Genesis 17:15-18:15: Laughter (Nothing is too difficult for God)

Presented to Corps 614 Regent Park and The Warehouse Mission, 30 October 2016 by Captain Michael Ramsay

We have a couple of significant days coming up this week. Do we know what they are? What’s Monday? (Hallow e'en) And what’s Tuesday? (All Saints Day). We will look at both of these in the context of our scripture today (Genesis 17-18) but first I have some October 31 Trivia questions for us. Let’s see how we do?[1]

1. What happened on October 31, 1517?
2. Name one witch in the Bible?
3. Who famously survived a diet of worms?
4. Which of the following is not in the Bible (ghost, vampire, one raised from the dead)?
5. What was Luther protesting on October 31, 1517?
6. T or F: Jesus tells a parable of a haunted house.
7. Which King of Israel consulted a medium to contact the dead?

This Monday is not only Hallow e'en, it is also Reformation Day. We mentioned October 31, 1517, was the date Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church. Do we know to what his 95 Theses primarily referred? It is actually quite long and complicated and some of his 95 points make more sense than others but the main gist of it has to do with Papal Indulgences; do we know what Papal Indulgences were and thus what Martin Luther was protesting?

To draw an analogy from last century: Do you remember the televangelists from the 20th century… like the Jimmy and Tammy Faye Baker and Oral Roberts in the 1980s? They were getting rich peddling Christian-themed items and such. The Bakers even started an entire Christian amusement park and Roberts went so far as to lock himself in a tower and said that unless people gave him eight million dollars God would ‘call him home’. These people used or abused their authority and reputation to make money.

Way back in Luther’s time, something similar was occurring. A theological position had previously developed and was becoming quite prevalent that people would go to a place called purgatory after they died and purgatory was not a great place. Purgatory was a place of torment, where people would be purified of their sins by being tortured until they were made holy. Powerful people in the church were telling others that if they wanted to get their departed loved ones out of this spiritual Guantanamo Bay, all they had to do was pay some money and they would pray them out of Purgatory or give them time off for good behaviour or something like that. This –buying your friends and family out of purgatory - was called buying Papal Indulgences. The monk, Martin Luther, like so many other churchmen of his day had a real problem with powerful people exploiting others and this complaint was the main thrust of Luther’s 95 Theses. So on every October 31^st we are invited to remember that Salvation is due to the grace of God, not actions like by paying money or doing other things. And salvation can’t be bestowed or prevented by clergy or other church, political, family, civic, or other leaders. Holiness and Salvation come from Christ alone and Christ says we can all be holy. We’ll come back to this in a bit but first let’s look at Isaac and his mom and dad.

Do we know who Isaac’s mom and dad were? Isaac’s mom was Rebecca and Isaac’s dad was Abraham. And Isaac, he was born when his dad was 100 years-old and his mom was ninety.

Now Heather was born when I was in my forties and I certainly don't have the same energy I did when my older two girls were her age. Even my children’s grandparents are nowhere near the 100 years-old that Abraham was when Isaac was born and they definitely are a little slower keeping up with their grand-kids than they were with their own children. I can’t imagine what it would be like raising a child at 100.

Every month Susan and some others go to the Arthur Meighen Centre to lead a service for the seniors. They are great folks; many of them have age-related challenges and most of them are not 100 or even 90 years-old. Can you imagine if we went to a service at the old age home next week and one of the seniors gave birth? I can't imagine raising my own child at 90 years-old, let alone being a woman and giving birth in my 90s.  This is the miracle of Isaac's birth. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Now Isaac is a nice name. His name means laughter. Does anyone here know what their names mean? My name means ‘Servant of God’, Rebecca’s name means ‘Covenant’, Sarah-Grace means ‘Princess-Gift of God’ and Heather is a beautiful flower. Do you know why Isaac is called ‘Laughter’?[2]

It comes back to this story in Genesis - an angel of the Lord tells Abraham that his 90 something year-old wife will give birth.[3] Sarah hears this and she laughs out loud. The Angel calls her on it, saying, ‘why did you laugh when I said you were going to have a baby’? To which Sarah replies, ‘I didn't laugh’; The Angel says, ‘yes you did’; so God and the Angel call her child ‘Laughter’ to remind her and us not to doubt the power and the providence of God. Nothing is too difficult for God. There is nothing God cannot do. Do we know this? Do we believe this?[4]

This relates back to Reformation Day and Martin Luther a little bit. Remember one of the things that he was protesting was people thinking that they could pay or earn their way to God; that they could somehow merit or someone else could impede their eternal relationship with God.

