An exceptional brother can hide another – Genesis 38

An exceptional brother can hide another – Genesis 38

sermon Genesis 38 : Patrice Berger, 2023_06_28, AB Lausanne church

title : An exceptional brother can hide another – Genesis 38

An exceptional brother can hide another – Genesis 38

But where did Joseph go?


Today we continue with what is classically called the story of Joseph which we began to look at together the previous time in chapter 37.

But I have a problem, the following chapter does not tell us about Joseph at all!

Genesis 38
1 At that time Judah departed from his brothers and went to a man in Adullam named Hirah. 2 There he saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he took her as his wife and had relations with her. 3 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she named Er. 4 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she named Onan. 5 She again gave birth to a son whom she named Shelah. Judah was in Czib when she gave birth to him.

6 Judah took for Er his eldest son a wife named Tamar. 7 Er, the eldest son of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Join your brother’s wife, fulfill your duties as a brother-in-law towards her, and give offspring to your brother.” 9 Knowing that this offspring would not be for him, Onan lost his seed on the ground when he had to have relations with his sister-in-law, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 What he did displeased the LORD, who also put him to death. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow with your father until my son Shelah is grown.” He said this because he was afraid that Shela would die like her brothers. Tamar therefore went to live with her father.

Explanation of the Levirate System


I interrupt the reading for some explanations on the custom of the time in question here, which can shock us, a few millennia later and in our individualistic West.

Give a child to the widow

When a wife became a childless widow, it was the duty of one of the brothers-in-law to take her sister-in-law as a wife to give her a child, for two reasons:

that the family name be kept (and it was very important at the time),
that the property linked to the deceased remains linked to the widow, the surviving family for its subsistence.
A real commitment until the child is an adult

It was not a gratuitous gesture because the one who took his sister-in-law as his wife did not inherit his land but it was the son he would give her.

He welcomed her and fed her, for years, for nothing in terms of heritage.

( This is the case in the story of Ruth where her next of kin couldn’t do it and it was Boaz who picked up Ruth’s name. Ruth 4:1-12 )

Onan hijacks the idea of ​​levirate for sexual purposes

Here, Onan takes his sister-in-law only for sexual pleasure but makes sure not to give her offspring.

Judah “kicks in”

He remains Shela, but he is too young.

Judah hints that when he grows up, he will give it to Tamar to have a child. But for fear that he would die, Judah would never give it to him.

Without a brother-in-law, it’s up to the father-in-law to take responsibility

Namely, if there is no brother-in-law to bear a child, it was up to the father-in-law to bear a child, in this case, if the sons of Judah were unable, it was up to Judah to give Tamar an heir.

Social guarantee of the time
For us, it seems a bit creepy but it was really a life-saving practice to avoid the survivor

to lose everything,
to find oneself homeless
and ultimately being at the mercy of plans that downright suck.

Genesis – Chapter 38
12 Many days passed, and the daughter of Shua, who was Judah’s wife, died.

Once comforted, Judah went up to Timnah to those who were shearing his sheep. He rode there with his friend Hira the Adullamite.

13 It was announced to Tamar:

“Your father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

14 Then she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself around it, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, on the way to Timnah. She saw clearly, in fact, that Shela had grown up and that she was not given to him in marriage.

15 Judah saw her and took her for a prostitute, because she had covered her face. 16 He approached him on the way and said,

“Let me have relations with you.”

He did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She says:

“What will you give me for this?”

17 He answered:

“I will send you a kid from my flock.”

She says:

“Give me a token until you send it.”

18 He answered:

“What pledge shall I give you?”

She says:

“Your seal, your cord, and the staff you hold.”

He gave them to her.

Then he united with her and she became pregnant with him. 19 She got up and left. She took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes.

20 Judah sent the kid through his friend the Adullamite to take the pledge from the woman, but he did not find her.

21 He questioned the inhabitants of the place, saying:

“Where is the prostitute that stood at Enaim, on the way?”

