Chapter 38

1. Chapter 38 Chapter 38

2. Chapter 38 On today’s program, a spurned daughter-in-law deceives her father-in-law into sex and gets pregnant.

3. Chapter 38 The father-in-law, unaware that he is the father, wants to have his daughter-in-law executed for prostitution!

4. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • “At that time” literally “It happened that”. • A definite chronology cannot be established here. The Joseph event could have occurred before, after or even during this story. • Perhaps Judah, disenchanted with Joseph’s supplanting his position within the family* had left to strike out on his own. This would mean that he was visiting his brothers when Joseph was sold while grazing his flocks in the same area. • Is Judah seeking to walk away? • *Judah was likely the positional firstborn with Reuben, Simeon • and Levi having been replaced for gross misconduct.

5. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • He marries a “pagan” woman. (Then again, does he have much of a choice here? Is he supposed to go to Laban?) • Some commentators make a big deal of this . . .

6. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • He marries a “pagan” woman. (Then again, does he have much of a choice here? Is he supposed to go to Laban?) • Er ~ watch / open your eyes. (Look at me now, dad.) • Onan ~ strong (I can make in on my own!) • Shelah ~ request (Dad, I ask you to fix this.) • This might be mere conjecture, but perhaps an embittered Judah is seeking to prove himself to his unfair father. • If Joseph is out of the way, then Judah becomes the positional and functional firstborn. (By chapter 42, Judah is back.)

7. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so the LORD put him to death. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • “wicked” ~ bad, from a root meaning shattered (beyond repair)

8. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so the LORD put him to death. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • Judah is a bad example of a son and a brother. • He has abandoned the family (out of bitterness?) • He is a leader in harming his brother. • He is a leader in lying to his father about his brother.

9. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so the LORD put him to death. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • Judah is a bad example of a son and a brother. • Is this a commentary on his fathering, which he would have learned from Jacob? (Add Onan and it could be so.) • Does God ever kill people (make sure that they die prematurely)?

10. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so the LORD put him to death. • 8Then Judah said to Onan, “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother.” • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • Levirate marriage (Latin origin: meaning brother-in-law.) • If there were no brothers, then the father-in-law fulfilled this duty. Is was within the custom framework of the culture. • Those who hold to the Documentary Hypothesis (JEPD) hold that this custom was written into this story to exemplify Deuteronomy 25:5-6. The DH is ignorant of the existing culture.

11. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so the LORD put him to death. • 8Then Judah said to Onan, “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother.”9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • Why should he produce a child that would compete with him? • He sinfully uses Tamar for his own pleasure repeatedly. • (Coitus interruptous/premature withdrawal)

12. Chapter 38 • 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. • 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so the LORD put him to death. • 8Then Judah said to Onan, “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother.”9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • Where did Onan learn to act like this? • Despising your brother . . . • Taking advantage of others. • Being evil.

13. Chapter 38 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so the LORD put him to death. 8Then Judah said to Onan, “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother.” 9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. 10What he did was wicked in the LORD'S sight; so he put him to death also. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Hebrew emphasis is that Onan was wicked / broken beyond repair.

14. Chapter 38 • 11Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house. • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • Judah sees Tamar as cursed rather than his sons as evil. • (Always blame someone else.) • We often push out the innocent rather than deal with the guilt.

15. Chapter 38 11Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house. 12After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.

16. Chapter 38 13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hittite law held that if the second brother dies, then the twice widowed woman becomes the wife of her father in law. Tamar is going to forces this issue. In this action, Tamar is doing nothing “wrong” apart from the deception. But then again, she has joined Jacob, Inc.

17. Chapter 38 13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What a guy that Judah is . . .

18. Chapter 38 13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked. 17“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked. 18He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

19. Chapter 38 13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said,“Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked. 17“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked. 18He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. Judah hands over the symbols of his power/authority (his is positionally the firstborn) to a prostitute. Is it that he values these functional symbols so little or is he that desperate for sex. Is this disrespecting the promise?

20. Chapter 38 13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked. 17“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked. 18He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again.

21. Chapter 38 20Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said. 22So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’ ” 23Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Judah seeks to keep his word to a prostitute but not to his daughter-in-law. Note “shrine prostitute”: this would indicate that Judah thought he was involved in some manner of idolatry involving a fertility goddess. Not only is he a “customer”, he gave into goddess worship.

22. Chapter 38 24About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How wonderfully righteous Judah appears. (hypocrite!) He gets to safeguard his son Shelah from dying from the “Tamar syndrome.” Tamar is not the one about to get burned . . .

23. Chapter 38 24About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” 25As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.” 26Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Judah confesses his deceit. She is now functionally a wife of Judah, so she cannot be given to Shelah. She bears two sons to Judah. (Replacing Er and Onan?)

24. Chapter 38 27When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez. 30Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How often does the plan of God involve unique birth circumstances? Isaac, Jacob/Esau, Joseph, Perez, Samuel, John, Jesus

25. Chapter 38 27When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez. 30Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The family tree of Jesus has a lot of unique people in it. Deceivers & liars, kidnappers, sexually immoral, unwilling, idolaters, low class, etc. Them ~ Rahab and Ruth We fit right in! (“I am the chief!” See Romans 2.) It also includes folks that we don’t want around.

26. Chapter 38 27When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez. 30Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For some reason, God thought that it was vital to have Tamar in the lineage of Jesus. (She was a Canaanite!!)

27. Chapter 38 • Applications: • Don’t blame the scapegoat when the evil ones suffer for their evil. • God incorporates anyone, regardless of background. • After deciding to attend the church service in South Africa, Ghandi came across a racial barrier, the church barred his way at the door. "Where do you think you're going, kaffir?" an English man asked Gandhi in a belligerent tone. Gandhi replied, "I'd like to attend worship here.“ The church elder snarled at him, "There's no room for kaffirs in this church. Get out of here or I'll have my assistants throw you down the steps." This infamous incident forced Gandhi to never again consider being a Christian, but rather adopt what he found in Christianity and its founder Jesus Christ. • http://in.christiantoday.com/articledir/print.htm?id=2837

28. Chapter 38 • Applications: • Don’t blame the scapegoat when the evil ones suffer for their evil. • God incorporates anyone, regardless of background. • Sinners all. Mt 1:2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah & his brothers, 3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, 7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah

29. Chapter 38 • Applications: • Don’t blame the scapegoat when the evil ones suffer for their evil. • God incorporates anyone, regardless of background. • Sinners all. Mt 1:2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah & his brothers, 3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, 7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboamthe father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphatthe father of Jehoram, Jehoramthe father of Uzziah, 9Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amonthe father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah

30. Chapter 38 • Applications: • Don’t blame the scapegoat when the evil ones suffer for their evil. • God incorporates anyone, regardless of background. • Background sovereignty. • In the end, it all comes down to Jesus; God directing everything through and to him. (The beginning & middle too.) • God is in full control, superintending even our propensity to evil into his plan. Get with the flow. • Fighting the plan of God just ends up making you look dumb. • “The house wins.” ~ Tyler from Bus #4

31. The Calvary Church www.calvarychurchmatteson.org