From Bad Deal To Blessing

Today's Verse

Genesis 38:11 (NKJV)

Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

Read: Genesis Chapter 38

Thoughts

Jacob’s sons were slowly breaking up: Simeon and Levi’s killing spree in Shechem, Reuben’s abuse of Bilhah (his father’s wife), Joseph was sold into slavery, and now Judah associated himself with the Canaanites, basically he was sleeping with the enemy. He befriended a Canaanite guy, married a Canaanite woman, and found a Canaanite woman for his son – the woman’s name was Tamar.

Judah’s two sons (Er and Onan) became wicked that God took their lives away. And so Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law was left hanging in the balance. Judah had a third son named Shelah, and promised Tamar that when he will reach adulthood, Tamar could marry him also. It was a tradition that succeeding younger brothers must marry their older brother’s wife when he dies, to continue the legacy of the oldest brother (Deut. 25:7). So more likely, younger brothers must have an approval of whom the oldest brother should marry.

Judah sent Tamar back to his dad, probably having the thought that she will marry some Canaanite man and he can get rid of her eventually from wreaking havoc to his family. Shelah is the only son left to continue the family clan, and no way he’s gonna be dead too. In reality, Tamar was just one woman caught up in the mess of Judah’s family. Later, because of a broken promise, Tamar did what any woman would do; she made a way to get justice for herself by disguising as a harlot to be impregnated by Judah, since Judah did not give Shelah to Tamar when he was at the right age. As the story goes, Tamar was proven to be more righteous than Judah because of the instances that transpired. Tamar became pregnant with twins (Perez and Zerah) and was the first of the four non-Jewish women to be included in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheeba).

The moral of the story, we often disregard other people that seem to be irrelevant, someone who is outside of our group, we focus on our Christianese comfort zones, and don’t mind about others. But in God’s eyes, He can make use of anyone He wants to use, even a Canaanite woman who was non-Jewish. It shows that God’s grace was already at work in the lives of non-Jewish people very early on. Even until now, many people like us who are outside the chosen nation of Israel can be included in God’s heavenly family because of His own work through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not because of our own doing or qualifications, it is by God’s grace. God can turn bad deals in our lives to blessings we never imagined.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, we cannot thank You enough that we have the opportunity to be called sons and daughters of God because of You (John 1:12). You brought us out of the miry clay, and continue sanctifying us until one day - we will live with You in heaven. Praise You Lord Jesus. Amen.