Abraham and Sarah each laughed when they heard that God was going to give them a child. They didn’t believe that God would take care of them in this way; they didn’t know God can do anything. Do we? Do we believe that? Do we know that? Do we believe that whatever is wrong in our lives, God can take care of us? Every time Abraham and Sarah would be tempted to doubt that in the future they simply had to laugh or recall their son Isaac’s name, ‘Laughter’ and they would be reminded of his miraculous birth and that nothing is too difficult for God (Matthew 19:26, Luke 18:27).

This relates a little bit to All Saints Day which is coming up this week as well. Do we know what a saint is in the Bible? ‘Saint’ is actually the Bible`s word for a Christian. ‘Saint’ is one of those words I think that is left over from the King James translation that we should update so people know what we`re talking about because a lot of people only think of saints as dead people. The Bible says that if you are a Christian you are a saint. And more than that: If we were to name attributes of a saint, what might they be? (Good, nice, holy). Did you know that the word for saint in Greek is from exactly the same word as holy?[5] So the Bible says – especially in 1 Peter – that we who are Christians are holy. It is the same word.[6] The Bible says that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) but it does not say that we all sin all the time. We are no longer sinners; we are now holy saints, because God says so and God makes it so.[7] 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 tells as that as we serve God, He will transform our lives from sin to salvation. He will do it. He loves us. He makes us holy.[8] He makes us saints.

This is important. Whenever someone tells you that you are a failure, you can say ‘No, I’m a saint – the Bible says so’. It really does. Whenever someone tells you, you are no good, you can say, ‘No, I’m a saint.’ Whenever someone tells us we are worthless, what can we say? (No, I’m a saint). Whenever someone tells us we are evil what can we say? (No, I’m a saint). Whenever someone tells us we are less than in any way what can we say? (No, I’m a saint).

The God who transforms people in the Bible can transform you and He can transform me. The God who saves people in the Bible can save you and He can save me. The God in the Bible who loves people – the whole world’s worth (John 3:16) – He loves you and He loves me. God made us to be holy as He is holy – like the Bible from 1 Peter all the way back to Leviticus records – God has transformed us who love Him into saints. So next time you hear your Christian friend here saying ‘I’m not a saint,’ encourage and correct them, because they are a saint and so are you. God has declared us such: even me. Nothing is too difficult for God. So let’s praise Him for that today and on Tuesday which is our day – All Saints Day.

This is important. Nothing is too difficult for God. Sarah and Abraham had some really difficult challenges in their lives but nothing is too difficult for God. Twice Sarah said that she was Abraham`s sister instead of his wife so people wouldn’t kill her husband and take her away. And even though Abraham and Sarah messed things up by trying to solve the problem on their own, God took care of them. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Having a child was seen as being blessed by God; someone who did not have a child was thought to be cursed. This troubled Sarah and Abraham greatly. And even though Sarah messed things up a bit, God took care of them. He gave her a child and named him ‘Laughter’ to remind them that even though they laughed at the prospect of having this child, here he is because nothing is too difficult for God.

Before that Sarah even went so far as to force her slave girl to have relations with her husband so that she could have her child. And even though Abraham and Sarah messed things up by trying to do things without Him, God took care of them.[9] He gave them this child and another child, who was begotten of them both named  ‘Laughter’ to remind them that nothing is too difficult for God.

Every time after that someone laughed or every time after that they heard their son’s name, I’m sure they could laugh assuredly in the providence of God. Many times in her life and their life Sarah and Abraham messed up but God took care of them; nothing is too difficult for God.

