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Christmas is the story of God beginning a work in us all…  (Pg.1)

Philippians 1:6  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

— To dig into God’s plan for you and me, in the history of the physical birth of Jesus… You need to look at four of the women God chose to be in the maternal lineage of the Messiah, (Jesus). – Tamar;  Rahab;  Ruth;  Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah).

In them you see God working out new beginnings that He wants for everyone on this earth.

— God routinely overcomes human obstacles, so that His righteous plans for our New Beginnings will come to pass…

Today we look at the story of Tamar, from Genesis 38:6-27 (*Adult only content here.*)

**Do we remember who Judah was? – Let us not forget we also are imperfect human beings.

With that in mind let’s read Genesis 38:6-11…

Q1. Why would Onan not want his brother to have any descendants?

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What Onan did was evil in God’s sight because it lacked compassion, and justice,
instead it showed his self-centered greed an hardness of heart…

From Genesis 38:12-19…

Q2. Why is Tamar not yet given to be the wife of Shelah?

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Q3. Do you think that this account means that God allows the use of prostitutes?

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Q4. Why do you think Judah later said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah”?

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Q5. What OT law could be used to argue that what Tamar did was acceptable?

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From Genesis 38:20-27… (We need to understand that the Hebrew word for “prostitute” in the KJV, has it’s root in temple prostitution of the Canaanites. -Thus the ESV translates it, “Where is the cult prostitute?”)

Q6. Why was this ‘SUPPOSED prostitute’ not dealt harshly with when Judah first finds her?

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(HINT: Timnah was a Phillistine city in Canaan.)

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Christmas is the story of God beginning a work in us all…  (Pg.2)

Q7. Whatever your understanding of this account of the maternal root of the promised Messiah… Did God send a message for us all from this INTRIQUING account of Judah’s unrighteousness, and Tamar’s deception?

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Q8. If God can choose to use Judah and Tamar for His glory and great purpose, can He use us as well?      ☐ Yes…      ☐ No…

 

Tamar was a Jewish woman who became the unofficial wife of Judah… Though worldly men and forces conspired against her, trying to erase her name from existence, God had a much greater plan for her life.

SEE Matthew 1:1-6  The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  (2)  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,  (3)  and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,  (4)  and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,  (5)  and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,  (6)  and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

— The story of the birth of Jesus, the true Christmas story, contains in no small measure, the accounts of women who were given New Beginnings. Their new lives became very important in the access we have to our own promise of a New Beginning, through Jesus our Savior.

 

— God gave Tamar a New Beginning through the birth of her twin sons and destined her name to be recorded in the lineage of king David, and consequently his descendant Jesus.

 

Q9. Are you and I, or anyone, outside God’s mercy and grace, and barred from finding a New Beginning in Him?      ☐ Yes…      ☐ No…

 

Christmas brings a message of New Beginnings delivered by the angels to those shepherds… “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  …AMEN?

 We will close in further discussion and a time of prayer…