Traveling heightens the senses and evokes the emotions like nothing else can. Perhaps that's why so many people fall in love with someone while they're traveling. That's how I see Judah's situation - he traveled Adullah, and falls in love with one of the natives there. It's really rather romantic.
Verses 6 & 7 both make me a bit uneasy. In verse 6, Judah finds his son a wife. I guess this is nice and all, and it was what they did back then, but arranged marriages make me really uncomfortable. I don't know why I would expect Judah to go against what the world is doing, as people today struggle with the same challenge. Then, God kills one of Judah's sons. And that I simply can't accept, I know there has to be more to the story than that.
The next husband in line for Tamar (the arranged wife) is Onan, and he's as excited about having kids with his dead brother's wife as I am about watching paint dry. He doesn't want to have kids with Tamar - who can blame him? He knows the babies wouldn't really be his. Onan would just be filling in for his deceased brother.
I say all of this to say that he used an old-fashioned contraceptive, and if you want more details, feel free to read verse 9.
God didn't like this, and I have yet to figure out why. I know the Catholic teaching on contraceptives backward and forward, but I still feel like God had a larger reason for smoting Onan dead. We may just not find it out until we get to heaven.
Sadly, Judah's wife died also. His heart must have been lonely, since he fancied to take a prostitute while traveling. The prostitute was Tamar, dressed as such to deceive an seduce Judah. I'm not sure why Tamar wanted her father-in-law in that way; it feels a little sick to me.
I guess one could understand why this passage makes me feel so odd.
Either way, Judah sleeps with Tamar without realizing that it's her, and then she slips away with the pledges he gave her.
Judah tries to send her payment, but his friend can't find the prostitute in question. He asks the men of the village where she is, which must have been awkward. Judah's friend returns with this news, which would certainly strike some worry into the average person. (I mean, what if she wasn't really a prostitute?)
3 months later, Judah is told that Tamar is guilty of prostitution and pregnant.
His response leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth: "Bring her out and have her burned to death."
Have you ever heard of more of a double standard in your life? It's sickening. Once he finds out that he's the daddy, things seem to cool down. At least he doesn't want to kill her anymore.
And then she has twins, and I think they're probably pretty precious, though Tamar's labor certainly sounds uncomfortable.
Genesis 39
At risk of sounding like one of those Superchurch pastors, I think God wants us to have satisfying earthly lives. He doesn't wish suffering and poverty for us - our creator wants us to do well, and to go places. So many people say "I'm just waiting on God." This is a good thing, for a time. Sometimes it's the best option to just sit and wait. But sometimes, it's better to work and wait. To serve and wait. To strive and wait. God will make something out of whatever you decide to give Him, but I can't help but say that the more He has to work with, the better off you'll be.
Joseph did just that. He was suddenly in a very different situation than his life at home, working as a servant for an Egyptian man. God took Joe's role as a servant, and elevated it to Potiphar's attendant. Joseph went from the lowest man on the totem pole, to being in charge of the entire household. This was good for Joe, because it was a comfortable position, and it was good for Potiphar, because he didn't have to worry about a thing.
I do not say all this to say "give everything to God and you'll prosper." Because I've seen families that have done that, and they haven't prospered money-wise 100% of the time. But they were happier, worried less, had more joy in their hearts, and felt more fulfilled. And that's what God wants for us, way more than he wants our wallets to be fat.
Potiphar's wife was a lusty little thing. I feel a bit bad for her husband. In all honesty, I picture her as one of the wives that goes after the men that are building the deck while her husband is at the business office. She's just bored, and tired of being the perfect little housewife. And she thinks Potiphar wouldn't notice anyway.
But when Joe rejects her, her feelings get hurt. That happens to girls a lot, myself included. We feel rejected, and then sulk. It's a real thing. Usually, I would just quit trying if someone rejected me. However, Potiphar's wife doesn't. She finds Joseph utterly charming. So she grabs his cloak, and he runs away from her.
I do not like Joseph's reaction. It feels so childish to me. The whole situation would have felt way better for me if Joe turned to her and said, "hey, look. You're so gorgeous, and I respect you way too much to take advantage of this opportunity to sleep with you. Plus, Potiphar's heart would be crushed! We can't do that to him. You're an awesome woman, but I just don't think it's a good idea."
But nah. He runs away, and leaves his cloak in her hand.
So, like many woman would do, she makes up a story to ruin his reputation. (This would be the part of the movie where the little housewife steals the construction workers' clothes and has them strewn across the bedroom floor.)
Potiphar is the typical suburban husband, though maybe more mild mannered. Instead of pulling out a shotgun and shooting Joe in the face, he sends him to prison.
Joseph's life in prison is even more remarkable to me than his life in Potiphar's house. God rewarded Joe for continuing to follow his path, even though the temptation of Potiphar's wife was in his life. Joseph prospers in prison. The warden entrusts all the prisoners to this one blessed prisoner.
God always works in the most unexpected ways, no matter what we give him to work with.
No comments:
Post a Comment