1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,120 I said last week that this week is going to be APG 13 sermon and 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,920 it is. Two weeks ago when I did. 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,960 APG 13 sermon. It was a chapter from the Bible 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,480 that would have fit. Well within the Game of Thrones 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,640 universe chapter. 38 of Genesis, which I'm reading portion of 6 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:23,680 here today would fit well within Bridgerton or or maybe the 7 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:28,800 Hunting Wives and you'll see. Why in just a moment, but I'm. 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:30,520 Going to read a portion of the chapter. 9 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,800 I'm going to tell the whole story, but I'm going to start 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:39,160 with just reading a portion of the chapter when Tamar was told 11 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:40,760 your father-in-law is on his way. 12 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,880 To Temna to. Shear his sheep. 13 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,600 She took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a 14 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,440 veil to disguise herself. And then sat. 15 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,160 Down at the entrance. Of Anayam. 16 00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:53,040 Which is on the. Road to Temna. 17 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,480 For she saw that though, Shayla had. 18 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:01,520 Now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife when 19 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,440 Judah. Saw her, he thought she was a 20 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,640 prostitute, for she had covered her face, not realizing. 21 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,320 That she was his daughter-in-law. 22 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,000 He went over to her by the roadside and said come now, let 23 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,560 me sleep. With you and what will you give? 24 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,120 Me to sleep with you? She asked. 25 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:18,920 I'll send. You a young goat. 26 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,200 For my flock, he said. Will you give me something as a 27 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,800 pledge? Until you send it. 28 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:25,280 She asked. He said. 29 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,240 What pledge should I give you? Your seal and its. 30 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,560 Cord and the staff. In your hand, she answered. 31 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:36,040 So we gave them to her and slept with her and she became pregnant 32 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,680 by him. After she left, she took off 33 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,600 her. Veil and put on her. 34 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:43,760 Widow's clothes. Again, may the. 35 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,120 Lord, add His blessing to the reading. 36 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:48,400 And hearing. Of his word. 37 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,840 As we continue to. Explore and wonder about how we 38 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,840 can be faithful and a system stacked against us. 39 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,560 We're going to look at this story of Tamar today. 40 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,360 And and I it's. AI said. 41 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,440 This morning at a. Chester, I said I feel like the 42 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,759 story gets neglected, which is self criticism as much as 43 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:12,240 anything else, because I feel like I've neglected this story 44 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,440 over the years. And and my teaching and in my 45 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:16,600 preaching. And I I believe. 46 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,520 That there might be no. Chapter in the Bible that really 47 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,800 gets to the heart of this being. Faithful. 48 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,200 In the system stacked against you better than chapter 38. 49 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:33,080 Of Genesis, the story of Tamar. Tamar was a young woman. 50 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,160 Who was married initially to the oldest? 51 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:37,880 Son of Judah. Judah. 52 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:39,040 One of the sons. Of. 53 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:43,000 Jacob and Jacob had three sons, and he. 54 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,920 Got a wife? Marriages were arranged. 55 00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:46,880 In those days. He got a wife for his oldest 56 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,040 son. Her name was. 57 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,560 Tamar. And then we are told in the 58 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,280 Scripture, and I'm going to read a couple of verses just verbatim 59 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,560 because I think it's important to get the exact language on 60 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,960 some of these. Jodah's oldest son was ER, but 61 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:04,720 it said Judah's first born was wicked in the Lord's sight, so 62 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:06,160 the Lord. Put him to death. 63 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,960 One dead person so far. This is why Tamar's wearing 64 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:13,400 widow's clothing. In the. 65 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,480 Portion that we read or at least part of why now the custom and 66 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,280 the. Tradition at that time. 67 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:25,040 Was that if if an older if a brother was married and died 68 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,560 before he had fathered any children with his wife, his 69 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:29,800 wife? Would then be given. 70 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,560 In marriage to the next oldest brother. 