It's a drama that includes:
- Justice - Er and Onan having their lives taken by God for grievously offending Him
- Betrayal - Judah promising Tamar that she would marry his third son, Shelah, but not following through
- Deceit - Tamar pretending to be a prostitute and sleeping with Judah
- Hypocrisy - Judah yelling "Burn her up!" in response to Tamar's out-of-wedlock pregnancy
Both Judah and Tamar take matters into their own hands, perhaps out of fear, and do what they think is best for themselves. Two messed-up people only making a bigger mess of things.
I see a lot of me in this story. I'm fearful at times. I take matters into my own hands more than I care to admit. I have been the Betrayed and the Betrayer. I have been deceitful in order to get my own way. I wish I could say that I'm not a hypocrite, but I am. It's not pretty - I'm a mess.
Even so, I come away from this story with renewed hope. Why? The last paragraph of chapter 38.
The twins born to Tamar are listed in the genealogy of Jesus! How crazy is that?!? God chose these two messed-up people to be part of the lineage of our Lord and Savior. Their sin and dysfunction doesn't preclude them from being used by God as bit players in His Story. WOW! (Check out Matthew chapter 1 - BOTH Judah and Tamar are mentioned.)
I continue to be surprised by God's Story as I see connections that I've never noticed before. It's becoming more clear to me in Genesis just how much God has a plan. I don't think I've ever really believed that because I haven't been able to put the pieces together very well.
But as God is revealing Himself to me more and more through His Word, my heart is stirring. I feel more freedom knowing that my good behavior isn't what He's after and more motivation to know Him and draw near to Him. I want to enter into His Story and play my bit part in a way that glorifies Him.
"I want you to see...at least a glimpse of the beautiful picture God is forming from all the pieces. And I want you to feel...the compelling wonder of the love story God is telling. It really is the greatest love story ever told. And we're in it." 66 LL pg. xxiAre you starting to see it? Is your heart beginning to stir?
6 comments:
You've put it so well, Cici. You're right, even though we haven't even finished the first book of God's word yet, I am starting to see that tapestry that God is weaving. He DOES have a plan for us and it DOESN'T rely on "how good we are." He LOVES us, He FORGIVES us, He PROVIDES us.
I am so thankful for this blogging community. It is so rich to dive into God's word together and be reminded of the wonderful truths and treasures from His word!
I'm beginning to see it, Cici! And to recognize that it's not about how even someone who is a mess like me can be used. But how, God's tapestry will not have a hole or a loose thread or a color out of place, because He is the great Designer, Artist, and Story Writer.
I also love Crabb's reminder about Joseph, that "even people who serve Me well struggle greatly" 66LL. A problem-free life is not the sign that I am obeying God and smooth sailing can't be my goal. Desiring Him more than desiring Him to come through for me is where my heart needs to be.
I'm going to be really really honest. I am PRAYING for my heart to stir because my head keeps getting in the way of the story. I seemingly jump to disgust or confusion as to why God would use that person or why it had to be that way? How this or that person could be that deceitful or blatantly disobedient. I get hung up on how many wives they have or how easily women were handed over to men. I don't doubt or mistrust God as a result; I find that, in fact, I chalk it all up to "I don't get it, but I trust you, Lord."
For so long, I think I've lived by the idea that if I just color within the lines and remain obedient in the obvious ways, that the Lord would continue to bless me/us. But in recent years, I'm coming to understand that living this sterile, black-and-white life is not what God calls me to. I've avoided risk for all the aforementioned reasons (fear being number one), and will miss out on being a part of the rich tapestry the Lord continues to weave. I'll be this safe, little fringe instead of a bold or daring splash of color.
This is the longest I will remained in the Old Testament, and am looking forward to all the work and "rearranging" God has to do in my heart.
The Greatest Love Story---100 billion people have walked this earth. How many knew Him? How many get this stuff? Do I get it? Genesis is disrupting. Gen 39:3, 21 - God was with Joseph in the palace and the prison. Forgotten---again and again but God was with him. One sentence lingers loud from 66LL: I've concluded one thing. If you face yourself honestly, if you look through a clear lens at your life in this world, hearing God speak to you in His 66 love letters will do you more good than anything else. We all need help to face ourselves honestly.
Two starkly contrasting verses stirred my heart in today's reading. Gen 39:19-23 "But there in the jail God was still with Joseph." And Gen 40:23 "But the head cupbearer never gave Joseph another thought; he forgot all about him."
These reminded me tonight to be careful where my hope is placed. My knee jerk tendency is to put my hope in myself or other people to help me get out of my proverbial "jail". I completely forget in the midst of my circumstances that I serve a living God who sees me! My circumstances never surprise Him (and so often I think that they must) and He never forgets about me. Even me with my bit part is a VIP to Him.
The concepts of pieces and a bigger picture made me think of how I used to put 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzles together as a middle schooler. It's so much easier to put those puzzles together when you have the big picture on the front of the box as a guide.
I'm so glad that we have God's Word and great books like 66LL to guide us in putting the pieces of our lives into His larger picture. I'm very thankful to be part of this group and experience God's Story together!
Hi sisters! Limited Internet access as I'm traveling for the next month but so excited to continue my reading and to journal along the way. Then catch up here every chance I get! Im learning that it's amazing how the Bible has so much application to all of us. All of it! And how I know this is the Spirit working through us all to make the word truly come alive. I praise our God for the living Word! I'm desperate now more than ever to hunger to know Him better through the Word.
I'm really encouraged by how even in all of these stories, mess and ugliness, brokenness, we can still see the Lord with Joseph. And how he was favored in Gods eyes. Encouraged by how God showed him kindness and gave him success in whatever he did. It makes me so grateful for God with me today and Leeds me to think about how God is always with me because His spirit is alive in me! I am so blessed to have been chosen. We are so blessed. Gal 2:20 I just want to come alive in celebration of this!
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