GENESIS
January 13, 2018
By Pastor Kim Hickcox
(All Scripture taken from One New Man Bible unless otherwise noted)
Last week we saw how Joseph’s brothers were so petty and vicious toward their younger brother that they had no qualms about killing him, even though it would break their father’s heart also.
And to finish up on that event, Rueben played right into their hands when he left them for a while, which he must have done, as Genesis 37:29-30 says, “And Reuben returned to the pit and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit and he tore his clothes. 30And he returned to his brothers and said, ‘The boy is not there! And I – where will I go?’” So the original plan stood, save for the killing of Joseph. The 9 brothers deceived both their oldest brother and their father with cruel heartache and a false sense of intense loss by dipping his tunic in blood and reporting him missing and assumed dead.
Thus we could end chapter 37 with, “And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and he said, ‘For I shall go down into the grave mourning for my son.’” (Genesis 37:35) However, the very last sentence gives us a bridge as to what is yet to come – “And the Midianites sold him to Egypt to Potipher, an officer of Pharaoh’s captain of the guard.” Genesis 37:36
Now chapter 38 is a segway unto itself, as we leave Joseph for a while to deal with his new life, but it a very important one.
Chapter 38 deals with Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Tamar’s bio seems pitiful as first glance, but we will see how she left an eternal legacy even though it (her legacy) had a somewhat inglorious beginning…
It seems that after the invigorating bout of dealing with his irritating little brother Judah decided to marry. Seems that he knew a man named Hirah and married his daughter – a Canaanite. He had three sons by her: Er, Onan and Shelah. So when his oldest son was of marrying age, “Judah took a wife, whose name was Tamar, for Er his firstborn.” Genesis 38:6. I am going to call this Fatal Error #2; Fatal Error #1 being the taking of a Canaanite wife for himself in the first place.
I’m sure his father talked to all his sons about not marrying any of the local women, as they worshipped totally different gods. However, looking at the big picture, and learning of his grandmother’s disappointment in his Uncle Esau, “And Rebeccah said to Isaac, ‘I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?’” (Genesis 27:46) he should have travelled back to his land of birth and taken it from there. But to his credit, though it be very little, he did not take a wife from the daughters of Heth. He took a “daughter of the land” from Hirah.
But again, in Judah’s defense, look at what he knew:
1. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were righteous men following the one true God, YHWH (Yah Weh), as he was raised to do also.
2. However, he was born and raised for a good while in his mothers’ fathers’ house, whom the Lord let live in peace and prosperity at their departure (the beginning of chapter 32) in spite of his idolatry.
3. And then he met his Uncle Esau, who was the leader of his people and also very blessed.
So in spite of his father’s teachings, I’m sure Judah felt it was no big deal to marry a Canaanite. After all, was he going to go back to his mother’s family? That probably didn’t seem like the best alternative after his father’s ordeal.
And his marriage must have been an amicable one as not only did he only take one wife, but he had no qualms about getting a wife for his son from the Canaanites also. However, “Er, Judah’s firstborn, was bad in the sight of the LORD and the LORD slew him.” (Genesis 38:7) Now, we don’t know what bad things he did, but he could very well have been worshipping Tamar’s god(s) instead of his own, which is the first place mind went, as the Canaanite gods had all kinds of horrible practices just involved in their worship, (like the sacrificing of children and prostitution for starters) say nothing to what they had to do to please them outside of worship!
So now Er was dead and left no heirs as we see in verses 8-10, “And Judah said to Onan, ‘Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her and raise up seed for your brother.’9And Onan knew that the seed would not be his and it was when he went into his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.10And what he did displeased the LORD, so He slew him also.”
Now, what would be so bad about raising up children in his brother’s name? Well, with Er being the firstborn, that would mean that his heirs would get the lions’ share of Judah’s inheritance, which usually amounted to about two thirds of the whole, which would mean that Onan would not step into Er’s place as the eldest, but his own firstborn son would get it at Judah’s death, and he could never lay claim to it because it would legally be Er’s legacy and he would not have any children to claim as his own.
Unless of course he took another wife, which was done more often than not at the time, but he would still only be able to split the third that was left with his younger brother Shelah. However, dishonoring the LORD held even a greater loss than inheriting a sixth of his fathers’ estate, didn’t it?
So after losing two sons, (and we don’t know if he knew why or not), “Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, ‘Remain a widow at your father’s house until my son Shelah is grown.’ For he said, ‘Lest perhaps he die also, like his brothers.’” Genesis 38:11. (Shelah must have been much younger than the first two because verses 5 and 6 are worded as though Judah was collecting Tamar at Shelah’s birth: “And she yet again conceived and bore a son and called his name Shelah, and he was at Chezib when she bore him. 6And Judah took a wife, whose name was Tamar, for Er his firstborn.” “…Then Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.” Genesis 38:11b – and this is where the intense story begins!
