Amnon, Tamar’s brother, is not the only one in the ancient family of patriarchs who suffered from lustful desires and acted them out. There’s a difference between wanting something or someone and making moves to possess and satisfy the desires, whether sexual or material or whatever they may be.
Not only that, but when we hear of lust, we sometimes think only of sex. Not so. Covetousness has the element of detrimental lust…wanting to be someone for example. It’s one of the most egregious desires to take into your bosom. It can lead to theft, murders, criminal behaviors, and more.
Let’s direct our attention now to another ancient patriarch who had some bad fortune and resorted to another way to satisfy them. When Leah birthed Judah in B.C.1916, she was so grateful and excited she exclaimed “Praise!” That’s where we get the meaning of Judah’s name, who was the fourth son of Jacob by Leah.
Jacob never really loved her. He loved “Rachel.” No matter how hard Leah tried to get Jacob to love her, it didn’t work. Judah’s whole brothers were Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, all older than himself, and then the younger Issachar and Zebulun.
Let’s look at the good characteristics of Judah so we don’t think the worst of him. He advised his brothers not to kill their brother Joseph before being sold into slavery. The brothers took his advice and didn’t kill Joseph, but did allow him to be sold into slavery.
He used his generous impulses to distract them from their most evil deed of murdering their brother, who was most loved by their father. Judah posed a question, “What profit is it if we kill him?”
Judah, who acted as the spokesperson for his brothers, advocated for Benjamin, who was being held back by their father, Jacob. Ultimately, Judah supported the decision to let the youngest brother, Benjamin, travel with the older brothers to Egypt due to the severe famine they were facing. His advice proved the wisest.
He was a leader and spokesman. Judah, also exhibiting his compassion and generosity, throws himself to become a slave rather than risk Benjamin when he appeals to their disguised brother, Joseph, posing as an Egyptian. Joseph could no longer hold himself together and had to leave the quarters, wash his face to compose himself, and return to confess his real identity as their supposedly dead brother destroyed by a wild animal. Judah hastened to bear Jacob the royal robe of Joseph presented to their father.
Soon after the sale of Joseph, Judah went to stay at Adullam and married a Canaanite woman named Shunam. She had three sons for him, Er, Onan and Shelah. Er, the oldest married Tamar. He died.
The next in succession, Onan, married her according to the patriarchal law, but he died too. When Judah saw this, leaving two sons dead and a wife also through death, he was to give his last surviving son, Shelah to Tamar. Tamar saw this was not happening right and she decided on a plot where she pretended to be a prostitute.
Judah was by now drunk with distress from losing his wife and two sons and trying to save his last son from marrying Tamar; perhaps trying to run away from giving up his last son to Tamar and went into somewhat of a stupor and thought he was going into a prostitute, but it was his own daughter-in-law disguised as a loose woman.
When someone disclosed that he had traded off his royal ornaments to who he thought was a prostitute, he learned by surprise it was his daughter-in-law! Interestingly, the patriarchal families of the 12 sons are caught up into slavery and begin the account of being in bondage in Egypt for 400-430 years! WHAT A STORY! Bible stories are not dull!
Thanks for reading! Jeanette Grattan Parker is the founder-superintendent of Today’s Fresh Start Charter School, 4514 Crenshaw Boulevard, L.A. 90043, 323-293-9826, www.todaysfreshstart.org, (Ask Dr. Jeanette TM) “Inquiring Minds Want to Know.” All articles are copyright. All rights reserved © Errors? Or Questions? Please let me know. Join Sundays for music and message at 11:30 a.m. by calling (712) 775-8971, code 266751. References: The Holy Bible Genesis 38, @ Samuel 11,12, 13, 14, Cyclopedia of Biblical Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. Don’t stop praying and hoping. “Today is another great day to do good and be successful
