Read Gen. 38:1-12
Judah traveled to the land of the Adullamites to visit Hirah. He saw a Canaanite woman named Shua and married her. He had relations with her and produced three sons named Er, Onan, and Shelah. If we look at the meanings of the words we find that Adullamite means “a testimony to them”, Hirah means “hollowness”, Er means “awakening, stirring up”, Onan means “strong”, and Shelah means “a request”. Shelah was born in Chezib which means “falsified”. Jacob found a wife for Er named Tamar which means “a palm tree”. We will come back to these meanings. Let’s look at the story.
Jacob found a wife for Er but because Er was so wicked, God killed him. According to Jewish law the next son in line had the responsibility of marrying her and having a child to be raised as the dead son’s child and bare his name. Onan was next in line but he didn’t want to do that so he made sure his seed fell to the ground. This was so wicked to God that he took his life also. Shelah was too young for marriage so Judah told Tamar to go live with her people until he became of age and he would give her a son. Then Judah’s Adullamite wife died. Secretly, Judah was afraid to give her his son least he die also.
Let’s go back over that story looking at the meanings of the names.
Jacob goes to a place where God is going to use as a testimony to others. He marries a foreign wife that God told them not to do because they were hollow and didn’t possess God. He produces fruit that is wicked… so wicked that God has to kill two of them. They both have the same wife and none of them conceive life. Shelah is the one requested to give life to Tamar but the promise is falsified. Judah came into this country and brought a curse. He will have to reap what he has sown. Tomorrow, we’ll see how that happens.
Lord, help us to see that going our own way is not going to produce life.
2 comments:
Hi Ginny, I got the impression that Hirah was Judah's friend, and that Shua's daughter (a Canaanite) was the mother of Er, Onan and Shelah. Maybe I'm misreading it.
Since I've been reading your blog, and pouring over the old testament - I'm falling in love with it like never before!
Have you read Francine Rivers "Lineage of Grace"? I'm about half way thru, and while the storytelling portion is fiction, it's all based on the truths of 5 great women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Mary) and what their lives may have been like. It's really putting faces to the names I've always heard.
Thank you for committing to your devotionals. Know it's being used by God to reveal truths to others!
Amy
Amy, you are exactly right. I didn't read it right. I corrected it. Thanks!!! I'm so glad you are falling in love with the Old Testament. Once someone opened my eyes to how to unlock its keys I couldn't get enough of it. I love Francine Rivers. My favorite book ever is "Redeeming Love" by her. I have probably bought and giving away around 30 copies. I haven't read the "Lineage of Grace" series but I have read "the Mark of the Lion" series and loved them. I'll have to get that series and read them also. I am reading "Blessed Child" by Tedd Dekker right now for the second time. He is another of my favorite authors. I'm so glad you are joining me in studying, it makes it more fun knowing people are "with me". I love your comments!
Post a Comment