Last 5 Days
God’s Sovereignty and Grace
1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house.
12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”
24 About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.
27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
At first glance, Genesis 38 seems out of place, and like an interruption in the story of Joseph. In Chapter 37, we had read about Joseph’s dreams, and how he was sold into slavery by his brothers. In Chapter 39, the main character will again be Joseph, recording his life in Egypt. Therefore, it seems as though Genesis 38 is out of place in the chronological sequence of events.
However, if one is to compare Genesis 37 and 38, one will find many similarities in the accounts. For example, examining and recognising Joseph’s robe (Genesis 37:32-33), and recognising the seal, cord, and staff (Genesis 38:25-26), have the same root word in Biblical Hebrew. For example, the comparison between Jacob mourning for the loss of his son, while Judah was not reported to have mourned for the death of his sons, etc. These similarities and designed differences suggest the intentionality of the insertion of this chapter, as a comparison between Joseph, the son who received double the blessings, and Judah, the son through whom the lineage will continue. It also brings out the comparison between the purity of Joseph in Chapter 39 and the immorality in Chapter 38.
Indeed, Chapter 38 is filled with immoral acts that showed the continual downward spiral into sin of mankind. It is a keen reminder that the dangers described in Chapter 38, which threatened the promise of God (particularly the promise of offspring), continue to threaten and lure God’s people today. Nonetheless, the converse remains true, that our Sovereign God, who providentially overruled the sins of men in Chapter 38 to bring about His purposes, continues to be the Sovereign God who is unchanging and full of grace at this very time.
Every character in Chapter 38 showed their own side of immorality. Judah took a Canaanite wife, failed to keep his promise to his daughter-in-law, and laid with a prostitute. Onan took Tamar for his own pleasure, but did not fulfil his duty to produce an offspring for his brother. Tamar took things into her own hands by deceiving her father-in-law. Yet through all these sins, impatience, and wisdom of men, Perez, the forefather of David and of Jesus Christ, was born. Despite man’s lack of faithfulness and obedience, God’s purpose came to pass. God’s providence prevailed in the face of man’s sins, reminding us that eternal salvation was dependent upon God’s character, His power, His Sovereignty and His Grace.
Does it then mean that Christians need not obey God, since His will is going to be done regardless of our obedience? Certainly not. It is in our obedience that we are able to recognise His hand, and God desires to be glorified through His people.
Dear brothers and sisters, would you be willing to be obedient to God, that you might recognise His sovereignty, His grace, and His providence, so that you might be able to testify to it? Would you be willing to set apart your life, so that God be glorified? We can start by setting aside time for quiet time and prayer daily, so that we may draw close to God. If you already are, then may I encourage you to bring another alongside you, and to hold each other accountable on this journey of walking alongside God.