Many times in my life I have messed up, made serious mistakes, done bad things, but God takes care of me. He calls me ‘holy’. I am a saint. You are a saint if you love God. Nothing is too difficult for God. God has been with me through my darkest hours, just like he was with Abraham and Sarah and later Isaac and his sons and their sons. We spoke about Judah the other week, Sarah’s great grandson and Isaac’s grandson. He messed up a lot but God took care of him. His brother spent years in slavery and in prison and during that time the Bible tells us he prospered and how did he prosper? He prospered because God took care of him. Nothing is too difficult for God.  God took care of him. And they could all look back on the naming of Isaac, their relative, laugh and remember that nothing is too difficult for God.

Today, I know there are many people here who are in the midst of so much. There is illness all around. I honestly can`t believe the number of people with cancer these days. There is addiction here and there and everywhere struggling with many of us as well. There are mental health issues. People in our family and our community are struggling with so much. There are broken relationships; Struggles around parents, children, jobs, finances, food, housing, and security. So much happens here in our world, our community, our family right here but you know what? Even in our darkest hour God will take care of us. Nothing is too difficult for God.

www.sheepspeak.com 

---

---

[1] 1) Martin Luther presented his 95 Theses  2) The Witch of Endor 3) Martin Luther 4) Vampire 5) Papal Indulgences 6) True 7) King Saul

[2] Cf John H. Sailhamer, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM: Genesis/Exposition of Genesis/II. Abraham 11:27-25:10 [11])/D. The Lot Narratives (13:5-19:38)/5. Abraham, Sarah, and Ishmael (17:1-27), Book Version: 4.0.2

[3] Cf. Terence E. Fretheim, The Book of Genesis, (NIB I: Abingdon Press: Nashville, 1994), 463. One might see how this news would be surprising as the passage is clear (Genesis 18:11) that Sarah has stopped menstruating.

[4] Cf. Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation: Genesis, (John Knox Press: Atlanta, Georgia, 1982), 159. This is actually the primary focus of the text.

[5] Cf. Paul Minear, Interpretation 37 no 1 Jan 1983, p. 22: In his death and resurrection, Jesus' holiness or sanctification became the measure and standard of all holiness, whether of places, times, things, or persons. (Key passages which reflect this are John 10:36; 17:17-19; I Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 2:11; 10:10; 12:14-24; 13:12-14.)

[6]  John D.W. Watts. 'Holy.' In Holman Bible Dictionary, general editor Trent C. Butler. Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991), 660. W.E. Vine. 'Holiness, Holy, Holily.' In Vine's Expository Dictionary of  New Testament Word. (Nashville, Tennessee: Royal Publishers Inc., 1939), 555.

[7] N.T. Wright , Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision. (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2009), 142

[8] W.E. Vine. . 'Holiness, Holy, Holily.' In Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Word. (Nashville, Tennessee: Royal Publishers Inc., 1939), 556.

[9] Cf. John H. Walton, ‘Genesis’ in NIVAC Bundle 1: Penteteuch. (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA: Zondervan, 2001), Loc 9574, re. Noble intent gone awry.

Devotion 2.25/77: James 2:25: Redeemed

Presented to Riverside Cafe, 14 October 2016

Read James 2:24-25

Today when we hear the name Rahab, we often think of this lady whom the LORD used to save the spies and deliver Jericho into the Hebrews’ hands. Did you know the name ‘Rahab’ translated from Hebrew means ‘broad’ or ‘fat’ and in common usage it refers to ‘fierceness’, ‘insolence’, and ‘pride.’ In the Bible, the word ‘Rahab’ is used commonly as an insult for the country of Egypt. Rahab, the lady in this passage, was a marginalized, prostituted Canaanite. But Rahab is saved and Rahab is redeemed!

After Rahab’s faith and deeds were used by God to save the Hebrew spies and deliver Jericho over to the LORD, do you know how the Lord transformed her life? According to Jewish tradition, she, a lady who was extremely marginalized, became the ancestor of eight priests (Tal Megillah 14b). She is listed as one of four women of surpassing beauty (Tal Megillah 15a). Rahab may mean ‘broad’ but this Rahab is nonetheless a beauty. She is – to quote Reba – she is not a back of the store lady; she is a front of the store lady! Like we all can be front of the store people! The Bible tells us Rahab married Salmon, one of the princes of Judah (Ruth 4:21, 1 Chr 2:11, Mt 1:5).

