One story to show the surprising way God works to do his will

By Dean Collins

If you think your sins, especially the big ones, mean you can’t be used by God, then you need to read more Scripture! The story of Judah in Genesis is just one example.

I’m almost finished with Genesis again. I’ve read this book more than thirty or forty times, but God continues to speak through it to show me something new. I’m sure you’ve had this same experience. No matter how familiar some passages and stories are, suddenly you notice something different. What I notice might be old news to you and what you notice I may have seen long ago, but since Scripture is God-breathed, inspired, we need always to pay attention to our new questions and convictions as they come when we read.

Looking again at Judah

Usually when I read Genesis I’m naturally following the Abraham, Issac, and Jacob stories as they unfold. And of course one of my favorites is the story of Joseph and his rise from dreamer to second-in-command in Egypt. The story has a beautiful end with Joseph being used to save his family from famine. We see the amazing picture of love and forgiveness when they are reunited.

But this time I was all about Judah as I read Genesis.

If you haven’t noticed God is often, if not usually, doing the unexpected in Scripture. We might discover as we read that he may do the unexpected even now with you and me. Yes, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow as Hebrews 13:8 says, but in the great drama of God, he is often calling the weak and and even those who look to be the worst to do little and big things that fulfill his grand purpose of restoration. And often those he involves don’t realize or may never know this side of Heaven how God allowed them to be a part of king-sized transformation. Judah’s story is a prime example of why this is true.

God is often calling the weak and the worst to do the things that fulfill his grand purpose of restoration.

You know the familiar story of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. In every generation there were lies and manipulation by the leading characters, but God kept his promises and continued forward. When we get to Jacob, we find twelve sons birthed by four different mothers. Impatience and jealousy ruled in the lives of Jacob and his wife Rachel. And then, in a poor parenting move, Jacob declared one of his sons, Joseph, his favorite. The rest of his sons all knew this, and Joseph didn’t help himself by constantly bragging about his dreams.

But as the familiar story continues, we find Judah taking an interesting role. Judah was the fourth of Jacob’s sons. His mother was the wife Jacob was tricked into marrying when his love was for her sister Rachel. Judah was the brother who suggested the brothers sell Joseph into slavery to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver coins. Then the story of Joseph appears to be interrupted by an entire chapter that focuses on Judah and his poor choices.

Remembering again his failures

Maybe it was a sense of guilt that prompted Judah to marry a Canaanite. Marriages like this were discouraged in the family. Judah and his bride have three sons. When the eldest son, Er, is old enough for marriage, Judah finds him a wife named Tamar. But Er was so wicked that the Lord ended his life. According to Jewish practice, Er’s brother Onan married Tamar. However, Onan didn’t go along with his responsibility to father a child for his brother’s legacy. And he died as well. Judah apparently was neither much of a father nor much of a promise keeper. He told Tamar when the youngest son was old enough she could marry him, but Judah eventually ignored this promise.

And this less than upstanding father and widower went back to see his old friend Hirah. Tamar knew enough about her father-in-law to anticipate he would be looking for more than a sheep shearer when he hung out at Hirah’s place, so she dressed herself like a prostitute and sat in a visible place among the local prostitutes. Judah took the bait and had sex with his well-disguised daughter-in-law. He didn’t have his wallet to pay for his pleasure, so he left an IOU that included his signet ring, his cord, and his staff. These items were like leaving your driver’s license and business card.

The sexual encounter resulted in Tamar’s pregnancy. And good ole Judah, when he heard his daughter-in-law had been sleeping around, was ready to have her killed. It was then that Tamar handed over the identification proving that Judah himself was the father. And finally Judah admits that he is both responsible and the worst of sinners.

Seeing anew God’s surprising redemption

Judah is the brother in Joseph’s story who finally rises up to appease Joseph’s demands. He pledged his own life if he didn’t successfully obey Joseph’s wish to bring the youngest brother, Benjamin, to see Joseph. Their father, Jacob, was doubtful about the arrangements but went along with the plan.

As the story resolved with Jacob on his deathbed, he placed his hand on each son and gave a blessing. And here is where we see the biggest surprise of all. The greatest blessing went not to Joseph or Benjamin but to Judah. He would become the father of the line of kings. His would be the line that destroyed the enemies once and for all. His would lead to Jesus, the Lion of Judah.

The unpredictable and imaginative God of the universe is always working. He can transform lives and change our course. He will forgive and even redeem our mistakes when we admit our sin and weaknesses. He will look past the leaders acclaimed by the world and even the church folk. If God can use Judah, then there is great hope he can use us as well.

Let today begin the next chapter for you. Lay down the burden of inadequacy and repent of your sin. It just might be today that God will reveal the next step in your kingdom transformation and change your legacy for eternity!

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29:35‬; ‭37:25-28‬; ‭38:1-5, 7, 10-16, 20-26‬; ‭43:7-10‬; ‭ ‭44:14-34‬; ‭49:8-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Alabaster Co on Unsplash

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To download a printable version of this post, which originally appeared January 29, 2021, click here.