DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30 (Adult) || Judah’s Moral Slip
Deeper Life Search The Scripture 31 July 2022
ADULT STS LESSON 30 – JUDAH’S MORAL SLIPÂ
MEMORY VERSE: “And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more” (Gen 38:26).
TEXT: Gen 38:1-30
DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30 MESSAGE
The chapter under consideration is a parenthesis introduced here as an actual picture of the sin, darkness, corruption and self-will of Joseph’s brethren during the period of his absence from them after being sold. The writer of the book of Genesis was inspired to pause here in the account of Joseph’s life in order to focus on Judah, the fourth of the twelve sons of Jacob. This chapter on Judah, though not chronologically placed, is intended to teach a number of lessons.
i. It vividly portrays the immoral character of Judah in contrast to the moral character of Joseph in the following chapters. Judah’s lack of integrity resulted in family deception and defilement in chapter thirty eight while chapter thirty nine shows how Joseph’s integrity and wise choices reflect his godly character which was eventually rewarded.
The lesson here is that as believers, we can be lilies in the mire, no matter how morally bankrupt our environment is. Our character should be moulded by God’s word and not our sinful environment.
ii. Worldliness, wickedness and any form of wantonness have grave consequences on individual lives and families. The moral lapses of Judah brought death to some members of his family and disgrace to him as a person.
iii. We are made to see the possibilities and triumph of God’s grace over sin and shame. Divine grace triumphed over Judah’s moral weakness and he was chosen as the fountain head of the tribe through which our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world. Tamar, the Gentile seducer and adulteress, was eventually crafted into the ancestral lineage of Jesus Christ. God’s grace is amazing and limitless in forgiving those who truly repent and come to Him. (DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30)
1. JUDAH’S UNGODLY MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE
Gen 38:1-11; 28:1-9; 2 Cor 6:14-18; James 4:4
Judah’s moral lapse was as a result of his friendship with the world. “And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah”. Judah’s closeness with this Canaanite was the beginning of his moral decadence. The Bible warns: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?…” (2 Cor 6:14-18).
Believers, who partner with unbelievers in businesses, marriages, etc, will definitely court God’s displeasure. We cannot claim to be God’s children if we are still friends of the world. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). If we want to please the Lord in this end-time, we must dissociate ourselves from intimate fellowship with the ungodly. “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor 15:33)’.
The first evidence of moral slip of Judah was his marriage with a Canaanite woman. He should have followed the footsteps of his great grandfather, Abraham, who instructed his eldest servant thus: “thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac” (Gen 24:2-4).
By marrying a Canaanite, Judah walked in the way of Esau (Gen 26:34,35). He rejected the godly examples of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who insisted on marital separation from the Canaanites. Believers who seek marriage partners should learn from the mistake of Judah. They should therefore, pray for God’s leading or direction before embarking on the marital journey. DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30
Marriage with unbelievers or so-called believers who do not share the same belief and behaviour based on sound doctrine is a step into backsliding, misery and woes. For Judah, there was no prayer in seeking God’s will in marriage. He chose by sight and reaped a lot of sorrow in his marital life. So also was Samson whose life and ministry were cut short as a result of wrong choice in marriage (Judges 14:1-3).
Judah’s wife gave birth to three sons but two of them were wicked and the Lord slew them. The sons of Judah obviously lacked godly parental influence. Their mother, being a stranger to the Abrahamic covenant, lacked the knowledge and depth of faith required in child training (Deut 6:5-9; 2 Tim 1:5; 3:15).
Their father, though from Abraham’s line, was carnal; therefore, he could not make any meaningful moral impact on them. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was slain shortly after marrying Tamar. Though the Bible gave no details of his wickedness, it was heinous enough to earn him the death penalty. The second son, Onan, was asked to marry his brother’s widow to raise up seed for him.
