Judah begat Pharez and Zara of Tamar: Pharez begat Hezron: Hezron begat Ram:
This scripture is about the lineage of Jesus Christ. I was really fascinated with Tamar, and how it came to be that she was named in the line of Christ?
Abraham received the promise of the Messiah, that it would come down through his family line. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah. Judah had a firstborn son Named Er. Judah took Tamar as a wife for Er. Apparently Er was a pretty bad guy and God slew him, leaving Tamar a widow, by custom she married the other brother, and he had the same fate, God slew him also (Genesis 38:7- 10.)
Tamar has now been widowed twice, by custom the third son, Shelah was to be given to her for a husband, by the father, Judah. In order to raise up seed for both the other sons that had died, namely Er. Judah tells Tamar to wait for his youngest son to become of age and marry him. Years go by, the third son Shelah is a grown man and Judah has not kept his word. Tamar decides to take matters into her own hands.
She took off her widow’s garments and dressed as a harlot, deceived Judah, and slept with him. Judah did not know this was Tamar. She took his ring, his bracelets, and his staff as a pledge for future payment, three months later Tamar is with child. Judah hears of this and commands her to be brought forth and burned for being a harlot. Tamar asks Judah, “to whom do these belong?” Judah immediately realizes what has happened.
Gen 38:26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, Shehath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
Pastors have really preached some ugly things about Tamar over the years. How could
she have devised such a wicked scheme? But God saw it differently. Tamar married Er, Judah’s son the Messiah was to come out of the tribe of Judah. While Tamar was married to Er, he told her of this promise, Er didn’t really believe the promise just by the way he lived.
Judah appears to have taken the promise lightly as well, by sleeping with a harlot. Out of this whole story, there is one magnificent lady that believed the word of God to be true. She waited for the promise, she embraced God even though her culture and family had other gods. She waited for years, she endured. Even Judah said, “She’s more righteous than I.”
Tamar is in the line of Judah and mentioned in the lineage of Jesus Christ. One of only four ladies mentioned in the lineage, Tamar, Rachab, Ruth, and Mary. All of whom had a special kind of faith and love for God. Tamar had faith, she simply believed God’s promise.
In the end, all that matters is, what God thinks about you.