They replied:

“There never was a holy prostitute here.”

(The worship of pagan deities was frequently linked to prostitution, where, for example, fertility was celebrated in this way, by sleeping with “sacred prostitutes.”)

22 He returned to Judah and said,

“I couldn’t find her, and even the locals said, ‘There never was a holy prostitute here.'”

23 Judah said:

“Let her keep what she has, otherwise we would expose ourselves to contempt. I sent that kid and you didn’t find her.”

24 About three months later they came and told Judah:

“Your daughter-in-law Tamar prostituted herself and here she is even pregnant as a result of her prostitution.”

Judah says:

“Bring her out and let her be burned.”

25 As they were leading her outside, she sent word to her father-in-law:

“It is from the man to whom these objects belong that I am pregnant.”

She added:

“Know therefore whose seal, this cord and this staff belong to.”

26 Judah recognized them and said,

“She is less guilty than me, since I did not give her to my son Shela.”

However, he no longer had sex with her.

27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

28 During the birth there was one who offered his hand.

The midwife took it and tied a crimson thread to it, saying:

“This one comes out first.”

29 However, he withdrew his hand and it was his brother who came out. Then the midwife said:

“What a breach you have opened for yourself!” and he was called Pérets.

30 Then came out his brother, who had the scarlet thread in his hand, and he was called Zerah.

A crucial chapter


Isn’t this a wonderful chapter? The Bible assures us that he is just as inspired as:

John 3. 16

Indeed, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

2 Timothy 3. 16

16 All Scripture is inspired of God and useful for teaching, for convicting, for correcting, for instructing in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be trained and equipped for every good work.

Even more, without this chapter, there would never have been John 3:16 .

Judah through whom the promises made to the patriarchs are fulfilled

Reminder: The story of Joseph is not just about Joseph.

Besides, it’s interesting, if the heart of the interest of the last chapters of the book of Genesis was to put forward only Joseph, we would have a big problem of understanding with this chapter 38.

What would he be doing there?


But the end of Genesis tells us much more about the line of Jacob with whom God made a covenant. The terms of this covenant will become clearer throughout the Old Testament until it is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

But he through whom these promises are fulfilled is not Joseph,

but Judah.

Judah, a rotten with his brother

And Judah we know, it was mentioned in the previous chapter,

it was he who had the “brilliant” idea of ​​selling his brother Joseph as a slave!

Genesis 37

26 Then Judah said to his brothers,

“What will we gain by killing our brother and hiding his blood?

Judah, a rotten man with his beautiful daughter

Not only does her deceit express itself with Joseph, but she expresses herself again with Tamar, her daughter-in-law!

Judah leaves the clan

Already the fact of having left the family clan is rather a negative gesture of independence. At the time, family solidarity was quite central.

Certainly for us, it does not speak to us much, but for the time it is rather a mega-affront…

Judah “forgets”

Then Judah “voluntarily forgets” to give him Shela so that he gives him a child.

open mores

Judah also has fairly open morals, he meets a prostitute, quiet, if it can be done, he does it…

bonfire

After having abandoned his stepdaughter, he does not hesitate to have her brought to the stake because she is pregnant (and he has done everything to refuse her this family minimum).

A good rot

As rot, we have a good one!

Turnaround

However, the chapter does not end on this tragic note, there are several beautiful things…

Publicly acknowledged error

Judah publicly acknowledges his error ( Genesis 38:26 ).

From this moment, we will see that it is no longer the same man at all.

It is a form of repentance (not for Christ, but for his life to date).

Children for Tamar

At the end of his own free will, Judah gives a line to Tamar, and even a double blow!!

Tamar Eternal Trajectory

But more than that, Tamar the neglected becomes a woman whose reach is eternal and her son Pérets too. Both are found in the genealogy of Christ.

