If you're able to, stay for sandwiches and cake, a cup of tea, great way to catch up.
And thank you for your prayers for myself and Kirsty.
When we were over in Sheffield, it was a great time.
It was good to visit Amy, to see and to meet people that she's with every day.
Just setting up something here.
Can't do two things at once.
Thank you.
So, yeah, and I'm sure Kirsty actually would appreciate your prayers.
She would have been here, only she's done her back in, so she's not able to be here this afternoon.
But we're both grateful and thankful for your prayers for us while we were away.
Turn in your Bibles, please, to Genesis chapter 38.
We're looking at a new series in the life of Joseph.
But maybe you'll already know this, but chapter 38 says nothing of Joseph at all.
So we go from chapter 37 about Joseph, then to chapter 39 all about Joseph.
And then we get this, well, you'll see a strange story, an account that we read about in chapter 38.
But it's there for a reason, and that's good.
So we're going to read Genesis chapter 38.
It's at the beginning of your Bible.
First book in the Bible.
And we're going to read from verses 1 to 14.
So let's hear God's word.
At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hira.
There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shuha.
He married her, made love to her.
She became pregnant and gave birth to a son who was named Er.
She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.
She gave birth still to another son and named him Shelah.
It was at Kazib that she gave birth to him.
Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the Lord's sight.
So the Lord put him to death.
Then Judah said to Onan,
Sleep with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law
to raise up offspring for your brother.
But Onan knew that the child would not be his,
so that whenever he slept with his brother's wife,
he spilled his semen on the ground to avoid providing offspring for his brother.
What he did was wicked in the Lord's sight,
so the Lord put him to death also.
Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar,
Live as a widow in your father's household until my son Shelah grows up,
for he thought he may die too, just like his brothers.
So Tamar went to live in her father's household.
After a long time, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shuha, died.
When Judah had recovered from his grief,
he went up to Timnah to the men who were shearing his sheep,
and his friend Hera, the Adolamite, went with him.
When Tamar was told,
Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,
she took off her widow's clothes,
covered herself with a veil to disguise herself.
Then she sat down at the entrance to Aneim,
which is on the road to Timnah.
For she saw that though Shelah had grown up,
she had not been given to him as his wife.
Well, we're going to look at the whole story,
but we're going to stop our reading there and pray
and ask for God's help as we look at his word.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you for these old accounts,
but yet true accounts
of individuals and families
living life just as us
that have been written down and recorded
to teach us
about the wonder
and goodness and redemption of God.
And so we pray that as we look at this story together,
we would see the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
who has come to redeem people like us,
to bring us into your family.
So help us now, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, when we were younger,
my sister decided she was going to run away.
She was about eight or nine.
For some reason,
she had felt let down by her family,
probably annoyed by her younger brother.
So one day, she just ran away
down to the bottom of the road.
About 20 minutes later,
she arrived home
and burst into tears.
Inquiring what was wrong,
she told my mum
she had run away
and no one had come looking for her.
But isn't that why we run away?
So no one can find you.
What do we do with a runaway?
Well, our friend Judah that we're reading about
in chapter 38 is on the run.
Chapter 37 told us
he had sold his younger brother Joseph off as a slave.
And to make matters worse,
Judah told his father that Joseph had been killed by wild animals.
Now Judah wants out.
So, verse 1.
At that time,
at the time of all those events with Joseph,
Judah left his brothers
and went down to stay with a man of Adullam
near named Hera.
Judah literally turns his back on his family
and runs away from his past.
However, Judah isn't just running from home.
He's turning his back on God.
You see, Judah was part of God's chosen family.
His great-grandfather was Abraham.
And God had made a promise to Abraham
that through his family,
all the nations of the world would be blessed.
Well, we're now three generations later from Abraham
and this family is a dysfunctional mess.
Judah, it seems, has no interest in God's plans
or God's promises.
Judah has walked out
and turned his back on God.
He has run away.
What will God do with a runaway?
Now we may not be a Judah,
but we do know what it is to run away from God, don't we?
It's what we do all the time
in big ways and in small ways.
Despite God being our creator
and our provider,
we decide that we want to have nothing to do
with God's plans and promises.
We so often turn our back on God,
live our own way
and run away.
What does God do with runaways like us?
Well, we're in for a big surprise.
Because in our text, in this story,
we're going to see four surprising responses
from God.
