Meant for GoodSample

WHAT GOOD CAN COME FROM THIS?

Read: Genesis 38:12-30

Discover

Neglected by her father-in-law, Tamar decides to take conceiving an heir into her own hands by deceiving Judah. After he learns of her pregnancy, Judah seeks to put Tamar to death. However, Tamar exposes Judah’s selfish hypocrisy, and he relents. Tamar gives birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah.

Learn

The descending spiral of sinfulness in Genesis 37-38 finds its culmination in a deeply sorrowful scene. Tamar, desperate for an heir, uses deception to take advantage of her father-in-law’s recent loss. Judah, motivated by selfishness and lust, not only falls to her deception but also hypocritically tries to kill her for her adultery. When Tamar shows Judah’s signet ring and cord, she not only saves her life but initiates Judah’s own redemption. After acknowledging the ring and cord are his, Judah says, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son” (Genesis 38:26). For the first time in two chapters, somebody recognizes the depth of their sinfulness. Moreover, Judah “never knew (Tamar) again,” indicating his repentance and determination to live faithfully.

Apply

Like greed and selfishness, lust and selfishness are really two sides of the same coin. In this passage, Judah’s selfishness drives him to fulfill his own desires and vindicate his own unrighteousness. First, Judah uses Tamar as an object to fulfill his lust, then uses her pregnancy as an excuse to have her killed and rid himself of her forever. Instead, Judah is exposed as a selfish, greedy, lustful hypocrite. At the rock bottom of his life, caught in the culmination of decades of sinfulness, Judah breaks the cycle of sin by choosing repentance.

This week, you saw how the little leaven of Jacob’s favoritism infected his whole family. You observed how the jealousy of the sons of Jacob blossomed into bitterness, resentment, and rage. You witnessed the selfishness of Judah greedily selling his own brother into slavery, ignoring his own sons’ wickedness, and lustfully taking advantage of his own daughter-in-law. Everywhere you read, the seed of the Serpent sinfully sows discord, dysfunction, and destruction wherever it is allowed to grow. Surely, what good can come from this?

As we end this week, that may be the question you are facing as well. You may see the wreckage of sin in your life and wonder, “What good can come from all of this?” You may think your sin is too strong, your past is too tarnished, and your life is too marred to be redeemed. Whatever you have done, God stands before you, graciously beckoning you to follow Him. His grace is more than enough to forgive anything you have ever done. Like Judah, today you can repent by acknowledging your sin, asking God for forgiveness, and praying for the Holy Spirit to renew your life and heart (Psalm 51:10; Romans 2:12).