From Joseph to Judah

The Bible is filled with accounts of events we tend to overlook. These tales are hardly ever found in any preacher’s sermon but these stories are filled with important lessons for us to learn. Understand that nothing in the Bible is without benefit.

One such tale interrupts another. It is curiously sandwiched right in between Joseph’s story. This tale is about one of Joseph’s brothers, Judah and his first son’s wife Tamar. I’ll not recount the entire narrative here, instead I urge you to read it for yourself in Genesis chapter 38. The crux of the matter is this, Judah promised Tamar that she would be given to his youngest son after the other two sons', whom she had been given in marriage, lives were taken by God because of their wicked behaviour. Judah, fearing for the life of his third son, reneged on that promise. So Tamar took matters into her own hands; covered by a veil, she disguised herself as a prostitute, had sex with her father-in-law and subsequently bore him twin sons, Perez and Zerah.

I wonder: how was Tamar so sure that her devious scheme would work? Is it that she knew of Judah’s penchant for prostitutes? Clearly this was not a practice that was foreign to Judah. In those days, prostitution was not uncommon, and its punishment was severe – execution by burning. 

In verse 24, for her act of prostitution, Judah orders the burning of Tamar, until he comes to the realization that his own deceit was worse than her deception.

God’s unmerited favour is unmistakably obvious in Joseph’s story but not so much on the face of Judah’s. This “sordid” tale of deception highlights how the grace of God can enter into the mess we create and turn it around for our good and for His divine purpose. God is so adept at creating something worthy out of the depravation of our actions.

Going back to chapter 37, we are told of an act of depravity that was thwarted. Joseph’s brothers were determined to murder him but one of them said to the others, 

“What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” (v.26 NIV) 

By persuading them to sell Joseph rather than kill him, Judah saved Joseph’s life, and perhaps his own through this show of favour. 

First, Judah’s grace toward his young brother Joseph then, the grace he demonstrated to Tamar, speak of a merciful and compassionate nature that may have effected the dispensation of the grace he received from God. This was no sleight of hand, this was God’s heavy hand doling out grace to a man whose actions were deemed disgraceful. But isn’t that the nature of God? A God of mercy and compassion who pours out grace on the disgraced. 

Now this account is certainly not about the right for wrongdoing but is yet another example of God’s incredible grace that relentlessly pursues the sinful – that’s all of us, so don’t scoff at Judah and Tamar.

You see, both Judah and Tamar, through their son Perez, are in Jesus’ genealogy. Jesus belonged to the Tribe of Judah; in Revelation 5:5 He is called “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” – what does this tell us about God?

There’s much more expansive symbolism within this brief but necessary interruption, however, today our focus is on the veil of God’s grace that covers His Word from Genesis to Revelation. 

This saving grace that preserved the life of Joseph and set apart the tribe of Judah for greatness is the same saving grace that descended with Jesus from the comfort of heaven into a disquieted sin-filled world to save you and me. 

From Joseph to Judah

Shelley Johnson © January 16, 2018