The Black Widow

The Fodder:  Genesis 37-39

The Thought:  The unexplained death of Er caused a grieving and childless Tamar to move in with her brother-in-law Onan, who never saw his role in Tamar’s life as anything more than obligatory.  He wickedly perpetuated Tamar’s empty womb and God put him to death also.  With nowhere else to go she packed her bags and moved back home to live with her father; childless, husbandless and tagged a Black Widow.

It must have been suspicion that kept Judah from giving Tamar to his youngest and last son, Shelah, as his wife.  It was customary for a brother to take his deceased brother’s wife as his own but Judah couldn’t stomach the fact that two other son’s had died under strange circumstances.  “You should go home and live with your father and I’ll let you know when Shelah is old enough for a wife.”  

Years and funerals come and go.  Shelah’s been old enough for a while now and Tamar knows it.  If she’s going to have a family she’ll have to take matters into her own hands.  She knows Judah’s taste for women so she serves him a meal she knows he won’t refuse.

Judah was the fourth son born to Jacob.  He wasn’t the favorite son but hated the one who was.  This wasn’t the first time murder was the topic of conversation around the campfire.  It was Judah who said, “Death is too good for him.  If we sell him, the pampered little brat will suffer before he dies.  He’s got to be worth 20 bucks to someone.”  Judah was devious, unfeeling and unscrupulous, which is why he fell into Tamar’s web so easily.  

Desperation gave way to prostitution.  Stupidity gave way to fraught; Tamar’s pregnant and Judah wants her dead.  Until, of course, Tamar shows him the father’s social security card, driver’s license and keys to the front door of his house.  Judah's been caught and the servile father of twins.

The genealogy of Jesus continues through Judah and then goes through the child of incest, Perez.  I find this remarkable.  It is as if God is saying, “Forever I want my people to know that I not only forgive sins, but I can heal them and put them in the bloodline that leads to the Lion of the tribe of Judah."  God takes drunkenness, dishonor and imprudence and makes it holy. 

Submitted from www.thefodder.net