Redemption is a theme that echoes deep within every human being. I recently viewed a movie in which the character that does the most despicable act within the storyline ultimately does the most heroic deed. I was left to ponder whether the character’s great act of heroism was enough to redeem him of the evil act previously committed.
This evening I taught Genesis 38, which is part of an expositional series I am teaching on the Joseph Narrative (Genesis 37:1-47:26). Genesis 38 is a passage that clearly demonstrates God’s power of redemption.
The main character in Genesis 38 is Joseph’s older brother Judah. In Genesis 37 it had been Judah’s idea to sell Joseph into slavery. If Genesis 38 where made into a movie, Judah would be labeled the, “bad guy.”
Genesis 38 begins with Judah getting married and having three sons. His oldest son, Er, marries Tamar. Er was so evil that shortly after the marriage, God kills him. Judah’s second son, Onan, marries Tamar to fulfill the obligation of levirate marriage. Shortly after the marriage God also kills Onan because he deals immaturely with Tamar (i.e. wanted sex without the responsibility of caring for her). Once Judah sees his two oldest sons die, he is afraid to let his youngest son marry Tamar. Therefore he deals treacherously with Tamar by choosing to not fulfill his obligation of giving his final son to her for marriage as required by the custom of levirate marriage. If Tamar was not able to marry Judah’s youngest son, she had little chance of finding someone else to marry her. This would mean that she would have to provide for herself in an agrarian culture where her only means of provision would be begging or prostitution. The story continues a number of years later with Judah going up with his buddy Hira to Timnah for the sheep shearing. On his way to Timnah he sleeps with a prostitute. Little does he know that the prostitute is no prostitute at all, but instead his daughter-in-law Tamar. Three months later Judah is pleasantly surprised, when he gets word that Tamar is pregnant through prostitution, not realizing that this was his own child she was carrying. He is the first to call for her death, not because of his righteousness but because this would free him from the obligation of giving his final son to her for marriage as required by the custom of levirate marriage. At this point within the story the reader can’t wait for God to strike Judah, the bad guy, dead as He had previously done with Judah’s two oldest sons. The story continues as Tamar brings forth the evidence as to who the, “baby’s daddy,” is. To the reader’s surprise, rather than God striking Judah down, he is given the opportunity of redemption. Judah responds with remorse as he states, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah for marriage.” Unlike the film I previously spoke about, which leaves the audience guessing whether the bad character’s heroism is enough to bring about his redemption, God leaves no question as to whether Judah, the guy who sold his own brother into slavery and dealt treacherously with his daughter-in-law, is redeemed. God’s love and preservation in the midst of craziness is made abundantly clear through this story. For in the New Testament we find that it is through the line of Judah that God chooses to become flesh through. Through Judah’s line Jesus Christ comes to earth bringing about the ultimate redemption of mankind through His sinless life, death on the cross in our place, burial, and resurrection.
This evening I taught Genesis 38, which is part of an expositional series I am teaching on the Joseph Narrative (Genesis 37:1-47:26). Genesis 38 is a passage that clearly demonstrates God’s power of redemption.
The main character in Genesis 38 is Joseph’s older brother Judah. In Genesis 37 it had been Judah’s idea to sell Joseph into slavery. If Genesis 38 where made into a movie, Judah would be labeled the, “bad guy.”
Genesis 38 begins with Judah getting married and having three sons. His oldest son, Er, marries Tamar. Er was so evil that shortly after the marriage, God kills him. Judah’s second son, Onan, marries Tamar to fulfill the obligation of levirate marriage. Shortly after the marriage God also kills Onan because he deals immaturely with Tamar (i.e. wanted sex without the responsibility of caring for her). Once Judah sees his two oldest sons die, he is afraid to let his youngest son marry Tamar. Therefore he deals treacherously with Tamar by choosing to not fulfill his obligation of giving his final son to her for marriage as required by the custom of levirate marriage. If Tamar was not able to marry Judah’s youngest son, she had little chance of finding someone else to marry her. This would mean that she would have to provide for herself in an agrarian culture where her only means of provision would be begging or prostitution. The story continues a number of years later with Judah going up with his buddy Hira to Timnah for the sheep shearing. On his way to Timnah he sleeps with a prostitute. Little does he know that the prostitute is no prostitute at all, but instead his daughter-in-law Tamar. Three months later Judah is pleasantly surprised, when he gets word that Tamar is pregnant through prostitution, not realizing that this was his own child she was carrying. He is the first to call for her death, not because of his righteousness but because this would free him from the obligation of giving his final son to her for marriage as required by the custom of levirate marriage. At this point within the story the reader can’t wait for God to strike Judah, the bad guy, dead as He had previously done with Judah’s two oldest sons. The story continues as Tamar brings forth the evidence as to who the, “baby’s daddy,” is. To the reader’s surprise, rather than God striking Judah down, he is given the opportunity of redemption. Judah responds with remorse as he states, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah for marriage.” Unlike the film I previously spoke about, which leaves the audience guessing whether the bad character’s heroism is enough to bring about his redemption, God leaves no question as to whether Judah, the guy who sold his own brother into slavery and dealt treacherously with his daughter-in-law, is redeemed. God’s love and preservation in the midst of craziness is made abundantly clear through this story. For in the New Testament we find that it is through the line of Judah that God chooses to become flesh through. Through Judah’s line Jesus Christ comes to earth bringing about the ultimate redemption of mankind through His sinless life, death on the cross in our place, burial, and resurrection.
I was just reading through this the other day. I think your title describes this perfectly. How did the youth respond to this?
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