This practice, known as levirate marriage (the marriage of a dead man’s brother or next of kin to his wife), was common in ancient times because of the strong emphasis placed on the continuity of the family name. However, in the New Testament dispensation, there is a shift of emphasis.
Rather than mere perpetuating of the family name, believers should endeavour to preserve their names in the Book of life. Bachelors, spinsters, widows and widowers under the new covenant are free to marry whom they will, in the Lord (1 Cor 7:39).
Onan resented the idea of raising a child in Er’s name but he did not openly declare it. He resorted to wicked devices for which the Lord slew him also. We see in him the hypocrisy and wickedness of the human heart. He should have openly rejected the levirate marriage, like the unnamed kinsman of Ruth (Ruth 4:5-8).
The latter openly declared that he did not want to mar his inheritance by marrying Ruth to raise a child to his dead relative. Even though it brought ridicule, it was far better to be sincere than face divine wrath against hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is wickedness and it always attracts divine displeasure and judgment.
ADULT DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30
2. JUDAH’S UNGODLY MANNER AND FLESHLY LUST
Gen 38:12-23; 1 Cor 10:8; 1 Thess 4:3-8; Heb 13:4; 1 Cor 6:12-20
The death of Judah’s first two sons in succession must have frightened him so much that he made no move to give his third son, Shelah, to his widowed daughter-in- law as earlier promised. “Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house” (Gen 38:11).
Eventually, Shelah grew up but Judah neither fulfilled his promise to Tamar nor gave her the freedom to remarry. Here we see selfishness, insincerity and insensitivity to the needs of others. God frowns at it when we make promises which we do not intend to keep, not minding how it hurts others. Those who deceive others in the area of marriage commit a great crime against God and the brethren.
When Tamar realised Judah’s insincerity towards her, she reacted by luring him to commit adultery with her. “And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.” Obviously, she could predict Judah’s moral laxity and she capitalized on this.
Were Judah to be morally stable like Joseph, all the ‘seductive Tamars’ of Canaan could not have so cheaply tricked him into such a disgraceful act. He thought her to be a harlot and was taken in the snare. Judah’s fall into fleshly lust began in the eye. He saw her and was enticed. This incident throws up some vital lessons.
i. Though Tamar seemed to be driven with the intense desire to have children and Judah was driven by lust, neither case was morally justified. Both Judah and Tamar were guilty of adultery. There is no excuse for immorality Widowhood, disappointment by one’s fiancé, delay in marriage, temptation, social pressure and other excuse that men proffer are not tenable before God. God detests adultery and fornication (Exo 20:14; Heb 13:4). Adulterers and whoremongers will spend eternity in hell except they repent (1 Cor 6:9, 10; Gal 5:19-21; Rev 21:8; 22:15). DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30
ii. Ladies should not seduce the opposite gender or make them to lust after them either through careless dressing or any suggestive behaviour (Prov 7:6-23).
iii. Judah allowed what he saw with his eyes to affect his heart. This was the same case with David, the man after God’s own heart, who fell into adultery after seeing the object of temptation and was enticed (2 Sam 11:2-4). As believers, we need to make a covenant with our eyes and turn them from beholding vanity (Job 31:1; Matt 5:28).
iv. Judah’s friend supported him in this immoral and disgraceful act just like Jonadab was an accomplice in Amnon’s rape of his half-sister (Gen 38:12,20-23; 2 Sam 13:3-5).
Indeed, evil communication or friendship corrupts good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33). Shun evil and immoral friends but be a companion of them that fear the Lord (Psalm 119:63).
v. When you are tempted to commit adultery or fornication, do not yield (Prov 7:24-27; Heb 12:16, 17).
Be determined like Moses who chose to “…suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb 11:24-26). Tamar requested for Judah’s legal token of authority and identity which are comparable to our modern day passport, identity card or official stamp.
Yet, Judah surrendered all. That he was willing to part with anything for the gratification of his lust shows the level of his depravity. It is instructive that what he thought would be a casual relationship with a harlot led him into disgrace. By the time he sent the promised kid to Tamar, the supposed harlot, she could not be found at the former place of contact.
