Some say Bible can be divided into two main categories: God's teachings and stories of how people react to His teaching. Through humanity’s interactions with Him, we witness the eternal nature of His covenant. The stories portrayed in the Bible vividly illustrate the contrasting outcomes of walking in harmony with His decrees versus opposing them.
This week’s scripture, Genesis chapters 37 to 40, features two scandals: the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar, and the account of Potiphar’s wife and Joseph.
Tamar’s story is found in Genesis 38. As Judah’s daughter-in-law, she was twice widowed. Yet, Judah, believing she was cursed to bring misfortune, refused to give her his youngest son in marriage, as was the custom at the time. According to tradition, a brother was obligated to provide offspring for his deceased sibling. Isolated and powerless, the Canaanite woman Tamar lived year after year cloaked in widow’s garments, awaiting a future that seemed increasingly distant.
In stark contrast stands the story of Potiphar’s wife, recounted in Genesis 39. As the wife of Pharaoh’s captain of the guard, she enjoyed status and abundance, seemingly lacking nothing. However, perhaps due to her husband’s long absences, she, like Tamar, found herself lonely and deprived of love. Yet, the two women responded to their predicaments in vastly different ways.
Potiphar’s wife sought to seduce Joseph. When her advances were spurned, she falsely accused him, leading to his unjust imprisonment. She disregarded the sanctity of marriage, abandoned loyalty to her husband, and refused repentance even when Joseph’s words pleaded with her conscience. To preserve her reputation, she condemned the innocent Joseph. Her story, and the legacy of her family, quickly faded from the pages of the Holy Scripture.
Tamar, on the other hand, seemed trapped in her father’s house. Yet her unwavering faithfulness and courage drove her to take a bold risk. When she learned that her father-in-law, Judah, would be passing through her town during sheep-shearing season, she disguised herself as a prostitute and became pregnant by him. When her actions were revealed, Tamar was nearly burned as an adulteress. But when the truth came to light, Judah was moved to acknowledge his selfishness and injustice, declaring, “She is more righteous than I.” This experience may have transformed Judah, who later became a man willing to sacrifice himself for his brother Benjamin.
Ultimately, God chose Judah and Tamar, turning their scandal into the lineage of King David and the Messiah of the world. This story reveals the profound beauty of God’s grace: He seeks out souls like Tamar, oppressed yet faithful, and those like Judah, prodigals shaped by worldly influences but open to repentance. He redeems and reshapes their lives, making them vessels of blessing for generations to come.
Tamar may not have fully understood the eternal covenant between the Lord and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet, when her steadfastness unknowingly aligned with God’s covenant, He chose her to proclaim a timeless truth: He loves the world, whether Jew or Gentile, whether righteous like Tamar or wayward like Judah. For through such a lineage came the Savior of the world!
If even a Canaanite woman like Tamar could demonstrate such faithfulness, how much more should we turn our eyes from our circumstances to the Creator and walk the path of faith! Let us raise the next generation with aspirations far beyond riches and status. Let them see the stories of the Bible come alive, living out God’s teachings and becoming promise-keepers who can soar with Him!
