2024_04_29 Insight Post- Kim Feld
This week’s reading- Genesis 38:6-30, Ruth 4:12, 1 Chronicles 2:4, Matthew 1:3
Tamar’s story is another difficult one, with deception and wrongdoing as central themes. Genesis chapter 38 seems a little out of place as it falls in the middle of the story of Joseph, but if we read further back, we see the themes emerging. Judah’s father, Jacob (also called Israel), used deception to steal his birthright from his brother Esau. Jacob’s sons sold their brother Joseph into slavery (it was Judah’s idea – see Genesis 37:26-27) and then lied and told their father Joseph was killed by a wild animal.
Fast forward, and Judah’s son Er married Tamar but was wicked in God’s sight (we don’t know exactly what he did), and God took his life. As per custom (later to become part of the law God gave Moses), Tamar was given to Er’s brother Onan, who was supposed to consider his first child, who was conceived by Tamar, to be Er’s child, thereby continuing Er’s family line. But Onan refused to provide a child for Tamar. His actions were considered to be evil in God’s eyes, and like his brother Er, God took his life. Judah has a third son who is not yet of age, and he tells Tamar to go back to live with her father until his son grows up, but in his heart, Judah never intends to give his son to Tamar.
Fast forward again, and Tamar hears that her father-in-law will be shearing his sheep. She knows that his son is of age, but she had not been called to be his wife. Tamar sets her own plan of deception in motion. Once it is known that she is carrying Judah’s child, Judah admits that her actions are more “righteous” than his. Interestingly, she has twins; King David descends from Judah and Tamar’s son Perez.
There’s so much in this story to focus on, but I want to land on a couple of points for today’s post. First is the line of deception in the family and the price paid for it. It is sobering as a parent to think that our children learn from us what we teach AND model for them. They are always watching and observing how we make life work. The saying is true that more is caught than taught. No matter what we intentionally try to teach our kids, our words and actions will always have more weight.
The second point is about Tamar. Yes, her plan was to deceive Judah, but she courageously forced what was right. She had been mistreated – the custom of the land protected widows, and it had been broken. Her actions brought Judah to the full realization of his sin. He was ready to burn her alive for being a prostitute until he realized he was the father of the children she was carrying.
The fulfillment of God’s plans is accomplished through fallen people. Why He chose us to fulfill His purposes is a mystery. But I take comfort in the fact that Jesus’ humanity came through a mixed bag of people because I am a mixed bag myself. My dignity and depravity are constantly at war, just like the people I read about in the Bible. There is nothing that God can’t use and redeem.
Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach