Tamar. Well, she was seven years younger than I am now when her story took place. Her first two husbands died within a year, her own father wanted to disown her, and she is one of five women mentioned in the linage of Jesus. One of those just doesn’t seem to belong?
Read Genesis 37-38 for the background and her story.
From the time Tamar was given to Er, Judah’s oldest son, until she was lifted up to her rightful place as a daughter of Judah, she waited, and waited… and waited. She was sent back to her father’s house and as a window, shamed her family, and worked as a servant. Still Tamar kept her strength. She could have easily spoken out against Judah and his clan. (The custom of the time both in Canaanite and Hebrew culture was simple, if a man’s wife was widowed, she became his wife.) She could have scorned him, she could have told the world of his dishonorable act while she was under the guise of temple prostitute. She did not. Instead she used the very little power she had as a woman in biblical times (without a husband or sons a woman was as good as dead), to do the will of God even though her own family worshiped Baal and the gods of gold and brass.
There are a number of lessons we can learn from Tamar’s story.
It is a story of joy even in the midst of trials.
First, often we wait. We are an impatient bunch. Rushing, filling our daily schedules with errands and jobs we must get done. And we are impatient, as our nature, when we face trials. Tamar teaches us that no matter how long we must cry out to God, we will continue to do just that with the patience and peace that comes from knowing eternity is not on the same schedule that we are on Earth.
Second, trust prevails. Tamar not only trusted in God, but she trusted in Judah as well. She trusted that the son of Jacob, the man who believed in the God of Abraham and Isaac, would not dishonor his promises even after falling away. Most importantly however, she trusted the Lord. She did not understand how to worship him, or even what he required when she entered Judah’s house as the wife of Er, but she grew to know and trust the Lord and cry out to him in times of despair.
Third, strength is a beautiful quality. I am sure this lesson does not need much explanation, more a reminder. Just as Tamar was, we are called to be strong and courageous in the name of God.
Her story holds just as true today as it did during her life.
So we wait. We do so without complaint, without bickering,
but with the joy of the Lord.
Knowing, that someday the wait will be worth it,
and in the mean time… we’ll enjoy the journey.
To read more of Tamar's story, read Francine River's
Unveiled. The beautiful story of life, love, and redemption comes to life in her short novella about the first mentioned woman in the linage of Christ.
