understood and seemingly in working order.

Sadducees are using the question, the custom, the command to try and trap him and they use this long standing custom/law to do so.

Genesis 38:9 - This also explains Onan’s unwillingness to do this for his brother’s wife. Er was the oldest. He was the one who would inherit the birthright. With his death and no children, this passes to Onan. But if Onan provides a son to his brother through marrying his sister in law, the birthright passes to the son, not to Onan. Thus, Onan took steps to ensure that no child, let alone a son, was born to his new wife, his brother’s wife.

This, his refusal was a rejecting of his responsibility to his brother and to his sister in law that he accepted when they married.

No law existed yet to mandate this but apparently it is at the very least, custom of the day, but given God’s wrath at Onan for his sin, it would seem that perhaps some communication and expectation from God had been given.

A woman who is widowed with no sons to care for her is therefore put in a very precarious and dangerous position.

So, Judah’s sons continue to perpetuate the wickedness of their former generation. Er is killed by God for it. Onan refuses his familial responsibility and is also killed for it.

This leaves Tamar in waiting.

Tamar in Waiting - Genesis 38:11

Judah, whose third son was not yet of marrying age, sends Tamar back to her father’s house and tells her to wait there as a widow until Shelah grows up.

He passes back some of the responsibility for her to her father. I say some, because later when she is “caught with immorality” he is the one to whom they report it and he is the one whom issues judgement.

So while she is being handed back to her father’s home, she (at least in some part) is still under his authority and control as the daughter in law.

Part of his reasoning for sending her back to her father’s house instead of caring for her in his is that he is afraid. He is afraid that she is cursed and she will mean the death of his third son as well.

Whether he ever had any intention of following through and giving Shelah to her as husband when he came of age, is a good question. He certainly was in no hurry for when he was of marrying age, he did not give Shelah to her as husband, thus her “need” for this deception and plot.

Tamar’s Desperate Plan - Genesis 38:12-19

Shelah was Tamar’s hope. He was her redemption. Her kinsman redeemer.

He was withheld.

According to 11, most likely because Judah was afraid he would die if he gave him in marriage to Tamar. So, he did not honor his word and give Shelah to Tamar when he came of age.

Therefore, she had hatched her own plan.

Judah’s wife, Shua (Shelah’s mother) died. We are not told how but she died. After comforting himself and after a period of mourning, he decided to go up to his flocks of sheep, to his sheepshearers and to prepare for shearing his sheep. He takes his friend Hirah.

As he nears Timnah, he encounters Tamar (veiled and disguised as a temple prostitute at the entrance of the city Enaim.

One commentator revealed that there may have been a custom and practice in the ancient world, especially among the pagan nations, that at times of planting, harvest, shearing etc..the men would visit the temple shrine, offer offerings, and utilize the services of the temple (such as the temple prostitutes) out of a conviction that their doing so would receive the blessing of the gods, particularly the fertility gods and would thus ensure a fruitful and healthy crop/herd. There is some speculation as the the truth of this practice, but inferences and practices we see in biblical text and extra biblical text seem to point to this as a possibility.

Combine this with the death of his wife and the lack of marital interactions he once enjoyed, may explain why Judah proceeds with this act of immorality. It reveals much about Judah’s own spiritual state and condition at the time.

In addition, not that we can judge a parent by their child, but given his own sinful choices and the sinfulness of his children that resulted in their deaths at the hand of God, we may get somewhat of a picture regarding Judah’s spiritual state. Again, we have to be very careful here. The most godly parents can have children who reject it and live wicked lives. But the godlessness we see in his boys is seen here as an echo of Judah’s own sinful choices and may reveal that Judah bears some guilt in his own failure to teach, instruct, and rebuke the wrong choices in his children. Perhaps.

Regardless, he goes to the temple, sees Tamar (Disguised) and goes aside with her.

She requires his signet and cord as pledge of payment for her services to him.

The seal is most likely a stamp seal engraved with a design that would uniquely identify Judah. It would be used by him for any transaction or correspondence much as we use a signature today. Taking this as a pledge for payment ensures a quick response on Judah’s part because seals were used with some frequency. Seals were often worn around the neck on a cord, so that is probably the cord referred to here. His staff is a walking stick but may have been a symbol of authority in his clan. If so, Tamar holds in her possession symbols of his individual and corporate identity—in modern terms, items akin to someone’s driver’s license.1

1 Walton, J. H. (2001). Genesis (p. 669). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

This he freely gave (frankly foolishly…to give these to a complete stranger when they represent your very identity…is not wise. But he did. Afterwards, when Judah sends payment of a lamb and intends to retrieve his signet and cord, she is nowhere to be found and is told that there was never a temple prostitute there.

What was Tamar’s intent? The bear a child, hopefully male, to continue her husbands name and to care of her as she aged.

And she did indeed conceive from this encounter.

The signet and cord were her insurance for when this came to light.

Judah’s Guilt - Genesis 38:20-26

Judah sends his friend Hirah back with payment and to retrieve his things.

She is not found.

Judah rights off the loss of these things, probably just making new ones, because the embarrassment of being deceived and the embarrassment of his own naivety/stupidity would be too much and would bring the derision and scorn of others down upon him.

3 months later, Tamar is clearly with child, exacerbated by the fact that she has TWINS in her womb.

Judah condemns her and sentences her to death for her immorality. CLEARLY a double standard given his own conduct a few months earlier. Apparently, it is acceptable for men but not for women to act this way.

As she is being drug out to be burned to death, she produces the missing signet and cord and Judah is caught.

He declares...”she is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.”

Righteous?

The word means to be just, to be right, to be justified. Tamar was more RIGHT than Judah. Not that her actions were just and holy. She was MORE right than Judah who violated his word and did not honor his commitment to Tamar any more than Onan did. He wronged her in his actions.