“12And in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife died and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.” Who was his daughter-in-law’s father, remember. “13And Tamar was told, saying, ‘Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.’ 14And she put her widow’s garments off from her, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself and sat in an open place, which was on the road to Timnah, for she saw that Shelah had grown and she was not given to him for a wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot because she had covered her face. 16And he turned to her along the way and said, ‘Come on now, let me come in to you.’ For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said to him, ‘What will you give me, that you may come in to me?’ 17And he said, ‘I shall send you a goat from the flock.’ And she said to him, ‘Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?’ 18And he said, ‘What pledge will I give you?’ And she said, ‘Your signet, your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ And he gave them to her and came in to her, and she conceived by him. 19Then she got up and went away and set aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.” Genesis 38:12-19
Judah had a (or shall we say another) morality slip, but at least he was a widower AND he didn’t recognize his daughter-in-law. Then, being true to his word, “And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her.” Genesis 38:20. Good thing, as it was his daughter!
So his friend came back with the report that there was not, nor has there ever been (to the best of anyone’s recollection) a harlot at that particular corner. So Judah was baffled, but not for long…
“And it was about three months later that it was told Judah saying, ‘Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot and also, behold, she is with child by harlotry.’ And Judah said, ‘Bring her forth and let her be burned.’” Genesis 38:24. Burned!? No one can ever say that Judah didn’t have a healthy dose of bad temper! As this was before Moses and any of God’s Teachings, save for a few personal revelations and covenants, stoning wasn’t a given, but obviously burning was popular.
(NOTE: Believe it or not, I just spent the last 20 minutes or so looking up Shria Law, so as not to make an erroneous statement. However, when I searched it, no matter where I clicked, it just brought me to more search topics and more search topics and more search topics – never getting a listing of the laws or penalties. I shall therefore remain silent.)
“And when she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law saying, ‘By the man whose these are, I am with child.’ And she said, ‘Discern now, whose these are; the signet, cord, and staff.’ 26And Judah acknowledged them and said, ‘She has been more righteous than I because I did not give her to my son Shelah.’ And he did not go in to know her again.” Genesis 38:25-26. Well, at least he admits when he’s wrong and does the right thing thereafter.
“And it happened at the time of her travail that there were twins in her womb. 28And it was, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread saying, ‘This one came out first.’ 29And it happened as he drew back his hand that, behold, his brother came out and she said, ‘How vigorously you have broken forth!’ Therefore his name was called Perez (Perets).30And afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand and his name was called Zerah.” Genesis 38:27-30
See how important is was to be born first!? Zerah received the inheritance of the firstborn, which wouldn’t have happened had the midwife not been on her toes with the thread (which I assume was to cut the umbilical cord). Zerah means the rising of a light, or brightness. Perez means breaking out or to breach. That one didn’t take you by surprise, did it?
So now we look at Tamar’s eternal legacy: Matthew 1:3 “And Judah begot Perez and Zerach by Tamar, and Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram,”. And Luke 3:33 “of Amminadab of Admin of Arni of Hezron of Perez of Judah”.
Tamar is mentioned by name in Matthew’s Gospel. And as Matthew was a Hebrew writing to a Hebrew audience, this was special. Although I believe that Matthew was so filled with gratitude as he was formerly a Tax Collector and pretty much despised by most of the population, that he couldn’t help but to showcase God’s grace to anybody he could! (Which, in this case would be the women he named in his genealogical account of his Savior in spite of Hebrew tradition.) His initial calling is recorded by him like this: “Then when Y’shua went away from there He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, ‘You must follow Me faithfully.’ So after he got up he followed Him.” Matthew 9:9.
Being a Tax Collector, Matthew was wealthy, upper class, and at worst dishonest, at best thought to be even if he personally was not. He was working for the Romans and therefore not loved at all by his fellow Hebrews, who would have considered him a cheating traitor, as we can tell as he continues the account of his being initially called by His Messiah, “And when the Pharisees saw them they were saying to His disciples, ‘Why does your Teacher eat with the tax collectors and sinners?’ 12Then since He heard He said, ‘The strong have no need of a physician, but those who have evil. 13But when you go what you must learn is, “I desire loving kindness and not sacrifice:” (quoted from Hosea 6:6, which they would all recognize) for I did not come to call the righteous but the sinners.’” Matthew 9:11-13. By the way, the ONM translates the word for sickness as evil, as that was the original Greek term used.
