–

November 25, 2025 

 Today, we start our look into the intriguing story of Tamar, the many-times great grandmother of Jesus. Let’s read. 

 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. 

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. 

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also. 

Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household. 

Genesis 38:1-11 NIV  

One argument for the authenticity of the Bible is that the characters are far from perfect (except, of course, for Jesus!). God doesn’t try to sugar-coat the stories or pretty-up the people, nor does He always comment on or correct questionable choices. I present Tamar’s story as Exhibit A!  

Tamar enters the scene as the chosen wife of Judah’s firstborn son, Er, a wicked man whom the LORD puts to death. Then things start to get strange, at least to our modern sensibilities.  

“Levirate marriage” was a common custom in the ancient Near East and was even included in the law God gave Moses (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). If a man died before having an heir, his brother (the “levir,” or brother-in-law) was required to marry his widow to provide an heir for his brother.  

While it sounds cringey today, this arrangement protected and provided for the widow at a time when women had limited options for income or inheritance without a husband or a son. So, when Onan fails to fulfill his duty, presumably because he wanted his brother’s inheritance all to himself, the LORD puts him to death also. Judah, having lost two sons, delays giving his third son to Tamar, sending her to live as a widow in her father’s household.  

Tamar’s situation is desperate. As a twice-widowed, childless woman, she garners no sympathy in her culture. Rather, she is a disgraced outsider, considered to be cursed by God and scorned by man. 

What if we could go back to this very point in time and tell Tamar the exciting ending of her story? Instead of remaining an outsider, she is a part of the family of the Messiah! How would she feel if she knew that God was not ashamed to name her in His Son’s genealogy? What if she understood then that we would explore her story thousands of years later, not to shame her but to learn about her and learn from her?  

Let’s rejoice that Tamar’s life proves the truth of this precious promise of God to His people! 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 

Romans 8:18 

 

Questions for reflection and discussion:  

  • Have you ever felt like an outsider? Have you suffered through a time of desperation?  
  • What promises of God provide hope in these situations?  
  • Who do you know that needs to be encouraged by God’s promises and invited into His family?  
  • Take some time to thank God for including all those who trust Jesus in His family. Rejoice that He provides for us and is not ashamed of us. 

Church Reading Plan: 1 Chronicles 21; 1 Peter 2