In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.
Sometimes God’s people do stupid and even wicked things. Judah was, of course, one of the sons of Israel (Jacob). He had three sons and the first was married to Tamar. When that son died, Judah promised to give her in marriage to the second son (that was the tradition in Israel). But that son died, as well. Judah promised Tamar to give her the third son, when he became of age. He failed to give her to his third son and that is the context of the above paragraph. In the course of time, Judah went on a journey and apparently slept with, what he thought, was a common prostitute (a cult prostitute). He was not only wicked in his sexual promiscuity, but also not afraid to mix with cultic worship. As a result of this sad story Judah’s name is marred and twins are born (see vss 27-30). It is hard to understand these stories in the Bible about men of God who do things that today would make us cringe. There is no rebuke in this story about Judah’s sexual and/or spiritual behavior. The story seems to be told to give us the history behind the brith of the twins. It gives us a third generation story of Judah which will be fundamental to the line of kings, later in Israel’s history. It should be noted that this story is an interlude between the story of Joseph being sold into slavery and his journey in Egypt. Judah was the one who thought it best to sell Joseph into slavery. We have these two incidents in Judah’s life to show his lack of spiritual depth. Notice what he, himself, says after discovering that Tamar tricked him into having her babies:
Genesis 38:26 (ESV)
Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.
Sometimes God gives us stories about great faith and great triumph by those who trust Him. But God also gives us stories about failures and those who don’t have Him on their radar. These stories serve a purpose in God’s plan, even though we might not see it. It is important to note that when the nation of Israel splits into two kingdoms, after Solomon’s reign, one of the two is named Israel and the other one is named Judah, the more righteous of the two. Even those who fail to follow God can be used by God to do great things. God is truly the God of the second change (see Jonah 4:1).
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