We remember the wealthy landowner, Boaz, who married the Mobitess Ruth; Boaz was Rahab the Canaanite’s son. Ruth was Rahab’s daughter-in-law. Ruth and Boaz had a child, Obed, who was Rahab’s grandson. His son, Rahab’s great grandson was Jesse and his son, Rahab’s great great grandson was King David from whose line God promised Salvation and Dominion for ever! (Mt 1:5-6; cf. 2 Sam 7). This salvation was of course accomplished through another descendant of Rahab the redeemed Canaanite – that is Jesus, the Redeemer himself! (cf. Mt 1:16).

God chose to do this through, to send His only begotten son through the ancestral line of the redeemed life of Rahab. Scholar Richard Hess tells us, “the story of Rahab confirms God’s welcome to all people, whatever their condition. Christ died for all the world and the opportunity is available for all to come to him through faith, even the chief of sinners [like you and like me] (1 Tim 1:15)...Rahab exhibits faith and understanding of the God who saves her. She becomes part of the family line that leads to the birth of Jesus (Mt 1:5) and [she is] a model of faith for all Christians” (Hb 11:31).

Rahab, who was once a prostituted Canaanite on the margins of society stands redeemed, saved, holy, cleansed, and as one of the heroes of the faith. You and I here today, no matter what we done, no matter who we have been, no matter what has happened to us, we too can be saved, we too can be redeemed. Jesus died on the cross so that we could die to our sins and He rose from the grave so that we could live out a holy, redeemed life (cf. Romans 10:9-13)!

As such, it is my prayer that today each of us would - like righteous Rahab - take God up on His offer of His Salvation and of His Redemption.

Devotion 2.24/76: Psalm 100:4: Canadian Thanksgiving

Presented to Riverside Cafe 07 October 2016

Read Psalm 100

There is a children`s book, Thanksgiving Day in Canada - I hope to remember to bring it Sunday. I have quoted it quite often for many years when speaking about Thanksgiving in Canada – my children all know the book very well too. This year I found out something very interesting. You know that Susan and I are responsible for The Salvation Army`s Warehouse Mission now as well as 614 here. With Thanksgiving coming up I happened to be speaking with the worship leader, Krys Lewicki, there about the book and it turns out that he wrote that book (it was promoted by CBC as part of Canada`s 125 anniversary). Krys also wrote a Thanksgiving song that is in that book that we will hear on Sunday as he will be helping lead us in worship here. From the book:

The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are more closely connected to the traditions of Europe than of the United States. Long before Europeans settled in North America, festivals of thanks and celebrations of harvest took place in Europe in the month of October. The very first Thanksgiving celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World. That means the first Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts!

For a few hundred years, Thanksgiving was celebrated in either late October or early November, before it was declared a national holiday in 1879. It was then, that November 6th was set aside as the official Thanksgiving holiday. But then on January 31, 1957, Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be "a day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."

Thanksgiving was moved to the second Monday in October because after the World Wars, Remembrance Day (November 11th) and Thanksgiving kept falling in the same week. Another reason for Canadian Thanksgiving arriving earlier than its American counterpart is that Canada is geographically further north than the United States, causing the Canadian harvest season to arrive earlier than the American harvest season. And since Thanksgiving for Canadians is more about giving thanks to the Lord for the harvest season than the arrival of pilgrims, it makes sense to celebrate the holiday in October.

In this day and age of the Holy being replaced by the secular so much in our society, it is good to remember that Parliament itself has declared this upcoming Thanksgiving as "a day of general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."

Please this weekend let us remember not only to be thankful but to be thankful to God; and with all else that we are indeed thankful for let us not neglect our gratitude for the harvest that the farmers have reaped this year and all those who the Lord will and does provide for through that.

This weekend and this day let us remember to offer thanksgiving to almighty God for all else and for the bountiful harvest with which we have been blessed.

