Genesis 38

Genesis 38:1-30

Section 2. (Genesis 38:1-30).Judah’s separation from his brethren and humiliation. At this juncture, the history of Judah is introduced, which as that of Judah alone is itself significant. Israel (the ten tribes) has for long had none: the Jews represent for us the whole people. Here, at the outset, Judah separates himself from his brethren, and connects himself with the Canaanite -the “merchantman” -marrying the daughter of Shuah (or “riches”). Surely these names give us in plain speech the characteristics of the nation for these centuries since the cross! His seed is thus, however, continued upon the earth, although God’s wrath is upon the first two sons (whose names may speak, Er, of “enmity,” and Onan, of “iniquity”), while the third son, Shelah (“sprout”?), speaks of divine power in resurrection, bringing out of death. Thus is a remnant preserved. The story of Tamar shows us how, in God’s marvelous way of grace, Christ comes into connection with Judah, and thus it is her name appears in the Lord’s genealogy in the gospel of Matthew, first of those four women’s names, whose presence there demonstrates the grace which has stooped to take up men. Each of these four has its own distinctive gospel-feature to bring out, as elsewhere shown. It is Tamar’s sin that brings her in, as it is Rahab’s faith; while for Ruth to come in, the sentence of the law as to the Moabites must be set aside, and Bathsheba -named even as the wife of Urias -shows us grace triumphing over even a believer’s sin. A salvation for sinners, -through faith, -apart from law, -and eternal: this is what the simple insertion of these names declares. Tamar’s sin was the very thing which brought her into the Lord’s genealogy: and as sinners simply have we title to rejoice in a work accomplished for sinners. Judah will find, in a day that is near, his title, not in legal righteousness, nor in mere descent from Abraham, but in the truth which God has emphasized for us here.