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Genesis 38a:

Reading #143  Judah and his children

At this point in the history of Christianity the Spirit sees fit to record for us an incident in the life of Judah, the son with the birthright.  In this story we should see how He was working for the salvation of all Joseph’s brothers (and sisters) while he was in exile.

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Genesis 38:

1 And it came to pass at that time [around that period], that Judah [the 4^th son of Jacob] went down from his brethren [left home], and turned in to [began to live in town with] a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah [who became his friend]. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was “Shuah [Noble]”; and he took her [in marriage], and went in to her. 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name “Er [Watchful]”. 

4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name “Onan [Strong]”. 5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name “Shelah [Petition]”: and he [Judah] was at [had moved to] Chezib, when she bare him.

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Unlike the earlier patriarchs, the sons and grandsons of Jacob left the influence of home and married while still very young.  This tells us how they reacted to the “pricks” of the Spirit.  See Acts 9:5.  There were enormous changes in the social life of Christians from that point on and many of them are still with us.

The records indicate that Judah was probably in his early twenties (he was only a few years older than Joseph) when he married Shuah’s young daughter, a girl from the world, and became a prodigal son.  We are not told his wife’s name, only that he has three sons with her. Then we pick up the story when his first son gets married, also at a very young age, about the time that Joseph was beginning to handle the food crisis in Egypt. 

Joseph was seventeen when he went to Egypt.  Genesis 37:2.  He spent ten years serving Potiphar and then languished three years in prison before standing before Pharaoh. Genesis 41:46.  Then, there were seven years with the good harvests, a total of twenty years, which makes him about 37 at this time.  Judah was possibly four to six years older, therefore if we work with him being around twenty-three at the time of Joseph’s captivity, we can arrive at the events of this story occurring when he was about 43 and his sons between twenty and seventeen.

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Genesis 38:

6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn [who was probably twenty], whose name was “Tamar” [she was a teenager].  7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up [one] seed to your brother [to carry on his name and inheritance].”

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This provision was based on God’s desire that no man’s name or inheritance would ever fail in Israel.  The gift that He gave would always be in the family.  Although the Scripture states that “the LORD slew him”, the real truth is that it is the “wages of sin” which brings death, for those who die have to work for it!  Romans 6:23.  This phrase simply means that our Saviour was not able to protect Er during his wickedness, the nature of which is not specified.  In fact, He lost him as He later lost Jerusalem!  Matthew 23:37.

We find the principle of brotherly substitution stated clearly later in the Bible.

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Deuteronomy 25:

5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without [outside the family] to a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in to her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.

6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. [Any other children inherited the second husband’s portion.] 

7 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife [it was not compulsory to marry her, he could pass the honour onto another, or simply refuse], then let his brother's wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, “My husband's brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.” 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him: and if he stand to it, and say, “I like not to take her”; 9 then shall his brother's wife come to him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, “So shall it be done to that man that will not build up his brother's house.”

10 And his name shall be called in Israel, “The house of him that has his shoe loosed.” [This was a term of derision because he would not help his brother when he could have.  After that any other close relative might perform the service.]

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It should be obvious that romantic love as we know it was not the first consideration in the equation, but that it could develop under God’s system.  Both had to be willing for this to work, but women considered it very important to have children in those days, because of the promise made to Eve, and therefore childless widows were normally anxious to enter into this arrangement to honour their first husband and possibly be the mother of the Messiah.  It also took care of a young widow’s protection. 

The Son of God had said….  

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Genesis 3:

15 [Speaking to the devil] And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it [the enmity] shall bruise your head [a mortal blow], and you shall [but] bruise His heel [This promise was accepted by many as a prophecy that one day a Son of Israel would defeat the devil’s plans after a period of suffering, and that Satan’s reaction to righteousness would cause his death].

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This humane marriage arrangement was used by some Sadducees in an effort to trick Jesus.  Because they maintained through scientific reasoning that there could not be a resurrection, while their opponents the Pharisees reckoned life would continue in familiar ways after death, they often used this story as a proof that it would be impossible for a wife who had had multiple husbands to exist in the new world. 

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Matthew 22:

23 The same day came to Him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked Him, 24 saying, “Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.”

25 “Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife to [the care of] his brother: 26 likewise the second also, and the third, to the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her.”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” [Marriage (and sexuality) is a peculiarity of this world only, which is why Adam was first created with Eve in him, and they were later separated.  Genesis 2:20-21.]