Here's the first big surprise.
The surprising mercy God shows.
The first thing Jacob does as he runs away
is to get himself a wife.
Verse 2.
There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man
named Shuha.
He married her
and made love to her.
Together they had three children
that we read about.
Er, Onan, and Shelah.
All seems well.
His runaway has been good.
He now has a family.
But we're in for a surprise, aren't we?
Verse 6.
Judah got a wife for Er,
his firstborn,
and her name was Tamar.
But Er, Judah's firstborn,
was wicked in the Lord's sight.
So the Lord put him to death.
It's a tragedy for the family.
The firstborn,
through whom the family line
is going to continue,
is now dead.
But all is not lost
because Judah has two more sons,
hasn't he?
However, son number two,
it seems, is no better.
Onan's responsibility,
according to custom and tradition,
was to become a kind of surrogate father
for his dead brother's wife.
So, verse 9.
But Onan knew
that the child would not be his,
so that whenever he slept
with his brother's wife,
he spilled his semen on the ground
to avoid providing offspring
for his brother.
What he did
was wicked in the Lord's sight.
So the Lord put him to death also.
To lose one son is bad enough,
but to lose two?
Judah, it seems,
is forced to take action.
Instead of giving his son,
his third son,
to Tamar,
he sends Tamar back
childless to her father
and keeps his son
wrapped in cotton wool
at home.
Now, we can have a little bit
of sympathy for Judah.
Things didn't go well
for the first two sons,
so best to keep son number three
well away from this Tamar girl.
It seems that bad things happen
whenever she's around.
You could lose your life.
End of verse 11.
For he thought,
he, that is Shelah,
may die too,
just like his brothers.
So Tamar went to live
in her father's household.
Now again,
thinking about this,
and if we were in Judah's situation,
we might do the same.
But that's not what Judah
is meant to do.
He's meant to follow
God's plan.
Remember,
Jacob is part of,
or Judah is part of,
God's chosen family
through whom the nations
of the world
will be blessed.
He's meant to preserve
the seed of the firstborn,
not cut it off.
His responsibility
is to make sure
that the family line continues.
He's to live God's way,
not his own way.
So what's God going to do
with a runaway like Judah?
Well,
considering what God did
to Heir and Onan
for being wicked
and disobedient,
my goodness me,
it seems God
should put Judah to death
for attempting to scupper
God's plan and promise.
You see,
the big surprise
in this story
is not that
Aaron and Onan die,
but that Judah
does not die.
It's a surprising
mercy.
His life
is spared.
Now,
our sensitive,
selfish hearts
may find God's
judgment hard
as we read
these verses,
but death
is what we deserve
for turning our backs
on God.
The Bible
is very clear
on that
from beginning
to end
at the start
of Genesis
when Adam and Eve
turned against God,
death came
into the world.
It's why
the New Testament
writers will say
the wages
of sin
is death.
You see,
the fact
that you and I
get out of bed
each morning
is
a mercy.
Despite our
continued running
from God
and turning
our back
on God,
God doesn't
always treat us
as our sins
deserve.
We should be
astounded
and amazed
at the kindness
and goodness
of God.
So what does
God do
with a runaway?
Well,
God shows
surprising
mercy.
But there's
more surprises
the surprising
way,
second,
that God
works,
the surprising
way God
works.
Judah's
wife dies
and after
a time of
mourning,
Judah heads
off with his
buddy,
Hera.
We might say
they've gone
on a lad's
trip.
But news
of this trip
has travelled
to Tamar.
Tamar disguises
herself as
a prostitute
right along
the road that
Judah and
his brother,
his buddy,
are travelling.
Why would she
do that?
Well,
we're given a
clue at the
end of verse
14.
See the end
verse 14,
for she
thought that
though Shelah
had now
grown up,
she had not
been given
to him
as his
wife.
She's not
going to
have any
children,
and children
were important.
On with
the story,
we pick it
up in
verse 15.
So there's
a Tamar
dressed as
a prostitute
on the
side of
the road,
and Judah's
on his
way.
Verse 15,
when Judah
saw her,
he thought
she was
a prostitute,
for she
had covered
her face.
Not
realising
that she
was his
daughter-in-law,
he went
over to
her by
the roadside
and said,
come now,
let me
sleep with
you.
He's
essentially
demanding
sex.
And what
will you
give me
to sleep
with you?