She was wrong in hers, but in Judah’s mind, she was less wrong than he was.

This is the force of this statement.

In this, Judah recognizes his wrong doing.

He recants. He does not burn her, but neither does he know her again in that way.

A Royal Legacy - Genesis 38:27-30

The first baby out (well his hand anyway) is marked. However, the younger brother (unmarked baby) comes first. This is Perez. The younger brother.

Zerah, the first baby out (the one marked with red ribbon) is born second.

Time and Time again in God’s economy, we see God overriding the birth order and choosing whom he will to carry out his plan.

Jacob (Israel) was chosen over his brother.

Joseph, while not the youngest after Benjamin was born, is chosen for a position of blessing over his older brothers.

Now Perez, technically the first completely out of the womb, was second to Zerah whose hand came first but then ended up second born is the one chosen through whom God would work his plan.

Consider this…Perez’s legacy.

Ruth 4:18-22

Matthew 1:3-6

Luke 3:31-33

It is through Perez that the Messiah comes. It is through this child, conceived out of deception because of a broken man’s word, from a godless family, that the Messiah would ultimately come.

Don’t you love God’s divine and sovereign control over everything?

Don’t you love the ingenuity of God to strip man of all reason to boast and brag that we had any part in the fulfillment of God’s good purposes?

What does man have to boast in here? It was his sin that produced this child (two fold sin - not honoring word and sexual immorality), not his goodness or amazingness.

As at many points in the Joseph narrative and prominently in the theology of the Ruth account, chap. 38 implies that the hand of God is behind the events that transpire. After explicitly declaring divine involvement (vv. 1–5), the passage exhibits the hiddenness of God’s involvement in the lives of Israel’s fathers. This is shown by the historic outcome of the Judah-Tamar union, producing the ancestral lineage of the royal house through Perez (Ruth 4:18–22; 2 Chr 2:5–15; Matt 1:3–6; Luke 3:31–33).1

1 Mathews, K. A. (2005). Genesis 11:27–50:26 (Vol. 1B, p. 704). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Why is This Text Here?

To introduce the birth of Perez and Zerah. Later, at the end of the book as Israel is bestowing his blessings, he foreshadows that royal lineage will come from Judah’s family line, and we will see it come through Perez’s descendants. This text sets the stage for that blessing at the end of the book and the genealogy that follows.

Yes, true…But why does it need to be inserted in the middle of the Joseph narrative?

Timing, chronology? maybe? Seems to happen during the gap between his sale and elevation in Egypt.

Contrast between Judah and his sons wickedness and Joseph’s uprightness

What does this Text Have for Us?

Reemphasis of God in control over man’s sin. It does not thwart or dissuade him. He uses it to his ends.

Allows us to see sovereign working hand of god leading to messiah

Reveals the genius and wisdom of God in removing any reason for man’s boasting.

Reminder that this life is not about us, our achievements or successes. It is now, forever has been, and forever will be about God and HIS GLORY, HIS WORTH.

Big Idea: The genius plan of God leaves no room for man to claim credit or boast his own achievements.

Conclusion

Remember this, church, as you are growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God…God does not need your successes to advance his cause.

Truth is, he does not even need your willingness. God’s will WILL be accomplished with or without it.

But God DOES WANT YOUR HEART OF WORSHIP AND DEVOTION. He wants your faith. He wants your humility and submission to Him. He wants your enjoyment in Him.

God will use you, one way or another.

Isn’t it better to be used as a willing servant and loving child bearing all the benefits of grace that come with that than an unwilling sinner facing the just judgment of an unchangeable, holy God?

May we be a people who surrender to God and his will, his plan, and in love and devotion to Him, allow him to use our lives for His glory, whatever that looks like.

Application and Discussion Questions

Read Ephesians 2:8-10. Why is it necessary that God’s plan remove any possibility of boasting on man’s part?

If man can claim any part of the credit for their own salvation, God’s glory and grace are diminished. The depth of grace and love is so rich that we HAD NO PART in it. If we have even the most minute part, the glory of God is diminished by that much.

Read Acts 17:24-25. What truth does this reveal about God’s “needs” from us? What are the implications and applications of this truth for our lives?

God does not need anything from us. His plan is not dependent on our participation.

He chooses to use us, but he is not DEPENDENT on us for anything.

There is a difference between being needed and being wanted. The fact that God does not NEED us but that he WANTS us is deep and profound. We are desired by God and longed for by God. Someone who is only needed may not necessarily be wanted. He may be necessary out of need. But when there is no need and we are simply invited and WANTED, it is ever so much more meaningful. We can come out of desire and invitation rather than mere need.

Read Psalm 51:13-17. What is it that God desires from us? Why is this so much harder to give then our actions?

He desires a humble and contrite heart. He desires brokenness, repentance, faith. Our sacrifices, actions, deeds are meaningless if not flowing from a humble and contrite heart.

It is much harder because it requires a change of attitude, of purpose, of desire, of motive. We can do the right thing out of the wrong heart and by appearances be right. Having a heart change is much harder to just external conformity to an action. We have to change the very desires, intent, and passions of our heart.

In what way(s) are you comforted by the truth that the genius plan of God leaves no room for man to claim credit or boast his own achievements. God’s genius plan? In what ways are you challenged by this?

In what way(s) are you boasting before others? Before God? How does that boasting dishonor God?

It robs him of his glory.

He is the giver. We are the receiver. The giver gets the glory, not the receiver.

What can we do, specifically, to ensure that God gets the glory that He is due?

Praise Him at every opportunity.

Thank Him often

Publicly and frequently praise God for His mighty works.

When we are praised, reflect that glory back to God both privately and publicly.

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