Genesis 38&49: Judah's Family

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 13 Oct. 2013
Presented to 614 & Warehouse in Toronto, 16 Oct. 2016

Presented to Alberni Valley Ministries 04 October 2020

By Captain Michael Ramsay

This is the 2016 version. The original is available on-line here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2013/10/thanksgiving-at-judahs-house.html 

To view the Alberni Valley 2020 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2020/10/reading-genesis-38-on-mmiw-day.html

 

  

We just had Thanksgiving. This often a time for families to get together. In most homes in this country they had a Thanksgiving turkey. Now, everyone in my house is a vegetarian but even so I tell you I probably was blessed to have had as much turkey as anyone this past Thanksgiving. First we had turkey at the Argos dinner at Harbour Light then we had turkey at the great combined service between Warehouse and 614. This past week we had another great Turkey meal in the café. And on Thanksgiving Monday, Susan made me a Turkey to go along with the girls’ vegetarian dishes. It was great. Thanksgiving is often a time for families to gather together over turkey, so today we are going to look a family of turkeys or people who are seemingly acting like turkeys.

Today we are looking at Judah and Tamar. Does anyone know who are Judah and Tamar? First, who is Judah?Who was Judah’s father? (Jacob). God changed Jacob’s name; to what did He change his name? (Israel). All of the tribes of Israel are descended from and named after the sons of Israel. Judah is the ancestor of one whole tribe of Israel.

The tribe of Judah even becomes the dominant tribe of all the tribes of Israel and long after Israel ceases to exist as a country, the Kingdom of Judah remains. This is interesting. All of this happens with Judah becoming the dominant tribe because Judah in our text is the person to receive the blessing of the birthright.

Who in theory is supposed to receive a birthright; which child? Who is the heir? The oldest son, right? The interesting part here is that not only is Judah not the oldest son, Judah is not even the second oldest son. Now, not only is Judah not the even second oldest son but Judah is also not even the third oldest son. On Thanksgiving Day, if they had Thanksgiving Day then and there, Judah could have been very thankful for his birthright because Judah receives the birthright usually received for the oldest brother and he is the fourth oldest brother. He has three older brothers who had to be disqualified for him to receive the birthright and that blessing. Let’s look at that - how his older brothers disqualified themselves from the birthright and then let’s look a little more into who exactly is this person Judah.

Genesis 49 gives us a bit of an insight into what is going on in Judah’s family. This portion of scripture records Jacob blessing his sons before he dies. These are Israel’s famous last words to his sons. Genesis 49:1-4 tells us a little bit about Ruben, Judah’s oldest brother and why he doesn’t receive the blessing of the birthright:

49:1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to your father Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might, the first sign of my strength,

excelling in honour, excelling in power.

4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,

for you went up onto your father’s bed,

onto my couch and defiled it.

Jacob, says to his oldest son, who is the naturally expected heir to this birthright; Jacob says, Verse 4, “You will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.” Do you know that story? (Israel’s is an interesting family.) Genesis 35:22 records that Reuben lay with Bilhah. Bilhah is his father’s concubine; Bilhah is not only his father’s concubine, Bilhah is his brothers’ mother. Reuben has sexual relations with his brothers’ - Dan and Naphtali - mom. For this his birthright understandably passes down to the second oldest son: Simeon. But Simeon and Levi (the 3^rd eldest) are just as much turkeys as their older brother; these next two sons also disqualify themselves from the blessing of the birthright. Gen 49:5-7:

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—

their swords  are weapons of violence.

6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly,

for they have killed men in their anger

and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.

7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel!

I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

This ‘blessing’ upon Simeon and Levi - when their dad is on his deathbed – this blessing where their father declares, “let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly for they have killed men in anger” is rather sharp, to say the least! Do you know what this is about? Genesis 34 records that their sister by the same mom is raped. The man who rapes her, Shechem, repentant, comes afterwards with his dad and asks to have her hand in marriage. Israel agrees but his sons say that all the men of Shechem’s people must be circumcised for this to happen. They agreed and they all become circumcised. Then, while they were all at the height of their pain from being circumcised, Simeon and Levi – these two older brothers - sneak into their camp and kill all the men and take all the women and all their children and more as plunder. As a result of this, Simeon and Levi lose their claim to the birthright and their descendants - the whole tribe of Levi is not given any territory (other than Levite cities) and the whole tribe of Simeon is swallowed up in the tribe of Judah.