She asked.
I'll send
you a young
goat from
my flock,
he said.
Will you
give me
something as
a pledge
until you
send it?
She asked.
He said,
what pledge
should I
give you?
Your seal
and its
cord and
the staff
in your
hand,
she answered.
Basically,
she's saying,
give me
your wallet
and your
keys,
and then
I'll know
who you
are.
So he
gave them
to her
and slept
with her,
and she
became
pregnant by
him.
After she
left,
she took
off the
veil and
put on
her widow's
clothes again.
Now what
are we
to make
of this
sordid
sexual
encounter?
What
does God
do with
a runaway
like
Judah?
Well,
let's be
clear.
It's a
very sad
account of
sinful
desires and
desperate
measures.
Judah,
it seems,
has cared
very little
for Tamar,
and now it
seems he
cares very
little for
women.
He sees
an opportunity
to satisfy
his desires
and exploits
a vulnerable
prostitute.
He gets
what he
wants and
leaves her
with the
consequences.
Tamar,
on the other
hand,
well,
she's lost
her husband.
She's been
abused by
her brother-in-law
who doesn't
give her
children but
just takes
advantage and
sleeps with
her.
and she's
ignored by
her father-in-law
who sent
her away.
And on top
of all of
that,
she has no
children.
And children
in those
days were
not just
your children,
your family.
It was a
means of
security and
provision who
would care for
you and look
after you in
older age.
She's left in
desperation,
which leads
to desperate
measures.
for Tamar,
this is all
about survival.
For Judah,
it's about a
good time.
In this sad
and broken
encounter,
Judah gets
what he
wants and
Tamar gets
what she
wants.
Judah has
his way
and Tamar
gets pregnant.
It's a
win-win
kind of
situation.
but the
consequences
are terrible
as we
will see.
But there's
something more
going on
in this
account.
Tamar
is pregnant
by Judah.
The very
thing that
Judah has
been trying
to avoid
has actually
come to
pass.
He might
know anything
about who
Tamar is
and the
fact that
she's
pregnant,
but at
this stage,
well,
there is a
firstborn.
Well,
a firstborn
in the
womb,
anyway.
You see,
God's plan
was that the
family of
Judah would
be a
blessing to
the nations.
And you
can't be a
blessing if
the family
comes to
an abrupt
end.
And so
through this
sordid
sexual
encounter,
the family
of promise
continues.
it's not
what we
expect,
is it?
A story
like this
in the
Bible?
It catches
us all
off guard.
God's
ways
surprise us.
It's not
that God
condones the
actions of
Judah or
Tamar.
Rather,
God is at
work through
sinful choices
and scheming
plans of the
individuals for
his purpose.
us.
You see,
in our
runaway
moments,
we may
engage in
all kinds
of sinful
behaviour.
We may
revert to
all kinds
of desperate
actions.
We may
feel that
in the midst
of it all,
all is lost
and all is
broken.
And while
we still
remain responsible
for our
choices and
decisions,
our sin
is not a
hindrance to
God.
working out
his purposes
in our
life and
through our
life.
So what
does God
do with a
runaway like
Judah?
What does
God do with
runaways like
us?
Well, God
works in
surprising ways
through our
mess for
our good.
So,
surprising
mercy,
surprising
way,
and surprising
transformation
that God
brings.
The surprising
transformation
that God
brings.
Judah has
long forgotten
his liaison
and he
certainly
knows nothing
of Tamar's
pregnancy.
But all
that is to
change in a
very surprising
way.
Realizing that
he's let the
desires in
his heart get
the better of
him, Judah
sends his
friend to
go and search
for this
prostitute.
The plan is
to exchange
the goat for
those identity
items.
He wants his
wallet and
his keys
back.
They could
get him in
trouble.
Only there's
one small
problem.
Let's pick
it up in
verse 22.
So his
friend went
back to
Judah and
said,
I can't
find her.
I've been
looking all
over.
I even
asked around
in the town
and they all
said there's
no prostitute
here.
Then Judah
said,
let her keep
what she
has or we
will become
a laughing
stock.
After all,
I did send
her this
young goat,
but you
didn't find
her.
Best to
keep a lid
on these
things.
Let's not
make too
much of a
fuss.
The last
thing Judah
wants is to
see his
face sprawled
across the
front pages
of the
local gossip.
