Why did God choose
the tribe of Judah to bring in our heavenly king? As we’ve seen, Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son - why didn’t God choose Joseph to extend his royal kingdom? Why Leah’s fourth son? Why didn’t God choose Joseph, Rachel’s first born, or Benjamin - Rachel’s only other son? It was Judah who said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother (Joseph) and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” And his brothers agreed.” Genesis 37:26-27 I don’t know why God does what he does - but I do trust that He is sovereign. And why Levi - Leah’s third son? Why did God pick him to create His line of chosen priests from? Levi was one of the two brothers who defended the honor of their sister, but they did it by killing ALL the men of Shechem! That was murder in the 10th degree - one of God’s ten commands of what we are NOT to do! And when Jacob was angry because of their murderous attack, Levi and Simeon were unapologetic - they stood on their foundation of what they had to do. Repentance was not a thing they would do! I don’t know why God does what he does - but I do trust that He is sovereign. Today - your going to hear more about Judah, and the stupidity of his sin; and about Tamar, his daughter-in-law who deceived him into having sex with her. As stated on the website “Got Questions”- We would expect the twin sons of Judah’s incestuous union with his daughter-in-law to be outcasts, hidden away, or perhaps not even mentioned in the Bible. However, surprisingly, the Messianic line continues through Tamar’s son Perez. God did not provide a “cleaner” way to continue the line that would eventually include His Son. Perez was the ancestor of Jesus of Nazereth. Now here we go. Listen to this - “Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with Tamar, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also. Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” (If Tamar were to leave) “So Tamar went to live in her father’s household. 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.” When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 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” (and she probably wondered if she ever would). When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 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.” Genesis 38:12-16 Cover your eyes - but don’t be surprised! Judah - the son of Jacob proposed to a prostitute! “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” Tamar asked. 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. 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. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again. Genesis 38:17-19 About three months later Judah was told Tamar was guilty of prostitution, and as a result she was pregnant. Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” What a typical male response - to accuse a woman of the same sin that he has committed! Who is he to judge? As 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.” Judah 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. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. As 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.” But 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. Genesis 38:1-30 Jacob, Judah, Levi, and Tamar were all human beings who were fallen - there was deception, prostitution and murder - and all were chosen by God! And there was Perez - the second twin who broke out first (just like Jacob - when he grabbed onto Esau’s heel), we will learn more about him when we read the book of Ruth. All I can do is thank God for loving me despite who I am. Thank you God for rescuing me from this fallen world. I don’t know why You do what you do, but I do trust that You are sovereign.
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