Thurs.’s Devo - Tamar’s Retribution

Read Gen. 38:13-30

Tamar realizes that she has been lied to about Shelah and she will never have a son to carry on her husband’s name so she decides to fix that.  She hears that her father-in-law, Judah, is going to Timnath to shear his sheep.  Timnath means “thou will withhold” which is exactly what Judah is doing… withholding Shelah from Tamar.  Tamar comes up with a stellar plan and it works.  She dresses like a harlot and covers her face and sets up right where Judah will be passing.  He sees her and feels the need to go in.  He forgot his wallet so he promises her to send her a kid later.  She asks for something to have for insurance that he will pay.  When he asks what she wants, she says his signet ring, bracelets and his staff.  He unwisely gives it to her.  I guess he thinks she won’t be able to do anything with them and they would only mean something to him.  She planned it right when she was fertile and she conceived.  He went on his way and when he sent the kid back by his servant to get his things back, no one had even heard of a harlot there.  Judah didn’t want to look like a fool so he gave up looking for her.  Three months later he hears of Tamar’s pregnancy and is indignant.  He wants to burn her for disgracing their names until she brings out the things she got from Judah and says that the owner of these things is the father.  Judah realizes his sin and spares her life.  She delivers twins but in delivery one of the babies stuck his hand out.  The midwife put a scarlet thread around his hand to label it the first born.  But the other baby managed to come out first.  They were amazed at the breach and named the child Pharez which means “a breach”.  The son with the scarlet thread was named Zarah which means “a rising as the sun”.  The second born speaks of our second birth in Christ.  The scarlet thread is the picture of the scarlet thread of Christ’s blood that ran throughout history pointing to Jesus.  Jesus is the son that rose as the sun in a dark world to bring the light of God.    

Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to be our rising sun.