Planning a lesson

DEVOTION

GENESIS

PLANNING A LESSON

Gen 38:12-19

12 After 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. 13 When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep," 14 she 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. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 Not 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. 18 He 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 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes again.

NIV

What is it about us humans that physical pleasures hold such a grip on us? So Judah has been having a great time in some aspects of his life. He gets married, has three sons and is building a fairly substantial life for himself. He has flocks of sheep and perhaps herds of cattle, or camels. It would seem all is going well. Then he decides to get a wife for his firstborn son. But now the grief starts. He son has not been following in his footsteps in regard to the God of his father. He is an evil son who God puts to death. So Judah thinking he is doing the right thing, tells his second son to give his firstborn and heir. But he is not much better in regards to being a God fearing man, and does evil in the sight of God. He too is put to death. Now Judah has lost two sons, and perhaps he is thinking it is because of Tamar. She is the problem, the cause of his losing two sons. So he sends her away to live as a widow in her father’s house. So things seem to settle down, but his third son is now grown and he is not about to send for Tamar and give her his third son and loss him too. Yet some time later, perhaps several years, his wife dies and once more grief has stuck his heart. So what does he do? He heads into town. We are told to the men who shear his sheep, but we are told he is bringing his sheep. He and his friend head to town. Tamar hears about it and does what she thinks is the best thing to do. Is she simply trying to get even with him? Is this about the identity of women of those days, needing to be more than a widow, but a mother of sons? Is this about physical needs? Surely Judah seems to have them for as soon as he spots a prostitute he wants to engage her services. This may not be the way God intended things to go, but he is surely the author of this physical desire within us. This was his intent from the very beginning with Adam. He created Eve for that express purpose, to be a suitable mate for Adam. We have seen other women described as beautiful. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel were woman who attracted the attention of men. Here we see Tamar taking off her widow clothes and making herself attractive to men, specifically Judah. Surely this is the way God intended, for man to be attracted to a woman. But this was not the way God intended for man and woman to act outside the contract of marriage. Our society has surely gone astray from the plan of God. Sure, we are multiplying and filling the earth. But should it not be with a man and a suitable helper mate? Yet we are going to find that Judah acknowledges that Tamar was more righteous then he was because he did not keep his word to her about his third son. How can a woman who tricks her father-in-law into having sex with her, be righteous? Maybe that is more righteous then not keeping his word. Perhaps keeping our word is the one true sign of being righteous. But Christ is our righteousness, we cannot be righteous in ourselves. Are there levels of righteousness in the flesh? Again we are jumping ahead of ourselves. This lesson is about the physical desires within us, instilled by God. However he also designed the appropriate manner in which they should be expressed. One man and one woman is the way God designed humankind. It is strange throughout the early records, men had more than one wife. Why God permitted that is not totally understandable, unless there was such a lack of people he needed the earth to multiply at a faster rate. Abraham having two sons by two different woman, he only had two sons. We know how well all that turned out. Isaac only had two sons, both with the same wife, and we know that didn’t turn out so well either. So maybe God allowed these multiple wives so many sons and daughters would be born and new tribes and nations would arise. But that is not how he first designed it. One groom and one bride. This is how it is going to end as well. Jesus as the bridegroom and us as the bride. There is no other way. Yet the lesson is also about how we live in this life. Each man has one woman to enjoy the physical pleasures of life with. All else is outside the plan of God. Yet here we are with those struggles presented to us every day.

Matt 5:27-29

27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery .'   28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

NIV

Although this was directed to men, the same holds true of women as well, especially in our society today. Women are visiting men stripper clubs, women crave the desires of the flesh as openly as men today. Our culture has truly forgotten about the design of God. We need to be aware of all the temptations of the flesh at all times, for surely Satan would desire to destroy our soul through our body. God must have had a greater plan allowing this type of behavior to exist, considering he put two of Judah’s sons to death for some reason of evil. Maybe there are times God has a greater plan at work in our society when he allows some of our behaviors. Yet we cannot help to think he intended for each man to enjoy the pleasures of his one suitable mate and for her to desire her husband as well. This is life according to God. Why this deception was permitted we may never know. But a lesson is being taught to Judah. Maybe that is what it is all about, God uses whatever means is necessary to teach us a lesson.