71 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,120 And that. Brother would have a child by 72 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,120 that wife, and that child would be the dead. 73 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:42,160 Brother's child would be by. Law and custom considered. 74 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,160 The dead brother's child. And that did a couple of things. 75 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:46,840 It carried on the dead. Brother's Line. 76 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,440 And it also provided. Care and protection for. 77 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,680 The wife, so she would have. Someone to. 78 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,040 Care for her and protect her household, which would provide 79 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,000 for her through her old, old age up to death. 80 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,680 And so that's what Judah did. Judah gave. 81 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,040 Tamar to his second son. To be his wife also. 82 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,480 And this is what the Bible says. Well, I'm not going to read this 83 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,680 part because it. Would make it. 84 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:16,839 More of an R rated. Sermon. 85 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:18,800 There are some. Passages of the Bible you 86 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,040 cannot. Read in Sunday morning worship 87 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,080 and this is one of. Them I will tell it to you. 88 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:29,120 And make it more PG13. So the second son and I got to 89 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:30,400 look, I get. Onan. 90 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,800 Was his name Onan. And maybe it was. 91 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,560 Part of Err's wickedness, but Onan did not care much for Err. 92 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,840 Onan had no interest in. Providing a child for err for 93 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:44,920 his line. To be continued. 94 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:50,200 But Onan apparently liked Tamar. Because he took his pleasure of. 95 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,440 Tamar, and shall we? Say. 96 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,280 He finished on the ground. So that Tamar could not get. 97 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:01,400 Pregnant, so Onan was getting what he wanted. 98 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:06,160 Out of this relationship. But giving not at all what Tamar 99 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,720 needed. Out of this relationship, this 100 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:14,480 part I will read you because the Bible says what he did was 101 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:19,000 wicked in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death also 102 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,320 it's important. To note at this point in the 103 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,680 story. This brilliant storytelling. 104 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,920 Going on here within. This chapter 38 says it's a 105 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,480 relatively short chapter, but. It's some amazing. 106 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,360 Storytelling. Because by the end of this 107 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,120 story, you. Might wonder whether God. 108 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:38,400 Is soft on. Sin. 109 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,840 Or whether whether you know that God is not soft on sin. 110 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:50,800 God has himself directly killed two men because they did wicked. 111 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,600 Things in his. Sight God in chapter 38 of 112 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:59,240 Genesis. Might might be working really 113 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:04,600 hard not to get fired today be. Able to describe God as a mess 114 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,680 around and find out God OK because. 115 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,760 ER and Onan messed. Around and they found out that 116 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:14,680 God. Does not play these games and he 117 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:19,560 killed them. Judah, their father apparently 118 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:23,320 had some rose colored glasses toward his sons, couldn't 119 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,440 imagine anything they could have done wrong to deserve death. 120 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:30,040 He decide they died because of Tamar. 121 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:35,040 She's a Black Widow. I can't give her to my. 3rd and 122 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,000 final son. Shayla, he might die. 123 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,520 Too. So he cooked up a very simple 124 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,400 plan. And he told Tamar, hey, Shayla's 125 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,440 too young to marry you go. Back live with your folks. 126 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:49,000 And when Shayla grows? Up. 127 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,680 I'll bring you back to my household. 128 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:52,120 And you? Can be his wife. 129 00:06:52,280 --> 00:06:53,960 He had no intention of bringing her. 130 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:59,320 Back and Tamar sorted this out because years after Shayla grew 131 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:00,920 up and. Became of marrying age. 132 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,840 She was still living in her. Parents house and Judah had not 133 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:10,200 sent for her so Tamar had a choice at this point. 134 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:17,440 She could curl up in a ball. And play the victim and say woe 135 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:19,640 is me. Life isn't fair. 136 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,600 Life is so bad. Life is so awful. 