The focus on Joseph’s story means that Genesis 38 tends to be skipped over a bit which is a shame. The story of Judah and Tamar is crucial both to the unfolding Bible story line and to what is happening with Joseph. We leave Jacob’s favoured son for a time, sold into slavery in Egypt. Meanwhile life has not been put on hold in Canaan.
Read Genesis 38
Judah, one of Jacob’s sons moves, the one who arranged Joseph’s sale eaves the family home perhaps out of guilt and moves to live with the Canaanites. He marries an unnamed Canaanite woman, she seems incidental to the plotline and has three sons by her, ER, Onan and Shelah (38:1-5).
Judah finds Er a wife, also from the Canaanites, she is called Tamar. But Er is wicked and God puts him to death (1:6-7). Judah instructs his second son, Onan to sleep with Onan to provide a son and heir for Er. This seems to suggest that an informal version of the Levirate laws existed as a custom. These would be codified by Moses to provide for a relative to step in as “kinsman redeemer” and marry a widow. However, it is clear here that the heir belongs to the original husband not the stand in. Onan knows this and so he has sex with Tamar but withdraws before ejaculation. Whether he is happy to seek sexual gratification without fulfilling his responsibility or simply goes through the motions is not stated but what is clear is that he has betrayed Tamar and his brother. He sinned. God strikes him dead too (v8-10).
Judah is afraid for his third-born son and instead of identifying the sin in his own family, seems to put the blame on Tamar as though she were cursed. He sends her back to her family, promising the third son when he is older but with no intention of fulfilling this (v11).
Later, Judah’s wife dies. He grieves her for a period and then returns to see his Canaanite friend and to check in on his sheep flock (v12). Tamar hears about this and disguises herself, then goes to wait for him. She has worked out that Shelah is not going to become her husband Judah assumes she is a prostitute and asks her to sleep with him in return for one of his goats. She asks him for something as a pledge that he will honour the payment. He leaves his seal and his staff with her (v12-19). When he attempts to send payment, of course the prostitute cannot be found. Judah decides to leave things there so as not to draw attention and shame to himself (v20-23).
Later Judah is told that Tamar has been prostituting herself and fallen pregnant. He demands a harsh punishment for her, demanding that she is burnt alive (v24). However, she produces his pledge and outs the owner of them as the father (v25). Judah is forced to recognise that he is the one who has failed. He is the one who sinned and betrayed her both by failing to give his son to her and by using her for sex just as Onan did. She is vindicated. Judah recognises that in this matter, she is more righteous than him. In other words, he does not have a legal case to bring. She has a legitimate defence whereas he has no excuse. He is the one who deserves to be on trial for his immorality. He is the one who deserves death (v26).
Tamar gives birth to twins, though there is a tussle over who is born first, and we are no doubt meant to see echoes of their grandfather’s birth as Esau’s twin (v27-30).
Digging Deeper
Why is the story of Jsoeph interrupted? I would suggest two reasons. First, Judah’s line is important too. Whilst Joseph will be central to the immediate continuation of redemptive history and Israel’s salvation, Judah will provide long term hope. It is through Judah’s “seed” that the King and eventually the Messiah will come. There ill of course be rivalry between two lines, first as Rachel’s other son Benjamin will provide a rival kingly line through Saul, secondly as the kingdom will divide and Joseph’s tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim will dominate the northern kingdom and rival to Judah. We see here that if salvation and the promise are to come through Judah that first, the seed is threatened early. Secondly, that Judah’s line is chosen not because of his righteousness and indeed, the messianic line starts inauspiciously. Thirdly, Christ’s line will include Tamar as well as later, Rahab and Ruth.
The other point is that Judah who had sold Joseph was himself a slave to his folly and experienced self-inflicted exile. If Joseph is threatened with death and experiences a form of death in exile, Judah’s line must also experience judgement and death. The next part of the story will tell us about Joseph’s response to sexual temptation by Potiphar’s wife and so Judah and Onan compare unfavourably with Joseph’s integrity.
A look at ourselves
There are a few things to apply here. First, there are ethical applications. Think about how quci we can be to judge the sin of others but there is a question about our responsibility and who is more righteous. Do not judge if you do not wish to be judged yourself.
Secondly, we are meant to keep tracing the redemptive story and see how God is at work even in the midst to fulfil his plan. This should cause us to be thankful. It also means that ifwe know that God has fulfilled his promises in the big plan of salvation, that he we can trust him in the mess of our own lives.
