Genesis 38:13

Judah leaves his brothers to join the world of the Canaanite (the Merchant) in all its ruined character. The actual words of Scripture, "went down from," show the path of departure he took. They warn the reader that what follows will be marked by sin. The consequences of Judah's deliberate departure will be serious. He will have to learn that he cannot please himself without reaping a harvest of sorrow. He has to learn that whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Gal. 6:7).

The chapter needs few words to prove how low Judah had sunk morally... It was not Reuben or any other of the tribal heads, but Judah, who proposed the sale of Joseph. Now he showed in his own house the evil that drew down curse on curse. In the end the head of that house had to admit the sad shame of Tamar — more righteous than himself, who had sentenced her to die by fire.

Only four times in scripture do we read of sheep shearing. First, in Genesis 31:19; second here in Genesis 38:13 (Judah); third in 1 Samuel 25:4 (Nabal); and fourth in 2 Samuel 13:23 (Absalom). In each case, something unpleasantly selfish is involved. Peter was not told by the Lord to "shear My sheep," but "shepherd My sheep" and "feed My sheep" (John 21:16-17).

This shameful episode happened at sheep-shearing time, when something is taken from the sheep. To take and leave naked is Satan's work. The practices of the Canaanite religion increased sexual temptation. Ritual sex was part of their fertility magic. It seems Tamar posed as a temple prostitute. Such was the world that Judah had married into!

Tamar had the right to be the mother of Judah's heir. He kept that right from her, in effect blaming her for the death of his sons. He did not blame his own sons for any wrong. Judah's prejudice in favour of his own family blinded him to the truth.

Eventually Judah's wife died. Judah was not driven to the feet of the Lord by that loss, but turned to the company of one whom he thought was a prostitute. He had promised to give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar, but had not kept his promise. She therefore took matters into her own hands and deceitfully posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah (vv. 13-15).

Her desire for children was a right one. We can admire the value she put on a place in the family where God's Name was known, and the righteous, trusting spirit shown in her patient waiting as a widow. But her actions to reach that end cannot be excused. She lacked confidence in God, and the sin itself was unnatural... How ready we are by nature to seek God's blessing in our own way.

Out of this shameful history it is amazing to think that God has seen fit to bring about wonderful blessing. For Judah, Tamar and Pharez are all recorded in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 1:3. In fact, Tamar is one of only four women mentioned in that genealogy — Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and "the wife of Uriah" (Matt. 1:3-6). But this is meant to impress on us the wonder of God's pure grace, reaching guilty sinners through the gift of His holy, sinless Son!