As time went by, Judah’s wife, Shua, passed away.
Shelah had
grown up, yet Tamar had not been called back to Judah’s house. Tamar was still
a widow, a childless one who had no future.
One day, this smart woman heard a
news
that Judah was going to Timah to shear his sheep.
Right away she came up with a plan for her future.
She took
off her widow clothes, and wore a veil to cover herself.
It turned out that was how the prostitutes
clothed themselves in the olden days. She waited in the entrance of Enaim,
which was a road to Timnah.
When Judah saw her, he thought she was a
prostitute.
He wanted to buy her service.
 |
| veiled to cover up her identity |
I will try modernize
their conversation before the transaction.
Judah : I will pay you later since I did not have any money
with me right now
( I will send you a young goat from my flock )
Tamar : Will you give me something to guarantee that you
will pay me later ?
(Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?)
Judah : What guarantee should I give you ?
(What pledge should I give you ?)
Tamar : Your photo ID and the watch that you are
wearing in your hand
( Your seal and its cords and the staff in your hand )
They made a deal. When
Judah’s servant came back to Enaim to pay her and reclaim Judah’s personal
belonging,
Tamar was gone. She went back
home and continued her life
as a widow. When
people noticed that Tamar was pregnant,
the rumors started. Apparently Judah found out about it.
He was
furious that Tamar had been unfaithful as a widow.
He sent people to bring her
out and burn her to death.
As she was being brought out
(by a crowd of angry, zealous
people, I presumed),
she sent Judah a message.
“I am pregnant by the man who owns these!
See if you
recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are,”
Judah recognized
those items.
(I wish I could see his facial expression by then).
He was gentleman
enough to give credit to Tamar.
“She is more righteous than I since I wouldn’t give her
to
my son, Shelah, “said Judah.
I bet he asked the crowd to stop the proceeding.
He was
humiliated but humble to acknowledge his mistake.
Tamar was cunning. She tricked Judah.
She was like Jacob who
cheated Isaac for the blessing.
God forgave Jacob. God vindicated Tamar.
She
got a double blessing by having a pair of twin boys, Perez and Zerah.
Perez was
the ancestor of King David,
the ancestor of Joseph, the father of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
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