The focus on Joseph’s story means that Genesis 38 tends to be skipped over a bit which is a shame. The story of Judah and Tamar is crucial both to the unfolding Bible story line and to what is happening with Joseph. We leave Jacob’s favoured son for a time, sold into slavery in Egypt. Meanwhile life has not been put on hold in Canaan.
Read Genesis 38
Judah, one of Jacob’s sons moves, the one who arranged Joseph’s sale eaves the family home perhaps out of guilt and moves to live with the Canaanites. He marries an unnamed Canaanite woman, she seems incidental to the plotline and has three sons by her, ER, Onan and Shelah (38:1-5).
Judah finds Er a wife, also from the Canaanites, she is called Tamar. But Er is wicked and God puts him to death (1:6-7). Judah instructs his second son, Onan to sleep with Onan to provide a son and heir for Er. This seems to suggest that an informal version of the Levirate laws existed as a custom. These would be codified by Moses to provide for a relative to step in as “kinsman redeemer” and marry a widow. However, it is clear here that the heir belongs to the original husband not the stand in. Onan knows this and so he has sex with Tamar but withdraws before ejaculation. Whether he is happy to seek sexual gratification without fulfilling his responsibility or simply goes through the motions is not stated but what is clear is that he has betrayed Tamar and his brother. He sinned. God strikes him dead too (v8-10).
Judah is afraid for his third-born son and instead of identifying the sin in his own family, seems to put the blame on Tamar as though she were cursed. He sends her back to her family, promising the third son when he is older but with no intention of fulfilling this (v11).
Later, Judah’s wife dies. He grieves her for a period and then returns to see his Canaanite friend and to check in on his sheep flock (v12). Tamar hears about this and disguises herself, then goes to wait for him. She has worked out that Shelah is not going to become her husband Judah assumes she is a prostitute and asks her to sleep with him in return for one of his goats. She asks him for something as a pledge that he will honour the payment. He leaves his seal and his staff with her (v12-19). When he attempts to send payment, of course the prostitute cannot be found. Judah decides to leave things there so as not to draw attention and shame to himself (v20-23).
Later Judah is told that Tamar has been prostituting herself and fallen pregnant. He demands a harsh punishment for her, demanding that she is burnt alive (v24). However, she produces his pledge and outs the owner of them as the father (v25). Judah is forced to recognise that he is the one who has failed. He is the one who sinned and betrayed her both by failing to give his son to her and by using her for sex just as Onan did. She is vindicated. Judah recognises that in this matter, she is more righteous than him. In other words, he does not have a legal case to bring. She has a legitimate defence whereas he has no excuse. He is the one who deserves to be on trial for his immorality. He is the one who deserves death (v26).
Tamar gives birth to twins, though there is a tussle over who is born first, and we are no doubt meant to see echoes of their grandfather’s birth as Esau’s twin (v27-30).
Digging Deeper
Why is the story of Jsoeph interrupted? I would suggest two reasons. First, Judah’s line is important too. Whilst Joseph will be central to the immediate continuation of redemptive history and Israel’s salvation, Judah will provide long term hope. It is through Judah’s “seed” that the King and eventually the Messiah will come. There ill of course be rivalry between two lines, first as Rachel’s other son Benjamin will provide a rival kingly line through Saul, secondly as the kingdom will divide and Joseph’s tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim will dominate the northern kingdom and rival to Judah. We see here that if salvation and the promise are to come through Judah that first, the seed is threatened early. Secondly, that Judah’s line is chosen not because of his righteousness and indeed, the messianic line starts inauspiciously. Thirdly, Christ’s line will include Tamar as well as later, Rahab and Ruth.
The other point is that Judah who had sold Joseph was himself a slave to his folly and experienced self-inflicted exile. If Joseph is threatened with death and experiences a form of death in exile, Judah’s line must also experience judgement and death. The next part of the story will tell us about Joseph’s response to sexual temptation by Potiphar’s wife and so Judah and Onan compare unfavourably with Joseph’s integrity.
A look at ourselves
There are a few things to apply here. First, there are ethical applications. Think about how quci we can be to judge the sin of others but there is a question about our responsibility and who is more righteous. Do not judge if you do not wish to be judged yourself.
Secondly, we are meant to keep tracing the redemptive story and see how God is at work even in the midst to fulfil his plan. This should cause us to be thankful. It also means that ifwe know that God has fulfilled his promises in the big plan of salvation, that he we can trust him in the mess of our own lives.
Faithroots 