So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'no cult prostitute has been here.' " And Judah replied, "let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her." About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "bring her out, and let her be burned." As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "by the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." Then Judah identified them and said, "she is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah."And he did not know her again. When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "this one came out first." But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. and she said, "what a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. Genesis 38:22-30 ESV
Judah's friend returns without the pledged items. His response is to let her keep them as her own lest they be laughed at. He obviously wants the matter to be closed, with no further inquiry about the girl or his belongings. Would he be a laughing stock because the value of his possessions were greater than the price of the goat? Or, would the solicitation of a prostitute mar his good name and standing? He claims no sin on his own part, and his actions seem to embrace the culture he had married into. As far as being an Israelite, he is more concerned with his appearance to men and their ridicule. It is not the God of his people that he fears or is concerned about offending.
Luke 12:2 English Standard Version (ESV)
2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
Now, it is brought to his attention that his daughter-in-law has been "immoral", and she is also pregnant by this same immoral act. Judah's reaction: "bring her out and let her be burned." Judah's own actions are not hidden from himself or God. What is hidden from him now, is that this girl, whom he has deemed worthy of death, is the same harlot he would have gladly paid. Are not both the harlot and the one who hires the harlot the same? Is one without sin? Is one sin greater than the other? It is the same sin; they are one.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to Him, "teacher this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. and as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." and once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "no one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." John 8:3-11 NKJV
Sin has already been judged, and all have sinned. The double standards we have about sin fail to point us to the cross. We would rather raise up a graven image of ourselves, a new christ that says be angry with the world, condemn the world afresh, follow me and play righteous. The law is there to reveal to us the conditions of our heart, that we are sinners, God is righteous, and sin leads to death. There is a flip side to this, and both would hate the beliefs of the other, being equally wrong in the end. Some would take this passage to condone sin, and make yet another christ. The christ they would have would not finish the last sentence with, "go, and from now on sin no more." He would contradict the very purpose for which he came, to seek and save the lost, to set the captives free, and to fulfill the law. When we teach people out of the bible of political correctness, or from the pages of man's religion, we offer vanity, pride, legalism and paganism. We remove the hope of being set free by denying the chains with which they are bound. We remove the faith that believes in the words of the God who said, "that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, and that faith can move mountains. We remove love by telling them the mountain is not there. And for those concerned with heritage or pedigree, look deep into the story of Tamar; her sons are named in the lineage of the Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Salvation is not from religion; Salvation is of the Lord.
What did He write?
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to Him, "teacher this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. and as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." and once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "no one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." John 8:3-11 NKJV
Sin has already been judged, and all have sinned. The double standards we have about sin fail to point us to the cross. We would rather raise up a graven image of ourselves, a new christ that says be angry with the world, condemn the world afresh, follow me and play righteous. The law is there to reveal to us the conditions of our heart, that we are sinners, God is righteous, and sin leads to death. There is a flip side to this, and both would hate the beliefs of the other, being equally wrong in the end. Some would take this passage to condone sin, and make yet another christ. The christ they would have would not finish the last sentence with, "go, and from now on sin no more." He would contradict the very purpose for which he came, to seek and save the lost, to set the captives free, and to fulfill the law. When we teach people out of the bible of political correctness, or from the pages of man's religion, we offer vanity, pride, legalism and paganism. We remove the hope of being set free by denying the chains with which they are bound. We remove the faith that believes in the words of the God who said, "that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, and that faith can move mountains. We remove love by telling them the mountain is not there. And for those concerned with heritage or pedigree, look deep into the story of Tamar; her sons are named in the lineage of the Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Salvation is not from religion; Salvation is of the Lord.
What did He write?
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