Tuesday
Read: Genesis 38; Ruth 4:12; Matthew 1:2–16
SOAP: Ruth 4:12
“May your family become like the family of Perez—whom Tamar bore to Judah—through the descendants the Loʀᴅ gives you by this young woman.”
Devotion
There are consistent themes throughout the Book of Genesis, especially through the patriarchal narratives. The account of Judah and Tamar continues to display these themes, linking seemingly isolated events to the rest of the narrative.
One of these particularly evident themes is God’s choice of a younger sibling over the firstborn. Judah attempted to gain the status of the firstborn by selling Joseph to the Midianites. Judah was next in line as his three elder brothers disqualified themselves through moral failure (see Genesis 34; 35:22). Though God had chosen Joseph to be the one to receive the double portion of the firstborn, Judah would also receive a blessing because of his repentance from sin and resulting obedience.
Judah betrayed and sold his brother into slavery and then deceived his father by leading him to believe Joseph was dead. He chose the things of the world, wickedness and a life far from God. He went to live with the Canaanites, the people from whom God had commanded the children of Israel to remain separate. His failure to live obediently led to the death of his sons, as they, too, were wicked before the Lord. Judah refused to give Tamar, his daughter-in-law, to his son Shelah after her husband died. God discipled Judah as He had disciplined his father. Judah deceived his father and was in turn disciplined by God through the deception of his daughter-in-law.
Tamar stands out as the only well-intended person in these events. While we may look at her actions with disdain, she was attempting to secure her future and reclaim her rights as the wife of Judah’s firstborn. In the midst of a corrupt family, she kept Judah’s line from assimilating with the Canaanites. She protected the family and was regarded in Israel’s history with respect and honor. Her actions redeemed the line of Judah, the line through which God would bring His Son into the world.
Tamar’s story shows us that no matter the desperation, no matter how far His chosen people have wandered, God is the hero. He is the one who disciplined Judah and led him back to his father’s household. He is the one who brought about justice for Tamar, honoring her in Israel’s history. And even in the mess of this situation, the ultimate result was the birth of the One who would save the world from sin and death. Jesus Christ descended from Judah and Tamar, reminding us that our God will always work out His good purposes, despite people’s sin.