The rest of Chapter 49 speaks about the rest of Judah’s brothers. He has quite a large family, probably as many as gathered around Thanksgiving tables this past week across our country. Judah has 11 brothers and an unknown number of sisters and nephews and nieces.

One of Judah’s youngest brothers we know fairly well. Do we know who was Judah’s second youngest brother? His father’s favourite son? (Joseph). We remember the stories of Joseph from the Bible (Gen 37-50). How highly did Judah and the rest of Joseph’s brothers think of Joseph growing up? (Not very!) Remember Joseph has all these dreams about his brothers bowing down to him? (Gen 37:5-11) Remember that his dad flaunts his favouritism and even buys him that coat of many colours and remember how Joseph’s brothers respond to all of this (Gen 37:1-36). They take him and throw him into a well and then at Judah’s recommendation, they sell Joseph as a slave. It is Judah’s idea to sell his little brother into slavery (Gen 37:26-27). That act itself might make one wonder why Judah doesn’t lose his birthright like his older brothers. But he doesn’t

Judah later does redeem himself. Do we remember the end of the Joseph story? The years pass and Joseph is now the one with all the power; he rises to second in command of the regional superpower (Gen 41:37ff.). Joseph is a ruler of Egypt. Joseph then has one of his brothers – Simeon, who comes to him looking for food – put in prison for an indefinite period of time (Gen 42:24). The other brothers later return and Joseph frames one of them for a crime he didn’t commit and is about to throw him in jail, when Judah steps up (Gen 44:18ff.). His brothers can be thankful for Judah. Judah is the one who negotiates freedom for his brothers and Judah is the one God uses to tip Joseph’s hand into revealing his identity and forgiving and providing for his brothers and their families for generations to come. Judah shows here that he is the leader among his brothers. Judah shows that he is a solid choice to inherit the birthright. This brings us back to our story today.

Thanksgiving often sees family gathering from all over the country and here we have an interesting tale about Judah travelling and getting together with his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Tamar isn’t probably an Israelite. Tamar is probably a Canaanite, like Rahab whom we met a couple of weeks ago.[1] We remember from the story of Noah that the Canaanites are cursed for generations for the sins of their father, Ham (Gen 9:25-29). Judah’s son then marries a cursed Canaanite woman – which is later prohibited - and then he dies before he has any children.[2]

Do we understand what is going on in this story with the brothers? In Israel in those days, territorial inheritance was very important and so was having a son to inherit that property. Because of this they had a rule that if a son died without an heir then his younger brother was supposed to have relations with his widow and then the child that results from that would be the heir for his brother. That way the older brother would have an heir and his descendants would not lose their claim to a part of Israel. Judah cooperates with this rule and Judah gives his second son to Tamar, the widow of his first son. Judah’s second son however stands to inherit all of his brother’s inheritance if he doesn’t produce an heir; so instead of impregnating Tamar, he uses ‘protection’ of sorts. He doesn’t complete the job. This makes God mad because Onan was not only hurting Er, his deceased brother, but he was also hurting Tamar, his brother’s widow, and he was hurting Judah, his father, and he was hurting his whole family’s inheritance.[3] God takes Onan’s life. So now Judah has lost his two oldest sons and his eldest son’s widow Tamar is still without an heir for the family.

In that place and at that time there was probably not a more vulnerable person in society than a childless widow – especially since she was a foreigner. A widow without a child has no one to care for her and Judah, while Tamar is in this state, Judah sends his daughter-in-law away. He says that his youngest son is far too young for her and he sends Tamar away without providing the heir that he must provide. Judah puts himself before the command to provide an heir for his son and Judah puts himself before the command to look after the widow in his own household.

Judah sends her away. He doesn’t seem to concern himself with her again. His youngest child grows up and he never fulfils the obligation to give him to Tamar or to invite Tamar back into his clan where she belongs.

