Sing Into Your Storm ~ Overcoming Adversity Through High Praise

“But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the L ORD , and the L ORD killed him. And Judah said to Onan, go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother. But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the L ORD ; therefore He killed him also.” (Genesis 38:7-10) If matters couldn’t get worse, Judah ended up having sex with who he thought was a harlot, but in fact was his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar in disguise, (she set out to exact vengeance upon Judah for not fulfilling his promise for her to be married to another of Judah’s sons). For collateral of payment promised to her (for services rendered), he relinquished to Tamar his signet ring, cord and staff. He did not know at that time that he had also impregnated her. Three months later Judah is informed his daughter-in-law Tamar was pregnant outside of marriage, and being outraged, he calls for her to be brought forth and burned! When they bring Tamar forth, she confirms that she is pregnant and sends word to Judah that the father of this child is none other than the person who owns those articles (as she reveals those articles belonged to Judah… signet ring, cord and staff!)

“When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, by the man to whom these belong, I am with child. And she said, please determine whose these are the signet and cord, and this staff.” (Genesis 38:24, 25)

Judah is confronted by this, standing in a place of undeniable guilt, just like David did when the prophet Nathan confronted him. Both Judah (and his later descendant David) demanded capital punishment for the offense, yet both were

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