Tamar and Judah

Taking of Destiny into her own Hands

The story here of Tamar and Judah is from Genesis chapter 38. Judah was married to a Caananite woman. They had three sons. His eldest son Er married Tamar and then does because of his unrighteousness. He then had a second son that he told to marry her. He didn't want to and he ended up during as will. There was a third son but he felt he was to young and didn't want the same thing that happened to his older brothers happen to him. So he told Tamar to go and sorrow about her husband. Not to be with any man until his son was ready and of age. Soon after Judah's wife dies. He goes looking among the harlots. Tamar heard that he was coming and disguised herself as a harlot. She asked for three things from Judah his bracelets,staff his ring and a sheep. He said that he would bring the sheep later. Sending out his servant to find the harlot after the event happened. He then hears that Tamar played a harlot. Going to confront her of her actions and ready to have her killed over the harlot scheme. She shows Judah the ring and staff that was given to her at the time she played the harlot. Judah them says that she was more righteous then he was. Being pregnant from the act she later delivers twins. Who when the time came the midwife tied a  string on the hand that came out first. The twins wrestled to who was born first. The one that was tied with the scarlet string came out second. Pharez her first born and Tamar then become part of Jesus lineage.

The story of Tamar shows us that the law of marriage that Moses invoked had been around for awhile. Where if the husband died the wife marries the next of kin that is able to take of  them to be the spouse. Your all ready grieving for your spouse to them be given in marriage to their brother. How would that be or backward would you feel? That's husband died and his brother refused to go along with the marriage. If then your  future husband rejects you to do what is right in God's eyes what feelings would you have? Which in return he ends up dying as will because of his unrighteousness in the refusal to be married. Then you wait until the youngest is of age and you are then refused him in marriage. So you up and take matters into your own hand to do that what is righteous in God's eyes. I see a pattern of how in our own life we do wrong and denied  what we rightfully worked so hard for. We struggle in the moments of those trials to keep moving forward and keep asking God for the help to salve our problem. Then one day we see the way we are being denied. Then an opening comes along we make a plan to  make things right. so Destiny is knocking at our door and we do the work in making a decision  right in the eyes of his or others. We disguise our self  leaving the past behind so we can move forward. We ask for gifts to be given us and we use those gifts for our advantage when we are confronted. By manipulating the situation and making the wrong that was done making it right. We have now taken our own destiny into our own hands. How many times do you know that you are being wronged in your life? Have you ever taken that wrong and taken things into your hand to make it right? have you ever taken a prayer that you offered and put action with your prayers by making a plan to make the right thing come along? Like Tamar has anybody ever felt that you were more righteous than them because of taking an action into your own hands?
I actually look at this story in another way seeing that Tamar took her own actions in her hand after being obedient to the words of Judah to wait for his son? She shows faithfulness in obeying the her Father-In -Law, and patience in waiting for his youngest son. To see that he bypassed everything in marriage knowing something more than we do. She was brilliant in asking for the things that were his when she played the part of a harlot. It gave backing and evidence who she was with. Just the way that the courts and god even asks us to give when we ask for his help. She  lived to do what was right when asked to marry the second son and waited for the third son to get the blessings that the marriage would bring.  How many times do we look at the blessings that Jesus could bring us if we intertwine our lives with his? when we deny those blessings like Judah did to share his gospel with those around us how much do you think that we might be denying someone who might have an open heart into coming sooner to Christ? Being so ready to take on his work they figure out away to come to him even more by taking those blessings we promised them that Christ could give them. So like Tamar they take in their hands their own destiny in learning how to follow the messages that they all ready know. they contact missionaries that can teach them or they go to Christ and repent whatever it maybe. In the end we are responsible for our own lives. We do for others all that we can bu at the end of the day it all comes down how righteous we want to be in our daily livings. We have a choice to take that destiny into our hands and accept the teachings that are given to us by scripture by prophets by the word of others who share their testimony. Tamar did what it took to even with the trickery in making things right. She even took the evidence that was needed to show that she did the right thing and that she wasn't out being a harlot. Even if Judah never knew her again.
The next thing that we see is that she gave birth to twins. The midwife knowing that they were twins tied a string around the ones arm to be able to tell tell them apart. how would you feel seeing that the one with the string came out second? What significance can this have on teaching us a lesson/ It made me think of the scripture where Jesus said the first in this life will be last and the last will be first.  how we see blessings being turned over to the one that would be first. Having my twins watching the ultrasound i knew the one that was bigger would be born first the day right before I went into full labor. That night I felt the babies flip and shortly afterwards I ended up having my water break. Reading this story made me think even with my own twins how the one that might have been first might have known what blessings they would have in protecting the littler twin by being last. Whether it couldve been in protection to watch over them. I see that today with my twins the one that is a little heavier always making sure his brother is taken care of. he watches out for him daily ( even if at times they are best friends and worst enemies hey still are protective of each other.)  Makes me wonder if that might of been the case here were the brother wanted to show he would have been first but in protection to the other he let him go. How many times do we let another go before us to get the blessings and are willing to take upon our self the lesser blessing. We sacrafice for another to be happy. Yet like their mother Tamar she sought after her own happiness in taking her destiny in her hands. Shouldn't we all seek out our own happiness? Shouldn't we also give for another like the babies do in preparing a way for theirs and our foundation on christ?