137 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,800 There's nothing I can do. She could have done that. 138 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:28,840 She could have spent the rest of her life. 139 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,720 Lamenting at how unfair life was. 140 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:37,360 But she didn't do that. Tamar came up with a plan of her 141 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,320 own. So Judah's wife died. 142 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,200 So he's no longer married. And he's, he's, he's got one, 143 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,400 he's only got one son left. That son is adult age now. 144 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,480 And Judah's like, all right. I'm going to get out of the 145 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,560 house now for a little bit instead of staying home. 146 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,400 I'm going to go out and help with the flocks. 147 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,640 I'm going to get out and get my hands dirty again and do some 148 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,840 work out in the fields and out with the flocks. 149 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,440 So he's traveling around to fly. He's got lots of flocks. 150 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,000 They're spread out. And as he's going out, Tamar 151 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,600 hears about this. She knows Sheila is old. 152 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,880 Enough to be married, but she's not been brought in to marry him 153 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,040 and. She knows that Judah's coming 154 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:15,440 through. She knows that his wife has 155 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,360 died. And so Tamar takes off her 156 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,880 morning clothes and puts on a veil. 157 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,720 She dresses like a. Prostitute and she. 158 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,680 Goes to the gate of the city. Where she knows Judah. 159 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,799 'S going to be. Passing by and she knows her 160 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:37,600 father-in-law well, apparently. Because Judah sees. 161 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,080 A prostitute standing beside. The side of the. 162 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,039 Road and he. Goes up to her with the most 163 00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:47,440 suave, sophisticated and debonair. 164 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,480 Of pickup lines. Hey, come sleep with me. 165 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:56,000 And she says, hey. How much you going to pay me? 166 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:58,840 Judas says. I'll give you a young goat. 167 00:09:00,560 --> 00:09:03,160 Full disclosure, I got no idea whether that's a good. 168 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,800 Price or not, No. Idea young goat. 169 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,240 But he doesn't have his goat with him. 170 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,560 He's on his way out to where his flocks are, she says. 171 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:14,200 What, you need to give me something as a pledge that I can 172 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,040 hold on to till you get the goat to me. 173 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,000 He says what? Do you want so I'll take your 174 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:19,600 signet. Ring and your staff. 175 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,120 It's kind of like his his driver's license and his spare 176 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,800 set of car. Keys the stuff. 177 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,360 That would clearly identify him as him, who he was. 178 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:34,000 So he does that, they do the. Thing he leaves. 179 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:39,800 To go on his way, she takes off the veil, puts back on her 180 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,400 widow's. Clothes and goes home having 181 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:47,760 been impregnated. By her father-in-law, Judah, 182 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,880 because he's a stand up guy. It's like I got to pay the 183 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,520 prostitute. So he tells one of his servants, 184 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:58,200 hey, take a young goat, find the prostitute near the city, give 185 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,720 her the goat. No problem, boss. 186 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:03,200 He takes the goat. He goes to the city, says I'm 187 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,600 looking for the prostitute that hangs out here. 188 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,280 And they're like there is no. Prostitute that hangs out here. 189 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,880 So so just servants walking around looking for a prostitute 190 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:14,480 with a goat. I got a goat. 191 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,720 I'm looking for a prostitute, my boss. 192 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:19,560 Needs to pay. His prostitute wears it. 193 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:21,680 And they can't. Find it finally, Judas says. 194 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:24,640 We are looking like idiots here, all right? 195 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,800 We're not going to go around looking for the prostitute and 196 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,640 carrying a goat anymore. And so he. 197 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,800 Decides to just. Forget the whole thing. 198 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,520 He did his best to pay his his debt. 199 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,400 Three months later, everyone knows. 200 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,360 Tamar's pregnant because that's how being pregnant works. 201 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,560 And word gets back to Judah. Someone must have seen Tamar 202 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:51,440 dress up. To go out. 203 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:53,360 And do what she. Did and the word gets back to 204 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:54,760 Judah. Tamar's pregnant. 205 00:10:55,200 --> 00:11:02,080 She's been prostituting herself and so Judah, bring her here. 206 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:04,040 We're going to burn her to death. 207 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,160 Once again, that escalated. Quickly. 