
- This event has passed.
Feb 01 32 Passion for the promise
February 1
32_Passion for the promise
Gen 29:35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
Gen 37:26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.
Gen 38:1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.
26 And Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.
St. Augustine, the revered fourth-century theologian, lived a very sinful life as a young man. His mother, Monica, prayed with tears for him. Once she met with Bishop Ambrose, a devout man of God. She implored him, weeping, to intervene with her son. Moved by her unwavering faith, Ambrose spoke: “It is impossible that the son of so many tears shall perish.” Within a year, Augustine came to understand his sin and turned in deep and lifelong repentance to Christ. He spent the rest of his life studying and teaching others the scriptures.
Genesis 38 shows Judah, a man who started out in repeated failures but finally ended in agreement with the truth. This chapter, though often considered an interruption in the Joseph narrative, is anything but a digression. Judah, whose name means “praise,” takes a path far removed from his heritage as the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. The chapters of Judah’s life tell a story of missteps, failures, and drifting away from God. It is a vivid, instructive account of human sin and divine grace. It does not cover up the flaws of God’s chosen people, but displays His redemptive purposes.
Judah’s journey begins with a departure from his brothers. He then teams up with an Adullamite named Hirah. Corruption often begins when we distance ourselves from godly influences. Away from his family and their covenantal values, Judah married a Canaanite woman. This is a choice that defied the example of his forefathers, who avoided alliances with the idolatrous Canaanites. Judah’s disregard for God’s commands bore bitter fruit. His two sons, Er and Onan, grew up without the fear of God. Their wickedness led to their untimely deaths. Judah’s marriage choice not only affected his life but the character of his offspring.
Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, is a pivotal figure in this story. When her husband Er died without children, she married his brother, Onan, according to the levirate marriage custom, whereby the first offspring would bear the dead man’s name. Onan, however, refused to fulfill this duty, and died for his sin. Judah promised to let Tamar marry his youngest son Shelah when he was grown, but it was simply a delaying tactic. Left without children and abandoned by Judah’s family, her future in that age was bleak. Yet Tamar, though possibly a Canaanite herself, refused to be sidelined. She persisted in her commitment to Judah’s family which had received the promise of God. She took bold, albeit questionable, steps to secure her place in the covenant family.
Judah’s conduct stands in stark contrast to Tamar’s determination. He acted with great hypocrisy and surpassing cruelty. He ignored Tamar’s needs and rights. She went in to Tamar, mistaking her for a prostitute. As a result, she became pregnant. Unaware that he was the father of the child, he condemned her to be burned alive as a whore. His self-righteousness blinded him to his own sin. His harsh judgment exposed his hypocrisy. On the way to her death, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law, who was the man responsible for her pregnancy. She sent him Judah’s seal, cord, and staff—the tokens of his identity—laying bare his hypocrisy and the magnitude of the crime he was about to commit. Confronted with inescapable evidence, Judah confessed, “She is more righteous than I.”
Judah’s admission marked his acceptance of Hezron and Perez, the children to be born to Tamar. These children formed part of Israel’s clans, unlike the leader within his family. His journey reminds us that God’s grace often works through the most broken circumstances to bring about redemption.
Tamar’s actions, while unconventional and immoral, reveal her passion for God’s promise. She clings fiercely to her place within the covenant. Like Jacob, she coveted her place in the covenant lineage. God detests those who are lukewarm. He seeks those for whom the only important thing in life is gaining God’s promise at any cost.
Her determination is ultimately vindicated, as she becomes the mother of Perez, an ancestor of Jesus Christ. Tamar’s inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus, alongside other women of questionable repute, highlights the depth of God’s grace and the unspeakable value he puts on faith. Through faith, he redeems not only the broken but also the marginalized and forgotten, weaving their stories into His grand narrative of salvation.
Genesis 38 also shows the deaths of Judah’s eldest sons, Er and Onan, die because of their wickedness. Yet, in the same chapter, we see God’s grace at work, redeeming Judah and Tamar’s story. The birth of Perez and Zerah symbolizes a new beginning in the midst of human failure.
This story warns us against self-sufficient isolation from godly peers. Distancing ourselves from godly influences leads to compromising with the world. This starts us on a path of spiritual and moral failure. Spiritual drift often starts subtly—with small compromises, neglecting prayer, or avoiding fellowship – but has significant consequences.
The narrative also challenges hypocrisy. Like Judah, we are quick to judge others while excusing our own faults. But God knew everything, from the secrets of Onan’s bed, hidden from everyone but the couple involved, to the secret of Tamar’s conception. Hebrews 4:13 reminds us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Rather than concealing our sins, we must bring them to light and repent before God, begging His forgiveness and restoration.
Finally, this story reveals God’s grace. Judah and Tamar’s actions were far from perfect, yet God used their story to fulfill His purposes. Their son Perez became a forefather of Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer. God’s grace is not limited by our failures; rather, He often works through them to accomplish His will. This truth gives us hope, for it assures us that no sin is too great, no failure too final for God’s redemptive power.
Are we living by faith? Does our passion for God and his promises exceed everything else in our lives? Do we reflect God’s holiness and grace? Are we guarding our hearts against compromise and staying open to godly influences? Are we accountable and gracious, or tyrannizing and unforgiving hypocrites? Are we honest with ourselves and with others before God?
Let us be aware that our actions, like those of Judah and Tamar, are part of a larger story—God’s story. He calls us to walk in truth and grace. He expects us to trust in His unfailing promises. When we stumble, let us look for the cause. We need to root it out, whether it is lust, greed, unbelief, or any other sin or burden. Let us remember that God is not finished with us. His grace is sufficient. His unfathomable purposes will prevail. Let us live before Him with integrity and faith, abandoning self-righteousness and depending completely on his grace.
Post a comment