Genesis 38:12-26 – Owning up to one’s mistake

Judah, as we have learned, had no intention to let Tamar, his daughter-in-law, have his youngest son Selah. He had kept him away from her for a while. Meanwhile, Judah himself became a widower. His wife, the daughter of Shua, died. Tamar knew that her father-in-law would seek the comfort of a woman after his mourning period was over. And she was right. She guessed that he would be visiting his old friend Hirah during sheep shearing time. Being a Canaanite woman, she also knew that prostitutes would be selling themselves for religious function. So Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute. Her intention was to lure Judah into it to help her produce a child for her departed husband, Er.

Judah fell for the bait. He could not contain his sexual appetite. However, he did not have a goat to pay for Tamar’s service and was ready to give her some personal items as collateral until he sent her the goat. He handed Tamar his seal, a signet together with the cord that he wore round his neck, and his staff. So he slept with her that night. After the escapade, Tamar resumed her widowhood. We are told that Tamar conceived a child by Judah. But he did not know it. So he sent the goat through his friend but Tamar, who disguised as the prostitute, could not be found.  

In a sense, Tamar was betrothed to Shelah. Any infidelity on her part would mean death. So when the pregnancy of Tamar was made known to Judah, he wanted to have her burned. He wanted to conveniently get rid of her once and for all. As Tamar was led out to be judged she presented the three things – seal, signet with the cord and the staff Judah gave to her as surety. She revealed that those items belonged to the man that impregnated her. Judah was forced to acknowledge that those items belonged to him. It dawned on him that Tamar was more righteous than he. For he had failed to keep his words to her. What a change had overtaken him. So he took her home and did not sleep her again.

Judah could have just finished off Tamar and his tryst with her would have been forgotten. But he didn’t. He owned up to his mistake and acknowledged that his daughter-in-law was more righteous than he. From an account like this, we learn that it is one thing to do wrong and yet another to bravely own up to it. What he did leave us with an example to also face up to our wrong. It’s the first step to an amended life. From this point Judah’s walk became more rightly aligned. Like Judah when he boldly faced his wrong, we too would be equipped to take the next step in the right direction, when we own up to our wrong.