Double standards have been around a long time. Whereas Joseph was a man of honesty and integrity, his brother Judah was a man with double standards. What he did in his public life and his private life did not match up. What he demanded of others and what he demanded of himself was not consistent. We will put Joseph’s story on hold while we take a look at Judah’s conflicting lifestyle.
If you will recall, the men of Israel were not to marry the Canaanite women. Israelites were God’s chosen people, and they were to marry within their own clan to keep their race pure. Those women of Canaan must have been some kind of temptation, as many of God’s chosen men gave in to their lust for them. Judah, ignoring God’s command, married a Canaanite and they had three sons. When his first son was of age, Judah got a wife for him, named Tamar. However, this firstborn son was judged wicked by the Lord, and the Lord brought his life to an abrupt end.
We take God too lightly. We think of Him as an emergency room doctor who is there when we need Him, but it is up to us how we live our lives. I mean, He’s a God of love, and He wants us to be happy, right? The thing is, God knows what will bring us genuine happiness, and not just momentary ecstasy that fades away. His commandments are to help us make choices that lead to our happiness. When we go against His rules of wisdom, we choose disaster. Sometimes it is immediate, sometimes it simmers on the back burner for a while. Just remember, payday does come eventually. For this first born son of Judah, payday was rather immediate.
The custom of that day was for a brother to marry his brother’s widow so that she might have an inheritance. Therefore, Judah ordered his second son to marry Tamar. But he also did wrong, and God demanded his life. Afraid for his third son’s life, Judah sent Tamar back home to her father’s house, making a false promise that his son would marry her when he grew up.
Recognizing that Judah had basically written her off, Tamar decided to take matters into her hands. She seduced Judah to sleep with her so that she might have an inheritance. She pretended to be a prostitute, and Judah demanded her services, not realizing it was Tamar. For payment, Tamar asked for Judah’s seal, cord, and staff.
When Judah found out that Tamar was pregnant as a result of prostitution, not realizing he was the guilty person, he ordered her to be burned to death. Double standard par none. Don’t you just love it when Tamar was able to produce proof of who fathered her child…Judah’s seal, cord, and staff. Caught in his own trap, Judah realized his guilt. He was guilty for sleeping with her, and guilty for not giving her his third son as he promised. She gave birth to twin boys. And the life line went on, a life line that eventually results in the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-6). God is the ultimate Judge, but He is also full of mercy. May I live so I do not have to rely on His mercy…no double standards for me!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment