Put to Death

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PUT TO DEATH

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

In just a few verses, Judah takes a Canaanite wife who bore three sons, two of whom were old enough to take wives. Judah gave Tamar to his firstborn, Er. Tamar is where the whole story is about, for she will be in the lineage of Jesus; however, not from her husband. This portion of Tamar's story reveals the two sons who were wicked in the LORD's sight. Being wicked in the LORD's sight never bodes well for anyone. Because Er was wicked in the LORD's sight, the LORD put him to death. Onan, the next oldest son, also was wicked in the LORD's sight, and the LORD put him to death. It is good that God's grace is at work, for without Jesus, we would have no chance but to be considered wicked in the LORD's sight. Still, that is our choice to repent and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. There are those who do not want to know Jesus, or refuse him as Savior, and are therefore wicked in the eyes of the Lord; one day they will be put to death, which is called the second death. Er could have lived if he had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but that was not to be, as we know that Tamar will give birth to twins, and it was from neither Er nor Onan. Yet the truth here is about either being wicked or righteous in the Lord's sight. Which one of us could claim any righteousness? There is none righteous, no, not one. In reality, we all have done wickedness in the sight of God, but because of Jesus, we can be seen as holy and righteous in God's sight. How could we not spend our lives praising him with a grateful heart? How could we not have a heart filled with thanksgiving? How could we not run the race to the finish line, so that we would be the overcomer who will not be hurt by the second death? Thanks be to God! He has given us victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ, for through Him we will not be put to death.