31 “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’

“God is NOT the God of the dead, but of the living.” [Consider Hebrews 2:14.] 

33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine [it was so different from their church’s].

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In His answer, Jesus showed that neither group understood the Bible principles of marriage, death, or the conditions in the world made new, and introduced a new concept for their consideration.  He made it plain that the resurrection is an absolute necessity, for there is no life after death without it!

In the meantime, our story continues.

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Genesis 38:

9 And Onan knew that the seed [child] should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore He slew him also.

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So Onan married Tamar but his heart was not in it, he was merely conforming to social pressure.  This gives us some understanding of his character and why he also died young – the Son of God could not keep him alive.  He said to him as He says to all:-

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Ezekiel 18:

31 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you [receive] a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel?” 

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There is a wonderful account of a fulfilment of this marriage principle recorded in the Bible.  It can be found in the Bible book of Ruth which tells us the story of the Moabitess and her marriage to Boaz.  Boaz was a kinsman to Ruth’s first husband, Chilion, but not the nearest.  Only after the other had refused was he able to marry Ruth and fulfil the promise.  Then, because of their faithfulness to God’s plan, they became the parents of Obed, who in turn raised Jesse, the father of David, who founded the lines from which Jesus came.  (There are genealogies to prove this in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 and I have appended them to the end of this study.)

Boaz was considerably older than Ruth, and she was not born an Israelite, but both of them decided that submission to God’s way in marriage was most important and in this way were blessed for ever.  In their obedience they set out a wonderful picture of what the Son of God has done for us.  By becoming one of us He gained the legal right to redeem [marry] us and raise up “children” for His Father’s kingdom.  [He is both Husband and Father to us.]

By “legal” I mean that God is willing to be judged and to allow the events of history to prove beyond doubt that He is doing all for the good of His people, and that He is doing it “in righteousness”.  Revelation 16:7 and Psalm 19:9.

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Isaiah 54:

4 Fear not [God says]; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be you confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more. 5 For your Maker is your Husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; “The God of the whole earth” shall He be called.

6 For the LORD has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit [childless and with a dead husband], and a wife of youth [still a young person], when you were refused [widowed], says your God.

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And in another place:

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Isaiah 9:

6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called “Wonderful”, “Counsellor”, “The mighty God”, “THE EVERLASTING FATHER”, “The Prince of Peace.” 7 Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

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At conversion on earth we are “engaged” to Him (this is the beginning of the formal procedure), and after the judgment and the resurrection we shall finish the “marriage” ceremonies in heaven.  See Matthew 22:1-14 and 25:1-15 for some details of these ceremonies.

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Genesis 38:

11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow at your father's house, till Shelah my son be grown”: for he said [or thought], “Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house. 

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So Tamar was sent away and conveniently forgotten when she should have remained in Judah’s house and been cared for.  After two sudden deaths she was considered something of a “black widow”, as if it was her fault!

Poor woman!  Let’s see next week how she gets her revenge.

Bye for now,

Ron

The genealogies

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Matthew 1:

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham had a son named Isaac; and Isaac had a son named Jacob; and Jacob had a son named Judah, and his brethren.

3 And Judah had sons named Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares had a son named Esrom; and Esrom had a son named Aram; 4 and Aram had a son named Aminadab; and Aminadab had a son named Naasson; and Naasson had a son named Salmon; 5 and Salmon had a son named Boaz of Rachab; and Boaz had a son named Obed of Ruth; and Obed had a son named Jesse; 6 and Jesse had a son named David the king; and David the king had a son named SOLOMON of her that had been the wife of Urias [Bathsheba]; 7 and Solomon had a son named Roboam; and Roboam had a son named Abia; and Abia had a son named Asa… [and so on]

15 And Eliud had a son named Eleazar; and Eleazar had a son named Matthan; and Matthan had a son named Jacob; 16 and Jacob had a son named Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

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Joseph already had other sons and daughters from a previous marriage who became Jesus’ stepbrothers and sisters.  See Mark 6:3 and Matthew 12:45-50.

Although Joseph was only His stepfather, this genealogy gives Jesus the legal right to the throne of David through Solomon.  The second family tree gives Jesus the blood right, for Mary descended from Nathan, another son of David’s.

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Luke 3:

23 And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son [in law] of Heli [the father of Mary, for Joseph’s father was named Jacob in Matthew 1:16, and from this point on all the names are different].

24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi [and so on] . . .

31  . . . which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of NATHAN, which was the son of David, 32 which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Boaz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson  . . .

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oooOoo

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