Matt. 1:1-3 (A Bible Study)
Matthew starts out with Jesus’ genealogy on Joseph’s side. I want to bring your attention to verse number three. Note that Jesus’ lineage comes through Perez, whose mother and father were Judah and Tamar.
There are several interesting and often overlooked facts about this less-than-ideal little family. When we take a closer look, it will make you scratch your head to realize that God chose to bring His sinless Son into the world through this particular lineage.
So, here’s the facts:
Tamar had married Judah’s son Er (he was killed by God for his wickedness).
So, then Tamar was passed down to Er’s younger brother, Onan. Well, Onan was also killed by God for refusing to raise up children for his brother. (You must read this let’s say colorful story in Genesis 38.)
Er and Onan had died and left Tamar a widow, twice-over, and the only brother left was Shelah, who was too young to marry. So, Judah told Tamar to live in her father’s house in Timnath until Shelah was old enough to take her to wife.
Time marched on and Shelah became a man. Tamar had heard that Judah was coming to Timnath to shear his sheep. Well, Tamar was not happy that Judah had broken his promise to give her to his son to wife, or so it seemed to her. So, she concocted an evil, but effective plan. She dressed up as a harlot, covered her face with a veil and lured her father-in-law, Judah, into her trap.
She asked a pledge from him before inviting him into her cheating chambers (his signet ring, his bracelets and his staff). To make a long story short, it became evident that there had been a bit more than sheepshearing going on in the tiny town of Timnath. Word got around that Tamar had played the harlot and was with child. Judah, in all his righteousness (ha), called for her to be brought forth and burned for her woefully wicked ways.
Well, Tamar may not have had much luck with husbands heretofore, but she did have a brain in that veil-bedecked little noggin of hers. As they dragged her wayward, wonton womanhood out of the house, she cleverly presented Judah’s own signet ring, bracelets and staff to him and said, “These belong to the baby daddy!” (Well, she may not have actually used those words, but you get the gist).
I can just see Judah’s eyes widen and the lump in his throat bulging.
Other than the fact that you just can’t make this stuff up…what do you think God might have us learn from this too-juicy for primetime tale?
God doesn’t think like we think; His ways are much higher than our ways and His thoughts are much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9) God will often choose those who have failed the most to work through. I believe He wanted to show the world that we are ALL fallible and unworthy at our best. I also want to note what Judah said when he had been shown up by Tamar.
Genesis 38:26 And Judah acknowledged them (the signet ring, bracelets and staff), and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son.”
Well, in all fairness, what could he say. He had been caught red-handed and red-faced with his hand in the cookie jar. However, if he’d been a man given to pride, he could have accused her of lying and even stealing his stuff and had her killed. But no, he owned up to his wrongs.
I think this speaks volumes about the type of characters that God chose to make up the lineage of His pure, sinless Son. God still chooses those who are willing to admit their wrongs and are not ashamed to own up to their failures.
It doesn’t matter what awful things we’ve done or how bad we’ve been, God is so loving and kind that He gladly forgives us when we swallow our pride and confess our sins. Don’t ever think that the things you have done disqualify you from being used by God. He has a special place for you too!
