Kingdom Come

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:” (Genesis 49:8-11)

We recognize Judah’s legacy in the name of the Jews. But what on earth did Judah do to inherit the right to rule? After all, this man’s reputation would have destroyed his chances if he was running for election in a democratic campaign against his brothers.

Even with the best of intentions he constantly messed up.

Even if we give him credit for acting in good faith – knowing the open hostility between his father Jacob and his Uncle Esau who had married into the Canaanites, his sturm und drang way of dealing with the affair between his sister Dinah and Shechem the Canaanite just created more problems. Most of all, it put such stress on his father’s favorite wife (not Judah’s mother) that she died giving birth to Jacob’s last son Benjamin.

Even if we give him credit for trying to save Joseph from being killed by the other nine brothers, his way of dealing with the situation was the direct cause of his father irretrievably losing his “only begotten son” into the diaspora of slavery,

Then doesn’t he marry himself and his sons to Canaanite women! From a psychological / literary perspective he appears to be rejecting his identity as a son of Jacob. East of Eden all over again. The book [by John Steinbeck] explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, the struggle for acceptance and greatness, the capacity for self-destruction, and of guilt and freedom. It ties these themes together with references to and many parallels with the biblical Book of Genesis (especially Genesis Chapter 4, the story of Cain and Abel).

Judah was a miserable example of a Hebrew, far more Cain than Abel, undoubtedly a great example of the degeneration of the Hebrews “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation” (Philippians 2:15)

The biblical account of God’s choice of Judah’s as heir to Isra-El / Prince of El over his 11 other brothers is reported in a lengthy, and dramatic, therefore obviously meaningful, account featuring Tamar, a despised woman. As happens all the time in our own culture, she was brutalized then passed and discarded as trash from man to man.

“Judah saw…a daughter of a certain Canaanite…and he took her, [doesn’t say he took her to wife, just took advantage of her culture’s promiscuous sexuality] and went in unto her. And she conceived, and bare…Er…Onan…Shelah.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, [raised by his Canaanite mama] was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. 

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother [as is the law for my Hebrew nationality]. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he [used Tamar for sex but refused to give her a child] spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

As an absentee father Judah was the complete opposite of his great-grandfather Abraham of whom God could say “I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Genesis 18:19)

Then abandoning his head-of-household responsibilities to his daughter-in-law.

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house.

That was a life of misery under a resentful father who thought he had gotten rid of this useless eater, and a death sentence when her elder father died, and Judah knew it. He was complicit in torture and manslaughter.

And yet, his daughter-in-law was so desperate to escape her Canaanite family that she risked her life to remain in a Hebrew household with an entirely different set of rules than the Canaanite culture, and a son to care for her in her old age. That says a lot about the Hebrews, even at their low point, when Judah shows himself to be a whoremonger – certainly not the only time recorded as the prostitute in question knew exactly when, where and how to lure him in and no record that she got pregnant on the first shot.

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law…) What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

So how on earth did Judah get chosen to become the ancestor and namesake of all Jews, The Son / Heir, Prince of El / Israel / leader of all God’s people??

“it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

When the apostle Paul wrote his letters to his New Testament congregants he was drawing all his doctrine from the historic accounts of God’s dealing with mankind. This becomes evident when we match them up – and he absolutely draws on Judah’s example.

“thou art inexcusable, O man / Judah, whosoever thou art that judgest [the whore]: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things [whoredom].” (Genesis 38)

Judah becomes the iconic Jew because he repented!

“When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and…Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous / right acting than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son / acted out my responsibility for her life. 

“we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:9-10)

“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness…to him that…believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness…Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” (Romans 4:1-7)

And Judah’s change in behavior proved he had converted to righteousness

And he knew her again no more. (Genesis 38)

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ / YHVH’s Promised Savior our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:11-12)

And that says everything that matters about Judah. He confessed his sin, repented, and proved it by sinning no more.

There are six – count them – six chapters out of a total of 50 chapters – over 1/10th of the entire book of Genesis, devoted to the backstory of Judah’s inheritance of the right to rule. 

These were not put there for use in children’s Sunday School.

These are there to teach adults in unmistakably simple details how to become a Melchi-Zedek, King of Righteousness, ruling with the Most High Priest-King of the Order.

“Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons…get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him…

And [Joseph] put them all together into ward three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die…

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. And Judah [only out of the 9] spake unto him, saying,

• The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. [Accepting Supreme Authority]
• If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
• But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.” (Genesis 42-43)

This is an example of “hating / rejecting” parental authority in order to submit to Supreme Authority. Remember, this was an era when humans understood that the gods ruled through men. There was no nation of Israel holding exclusive rights to YHVH. There were only scattered Hebrews independently honoring a God of Righteousness. This “Father to Pharaoh” was not only NOT Egyptian, but most evidently a Supreme Authority not only through Pharaoh’s incarnated god submitting to him, but through his power to save his people from the famine that prevailed over all the rest of the known world.

“And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go;

• that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
• I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him:
• if I bring him not unto thee…let me bear the blame for ever:

And [Joseph] commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money…and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack…And Joseph said unto them…wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

And Judah said, [this isn’t a given, Judah was the only one who spoke up of all the ten brothers including his older brothers]…God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants…we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.” (Genesis 43-44)

And here is where Judah’s transformation is complete, and he is converted into the image and likeness of God himself – becoming God’s current only begotten son / Melchizedekian heir by voluntarily choosing to atone for the sins of his family by taking responsibility for their sin onto himself.

 “I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me…judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you…But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:29-34)

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions…For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest….Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities…Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and [other] sinners shall be converted unto thee [by my testimony of conversion]…O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise…The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51)

Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

• My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
  • And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
• And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
  • And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
• And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
  • And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
• And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
  • And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.
• And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life; It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.” (Genesis 44)

Do you see how Judah’s actions of:

• repentance against his previous hatred and abuse of younger brother Joseph
• proven by changed behavior towards Joseph’s replacement in Benjamin resulted in
• redeeming his kinsman with his own life

permanently encoded in his epigenetics, empowered his heirs to fulfill God’s calling for leadership?

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb…Pharez. And…Zarah.” (Genesis 38)

Judah’s atonement included – importantly! – accepting this despicable and morally ruined Canaanite – and her children – into his household of faith in righteous YHVH. He delivered them from a society where women without family were abandoned to harlotry when young, and starvation when no longer of service to men, bringing them into his household where they were loved and cared for, not just in their lifetimes, but for eternity to come.

This is documented by Tamar’s son’s heritage in the household of God.

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that…Ruth the Moabitess…have I purchased [at a cost! to me – as in slavery] to be my wife. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said…The LORD [will repay you your cost] make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and…And let [as unstoppable a blessing as in “Let there be light!] thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.” (Ruth 4:9-12)

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares…of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and…Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias…Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1)

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in YHVH’s Promised Savior – [in this historical instance, Judah]…Who…made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the [risk of eternal separation from life]. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name [Melchizedek]. (Philippians 2:4-9)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Oh wait just a minute! This can’t possibly apply to Jesus the Christ who was most certainly sinless so did not need to convert!

Yes it does. Jesus the Christ underwent the ultimate conversion.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin…Christ Jesus…took upon him the form of a servant, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death…Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” (II Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 2:8-10)