“And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed…” He lost his jewels by the bargain; he was content to lose his signet, bracelets and staff and forbids any further inquiry lest he be ashamed. It is sad that he expressed no concern about the sin; he was only particular about the disgrace and was unwilling to face the shame of being exposed.
Like Judah, sinners and backsliders often devise ingenious ways to cover their sins. Yet, no one can truly put his sins behind until he/she is ready to face them through proper confession and necessary restitution.
DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30
3. UNGODLY JUDGMENT BUT FAITHFUL LAMENTATION
Gen 38:24-26; 2 Sam 12:5-13; Rom 2:1-4; Prov 28: 13
Judah was quick to condemn and judge Tamar of adultery and harlotry as soon as he got the news that she was pregnant. “And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.” King David acted in similar way after he killed Uriah and took his wife. God sent Nathan to confront him with his wicked and adulterous act.
After listening to Nathan’s story, David was furious. “And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die” (2 Sam 12:5). It is a common think for men to be severe against those very sins in others which they allow themselves. By judging others, the condemn themselves (Rom 2:1; 14:22).
Tamar accepted her guilt but presented the evidence of Judah’s involvement in the act. At last, Judah’s sin was exposed. It was then left for him to either acknowledge his guilt and repent or deny and be hardened. Good enough, he chose a more honourable path by admitting his fault. Exposure of sin by God should be recognized as an act of grace. God’s purpose is not to ridicule or disgrace the sinner. Rather, it is to lead him to repentance and restoration (Romans 2:3,4).
The sinner’s or backslider’s part is to respond in genuine repentance instead of adding to his sin through falsehood, excuse-making and further wickedness. The attitude of Judah, in contrast to that of King Saul, should serve as a lesson to believers.
DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022 || Lesson 30
4. JUDAH’S UNMERITED MERCY AND FAVOUR FROM THE LORD
Gen 38:27-30; Pro 28: 13; Isaiah 55:6,7; Acts 3:19
Genuine repentance always attracts God’s mercy, forgiveness and favour. Judah confessed his guilt by saying, “She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son…” (Gen 38:26). As an evidence of true repentance, “…he knew her again no more.”
In order to receive God’s mercy and enjoy his grace, a sinner must repent and forsake his/her sins. The manifestations of God’s mercy and grace on Judah were manifold. One, he was forgiven and restored. Two, he became the leader of the kingly tribe in Israel (Gen 49:9-12). Three, our Lord Jesus Christ “sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood” (Heb 7: 14).
Christ descended from the line of Pharez, one of the twins born by Tamar (Matt 1:3). Thus, it could be truly said of Judah that he “…prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler” (1 Chro 5:2). In conclusion, we see the glorious triumph of God’s grace over man’s sin.
No matter how dark and ignoble one’s past life was, divine grace can turn everything around. In God’s plan of salvation, circumstance of birth is not a limiting factor. All it takes to have part in God’s redemptive plan is to repent, forsake sin and accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour (Mark 1:15; John 1:11,12; Matt 16:24; Acts 2:37,38).
As the Lord chose Judah, Tamar and Pharez, He accepts those who come to Him by faith in Christ Jesus (Psalm 65:4; John 6:37).
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW:
1. Highlight key lessons in the story of Judah’s moral slip.
2. Why is it necessary for believers to seek God’s will in marriage?
3. What are the likely consequences of marrying outside the will of God?
4. How do people deceive others in the area of marriage?
- What excuses do people give as reasons they indulge in adultery and fornication?
- What should be done when God exposes one’s sin?
- What encouragement can sinners and backsliders derive from the choice of Judah, Tamar and Pharez as links in the Messiah’s line of descent?
Thank you for reading DCLM Search The Scripture 31 July 2022, Lesson 30 for Adult
