Genesis 38 is one of the most dramatic and AVOIDED passages of all of Scripture. As we read the account of Tamar and Judah’s family we squirm in discomfort, confronted by the backward, primitive practices of ancient times.
It’s the story of a young woman who is given in marriage to a wicked man, who dies, she marries his brother, he’s wicked, he dies, her father-in-law banishes her and she tricks him into impregnating her by pretending to be a prostitute.
Is she a harlot?
Is she a crazy woman obsessed with bearing a child?
Or is she the victim of intense injustice who took matters into her own hands?
As a modern 21st Century woman, you might be repulsed by Tamar's story.
And yet, Scripture is subsequently kind to her. In the book of Ruth, the women of Bethlehem use her name as a blessing to their friend Naomi as she holds her new grandson. She is listed among the special women God chose to bring his Son into the world.
Before we get on our 21st Century high horse and look down our noses at the primitive practices of this ancient culture, let’s check our culture snobbery at the door! We love watching “reality television” and watching the mess of people’s lives unfold before us. Who here hasn’t indulged in a cheeky 15 minutes of “Married at First Sight” while flipping through the channels during an ad break so that you can get back to watching the screaming match on My Kitchen Rules. Our guilty pleasures consist of the latest royal family scandal and whether or not Jen and Brad are back together again and is that a baby bump in that paparazzi photo?
Yes, women now have the right to vote and work and live independently, but in the world of #metoo we still have a LOOOOOOONG way to go. You might find that Tamar’s experience sits a lot closer to home than you thought.
Journey with me into this primitive culture to study the SIN, CONDEMNATION, and REDEMPTION God extends to us.
Listen to the entire talk I gave at Women’s Winter Festival 2018 here. (The sound quality is not great but very worth persevering till the end.)