The Lion of Israel

Through the eyes of Keira (Age 13)

Courageous Judah who made many wrong decisions along the way but was brave enough to accept when he was wrong. An honest man who was ready to make right his wrong doing. That was how Keira described Judah after she finished his character study.

This patriarch trusted in his own wisdom and decided not to honour his duty and refused to give his third son to marry Tamar. He did wrong and his daughter-in-law outsmarted and tricked him to look after her in the end. God in His mercy forgave him and blessed him together with Tamar to be the beginning of the lineage of the Messiah. Read on to see what Keira discovered from this story in Genesis 38.

Q&A with Keira

Did you learn something new from the story of Judah in Genesis 38?

Something new that I never knew about from the story of Judah until I read about him more is that the line of Judah and Tamar actually became one of the most important family bloodlines. Not only because it grew to have great kings like David and Solomon, Jesus too was a part of their family tree.

What impressed you the most from the story of Judah?

What impressed me the most is that even though Judah did sin against God by committing adultery (although his wife had already died), God still chose him to start the line of His own Son, Jesus when He came to earth and save us from sins.

(El’s comments)

Judah did not commit adultery as he was then without a wife but what he did wrong was that he was not honest and did not give his third son to marry Tamar according to the custom and Jewish rules. Tamar tricked him to sleep with her and as a result of her pregnancy, Judah had to look after her as he was supposed to. Judah recognised his mistake as he pronounced in Genesis 38:26

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.”

This portrayed remarkable characteristics of Judah. He was brave enough to admit his mistakes, strong enough to correct them and righteous enough to resist his passion. “He did not know her again.”

How did God work through Judah’s life?

How God works through peoples lives are different for everyone, and how He worked in Judah’s life had a big impact on this world, through his choices whether right or wrong. Still brought Jesus Christ to this world to die for every single one of us and forgive all of our sins.

How did you feel when you learned that Judah admitted in public that he wronged Tamar?

I think that it was really brave of him that he personally and publicly confessed that what he had done by sending her back home as a widow and not giving Shelah, his only son left, to her in marriage.

What would you ask Judah when you meet him in heaven?

If I ever met him in heaven personally, I would ask him why he didn’t give Shelah to Tamar as soon as he was old enough to marry her.

Thank you for following along with me. The next post will be about the reformer. If you have any questions for Keira, please leave your comments down below.

Keep reading the bible, until next time.

Blessings,
El

PS. Awesome lion banner from https://unsplash.com/photos/3tkxfe2GocY