208 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,840 Death penalty. For her, she effectively. 209 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,760 Committed adultery. Because she's effectively 210 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,280 betrothed. To his son, even though Judah 211 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,000 had no intention of marrying her. 212 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:21,920 To his son. And now this is just a. 213 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,760 Convenient way to get. Rid of her so he can marry his 214 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,560 son to someone else without anyone. 215 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,040 You know. Casting aspersions upon him. 216 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,840 So he says, bring her here, we're going to kill. 217 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,800 Her. Burn her alive. 218 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,880 She's on her way. There, and she sends a message. 219 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:45,320 Ahead to Judah, it's a package. Judah opens up the package. 220 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:47,800 And inside is a note. That says the person. 221 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,840 Who made me pregnant is the one who gave me these. 222 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,120 And it's his driver's license and his car keys. 223 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:12,280 And he's like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, And he knows. 224 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,760 He knows. And then Judah does something 225 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:20,840 extraordinary. Judah says, you know what? 226 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:29,000 She's more righteous than I am. She's more righteous than I am 227 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,960 because I did not provide. And care for her. 228 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:39,600 The way the covenant required. I left her exposed. 229 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:45,280 And vulnerable. And so without saying that, what 230 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:49,920 she did was not problematic. He said what she did. 231 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:51,920 Clearly was not as bad as what I did. 232 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,240 She is more righteous than I am. And so Judah brings Tamar into 233 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:01,680 his household. The Bible tells us very clearly. 234 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:06,000 He never sleeps with her again, but he brings her into his. 235 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,280 Household. And she has her babies, twins. 236 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,800 She's caring there in his household. 237 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,560 And she is. Provided for and has the. 238 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:17,760 Protection and care of Judah's household and then of her own 239 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:22,600 sons after Judah dies. Two sons. 240 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,800 She. Bore one of them named Perez. 241 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,920 The oldest was named Perez, and that's important. 242 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:31,480 We'll get to that. In a minute. 243 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:39,160 So here's here's Tamar, vulnerable and victimized. 244 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,800 She's got little to no. Power in that culture, in that 245 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,520 time and in that. Place she's being treated. 246 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:49,640 Unjustly, unfairly and badly. By her father-in-law. 247 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,880 Who won't let who? Won't provide for her a husband 248 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,520 and a child so that she. Can have safety and security 249 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:01,040 into her old age. Instead leaves her alone and 250 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:07,040 childless and defenseless. Who could have made victimhood 251 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:08,040 her? Identity. 252 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,640 But she didn't. She did not let victimhood 253 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,640 define her instead. She used the. 254 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:20,400 Agency and the. Power that she had to make her 255 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:26,680 situation better as she could she did what she could with what 256 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,080 she. Had she made a decision not to 257 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:34,320 be a victim? But to use what little power, 258 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:39,680 influence and resources she had to find justice for herself. 259 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,040 Now it is. Possible to sit back? 260 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,440 And call Tamar's actions immoral. 261 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,320 To play the morality police and call Tamar's actions immoral. 262 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,920 That's what Judah did at first. Call her actions. 263 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,720 Immoral said she needs. To die for that but. 264 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:00,800 But we need to. Look at what the. 265 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,880 Scripture is inviting us to see, we need to look at Tamar in the 266 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,520 way that Scripture is inviting us to look at Tamar. 267 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:11,560 And this is what Scripture? Is doing for us. 268 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:15,200 Judah affirmed Tamar rather than condemning her. 269 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:16,920 Let's read. That verse again. 270 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:20,200 Judah recognized them. That is the staff. 271 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,880 In the ring and said. She is more righteous. 272 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:24,720 Than I. Since I wouldn't. 273 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:29,520 Give her to my son. Shayla, I had a responsibility 274 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:34,000 to her as her father-in-law. I had a covenantal 275 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,360 responsibility to guard her, protect her, care for her, 276 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,920 provide her by providing. Her with a son. 277 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,560 To be her husband. And a place in my household. 