However,
verse 24,
about three
months later,
Judah was
told,
your daughter-in-law
Tamar is
guilty of
prostitution
and as a
result,
she's now
pregnant.
Judah said,
bring her
out and let
her be
burned to
death.
Judah,
it seems,
still blames
Tamar for
the deaths
of his
sons.
He doesn't
like her.
Now's his
chance to
get rid of
that cursed
woman.
And in
such a
culture and
society,
there would
have been
little opposition
to what
they wanted
to do.
But,
verse 25,
as she was
being brought
out to
her death
penalty,
she sent
a message
to her
father-in-law.
I'm
pregnant by
the man
who owns
these,
she said.
And then
she added,
do you
recognise
this seal,
this cord,
and this
staff?
Well,
like an
ice-cold
bath,
Judah is
woken up
to the
horror of
his ways.
Judah is
confronted
with his
own sin.
And the
evidence
couldn't be
ignored.
They all
belong to
him.
The
judgement
that he
passed on
Tamar is
a judgement
that now
belongs to
him.
Tamar's
words must
have smashed
through his
hard heart.
Do you
recognise this
cord and
staff?
Judah,
is this
your wallet
and keys?
Ironically,
the place
where this
sexual sin
took place,
as we read
in verse 14,
was a place
called
eneim,
which means
opening of
the eyes.
Well,
Judah's
eyes have
been opened
wide now.
But all
of this
was to
do good
in Judah's
life.
It seems
there is a
conversion
moment in
his life.
He no
longer
hides
his sin.
Judah
now comes
clean.
Rather than
running from
his sin,
which he
did over
his brother
Joseph,
he now
owns
his sin.
Verse 26,
Judah
did
recognize
them and
said,
Tamar
is more
righteous
than I,
since I
wouldn't
give her
to my
son
Shelah.
And he
didn't
sleep with
her again.
In other
words,
he treated
her as
he should
have done
with
respect.
What
does God
do with
runaways?
Well,
it seems
he confronts
us with
our sin.
He opens
up our
blind eyes
so that
we can
take
responsibility
for our
behavior and
our actions
and confess.
For
Judah,
it was
life
transforming.
Just have
a look
forward to
chapter 44
in your
Bible.
Chapter
44,
the very
end of
the chapter.
This is
later on
when,
in fact,
Judah will
be confronted
by his
younger
brother,
Joseph,
who he'd
sold into
slavery.
And at
last,
Judah doesn't
run from
his mess,
but he's
learned to
take responsibility
for his
behavior of
the past.
So,
speaking to
his brother
Joseph,
look at
verse 33.
this is
what
Judah
says,
Now then,
please let
your servant
remain here
as my
lord's
slave in
place of
the boy,
one of his
other brothers,
and let him
return with
his brothers.
You see,
he wants to
take responsibility.
He wants to
become a
slave to
Joseph for
his behavior
and his
actions
towards him.
Let's go
back to
chapter 38.
You see,
there is no
sin so
great.
There is no
past so
horrid.
There is no
heart so
hard that
God cannot
change or
transform.
What does
God do with
runaways?
God
surprisingly
transforms
the worst
of sinners
like us.
But there is
one more
surprise,
I think
the greatest
of them
all,
the surprising
grace
God
displays.
Judah has
been confronted
with his
sin.
He has
confessed his
sin.
He has
owned up to
it.
His life
has been
changed and
transformed.
He is no
longer hiding
things but
willing to
take responsibility
for it.
He is
transformed.
That is
God's grace.
Tamar,
well,
she has
become
pregnant and
as we will
see,
gives birth
to two
children.
At last,
she has
security and
provision for
her later
life.
That's
God's
grace.
But more
than that,
surprisingly in
this story,
there is
grace for
us because
out of
this family,
grace breaks
free and
comes to
you and
to I.
Look at
verse 27.
When the
time came
for Tamar
to give
birth,
there were
twins in
her womb.
As she was
giving birth,
one of them
put out his
hand,
so the
midwife took
a scarlet
thread and
tied it on
his wrist and
said,
this one
came out
first.
But when
he drew
back his
hand,
his brother
came out
and she
said,
so this
is how
you've
broken
out.
And he
named him
Perez,
which means
breaking
out.
Then his
brother,
who had the
scarlet thread
on his
wrist,
well,
he came
out after
and he
was named
Zerah.
