Day 2 – Genesis 38
Last month I read through the story of Joseph in the Bible (Genesis 37-50). Each day I was challenged to share what I learned. Here was my insight into Genesis 38.
Judah the Original Bad Boy
I’m not going to lie. Following through with the challenge today was a little harder. The story temporarily moves from Joseph’s sale into slavery to his older brother, Judah.
Reading between the lines, Judah seems to run away. He moves in with a friend (probably a friend his father wouldn’t approve of). He marries a woman (a woman he knows his father doesn’t approve of). He raises a handful of thug children.
Judah is dealing with shame, and he doesn’t know what to do with it. He’s sold his brother into slavery, lied to his father, and is now lost with what to do in life.
Shame is a cycle, and if it’s not broken, it will lead to destruction. But this is exactly what God specializes in…redemption. God sees more in Judah than he sees in himself, so God pursues Judah with an unlikely person – a prostitute who is actually his daughter-in-law.
Because of the shame hanging over Judah, he’s wronged his daughter-in-law, Tamar. She has no where or no one to turn to for justice, so she takes it into her own hands. She uses deceit (and the oldest living profession) to get what belongs to her. It wakes Judah up. He has a revelation, and declares,
“…she is more righteous than I am…” -Genesis 38:26
At this point, Judah begins to make changes in his life. He’s not perfect. He’s human. Judah begins to find redemption.
Redemption is one of the things I love most about God. It’s who he is. God is a God of redemption. He breaks shame. He sees beyond the cracked and fading exteriors of our lives. He’s good.
Daily Blessing: May God be a redeeming God in your life. May he redeem the deepest and darkest parts for His glory.
Daily Challenge: Break the cycle of shame in your life. Be honest with someone about something you are struggling with in your life – thoughts, money, fear, etc. Don’t allow shame to destroy you!
Miss a day? Find it here:
- Day 1: Genesis 37 – Joseph: A Story of Redemption
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