278 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:50,560 And I failed to do that. I left her vulnerable and at 279 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,600 risk. And what she? 280 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:58,360 Did to provide for herself. Was not as bad as what I did and 281 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,360 failing to provide for her. She's more righteous than I. 282 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:06,240 Judah himself acknowledges that brings her into his household. 283 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,280 We don't know whether everyone. Who we don't know. 284 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,240 Whether well. Actually, we do know that 285 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:13,800 eventually the truth. Came out and the. 286 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:18,080 Children were Judah's children. He owned up to his actions and 287 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:22,000 he took responsibility. Rather than playing the morality 288 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,160 police and judging and condemning her, he affirmed her 289 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,160 righteousness as greater than his own. 290 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,160 But we know more than that about Tamar. 291 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:35,480 Remember that that oldest son of hers, Perez, If you look at the 292 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,440 1st chapter of Matthew, you will see. 293 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:46,400 Perez in the lineage of Jesus. And not just Perez, but Tamar is 294 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:51,120 mentioned explicitly. Perez, whose mother was Tamar. 295 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,680 God made Tamar. Part of the direct. 296 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,680 Ancestry of Jesus. Now we're going to look at that. 297 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,520 Piece and we're. Going to look at Judah's piece 298 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:05,880 in more detail in the next couple of weeks. 299 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,599 Today's kind of an overview of this story and we're going to 300 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:09,960 get. To the some of those specifics. 301 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,359 Later on, but today. It it it's enough for us to just 302 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,280 acknowledge and see that God chose Tamar. 303 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:21,240 To be part of. Jesus's ancestry, Perez, who 304 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,839 would not? Have existed without. 305 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:27,920 Tamar doing what? She did with Judah. 306 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:36,440 Perez is an ancestor. Of Jesus, but. 307 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,400 For Tamar, would the Messiah have been born? 308 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:46,360 It's an extraordinary thing. I got to tell you I'm a dad, you 309 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:47,760 know, I'm a dad. I didn't need to tell you that. 310 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,840 But as a dad and as a father of a daughter, I I got to say it 311 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,880 would be hard for me to go to my. 312 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:56,800 Daughter. And say, hey, Grace. 313 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:01,320 Be like Tamar that would be. Hard that. 314 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:08,080 Would be a hard thing to do and yet God lifts up Tamar, one of 315 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,120 only, I believe, three women mentioned in the hundreds of 316 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:16,640 years of genealogy of Jesus. Tamar, one of only three women 317 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:21,440 mentioned. But for what Tamar did, would 318 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:26,200 the Messiah have been born? God made her part of his 319 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,120 ancestry. God made her. 320 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:31,640 Part of his. Plan and what she. 321 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,000 Did part of his. Plan to. 322 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,200 Save the world. And that's how Scripture invites 323 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:38,920 us to. View. 324 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:46,320 Tamar, in this situation, God's judgement, God's judgement. 325 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,720 Is wise. Discerning and nuanced we 326 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,040 humans, we like to play the morality police. 327 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,320 We like a nice. Clear set of rules so that. 328 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,120 We can know. Who the bad people are and who 329 00:18:57,120 --> 00:18:59,640 the good people are. What the bad actions are and 330 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:03,480 what the good actions are. God's judgement is much more 331 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:08,480 nuanced, much more discerning, infinitely more wise than ours 332 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:09,200 is in. Fact. 333 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,600 God's judgement is beyond our capacity. 334 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,960 It's a good place to play. I can understand you got flat 335 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,320 ground sisters. Trying to help him. 336 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:26,480 There she goes. I get the feeling sister helps 337 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:32,320 him a lot, doesn't she? God's judgment is beyond our 338 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:34,800 own. I think that's why Jesus said 339 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,960 judge not. And you won't be judged. 340 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:39,160 I think that's why Jesus told the parable. 341 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:40,680 When, When? When they. 342 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,200 Of of the the farmer who sowed the wheat. 