Judah & Tamar

A story for the ages…
Judah & Tamar
Or, Brothers & Friends
CENTRAL IDEA OF THE SERIES: God transformed a broken family into a nation that was useful in extending the blessing of God to all.
Resources: Tim Keller’s sermon, Tamar
Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from Genesis
Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, Genesis, et al
Bruce Waltke, Genesis

I. The Story
a. Joseph was Jacob’s favoured son, by Rachel.
1. This inappropriate favoritism DAMAGED the other sons.
Notice how often the word “HATED” occurs in the story: vv. 4, 5, 8.
2. Note that this hatred led them to plot murder, against their own brother! This was no mere family spat.
a. Judah arranged a Quick sale—Joseph was sold for a slave, rather than executed as the brothers wanted.
b. The deed was covered by the blood of a GOAT.
i. Goat skin was used by Jacob to deceive his father Isaac, when he stole the blessing.
b. Judah was the fourth son of Leah.
i. Judah identified in the family.
1. Leah was in despair as the unfavoured wife of Jacob. At the birth of her first four sons, she named each one by her state of heart at the time. At Reubens’ birth,
1. Reuben: sounds like—“see, a son” Jacob will notice
2. Simeon: sounds like: “has heard”, God has heard me
3. Levi: sounds like—“will join” me to Jacob
Gen. 29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” That is why she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
4. Judah: sounds like—“sing praise” TO THE LORD only
Alter: no longer expresses hope of winning her husbands’ affection but simply gives thanks to God for granting her male offspring.
ii. Judah interceded for his brother Joseph, to prevent his death by their own brothers.
1. Either murder or removal
2. No particular pain or sacrifice involved for Judah.
iii. Judah had three sons.
1. Er, married Tamar. He was evil; God took his life; Tamar was widowed.
2. Levirate Marriage: Latin word levir, meaning "husband's brother,” practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which exogamous marriage, i.e. that outside the clan, was forbidden.
a. Brother, brother, brother.
b. When the brothers were all dead, then the father-in-law was to take her and produce offspring for his first-born.
c. This was the rule of the day.
d. The Law of Moses had not yet been given.
3. Onan married Tamar, 38:8, who refused to impregnate her, jealous that her offspring would be called his brother’s. His own biological son would then gain the double portion of Judah’s estate, to the loss of Onan’s own other children! God took his life.
Gen. 38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”;
for he thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.”

Alter: Judah, whose lie about Joseph’s death triggered extravagant grief in his father, Jacob, now has double cause for grief himself; no grief is mentioned.

4. Shelah, the third son, Judah withheld from Tamar, blaming her for the untimely deaths of the first two sons and fearful that marriage to her might end his life as well.
a. JUDAH THEREBY REVEALS A TROUBLING ISSUE OF HIS OWN CHARACTER: His sons are HIS sons, not Tamar’s. Their bad character is a reflection on HIM, not her.
b. Blame-shifting!!
c. Lying—we know from the narrator that JUDAH HAS NO INTENTION OF PROVIDING A THIRD HUSBAND FOR TAMAR.
So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
5. Tamar is thus left destitute.
a. Living in her father’s house would be a short-term fix.
i. Life-expectancy was in the mid-30s.
ii. Once her father was dead, why would any brothers be willing to look after her?
1. A slave worked for room and board.
2. A widowed sister may attempt to claim a portion of the legacy!
b. Tamar needed a longer-term plan.

iv. Tamar will not leave Judah’s “well-enough” alone.
1. We may struggle with her demand for a husband; for her, it was a matter of life and death; no husband, no children, no income, no life.

Tamar single-mindedly pursues justice at any cost.
2. She knows Judah well enough to predict his behaviour and sets a trap for him: GOAL IS TO OBTAIN A CHILD.
a. Hearing that Judah is coming to her region as a recent widower, she dresses as a prostitute and sits in the gate of Enaim, a village on the road to Timnah, his destination.
b. “Twin Wells” an allusion to another betrothal type-scene?!?!?
c. Recently bereft, she knew that Judah would be motivated.
d. She had no doubts that Judah would consort with prostitutes.
e. “She saw that Shelah” had grown up; if the young man were with Judah, then this DOUBLES DOWN on his blatant double standard regarding sexual activity.
v. Judah sees the “prostitute” and stops to interact.
1. Assumes she is a prostitute by her dress: she had covered her face.
2. Begins to bargain: “go to you.” V.16.
3. Tamar replies in kind: what is your payment?
4. Judah offers a YOUNG GOAT FROM THE FLOCK.
5. Tamar wants a guarantee of payment.
6. Judah asks what she wants in pledge.
7. Tamar asks for his SEAL, CORD, AND STAFF.
a. Alter: equivalent to driver’s license & credit cards.
vi. The pledge exchanged, the two have intercourse.
1. She conceives.
2. She leaves.
3. She changes into her widow’s garb.
vii. Judah keeps his pledge, sending a goat by his companion.
1. The Adullamite asked for the temple prostitute and hears that no such woman has been seen here.
2. He reports back to Judah.
3. Judah drops the issue to avoid embarrassment.
4. After all, I kept my JUSTLY KEPT MY WORD.
viii. Judah is told that his daughter-in-law has conceived a child as a harlot; three months later.
1. Bring her out.
2. Burn her!
3. Alter—this speed is highlighted …by the unusual use of a passive present participle…literally, “she is-being-taken-out.”
ix. Tamar, on her way to execution, sends the SEAL, CORD, AND STAFF to Judah, saying that her consort owned these and asking, “RECOGNIZE THIS?”
x. Judah did indeed RECOGNIZE THIS.
1. His response changes the course of his life.
a. I did not give her my son Shelah, as I must have.
b. She is more righteous than I.
c. Gen. 42:21 Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”
d. Gen. 44:33 “Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

