- Spiritual Strength – Tamar
With Leddy Hammock and Sue Riley
Have you ever had one of those days (or years) where it seemed that nothing was going right, that the world was against you, and where you wanted to throw up your hands and give up? Well, for most of us, that feeling will pass in a day or so and life will go on. But for Tamar, the giving up would have meant the loss of her sense of self and even of her life. Faced with daunting challenges, Tamar uses her wits and finds a solution that is worthy of an Oscar. Standing strong on the side of righteousness, not only does Tamar prevail, but she also finds justice and honor. Tune in to hear all the twists and turns of the amazing story of Tamar, a woman of power.
Responsive Reading: Spiritual Strength – Tamar “standing forth, upright, palm tree, phoenix” (first woman listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:3).
[Tamar, acquired by Judah as a wife for his eldest son, was widowed and, by Levirate law, was given to the next son, widowed a second time and promised to the youngest son; yet Judah withheld his promise.] “Thereupon, Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, ‘Stay as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up’ – for he feared that his son [whose name meant “false hopes”] also might die like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father’s house” (Genesis 38:11).
Fear and strength cannot live together.
“Years passed, and Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua [“justice of the people”] died. After Judah completed the period of mourning, he went up to Timnah [“withheld”] …. When Tamar was told that her father-in-law was on his way … she took off her widow’s garb, veiled her face with a shawl, and sat down by the entrance to Enaim” [“two eyes”—which showed above her veil] …. When Judah saw her, he mistook her for a harlot” [a local temple prostitute]. Discussing her value, he said he would send her “a kid.” She agreed, “providing [he] leave a pledge until [he] send it’ – his highly valued “seal and cord and the staff [he carried.] So he gave them to her … and she conceived by him. When she went away, she took off her shawl and put on her widow’s garb again” (Genesis 38:12-18).
Spiritual strength knows its true value and is united with praise.
Judah sent the kid by his friend [Hirah, “noble”] the Adullamite [“equity”] to recover the pledge from the woman, but he could not find her …. ‘Let her keep the things,’ Judah replied; otherwise we shall become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her the kid, even though you were unable to find her. About three months later, Judah was told that his daughter-in-law Tamar had played the harlot and was then with child …. ‘Bring her out,’ cried Judah. ‘She shall be burned.’ … She sent word to her father-in-law, ‘It is by the man to whom these things belong that I am with child. Please verify,’ she added, ‘whose seal and cord and whose staff these are.’ Judah recognized them and said, ‘She is more in the right than I am” (Genesis 38:24-6).
Spiritual strength is vindicated in the fullness of time.
“When the time of her delivery came, she was found to have twins …. While she was giving birth, one infant put out his hand, and the midwife, taking a crimson thread, tied it on his hand, to note that this one came out first. But as he withdrew his hand, his brother came out; and she said, ‘What a breach you have made for yourself!’ So he was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out; he was called Zerah” (Genesis 38:27-30). [Zerah means dawn or “beginning of the light.” Perez means breakthrough and “victory through praise, or making a way out of apparent limitations and error and predominating over them by means of prayer and praise.”
With praise, spiritual strength brings forth a breakthrough in consciousness and then a new understanding, turning a double loss into a double blessing.