343 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,600 And then his enemy went out and sowed weeds among the wheat and 344 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,360 and the and the. Farmer's servant said do you 345 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:51,880 want us to pull the weeds out? And the farmer said no, you'll 346 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,960 pull out some of the wheat. With it, you're not. 347 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:55,360 Going to be able to tell the difference. 348 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:58,360 Between the weeds and the wheat. Wait till it's all over at the 349 00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:00,400 harvest. And then we'll sort it out. 350 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:07,680 We'll sort it out then. God's judgment is wise as doing 351 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,880 God looks at the heart in ways that we cannot see the heart. 352 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:16,040 I wonder whether we don't know, but I wonder whether when they 353 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,360 brought that woman caught in the very act of adultery, when they. 354 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:21,400 Brought her to Jesus to be put to. 355 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,120 Death stoned this time rather than burned. 356 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,880 Hey, what she did? Jesus, sin deserves death. 357 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:32,320 That's what the rules. Say and Jesus. 358 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:33,920 Said you're right. That's what the rules say. 359 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,400 If you have no sin, throw a stone. 360 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,720 And they all left. And then Jesus looked at the 361 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:44,920 woman and said, is there no one left to condemn you? 362 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,800 She said no. And he said, neither do I 363 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,840 condemn you. Go and sin no more. 364 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:54,480 I wonder when that interaction happened. 365 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,240 Whether Jesus? Was thinking of Grandma Tamar 366 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:00,720 who could. Have been put. 367 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,960 To death for what she did, but wasn't. 368 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,760 Wonder if he was thinking about his own ancestry, his own 369 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,400 lineage, his own family. The people who God. 370 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:17,440 His father made part of who he was when he was confronted with 371 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:25,680 that situation, and as he invites us to let God do the 372 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,640 judging, we can. There's two different 373 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:31,080 perspectives. We can take here in this story, 374 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,240 actually. I'm going to back this up just a 375 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,440 bit because yeah, no, we'll do this first. 376 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,040 One is Tamar's perspective. One is Tamar's. 377 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,040 Perspective So. None of us, you know. 378 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,920 Rick said it earlier. We're not, we're not rich. 379 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,960 We're not powerful. President isn't calling us to, 380 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:54,520 you know, sit on the cabinet and advise the Joint Chiefs or 381 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:56,320 where, you know, at least he's not calling me. 382 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:57,960 If he's calling you, let me know. 383 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,160 I got some advice for him. He's not going to call me. 384 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:08,120 None of us are in that spot. We are all, in a very real 385 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:11,000 sense, as as we intentionally try to follow. 386 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,000 Jesus, we are. All in a system that's stacked 387 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,320 against us and at times it's going to fall in our heads. 388 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,600 And we got a choice. We can be a victim. 389 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:26,160 We can let victimhood define us. Woe is me, the world hates me. 390 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,440 Everything's against me. There's nothing I can do. 391 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:33,800 Or we can be like Tamar and use the agency and. 392 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,120 Power that we have to improve our. 393 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:41,480 Situation as we can and the situation of our family and the 394 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,840 situation of the people around us, We can play the victim or we 395 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:53,440 can do what we can. With what we have, there are a 396 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:57,880 lot of people over the years. That have done that I think one 397 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,440 of the most compelling examples to me is a woman I'm going to 398 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:05,480 butcher the pronunciation of her name and I apologize to you know 399 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,000 anyone who can feel. I'm terrible. 400 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,400 At this sort of thing as near as I. 401 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,280 Can get it Nargis. Mohammadi. 402 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:18,080 She is a woman who as far. As we know, is currently still 403 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:24,560 in prison in Iran. If she's alive, she she had 404 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:29,080 education and some privilege. She was trained as a physicist, 405 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:34,440 so she ain't dumb, but she didn't practice physics. 406 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,880 She ended up becoming a journalist as she became aware 407 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,640 of the suffering and persecution and mistreatment of women. 408 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,360 In the Islamic Republic of Iran. Particularly in prisons. 