Good morning. It is Thursday so I would like to share thoughts about an interesting Bible character. The person I would like to have us consider today is a woman by the name of Tamar. The reason she comes to mind is that as I was doing my research for this Sunday’s sermon message, (the “I am the light of the world” statement of Jesus in the 8th chapter of the gospel of John), I researched the Feast of Tabernacles or “Booths.” Within the seven days of celebration and feast there was the practice among the Jews to celebrate, each day, one of seven women whose stories were especially important to God’s plan of salvation, which meant His plan to bring them the Messiah. The list is as follows: Ruth, Sarah, Rebecca, Miriam, Deborah, Tamar, and Rachel.
Indeed, as we look at that list we can see that they have key roles in God’s execution of His plan for our salvation, but there is one surprising name on the list, the name of Tamar. You see, Tamar’s story, as we read it in Genesis 38, is one of the most sordid stories in all the Bible.
Genesis 37 tells us of Jacob’s sons selling their brother Joseph into slavery. Chapter 39 tells us about Joseph’s dealings with Potiphar and his wife after he became a slave in Egypt. Sandwiched in the midst of that essential history is the story of Tamar and Judah.
Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, had three sons. The first was Er, the second was Onan, and the third was Shelah. When Er became of age he married Tamar, but Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord and God “put him to death.” Genesis 38:7. The legal obligation of the day (remember this is well before Moses and Mosaic Law came into being) was that the second son, Onan, would then become Tamar’s husband to continue the lineage of the firstborn son. But Onan was also wicked, so God put him to death as well. Genesis 38:10. That left the third son, Shelah, who at that time was too young to marry. Judah tells Tamar not to worry, that she must continue in mourning and live with her father until Shelah reaches the appropriate age. Time passes, and Tamar’s life is miserable. She must live in the unending status of the grieving widow, which means that not only can she not remarry, she must live life cloistered away, never appearing in public.
Judah feels that losing two sons while married to her is quite enough and has no plans to have his third son marry her, so time drags on as he tries to figure out a way to get rid of her. Eventually, Judah’s wife dies, and he announces that he will travel to the town of Timnah and help his shepherds with his flock of sheep. Tamar learns of this, and she hatches a scheme.
Tamar changes from her grieving clothes and puts on the veil and clothing of a prostitute. She waits for Judah at a place along the road that she knows he will be traveling to reach Timnah. He sees her, wants to “do business,” and they work out a price of a young goat. He doesn’t have it with him of course, so he leaves personal items with her as collateral. Their “deal” is consummated, and Judah goes on his way. What he doesn’t know is that A. the woman he was just with was not a prostitute but his daughter-in-law Tamer, and B. that she is now pregnant…with twins!
In a few months Tamar’s pregnancy becomes known. Judah hears of it and thinks that he finally has a way to legally be done with her. He charges her with prostitution (oh, the irony!) and orders that she be publicly burned to death.
It is at this point that Tamar reveals to Judah that he is the father of her children. “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!”
When he learns the truth, Judah drops the issue and takes responsibility for the children. Tamar gives birth to twin sons, named Zerah and Perez. And that is where the name of Tamar becomes part of the celebration of Israel for God’s promised Messiah. In the Genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 1 we read what would be the official, legal, Jewish record of genealogy. In Matthew 1:3 we read Judah, the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram…
Why was Tamar’s name on the list of the celebrated women of God’s plan to bring the Messiah? Because she played a critical role in that genealogy, for it is that line from Perez that includes King David, and ultimately Jesus.
Never discount God’s ability to take any story, turn it on its head, and make it work to achieve His purposes!
Something to think about.
Vern