Pressing into destiny like Tamar

To have a good grip of what we are going to pray about this morning, I would like us to read Genesis chapter 38 quickly.

1 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did [a]displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.

So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.”

So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”

18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”

So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was [b]openly by the roadside?”

And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”

22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”

24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is [c]with child by harlotry.”

So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”

26 So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.

Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez.[d] 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.

Who was Tamar? According to the Word of God, in Genesis chapter 38, it was recorded that Tamar was married to ER, the first born son of Judah by Shua.

ER was killed by God because he was wicked in the sight of God (verse 7).

Onan who was the second born son of Judah did an act that displeased God and he was killed by God (verse 9).

The sons of Judah did wrong to God and Onan did wickedly to Tamar. Judah himself was not truthful, he was deceitful and a liar as well. He promised Tamar that when Shelah his third son is grown he would do the needful, this he did not fulfil, and rather he sent Tamar to her father’s house to remain a widow till Shelah is grown.

Basically Iniquity is very glaring in the lives of Judah,Er, Onan and even Sister Tamar. We were not told if Onan had children from another woman, but his attitude to Tamar showed that she did not Love his deceased brother and was very selfish, he did not see any reason why he should help to raise up a heir to his brother. God was so upset with him that He killed him.

The Adamic nature was a big issue in the lives of all the people involved, they exhibited the spirits of lying, Prostitution, Selfishness, Deceit, Hatred, Wickedness etc.|

Guess what, if you go to Mathew 1:3 in the Genealogy of Jesus Christ Perez and Zerah who were the products of the coming together of Judah and Tamar, Perez became a great grandfather of our Lord Jesus.

Tamar on her side was one who did not want to be short changed in Destiny” And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Mathew 11:12).

PRAYER 

• Let us thank God for His Mercy that avails for us, let us appreciate Him for the Dispensation of Mercy that says No to Judgement. Thank God for the finished work of Calvary.
• Pray that Iniquity will not derail us in Destiny, Tamar nor Perez would not have been in the genealogy of Jesus, Pray that the plan and purpose of God for our lives would not be truncated by the wickedness of man.
• Father give us Victory over self Righteousness, Judah not realizing that he was the culprit asked that Tamar be burnt, when he was told that she was pregnant.