A lot of this is speculation, but I think we can see a pattern in David's life after his sin with Bathsheba. We learn about a troubling incident in the life of Judah. God punished Er – people at the time saw withdrawal as a crime against Nature and God. The city gates were something like the reconstruction above: massive mudbrick walls with a strong gateway that could be shut tight against an enemy, or closed at night for security. Tamar: claiming her rights.
This is what Amnon tried to do. The deceiver now became the deceived. But when he got bad counsel that told him what he wanted to hear, he changed his mind. What Tamar did led to a fully necessary change in character for Judah. The woman's action publicly humiliated the man, and his family's disgrace was remembered long after he was dead. If we admit that we have sinned, we are admitting that we have failed. We love to recount the story of beautiful Esther, noble Ruth, or courageous Deborah, but Tamar… is just too much. So full of fear, Judah sent Tamar away to her father's house while the poor woman mourned the deaths of her husbands and hopeful she would be able to have a own child and hier to Er. The story of Tamar spans several years so her story runs parallel to Joseph's ordeal in Egypt. There is a reason that Paul gives us this admonishment. They want to give men the higher authority but not hold them accountable. The tribal leader's staff was an emblem of authority, something like a royal sceptre. She dressed in the special clothing of a prostitute which included a veil across her face that disguised her identity, waited for Judah at the city gates (see below), and persuaded him to have sexual intercourse with her.
Afterwards, Amnon hates Tamar and sends her away. In the same vein, the story of Judah and Tamar shows us God cares about women. All it means is that he is lusting after you and it does not mean that he loves you. Then the story takes another bizarre turn.
God allowed her to achieve triumph over this situation, not only because it helped transform Judah's moral character, but because God cares about women and doesn't want women to be treated poorly. For more detailed information, please visit our Affiliate Disclaimer page. On one of his travels, he met a "harlot" on the road and had sex with her. The veil is not the sign of a prostitute; it simply will cover her face and prevent Judah from recognizing her. It is for this reason that we need to be very careful who we take counsel with and consider other people's words instead of just accepting them at face value. Main themes of Tamar's story. She was also interestingly loyal to the family of Judah. You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Unveiled: The Biblical Story of Tamar Historical Christian Fiction Novella with an In-Depth Bible Study by Francine Rivers.
Later we will read the example of Joseph, which stands in stark contrast to Judah's hypocrisy. Bible Study Resource for Women in the Bible: Tamar, the Levirite Law, and Judah. Judah, who already blamed her for the deaths of his sons, thought the worst when he heard that she was pregnant. I deeply feel she longed to return to a people who worshipped this amazing God, but she was left alone and abandoned. The codified law appears in Deuteronomy.
God punished Onan and he died. Judah was the head of the family. It humbles us because it reminds us that God uses people like Tamar to fulfill His plans and purposes. Tamar went on to birth twin boys, Perez and Zerah. But this boy, Shelah, was too young to be a father.
God knows we all are sinful creatures, but He wants us to rise above our nature and choose the better way: Him. The same reason we want to "put away" the scandalous women in our churches or hide our own "ugly" stories. And when we do things according to His character, the light will be shone in dark situations and the truth will eventually be exposed. Tamar married into the family of Judah, first to Judah's son Er and then, after his death, to Onan his brother. Tamar did not have spiritual leaders to protect and guide her. Amnon did not love his sister he wanted to use his sister. The seal, cord and staff were symbols of a man's identity, items of great personal worth, and it is astonishing that Judah gave them up.
The law also protected the widow. Sometimes we are called to wait, and sometimes, we are called to act. It may have been that Judah really meant to carry out his promise, but as time went by he became convinced Tamar was a jinx, bad luck, responsible for the deaths of his two eldest sons. Veiling was not actually a sign of prostitution. No respectable woman would sit there, or be there alone. He skirted that responsibility because he was afraid of losing a third son. He offers himself in place of his other brother.
Judah didn't recognize her as his daughter-in-law, and when he encountered her, he asked to sleep with her in exchange for one of his goats, giving her his seal, cord, and staff as a pledge. This was not simply a length of wood used for walking. The midwife marks Zerah's hand with a scarlet cord when it emerges from the womb first, but Perez (whose name means "barrier-breach") edges his way through. She's also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You're Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed. All rights reserved. Why do we want to hide Tamar's story?