Like Father, like son

DEVOTION

GENESIS

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Gen 38:1-11

38:1 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. 6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. 8 Then 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." 9 But 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. 10 What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also. 11 Judah 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.

NIV

We have a rather large dissertation by our scholars as to the time this story about Judah took place. Most of them agree it would not be possible for all these events to take place after the selling of Joseph. Therefore they believe all this happened something prior to the incident described for us in the preceding chapter. The phrase “At that time” is considered as during those years. This is what is called a parenthetical chapter, which is not a chronological one, but rather details of events that took place the same time as other events. But this does not diminish the truth which is held within the narrative. First things first. Why would Judah go down to a place and lodge with this man of Adullam? Again our scholars are of the opinion this man Hirah ran a hotel, or lodge as there also was this man Shua and his daughter. With Judah’s family history, why would he take a wife of a Canaanite? He knows this is not right. His grandmother was not pleased at all about his uncle Esau taking Canaanite wives, in fact, so much she insisted his grandfather send his father to their own clan to find a wife. We are getting a little picture of the character of Judah who was the instigator in the selling of his brother, which according to our scholars will take place later than these events. Judah seems to be acting in a manner which disrespected his grandmother even though she was now dead. His firstborn son Er developed into a man who was wicked in the Lord’s sight. Is this a case of like father, like son? From the narrative we do not know much of the years between Er’s birth and his marriage to Tamar. But what we do know is that he was not a man who pleased the Lord, in fact, so much so that God put him to death. Judah’s second son, Onan wasn’t any better than his older brother. He defied his father’s wishes and was so self-absorbed he did not want to produce any offspring that would not be considered his. Again an attitude which produced an action which was so displeasing to the Lord, he too was put to death by God. We would think Judah would be getting the picture by now, that God was not pleased with him and how he raised his sons. We know that sometime later Tamar tricks Judah. The whole of this family is not right. It is a good thing we now live in the age of grace. During those years when men lived so unpleasing to God, He put them to death. Today this is not the case as he has already paid that price for us. Our sin surely demands the penalty of death, but Christ paid our debt. Nevertheless this should not give us raise to live in any manner we desire. Those who do, who refuse the grace of God, not accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will ultimately be put to death. They will experience not just the death of the body, but the second death of their spirit, they shall perish. However, we know our linage, we belong to the family of God, and we are co-heirs with Christ. Although we may not have had the best example of fatherhood from our earthly father, we have the true and perfect example in our heavenly Father.  Jesus told us if we have seen him we have seen the Father. He came to give us the best example to live by in order to please God. We now can fulfill that “like father, like son” as we are the sons and daughters of God.