Tamar, who is being the good widow at this point, even though she has been sent away, she has still been faithfully living in seclusion while wearing her widow’s clothing. She then hears that her father-in-law is coming to town so she puts on some nice clothes and goes to meet him. Judah sees her and he mistakes her for a prostitute. Here is an opportunity that appears. Judah owes her a son and Judah thinks she’s a prostitute. Judah decides that he wants to use her services but he doesn’t have any money; so Tamar – thinking on her feet - asks for his signet and cord. A signet is like a signature - it is unique to the individual - so one can see how Tamar is taking advantage of this God-given opportunity.[4] Tamar does become pregnant. Some people find out about this and tell Judah that his daughter-in-law (who is supposed to be celibate) is pregnant. The law says that she should be put to death, especially as this happened, so rumour has it, as a result of prostitution. It is at this point that she lets Judah know that he is the father. Judah then admits his sin, what he has done to her and to his family. She gives birth to twins. Judah takes responsibility for his children, one of whom is the direct ancestor of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Judah even admits that Tamar is more righteous than is he. Tamar is not a prostitute; she merely conceives the child promised to her.[5]

So why is this story in the Bible? It is important. The fact that a child of this encounter is an ancestor of both King David and Jesus Christ, is mentioned more than once, by more than one author, writing at more than one distinct era in history (cf Ruth 4:18-23, Mt 1:3). Matthew, in the New Testament makes a point of mentioning that it is Judah’s son by Tamar who is in Jesus’ line and Matthew and Ruth even tell us which one of the twins he is: Perez. This story is very important in the history of Israel. This story is very important in the ancestry of King David and this story is very important in the ancestry Christ Jesus, so why is it important to us? And what does it mean to us today?

I think the key point here lies in who is Tamar: Tamar is a Canaanite. The Canaanites are the cursed descendants of Ham. She is cursed; she is a woman; she is a widow; she is a cursed, abused widow who has been even further marginalized and further taken advantage of by privileged Israelites and she, Tamar, is an ancestor of Christ. You couldn’t be much more on the margins of society than is Tamar and Tamar is the ancestor of Jesus.[6]

Jesus in his ministry is always helping the poor, the widow, and the immigrant. Tamar is just that and Tamar is Jesus’ ancestor. God used Tamar – and Judah - to save the whole world in that her actions led to Christ.[7] So as God can use Tamar, who was abused and marginalized to extremes that some of us can only imagine, so too can he use us and that is something for which we can all be thankful. No matter who we are in this life, if we are marginalized and sometimes think ourselves to be nothing, maybe like Tamar; or if we make serious mistakes and commit abusive egregious sins even like Judah; no matter who we are God loves us, He can change us, He can save us and God can use even you and I to point others to His Salvation both now and forever. Let us pray

www.sheepspeak.com

---

[1] But cf. John H. Sailhamer, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, PradisCD-ROM:Genesis/Exposition of Genesis/VI. The Account of Jacob (37:1-49:33)/D. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30), Book Version: 4.0.2

[2] Cf. Thomas W, Mann, The Book of the Torah: The Narrative Integrity of the Pentateuch, (Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1988), 66-68.

[3] Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1967 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 1), S. 199: The fact that a single Hebrew word suffices for the phrase perform the duty of a brother-in-law (rsv) would confirm that this was a standard practice, even if there were no record of the law in Deuteronomy 25:5ff. Each of the three Old Testament references to this regulation (cf. Ruth 4:5f.) shows that it could be most unwelcome, chiefly through the very fact that the donor himself set great store on family inheritance—but his own. The enormity of Onan’s sin is in its studied outrage against the family, against his brother’s widow and against his own body. The standard English versions fail to make clear that this was his persistent practice. When (9) should be translated ‘whenever’

[4] Cf. Terence E. Fretheim, The Book of Genesis, (NIB I: Abingdon Press: Nashville, 1994), 606.

[5] Cf. Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation: Genesis, (John Knox Press: Atlanta, Georgia, 1982), 311.

[6] Cf. Dorothy Jean Weaver, “‘Wherever This Good News Is Proclaimed”: Women and God in the Gospel of Matthew’, in Interpretation 64, no. 4, (October, 2010) 394-395

[7] Cf. Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation: Genesis, (John Knox Press: Atlanta, Georgia, 1982), 311.