[Curious]

I realise that I have more to say….

Now let’s consider the account of Judah and Tamar, his daughter in law. Found in Genesis chapter 38.

This is just my take on it. I’m not a biblical expert. Nor a theorist. I’m a real-life-ist perhaps. If there is such a thing.

Judah had 3 sons. The eldest married a young lady named Tamar. He did something evil that the bible doesn’t give any detail of. God kills him. As is the custom, to protect the widow, the next son marries her, but also displeases God and God kills him too. Judah then withholds his third son from Tamar, scared that the same fate may befall him too, should he marry Tamar. He handles it by lying to her about it and just fails to honour both the custom and his word to her.

Next, having lost 2 of his 3 sons, if that weren’t enough for poor Judah, his wife dies too. That’s a lot for anyone to take.

Tamar is left, having done no wrong, in the situation where she will not be able to marry. Stuck at home with her dad, her prospects are grim. Yet she is not one to take injustice lying down. She has a plan.

Now, widows and orphans are the poorest people in the bible. Both NT and OT. I want to say this about prostitution. For most of history, and for most of the world, prostitution is another word for poverty. Poverty and desperation. I don’t know if this prospect was one Tamar would have been forced into for her survival, its just an idea of mine. certainly she would have been stigmatised against any other prospect for marriage, and outside of male protection, women’s prospects weren’t good.

So, in a very bold and tactical move, she covers her face, dresses in the attire of a prostitute, and makes herself available to Judah. Judah takes the bait pretty eagerly and Tamar becomes pregnant to him. When awareness of her pregnancy is brought to Judah, he is quick to pronounce judgment on her of the harshest kind…to burn her to death! In spite of the fact that it had been overlooked that Judah had failed to provide his third son to her, as he should have. Its only when its proved that he is the cause of her pregnancy that Judah humbles himself and repents unconditionally.

When she gives birth there are 2 sons, so the blessing for Judah is he lost two sons, but after repenting, he gains 2 sons in place of the ones he lost. God restored. Like Job, who was blessed with more children after his ordeal.

What to make of this story?

1. With God, mercy triumphs over the Law. (the very middle scripture in the whole bible states just that!) Mercy is only available to the humble, humility comes with repentance, which comes with losing faith in ourselves as we see our own sinfulness. Just as David humbled himself before Nathan the prophet when confronted. Like Jacob as he spoke to pharaoh in his old age, acknowledging his failures, (in my opinion). The blessing comes with humility and repentance. Judah was pleasing to God when he repented.

2. God honoured Tamar in her effort to acquire justice in a system that was not gong to provide it to her. I’m sure He could’ve done it in a morally acceptable way if she had sought Him, she was a Canaanite and not familiar with the knowledge of God. Her treatment by her two husbands and father-in-law had possibly not helped her to understand God in a way that would have given her the best impression of the God they served! Tamar's plan was certainly practical and effective!!

This story again highlights that God can be validating the cause of the woman in a situation. But my point this time, is that regardless of your gender, when you are mistreated by those in authority, it is ok to stand up for yourself. Tamar did and God brought justice to her, regardless of the way she went about it, even! If she had been passive and helpless, she would have lived with the consequences of injustice against her, and she would have suffered for it.

Its also true that Judah benefitted from her assertiveness, and risk taking. He would not otherwise have learnt humility and righteousness either, which God was very pleased with him for. Jesus’ genealogy includes them both. True righteousness comes with that humility. Getting away with wrongdoing harms the offender too, and robs them of the opportunity to be faced with their failure, correct it, and be made right with God and man.

If you are scared to stand up for yourself, I hope you can be strengthened by this account. It’s in the word of God, and its for people of all time, where justice is not being offered to those who are unprotected and mistreated. Take courage, take heart. Be bold when required and know that God is a God of justice. Pray lots always so that your heart and spirit are protected, and that you have guidance for the way to resist harm from others.

God is not a God of fairness, life is not fair, but justice and fairness are not the same thing. That can be a hard thing to accept. He promises justice to those who seek it from him, even though life has been unfair.

that's my little rant for today!