What a
strange
account.
Why all
this pushing
and shoving
in the
womb?
Well,
when everyone
in the
labour room
thought Zerah
was the
firstborn,
surprise,
it wasn't
Zerah,
but Perez.
It seems
that in the
mess and
brokenness of
life,
God is
going to
have the
last word.
Perez
breaks through
and he
comes out
first.
Well,
what's the
significance
of that?
Well,
Perez,
the son of
Judah and
Tamar,
is going
to play
a significant
role in
God's
plan and
promise.
Well,
what role
is he
going to
play?
Well,
look with
me to
Matthew
chapter
one.
Matthew's
gospel,
the first
in the
New
Testament,
Matthew
chapter
one.
Matthew
opens his
account by
giving us
the genealogy
of Jesus,
where he
can trace
his family
line.
This is
the genealogy
of Jesus,
the Messiah,
the son of
David,
the son of
Abraham.
Verse two,
Abraham was
the father of
Isaac,
the father
of Jacob,
Jacob,
the father
of Judah,
who we've
just been
reading and
listening about,
and his
brothers.
Judah,
the father
of Perez
and Zerah,
whose mother
was Tamar,
and Perez
was the father
of Hezron.
And so all
the way
down,
we continue
to read,
and then we
come to
verse 16,
and Jacob,
the father
of Joseph,
the husband
of Mary,
and Mary
was the
mother of
Jesus,
who is
called the
Messiah.
You see,
this is
grace.
From the
family line
of Perez,
from Abraham
and Isaac,
to Judah,
to Perez,
come the
saviour of
the world,
Jesus Christ,
the one
who would
bring blessing
to the
nations.
You see,
God doesn't
hide from
runaways.
God comes
to search
for runaways.
By including
the names
of Judah
and Tamar
in the
genealogy
of Jesus,
we're reminded
that God
comes through
a family
that was
broken and
messy,
much as
we are.
A family
with a story
full of
sinful desires
and desperate
measures,
but yet,
through the
brokenness
of it all,
grace
breaks through.
Grace
will have
the last
word.
You see,
we shouldn't
be surprised
that as we
read through
Matthew's
gospel and
the other
gospels,
we meet
Jesus,
who meets
who?
Who does
he spend
time with?
Sinners
and prostitutes.
Because Jesus
came to seek
and save
the runaways.
He came
for both
the perpetrator
and the
victim,
for Judah's
and for
Tamar's.
he came
to humble
the proud
and welcome
the humble.
Just as a
newborn
through Tamar
broke out
centuries ago,
so the
Son of God
has come
and now
he breaks
through
into the
brokenness
of our
world and
our lives,
shoving
and pushing
and doing
all that is
necessary
to reach
us,
even working
through all
our mess
and sin
so that
we can
meet
the
Saviour.
What does
God do
with runaways?
Well,
he sends
his Son,
Jesus,
into the
sinful mess
of our
world
so that
he might
find us,
that he
might die
for us,
that he
might forgive
us,
that he
might change
us.
He seeks
us out
so that
we might
receive his
mercy.
That's the
surprising
grace God
displays
to runaways
like you
and me.
Let's
pray.
Amen.
Father,
as we
reflect
on this
family
story,
we see
mess
and sin,
wrong
choices,
terrible
decisions,
but yet
winding its
way through
and overflowing
it all
is the
amazing
mercy and
grace of
God,
who comes
searching
for us,
who never
leaves us,
but comes
looking to
save.
Thank you,
God,
that you
have reached
down to
us through
your Son,
Jesus Christ,
that you
have broken
into the
mess of
our lives
and you
have brought
your grace
to us.
Father,
forgive us
when we
have turned
our back
on you.
Please
help us
that we
would confess
our sin,
own up,
take
responsibility
for our
life,
and know
your amazing
grace that
sets us
free and
transforms
us for
good.
thank you,
God,
that you
redeem
runaways
like us.
Amen.
well,
we're going
to sing
together.
Our
sins
can be
many,
like
Judah and
Tamar,
but his
mercy and
his grace
is
dead.
Meghan
had so
dead.
God,
man,
he's
Give Victim
Tir Ryse.
Mark,
inASH NO,
every
verse
nothing here.
You
have so
happened to be
license,
оды,
Heil,
Manhattan,
Jesusiv신.
We've got so
after this
grace,
руз effort.