409 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,040 And she began to. Report on that and she began to. 410 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:53,160 Share those reports not just in Iran, but also outside Iran and 411 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:54,280 the world. And calling. 412 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,440 For justice and protection. And care for. 413 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,840 Women who were being brutalized, being tortured, being. 414 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,280 Raped, being imprisoned, all. For the shameful thing. 415 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:05,400 Of showing too much hair or too much skin. 416 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,040 And being treated horribly. In prison. 417 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,080 She was convicted on multiple counts. 418 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:15,880 She was told to stop. She didn't stop. 419 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:19,160 Convicted on multiple counts and and sent. 420 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:28,960 To prison given a. 30 year. Sentence in prison and 150. 4 421 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:33,840 lashes hear that? You ever watch? 422 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:38,720 Passion of the Christ. And the whipping Jesus took 100. 423 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:50,040 And 54 times. Because she was a woman, a human 424 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:54,440 being, and a position of little power and little authority and a 425 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,240 little control. But instead of curling up and 426 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,480 playing the victim. She did what we could, she 427 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:03,240 could. And she still is. 428 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,160 She's still sneaking messages and. 429 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:10,560 Reports out of prison to call for justice. 430 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,400 For the women in Iran, particularly those women that 431 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:17,920 are in prison in 2022, I think it. 432 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:19,840 Was she received? The Nobel Peace. 433 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:22,080 Prize. She couldn't. 434 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,200 Receive it. She was in prison, her twin 435 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:29,480 daughters who were living. Out of Iran as expatriates 436 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:34,960 received. It on her behalf and she's still 437 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,080 suffering for it and she's still doing. 438 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:43,480 I mean, she's in prison, but she's doing what she can with 439 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:45,400 the. Power that she has. 440 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:47,600 To help bring justice, not just for. 441 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,680 Herself, but for those. Around her. 442 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:55,920 She's a true. Child of Tamar, a true air. 443 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:02,200 Of that legacy that. Tamar has given us all of not 444 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:06,440 falling into the victim trap, but doing what we can with what 445 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:10,200 we have to bring justice a little bit more in this world. 446 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:15,600 There's another. Perspective we can look. 447 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:17,160 At in this story, and that's the. 448 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,720 Perspective of Judah. And I invite us to. 449 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:23,040 Take that perspective seriously as well. 450 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,760 Rather than judging others for doing what they can with what 451 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,000 they. Have let's like Judah, let's 452 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,280 check to see if. They might be more righteous 453 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:35,960 than we, who may have left him in the position where they had 454 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:44,320 no good options and no good choices to make because a lot of 455 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:49,600 people are in that position where they don't have a good. 456 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,440 Way forward. They can only do what they can 457 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:59,520 do, and sometimes the only thing they can do is not a good thing 458 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:04,160 in and of itself. It's just the best of bad 459 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:09,400 options that they have before them and so we can take a step 460 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,960 back from being the morality police and take. 461 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,480 Hard looks at ourselves. And say, what can we do to 462 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:21,880 provide justice and care and protection and necessities for 463 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,960 others so that they don't? Have to choose. 464 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:33,360 To do a bad thing, to care for themselves, avoiding the victim 465 00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:37,280 trap in a system that's stacked against us is a challenging 466 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:39,360 thing. It's. 467 00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:45,840 Easier just to lay. Down and give up sometimes, say 468 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:50,000 what was me, life is unfair, nothing I can do. 469 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,440 We have this legacy, this example in Tamar, carried on by 470 00:27:55,440 --> 00:28:01,680 people like Nargis Mohammadi, of doing what we can with what we 471 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,080 have, even at great risk. It nearly. 472 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:11,600 Cost Tamar her life. It has cost Muhammadi A 473 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:13,880 tremendous amount of pain and suffering. 474 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,840 But doing what we can with what we have to bring more. 475 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,880 Justice to the world. In Jesus name, Amen. 476 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:23,080 Amen.