II. The Meaning of the Story God’s grace in our lives is unrelenting.

a. BREAK DOWN: Judah lived a life of self-indulgence, using those around, and denying responsibility for his family.
i. Judah blamed Tamar for the deaths of his first two sons; the truth is that both were evil men, denied long lives by divine judgment. Who would be more culpable for their character: Tamar or Judah?!?
ii. Judah had failed as a son of the covenant: left the land and married a Canannite, even behaved like the Canaanites; failed as a father (wicked sons); failed as a father-in-law (deceived Tamar about Shelah).
iii. GRACE intervenes
iv. When Judah saw the seal, the cord, and the staff…
1. He could have said
a. ‘so what? I’m the man.’
b. ‘The barrenness and wickedness of my sons has nothing to do with me!’
2. Instead, Judah said: SHE IS MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN I.
3. This marks a transition in his life.
a. Rather than blaming this on Tamar, he recognizes that Tamar was pursuing JUSTICE and admits his selfish, oppressive behaviour.
b. Later, at the Climax of this story, not knowing he was standing before Joseph, the brother he had sold into slavery, he pleads to take the place of his younger brother Benjamin, rather than allow the Egyptians to keep Benjamin hostage, to the collapse of his father. Judah would never have made that bargain before being caught by Tamar.
v. Judah’s change of heart Jesus described as…
1. Taking a drink of living water in John 4 at the well in Samaria.
2. Being reborn in John 3, in conversation with Nicodemus.
3. Living or abiding IN Him, in John 15.
vi. The transition into this new life occurs when Judah realizes that he is not better than Tamar.
That sort of brokenness is the doorway into a new relationship with God.

b. BREAK IN: Tamar was twice-widowed, denied a third opportunity to have children, security, and a future.
i. Tamar thought she was owed a child, either by Shelah, or by Judah directly, so she acted in pursuit of JUSTICE.
ii. Judah recognized his own double standard, and withdrew his judgment.
iii. Prostitution is just as wrong as before; social injustice is worse!
1. If we insist on a ranking, this is the divine ranking.
2. Though we should be and might be sexually pure, there are greater sins than sexual sins.
a. Passivity in the face of social justice is a worse sin than sexual impurity.
b. Food, clothing, and shelter are essential to life here.
c. We invite immigration for 235,000 people a year to Canada; we also deny recognition of their training to virtually all outsiders. UNJUST.
d. We know that literacy is essential to survival in our job market, yet we are silent in the face of illiteracy.
3. Jesus spoke to this same principle:
a. Matt. 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and 1cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. Luke 11:42
b. Keeping the tithe does not excuse them from caring for their aging parents!
Until justice is done, we cannot rest.

c. BREAK THROUGH: Perez is born, the promise of blessing fulfilled.
His twin brother stuck out his hand, the midwife tied a scarlet thread, the hand disappeared, then Perez, unmarked, was delivered!
38:29 Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez.
Zerah, the RED, or shining one.
i. Perez triumphed over his red-tagged twin brother, just as Jacob triumphed over his twin brother, Esau, The Red.
a. Esau became the father of the Edomites, troubling to Israel.
b. Zerah, the RED, or shining one, became the progenitor of Achan, whose betrayal led to disaster at Jericho.
ii. God was faithful; He took this immoral act, this deception, and used it to produce a son, the father of David.
Questions for Discussion
1. What surprises you most about this story? What disturbs you most?
2. Do you recognize your own rank of injustices? Which is at the top of your list? Which things are lower in your ranking? What is missing from that list? What things should you add to the list of injustices?
3. Name one injustice that you sense the most unease about. How can we help you address that injustice?
4. Judah’s blindness to his own immoral lifestyle endangered others. How does our similar blindness impact those around us? Those not close to us?
5. The grace of God is unrelenting, according to this narrative. God provides Perez through this immoral act, fulfilling His promise to provide a seed that would bless the entire world. How has God’s grace shown itself in your life recently?