Amazing Genesis

[npetreley]

I should probably have entitled this Awesome God.

Reading the incest thread reminded me of one of the many little details that speak to how the Bible is such an amazingly consistent document in what information it includes, and how it all fits together over the span of thousands of years in ways that can only be explained by the perfect knowledge and sovereignty of God.

Anyone ever notice how there is an odd tangent that appears as Genesis chapter 38? Genesis is telling a fairly cohesive story about Joseph when all of a sudden it goes off on a tangent about how Judah has a little fling with a harlot. The supposed harlot is actually his daughter-in-law Tamar, posing as a harlot. Then the chapter says Tamar has twins (Perez and Zerah), and with that news, the little soap-opera about Judah's fling is closed. The Bible then takes you back to the Genesis story of Joseph, already in progress.

Genesis 38 is a story of immorality and trickery with no obvious message or moral, which is why It's awfully difficult to understand its place in the Bible. That's because the reason for Genesis 38 to be in the Bible does not become apparent until one looks at the geneology of Jesus.

Matthew 1: 1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron...

Our God is awesome, is He not?

 

[John Wells]

Yes, Genesis is an absolutely amazing true story! Let the mockers have their day, for we'll all be held accountable for what we do and say.

 

[Scarlett O.]

Originally posted by npetreley:
Genesis 38 is a story of immorality and trickery with no obvious message or moral, which is why It's awfully difficult to understand its place in the Bible. That's because the reason for Genesis 38 to be in the Bible does not become apparent until one looks at the geneology of Jesus.

I agree with you 100%. Our God is quite awesome!

However, I feel that there is a definite message and moral meaning to the story of Judah and Tamar.

I also believe that the significance of Genesis 38 can be found long before the Matthew's genealogy of Jesus.

It's found in Genesis 49. Jacob is dying and blessing his sons. His blessing and prophecy for Judah is that the Messiah will come through his lineage.

Read Gen. 49:8-12. It's quite a beautiful prophecy about the "Lion of Judah" and Jesus' lineage.

And to think that Judah almost blew it and never had a lineage and that God used him anyway is miraculous indeed. Therein lies one of the messages.

He raised a very evil son. Er. So evil that God just struck him down. Dead. The Bible doesn't tell us what he did or was that was so evil. But God doesn't owe us an explanation for His actions.

He also raised a very greedy and irresponsible son. Onan. When he was given Tamar as his wife and was told to have children with her so that Er could "officially" have children, he didn't do it.

Oh, he had sexual relations with her alright, but when the crucial time came, he made sure she didn't get pregnant.

Why?

If Tamar had Onan's sons, they would be considered Er's sons. That means that they would inherit Er's double portion as first born. If Er never had sons, then Onan got his own portion, plus Er's.

Greed. Pure and simple greed.

Judah sent Tamar away and never intended at all to give his last son to her. He lied to her. And his chances for future generations was dwindling by the minute.

She panicked. She knew that she belonged to Judah's family and not her father's anymore and she did the wrong thing. What a foolish act.

When Judah found out she was pregnant (not knowing he was the father), he wanted to burn her alive. What a double-standard. What a self-centered act.

God, nonetheless, used one of the sons of Judah and Tamar to continue the lineage of Jesus.

Why? I don't know. I don't have to know. I just believe and trust.

I do know this. God can and will use anyone he chooses for the completion of his purposes. We may judge them incorrectly. Perhaps God sees things we don't see in other people.

Judah did eventually and finally do the right thing. He took Tamar in his home and never had sex with her again. She was a daughter (daughter-in-law) to him instead. That was her intended purpose all along. Together, they raised the children.

One more thing.

In Matthew's genealogy, there are five women.

Tamar - panicked and posed as a prostitute

Rahab - was a real prostitute

Ruth - was a Moabite woman and God said (in Numbers) that if the Jewish people intermarried with these people that it would be considered whoredom

wife of Uriah (Bathsheba) - she was treated like a prostitute by being summoned by David to his bed (you didn't disobey the king)

Mary - found favor with God, but what do you suppose the people in town called her after she was found to be pregnant?

Therein lies another discussion altogher!

Peace-

YSIC
Scarlett O.

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