Readings for today: Genesis 38-40
Judah has always been a fascinating person to me, probably because of the redemptive arc of his life. He doesn’t begin well. He’s in on the original plot to kill his brother Joseph but when Reuben convinces them not to kill him, he’s the one who comes up with the idea to sell Joseph into slavery and make a profit. But something must not have sat well with him because he quickly leaves the family to go live among the Canaanites. He marries a Canaanite woman. He has three sons. Two of them die under strange and tragic circumstances and the only conclusion Judah and/or the author of Genesis makes is that the Lord has killed them. Judah refuses to marry Tamar to his remaining son, perhaps fearing for his life, and that sets up the scenario where Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute, sleeps with Judah, becomes pregnant, and bears him two more sons. One of which becomes the ancestor of King David and Jesus. These experiences must have had a profound effect on Judah because the next time we hear anything about him, he is offering his own life in place of Benjamin’s before Joseph which ends up facilitating a beautiful reconciliation among the brothers and their family.
I’ve often wondered about the burden of guilt Judah must have carried. Selling your brother into slavery is no small thing. For all he knew, he was condemning his brother to a short life full of all kinds of pain and suffering and hard labor. I wonder if this is what prompted Judah to leave his family? How could he look his father and mother in the eye, knowing what he had done? Every time they passed the cistern where they had thrown Joseph, he must have had flashbacks. Every time a Midianite caravan passed down that same trade route, he must have thought about his brother. So he leaves his family, perhaps trying to escape his shame. He marries. He has children. He starts a business with his friend. Life seems to be moving on. But then his oldest dies under strange circumstances. Then his second son dies under similarly strange circumstances. I imagine Judah thought he was being punished by God, his sins catching up with him. So he refuses to give his third son to his daughter-in-law. Then, when she turns up pregnant, he responds in righteous indignation only to find out he is the father! It had to be incredibly humbling. We don’t know what happens next except the next time we hear from Judah, he is back with his family and he has changed. He is humble and more than willing to sacrifice himself rather than see another one of his family members be sold into slavery or die. And when Joseph sees his willingness to take his brother’s place, he cannot hold back any longer. He reveals himself and the family is reconciled.
I think the reason Judah fascinates me is because I too have carried burdens of guilt. I too carry a load of shame. I look back over the course of my life and I can point to so many instances where I sinned against the Lord and those I love. I was prideful, arrogant, and made a fool of myself. I hurt people with what I said or did or did not do. I didn’t stand up for those who needed me. And I’ve wondered at times if all the bad things that happened in my life were simply the consequences of my sinful choices catching up to me. Thankfully, God is quick to remind me of the gospel. The fact that He took my place. He paid the price. He gave Himself for me. He reminds me there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because He has washed away all my guilt and shame through His saving death on the cross. Through Christ, I am reconciled to God, to those I love, and to the world around me. I no longer need to walk in fear or shame or guilt but in complete freedom.
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 41-43