It’s Complicated

It’s Complicated

Genesis 38: It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

 

6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.

 

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After selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites, Judah left his brothers and went to the Adullamites. There he married a Canaanite woman named Shua. She conceived three sons, Er, Onan and Shelah. Er and Onan were killed by the LORD for their evil decisions and lifestyles.

 

My Observations:

• JESUS chose Judah for HIS lineage.
• Judah chose to marry a woman who Isaac and Rebekah would not have been pleased with because of the Canaanite beliefs.
• Judah may or may not have been part of the conspiracy against Joseph.

 

JESUS is the “Lion of Judah.” But looking at the choices of Judah, it would seem that GOD was out of HIS mind. BUT GOD is gracious and sovereign at the same time. HE saw the wickedness of Er and killed him before he got to far with his evil. Er must have grown up enough to have committed adult evil actions. He had a wife named Tamar.

 

Judah seemed to raise his sons to be like the Canaanites. Two out of three were killed by the LORD for their evil ways. Onan’s evil is complicated. It seems more than disobedience and selfishness, rather a mixture of wanting to be known, but his brother would be known instead. GOD chose a family that would seem messed up and dysfunctional. HE knew what HE was doing.

 

Challenge

• Why did GOD tell Moses about where Judah went to start a family?
• Do you think your background is really messed up?
• Can you believe that GOD seems to delight in choosing messed up people to do HIS greatest work?