Look with me at Matthew 1. 2-3 & 16
2 Abraham had Isaac as a son; Isaac had Jacob; Jacob had Judah and his brothers; 3 Judah had Perez and Zerah of Tamar; Pérets had Hetzrom […] 16b from whom was born Jesus, who is called the Christ.

In a genealogy at the time of Matthew, we never put a woman, only the names of men. The Holy Spirit revolutionizes the genre and expresses what God intended:

He wanted Tamar recorded, the forsaken one forever bound in the genealogy of Christ.

Rise and fall of humanity represented
Wouldn’t God wink at us by saying that Jesus by his lineage represents all the greatness and the baseness of humanity?

Yes, in the line of Jesus we have

shining kings,
but we also have women, which is totally inappropriate for a genealogy at the time!
And all the more so women whose life course has been dramatic for a long time.

Tamar (left-behind daughter-in-law),
Rahab, a foreign prostitute (an enemy of the Hebrews),
Ruth, a foreign widow (she was Moabite).
Jesus does not pretend to represent humanity, He carries it in his filiation.

Through Jesus, we are all truly represented:

women,
male,
whatever our journey…
Repentance always possible for God

Judah is a fine example of possible repentance, whatever we have done.

There is no obstacle with God,

to come
or return to Him.
But not always for us

Only our pride and self-centeredness are the obstacles that we love to cherish in order not to come or return to Him.
A repentance that goes beyond words

From this moment, Judah will show a completely different face and will be the precursor of the substitution perfectly carried out by someone of his lineage: Christ.

A whole life changes direction

As a reminder, repentance is a profound change in thoughts, the repentant person chooses to radically transform

his conduct,
the whole orientation of his life,
by having become aware of his sin, of his will to renounce it, to adopt a new behavior, a new perspective of life turned towards God.

In the New Testament we see John the Baptist preaching and baptizing to mark this repentance.

And then came the encouragement to change your life.

Luke 3.7-14

So he said to the crowds who came to be baptized by him: “Races of vipers, who taught you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 So produce fruits that confirm your change of attitude and do not begin to say to yourselves:

‘We have Abraham as our ancestor!’ Indeed, I declare unto you that of these stones God is able to bring forth descendants unto Abraham.

9 Already the ax is put in the roots of the trees: every tree that does not produce good fruit will therefore be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 The crowd questioned him:

“So what should we do?”

11 He answered them:

“Let the one who has two shirts share with the one who has none, and let the one who has food do the same.”

12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized; they said to him:

“Master, what should we do?”

13 He answered them:

“Do not demand more than what you have been ordered to do.”

14 Some soldiers also asked him:

“And we, what should we do?”

He answered them:

“Do not extort or wrong anyone and be content with your pay.”

Repentance is concrete.


There is no true or false repentance.

Repentance is seen in the life of the repentant.

And it will show in the life of Judah.

Repentance for Christ

So it is with us through Christ

Acts 3.19

So change your attitude and convert so that your sins are erased!

Through Christ nothing is ever fixed!

The ball is in our court with His help!



Bible Passages

Genesis 38:1-30

And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er.

And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan.

And she yet again conceived, and bore a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; because she had covered her face.

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

Related Links / Notes

Series : The Josephs in the Bible

Study Notes are translated from the original French version prepared by the pastor Patrice Berger. The orginal French notes are in “note” form, and are not a direct transcription of the video, however they are quite close the original text preached at the church. The notes provided here follow that form, and are detailed enough to help provide a deep understanding of the texts of the parables.

All services as well as some of the bible studies are streamed on the channel  YouTube église AB Renens-Lausanne.  Also visit the You Tube channel of the Swiss Action Biblique Youth Groups (JAB Suisse Romande).

Bible verses cited in this series are avalaible online in the KJV Bible among others and also as a podcast on Spotify

Keywords

  • Antichrist
  • Christ
  • Son of God
  • Eternal life
  • Assurance
  • Communion
  • Perseverance
  • Discernment
  • Holy Spirit