Y’shua also said (to the Pharisees, as a matter of fact) as recorded by Luke, speaking of the woman who anointed His feet with her tears and washed them with her hair, “…her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much: but from whom little is forgiven, he loves little.” (7:47) Therefore Matthew loved much. And therefore he includes (much to the horror of any of the Scribes who would have read it) in Y’shua’s genealogy the following women:
1. Tamar, a Canaanite woman, and the son Perez, whom she conceived while playing a harlot to seek revenge, or at least venting her anger, on her father-in-law Judah. Another display of God’s grace that he would have Perez be a direct descendent of Y’shua as opposed to one of Shelah’s sons. Proving to all that “God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in Him would not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, capitalization mine for emphasis) NOT just the Hebrews NOT just the righteous. And I will end this right here, as I could follow this bunny trail for pages and pages.
2. Rehab, the woman from Jericho who hid the spies just before her city was attacked, due to her belief in the Hebrews’ God. She had heard the talk that was going around and chose to believe it – and Him.
And she was not necessarily a prostitute, by the way. She ran a hotel (or inn) and not all hotels were brothels. You don’t think Joseph would have put Miriam, who was about to birthe the Son of God in a brothel, do you? And while we’re speaking about prostitutes, Miriam of Magdala was not one either. No one knows exactly when this ugly rumor started, but let’s put it to rest, shall we? She could have very well just been a single woman making it on her own, which could have kick started the rumor mill, but I am too…need I say more?
3. Ruth, the Moabitess who loved her mother-in-law so much that that she not only left her homeland so she could continue to take care of her, but converted to Judaism also. “And Ruth said, ‘Do not plead with me to leave you or to return from following after you, for wherever you go, I shall go. And where you lodge, I shall lodge. Your people are my people, and your God is my God. 17Where you die, shall die and there I shall be buried: the LORD do to me, more also, if anything but death part you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17
Now the Moabites were one of the incestuous tribes started by Lot’s two corrupt daughters. Now although it was still ok for half brothers and sisters to marry (i.e.: Abraham and Sarah) as well as first cousins (such as Isaac and Rachael), only the Egyptians (as far as I know) were crass enough to marry their daughters and then we only know of it via their royalty. But as we learned, Lot’s daughters were definitely corrupted by their stay in Sodom and after their escape, got their father so drunk two nights in a row that he passed out before they fulfilled their mission, which is another hint to tell you that something wasn’t kosher.
And the Book of Ruth ends, actually making specific reference to Perez also, more than 1000 years before Matthew: “Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begot Hezron, 19and Hezron begot Ram and Ram begot Aminadab 20and Aminadab begot Nahshon and Nahshon begot Salmon 21and Salmon begot Boaz and Boaz begot Obed22and Obed begot Jesse and Jesse begot David.” Ruth 4:18-22
4. And last, but most certainly not least we have Bathsheba, who, by way is listed not by name, but as the wife of Urriah. Don’t you just love how the Lord just put it out there – tells it as it is and then just pours His grace all over everything!?
Of all of David’s sons, He chose Solomon, Bathsheba’s son to perpetuate Messiah’s line!
You know, the only Super Saint listed in history, or His Story, is Daniel. And I can identify with Daniel – when I’ve just accomplished a giant coup against the devil. But mostly I empathize with Abraham when he was less than fully truthful (Genesis 12:14-20 & 20:1-10); or Job when he wanted to know what in the world was going on and why. Job was a whiner – and unfortunately I can be too. And then there’s Samson who gave into his flesh, messing up really bad, but finally got his act together and pulled it off in the end (Judges 13:2-16:31). Oh, and guess where Samson finds the first woman he wants to marry – Timnah! What if it was one of Tamar’s descendants? (Judges 14:1-2). And Gideon is also listed as a great Judge, but he didn’t think so highly of himself and had to be reminded who he was in the Lord (Judges 6:11-19).
Closer to home is Peter, who the Lord told me to study – due to his propensity to put his foot in his mouth, as well as his bursts of faith and never-say-die attitude. All of which I needed to study, mind you, and should probably dive into again. And then there’s Paul, the Super Apostle with the tender underbelly that he shows us himself so often. “For I am producing what I do not know: for I do not want this that I am doing, but I hate this which I am doing. 16But if I do not want this that I do, I agree with the Torah (Teaching) because it is good. 17But now I no longer am producing this myself but the sin dwelling in me produces it. 18For I know that no good is dwelling in me, that is, in my flesh: for desire to do good is present in me, but to produce good is not:19for I do not do the good that I want to do, but I do this evil that I do not want to do….” Romans 7:15-19
So there we have it! If we could all just remember when looking at other people, not to criticize, but remember the saying I’m sure [all] our mothers taught us: There but by the grace of God, go I. The world would be a much gentler place – and we helped! “You are the light of the world. A city laid out on a mountain is not able to be hidden.”Matthew 5: 14. Now go out and blind people this week!!
SHALOM
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