Tamar And Judah

Matthew 1:3a, And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Tamar. ~ It is a peculiar thing, indeed, that Matthew would list not one, but five women in the genealogy of Christ. 1). Thamar (Tamar), see here, cf Genesis ch 38;  2). Rachab (Rahab), ch1:5 cf Joshua 2:1–3; 6:23–28;  3). Ruth, ch 1:5, cf  O.T. book of Ruth;  4). Wife of Urias (Uriah), ch1:6 cf 2Samuel ch 11;  5). Mary, ch1:16–23, cf Luke 1:26-56. I have already pointed out Matthew’s concern with the number five. Five is the number of grace. Each one of these women have their own stories to tell, each account is in respect to the grace of God. Of the five, three were “strangers” (non-Israelites), one was a harlot, one guilty of incest, one an adulteress. They all found their salvation in the child of the fifth. I will address each narrative in turn. But here it would be good to look at the particular circumstances surrounding Judah's relationship with Tamar. We read Tamar’s story in Genesis ch 38. Tamar was the wife of Judah’s oldest son, Er. Er was an ungodly man and the LORD slew him. According to the custom of Levirate marriage (brother-in-law marriage) if a man dies before he has produced an heir his brother is expected to marry the wife of the dead man and raise up a seed to his dead brother. In this circumstance the child would be considered the offspring of the deceased brother and would assure that his name and inheritance continued in Israel. According to the law of the levirate marriage Judah gave Tamar his second son, Onan. But Onan refused to impregnate Tamar for he knew the potential son would not be his but his dead bothers’. So during sexual relations, Onan would pull out just before ejaculation and spill his seed upon the ground. This thing displeased God, so He slew Onan as well. Judah had one other son, named Shelah who was but a child. He promised Shelah to Tamar as soon as he became a man. Fully expecting Judah to keep his word, Tamar went home to her father’s house and waited for Shelah to grow up. But Judah was disrespectful to Tamar and withheld his third son from her. It came about that Judah’s wife died; after a time of mourning, Judah, accompanied by his friend, Hirah, went “unto his sheepshearers to Timnath”. Upon learning of this Tamar put off her widow’s garments and dressed in a veil and other wrappings and went to a visible place on the road to Timnath; there she pitched a tent and presented herself as a prostitute. Judah approached the tent and requested her services. He did not recognize her as his daughter-in-law because she was veiled. During the negotiations concerning the price, Judah promised to send her a kid from the flocks. She required a pledge of something of value that she would hold until the promise kid was sent to her. In fulfilling her request, Judah gave her his signet ring, bracelet, and staff. He fully expected to receive these back when the kid was delivered from his flocks. Upon arriving at his flocks, Judah kept his word and sent a kid back to the prostitute by the hand of Hirah. But, arriving at the spot to which Judah directed him, Hirah found no tent, and no prostitute. Tamar was gone. Judah was willing to say no more about it, and made nothing more of the issue. In the meantime, Tamar had returned to her father’s house and put back on her widow’s garments. However, in three months time, her pregnancy begin to show. She had conceived by her encounter with Judah. It was reported to Judah that she was with child. Upon hearing of this, Judah became very angry and threaten to have her burned alive for getting pregnant outside of wedlock. She was brought before Judah, and demanded to reveal the name of the man by whom she was with child. At this time she produced the signet ring, the bracelet, and the staff that Judah had deposited with her. When Judah saw these, he admitted to his deed, and confessed that Tamar had been more righteous than himself. There is unrighteousness displayed on both sides of this event. On Judah's side is the truth that he had lied to Tamar and withheld from her his son, which was her right to claim. As to Tamar’s sin, she knowingly had carnal knowledge with her father-in-law, which was strictly forbidden by the Law of Moses (Lev 18:15). This was a form of incest. This created an issue for these children (Grk, Phares/Zara; Heb, Pharez/Zarah), and their descendants for ten generation: the Law stated that “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation, shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD” (Deut 23:2). Jesse could not go, Obed could not go, Boaz could not go. This unhappy situation endured in this pedigree up to the birth of David the king. David's generation was the first in this lineage from Pharez to be able to participate in the full religious life of the nation. (This gives tremendous insight into David’s enthusiasm for the house of the LORD (See Ps 122:1, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD.”) This was Tamar’s doing, and, yet, here she is in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Although Yahweh, Himself, had established the tabernacle and its apparatus of worship, He chose to bring the bloodline of the Savior of the world through these ten generations of outcasts who could not participate in that tabernacle worship that He, Himself, had ordained. There are many within the faith that have backslidden from their former standing in the Kingdom (but have not denied the faith), and are, or seem to be, unwelcome in the house of God. We should not discount them, for God may have a plan that He is working through them even in their state of disfavor. The grace of God is scandalous! 

Apostolically Speaking,

Bp. J. L. Hayes