Day 26

Judah and Tamar

from the reading plan


Genesis 38:1-30, Deuteronomy 25:5-10, 1 Timothy 5:8


Family is messy, but this chapter in Genesis takes it to a whole new level. This is one of those passages in the Bible that causes us to scratch our heads and wonder, “What on earth is this supposed to be about?” It is also a text that reminds us that we are reading a very, very old work of literature that was developed in a culture very, very different from our own.

Even without a cultural deep-dive, we can plainly see that this chapter recounts a tragic series of events for God’s chosen family, all beginning with Judah’s decision to abandon his family and make his own way in the world (Genesis 38:1). As the story continues, it is clear that the theme of “sinning against one’s family” is at the center of this passage. When Onan refused to adhere to his familial responsibilities after the death of his eldest brother, he did so out of greed (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). If he were to sire an heir for his brother through Tamar, that child would receive the lion’s share of Judah’s inheritance. But if Tamar never bore a child, then Onan would receive the inheritance instead.

That was but one drop in the cascade of sin and deceit that Judah’s family wrought upon one another. It all culminated in a dramatic vindication of Tamar’s actions as Judah admitted his role in the whole affair saying, “She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah” (Genesis 38:26).

But what are we to take away from this story, aside from an unsettling discomfort? Is this a cautionary tale against lying? Are we to be goaded into treating our families better? Is this a teaching against greed? Possibly. And yet, the more I stew on it, the more uncomfortable I become with those outcomes. It’s all so messy! Even when we look for redeeming qualities or a neat resolution of the conflict, we are left wanting.

But isn’t that just like our lives? Our lives are messy. They, too, are filled with unfortunate and tragic decisions that we and others make that have lasting consequences for ourselves and for those that we love. Even still, God’s salvation breaks through.

So what do we do with Genesis 38? I’ve come to the conclusion that though God’s plan for salvation is rife with episodes of human sinfulness, our sin does not impede His salvation. Rather, God bears our sinfulness in order to redeem it. God bears the awfulness of Judah’s deception, sin, and the uncomfortable nature of this whole story. In a way that only God can do, He brings light from the darkness—because this messy story is indeed a step of Christ’s ancestry. The story of God’s salvation marches on through Tamar, to Perez, to David, and ultimately to Jesus. And it is in Jesus that we most clearly see the pattern: God bears our sinfulness in order to redeem it.

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