Overflow Daily...ish: Remembering Tamar


11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house. 
Genesis 38:11 (ESV)

Growing up as the middle child I was often asked if I was the forgotten one. Apparently, that is a real experience for many middle children. They are not the eldest nor are they the baby child and so, being stuck in the middle, I guess they are not thought of. That was not really my experience; although I do recall a specific family road trip where I had awoken to the smell of McDonalds french fries. The good news, I was right about the french fries. The bad news, they had stopped to eat McDonalds and just left me asleep in the van and there was no food for me. So, if being the middle child means having your whole family eat dinner inside of a McDonalds, not going through the drive-thru, but eating inside while you are asleep in the car is a middle child experience, then I guess I can relate.

What we read about Tamar is a far more significant event than a lack of fries. In Genesis 38, we read of Tamar who is joined to the family of promise by an arranged marriage. But God strikes down Tamar’s husband because of his wickedness. To make matters worse, the younger brother who marries her purposely does not impregnate her by “pulling out” and is too struck dead for his evil. It was possible for Judah, the father of her two deceased husbands, to allow Tamar to return to her family or to wed outside of the family, but he too displays wickedness by acting sinfully. He keeps her with him, promising his third son to her when comes of age but more or less forgets her.

As you read the story, Tamar conceives a plan in order to conceive a child and acts in accord with the purposes of levirate marriage; although the action is both incestuous and deceitful. It is a very interesting story in that it is very shocking and the placement of the story is really quite interesting. It comes right after Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, to include Judah, and really seems to interrupt the narrative on Joseph. But what we come to understand is that from the outset the “holy” family is both fragmented and consumed by wickedness. And yet, everything that we have read up until this point is telling us that this is the family which would come a seed which would be a blessing to all the nations. How can this be?

It comes about because of Tamar. The broader implication we find from her actions is that the messianic line is preserved and Tamar actually acts as the heroine in Israel and is included in the lineage of Jesus found in Matthew 1. Maybe you too feel forgotten. Maybe you feel as though you will not amount to anything and want to give up. May you consider the life of Tamar and Joseph. Understand and know that God is working all things according to His providential plan. He has not forgotten you. So, what does He require of you in seasons where seems lost? “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alex

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