Judah's Interlude (Genesis 38)
Once again, we get a story that seems to break away from where our interest should be, with the protagonist. However, this story of Judah serves a few purposes.
First, in light of the greater story—God’s plan to restore and redeem creation and sinful mankind—Judah is going to play a significant role. It will be revealed in time that the promised Messiah—Abraham’s seed that will bless all the families of the earth—will come through Judah’s line. Here, this story of sexual misconduct and treachery serve once again to show that God is going to work through imperfect people to accomplish His purposes.
Second, Judah is a very imperfect man. He serves our story as a perfect contrast to Joseph who is a man of exceptional character. Not only did he instigate selling Joseph into slavery, but he left the family and went to live among the Canaanites. (This is never a good thing in Old Testament perspective!) He also treats his daughter in law treacherously. When his first two sons die, he sends her away as if she were cursed. But we understand from the story that it is his sons’ evil choices that led to their deaths. When Tamar realizes what a deceitful and untrustworthy man her father in law is, she takes matters into her own hands and exposes his nature.
Third, we see here the beginning of a change in Judah. God does use sinful people to accomplish His plans, but in the best of examples that produces a change in those people. Judah will go on to be a heroic figure in the story of Joseph, and it is more impressive in light of the man he was when Joseph was sold into slavery.
First, in light of the greater story—God’s plan to restore and redeem creation and sinful mankind—Judah is going to play a significant role. It will be revealed in time that the promised Messiah—Abraham’s seed that will bless all the families of the earth—will come through Judah’s line. Here, this story of sexual misconduct and treachery serve once again to show that God is going to work through imperfect people to accomplish His purposes.
Second, Judah is a very imperfect man. He serves our story as a perfect contrast to Joseph who is a man of exceptional character. Not only did he instigate selling Joseph into slavery, but he left the family and went to live among the Canaanites. (This is never a good thing in Old Testament perspective!) He also treats his daughter in law treacherously. When his first two sons die, he sends her away as if she were cursed. But we understand from the story that it is his sons’ evil choices that led to their deaths. When Tamar realizes what a deceitful and untrustworthy man her father in law is, she takes matters into her own hands and exposes his nature.
Third, we see here the beginning of a change in Judah. God does use sinful people to accomplish His plans, but in the best of examples that produces a change in those people. Judah will go on to be a heroic figure in the story of Joseph, and it is more impressive in light of the man he was when Joseph was sold into slavery.
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