Kingdom Come

Jacob / Israel chose Judah as his Melchizedekian heir.

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise… thy father’s children shall bow down before thee [as they had to Joseph]…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.” (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? We would expect Melchizedek Joseph’s son Ephraim, whom Israel had adopted as his own, to be next in line. Especially in view of the fact that when Judah joined himself and his sons to Canaanite women he appears to be rejecting his identity as a son of Jacob. East of Eden all over again. Judah was far more Cain than Abel.

Six chapters out of a total of 50  – over 1/10th of the entire book of Genesis – devoted to the backstory of Judah’s inheritance of the right to rule.

Due to their sexual and violent nature, these were not put there for use in children’s Sunday School.

A lengthy, and dramatic, therefore obviously meaningful, account in Genesis 38 features Tamar, a despised woman  who was brutalized then planned for elimination.

“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 [whom he did accept as his sons.]

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, [like his Daddy Juday and 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 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 Tamar 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 – a son to care for her in her old age.

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….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]….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)

And when Judah was confronted with that fact, how he responded is the fundamental basis of YHVH’s Salvation.

“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. 

“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? what saith the scripture?…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….Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin…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’s ability to be a leader in the Kingdom of God. He confessed his sin, repented, and proved it by sinning no more.

“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 said unto them…I fear ha Elohim / The Most High God, i.e. the Hebrew God, not the Egyptian high god. If ye be true [who you say you are,  twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.] 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…

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,

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.

Then Judah came near unto him, and said…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?” (Genesis 44)” (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.

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?

Judah’s atonement included – importantly! – accepting the despicable and morally ruined Canaanite – and her children – into his household of faith in righteous YHVH. 

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

“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)

“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)