As I was reading Matthew chpt. 1, the geneology of Jesus, I came across the names of 5 women who were mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. I thought to myself, this is not a common trend as it was usually the names of men who were mentioned. As the curiosity rose in me to follow the cookie trails, I went on a quest to read the story of Tamar, the first woman mentioned in the direct lineage of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
The story begins as we read in the book of Genesis Chpt. 38, with one of the sons of Jacob (Israel) whose name was Judah. Judah was the firstborn male of Jacob. Judah married the daughter of a canaanite man and she gave birth to Er his first born, then Onan, and lastly Shelah. Judah gave Tamar as wife to his son Er. The bible says that Er was a wicked man and that God put him to death. Tamar did not have any children with Er and as their custom ordered the next in kin would have to marry her to fulfill his duty and raise children in the name of the deceased husband.
Here’s where the situation becomes like a soap opera. Onan did not want to raise up an offspring for his brother Er, so whenever he slept with his brothers wife, he did not release his semen into Tamar so that she could become pregnant. Instead, he released his semen to the ground. Tamar was not only being used but rejected. God found this act to be wicked and put Onan to death. Judah had now lost 2 sons and Tamar still had no offspring. Judah then told Tamar to return to her fathers house and live as a widow until his son Shelah was old enough to marry. Judah was afraid that the same thing would happen to his youngest son and he had no intention of fulfilling this promise. Time passed; and Judah was not fulfilling the duty to Tamar.
Tamar was a widow who was abandoned and returned to her fathers house. At this point, Judah’s wife had died and after he grieved he went to Timnah to check on his flock with the men who were shearing his sheep. Tamar had heard that Judah was on his way so she took off her widows clothing, disguised herself by putting on a veil and sat down by the road pretending to be a prostitute. Apparently, women who covered themselves with a veil were involved in this profession of prostitution. You hid what you wanted to keep a secret.
Judah approached Tamar and thinking that she was a prostitute because she covered her face asked to sleep with her. She asked what she would get in return for her services and he offered a young goat from his flock. She asked for his seal, chord, and staff as a pledge until he brought her the animal. He agreed and Judah slept with Tamar not knowing that she was his daughter in law. Judah’s youngest son Shelah had grown up yet he did not give her his son to fulfill his duty and raise offspring for her deceased husband, Er.
Three months later, word was sent to Judah that his daughter in law was accused of prostitution and pregnant. Judah was enraged and ordered for Tamar to be burnt (kind of extreme). Tamar sent a message to Judah saying , “I am pregnant from the man who’s seal, chord, and staff this belongs.” Judah recognized that those items belonged to him and said that ‘”she was more righteous than he” for he had refused to give her his son Shelah as promised. Judah never slept with Tamar again and she was considered a ‘righteous’ woman. She did the right thing even when it was not convenient.
Tamar was carrying twins in her womb. While giving birth, one child stuck out his hand and the midwife put a scarlet string around his wrist to mark that this child came out first; however, the child withdrew his hand and the brother came out instead. He was named Perez and Zerah was the brother who had the scarlet string. (interesting side note: that many Jewish followers of the mystical Kabbalah wear a scarlet string around their wrist, any correlation?)
In analyzing the story of Tamar, we see a woman who was abandoned as a widow, rejected and humiliated by Judah’s 2nd son, Onan and returned to live in shame at her fathers home. Tamar was not seen as wicked nor immoral. She was seen as righteous for acting on her faith to fulfill the law and do the right thing even when it was not convenient. God does not abandon the widow nor orphans, His eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. He does not forget them and thus why there were strict laws to protect the widows. Tamar’s actions, however unusual considering the circumstances, demonstrated faith, action, and wisdom. Maybe this is why she found favor in the eyes of God to not only be mentioned in the Bible but through the birth of her son Perez a direct lineage was documented in the bloodline of Jesus Christ the Messiah.
Do you identify yourself with a Tamar? Though her methods were not conventional, she demonstrated faith with works. She was fearless and determined. In her story, God lets us know, that God loves women. He is the God that restores, renews, and binds up our wounds. He is full of compassion and righteousness. His ways are not always our ways but always remember God is good, He is righteous but as a consuming fire, the Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the Living God.