Genesis 38
Judah and Tamar.
This weird little story in the middle of Genesis confuses me. It is anachronistic--it doesn't time out well between Genesis 37 and 39. It interrupts the story about Joseph. And it is in astonishing detail--an entire chapter devoted to this story, which is roughly the same amount of space given to the creation of the world. And it is an a really important book: Genesis is used in both Jewish and Christian traditions and has been around a really long time. I've been thinking lately about mistresses--about people treated as secondary in sexual relationships, and I was drawn to this story. I think this story means something greater than a story about sex. I can't imagine Genesis devoting this much space to a story if it wasn't actually and really important, and about something that mattered to all of humanity in some way.
Some explanations from google about what this story means:
1) "The Bible story's message was that people have a right to act independently to obtain justice for themselves, and it therefore made an oblique reference to the political events at that time, as the Netherlands and other newly Protestant countries tried to break away from Catholic Spain." (http://www.womeninthebible.net/paintings_judah_tamar.htm)
This is a great story about justice. Tamar didn't wait for God to intervene and give her what she was entitled to. She used her creativity, knowledge, and resources to get what was rightfully hers.
2) "But in a way she ‘redeemed’ Judah. She saved him from doing what was wrong, and was thus a pre-figure of Jesus, who was one of her descendents." (http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.5.Tamar_and_Judah.htm)
Judah thought he was engaging in a sin. In fact, I think he sort of did engage in a sin--from his point of view, he had sex with a prostitute. The fact that she wasn't actually a prostitute and the sexual union was actually legitimate sort of didn't matter, since he didn't know that. But basically she got him off the hook. He would have been committing a great, serious sin if it wasn't for the fact that she was actually who she was. Because of who she was, what would have been a sin wasn't a sin. She, her identity, turned his sin into something actually incredibly righteous and just. This is a symbol of Christ, who by his identity, by who he is, can take our sins and turn them into righteousness.
This is certainly a story about reproductive justice: Tamar claiming her right to control her reproductive life and to have the children that she was entitled to. Tamar did not allow anyone to take away her right to have children.
This is certainly a story about family. Tamar wanted children. She was entitled to children. She used her creativity to devise a plan that allowed her to have those children.
This is certainly a story about women. About a conniving, manipulative woman, yes. But also an assertive woman who got what she was entitled to even in a patriarchal system that diminished her.
This is certainly a story about superstition after death. Judah superstitiously believes that Tamar is bad luck and this is why her husbands die. Certainly, all of us seek meaning after the death of a love one--someone to blame it on. This story cautions us to avoid that superstition.
This is certainly a story about identity. Tamar temporarily hides her identity in order to achieve her greater goals. Judah very deeply gives up his identity (the physical markers of his identity) in order to have sex with Tamar. But in the end, all identities are known.
This is certainly a story about thinking outside the box. Tamar exercises some serious creativity to figure out this plot. This was a complicated ploy--she had to travel, she had to obtain costumes, she had to time out the encounter so she would get pregnant, etc. She exercised some mighty creativity and planning.
This is certainly a story about justice. Tamar had rights and Judah disregarded them. She didn't just roll over and let herself get taken advantage of. She exercised her rights.
This is certainly a story about sex. Gritty, commercialized, dehumanizing, but reproductive sex. The sex in this story, as gritty as it looks from the outside, is actually legal, moral, sanctioned sex that leads to the birth of rightful heirs.
This is certainly a story about repentance. Judah recognizes what he does wrong, in the well-stated phrase, "she is more righteous than I." Somehow, he is not held morally accountable for (in his mind) sleeping with a prostitute.
But there is something else in this story, something else about mistresses, second-class citizens, and why affairs are immoral. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but it's on the tip of my brain.
This weird little story in the middle of Genesis confuses me. It is anachronistic--it doesn't time out well between Genesis 37 and 39. It interrupts the story about Joseph. And it is in astonishing detail--an entire chapter devoted to this story, which is roughly the same amount of space given to the creation of the world. And it is an a really important book: Genesis is used in both Jewish and Christian traditions and has been around a really long time. I've been thinking lately about mistresses--about people treated as secondary in sexual relationships, and I was drawn to this story. I think this story means something greater than a story about sex. I can't imagine Genesis devoting this much space to a story if it wasn't actually and really important, and about something that mattered to all of humanity in some way.
Some explanations from google about what this story means:
1) "The Bible story's message was that people have a right to act independently to obtain justice for themselves, and it therefore made an oblique reference to the political events at that time, as the Netherlands and other newly Protestant countries tried to break away from Catholic Spain." (http://www.womeninthebible.net/paintings_judah_tamar.htm)
This is a great story about justice. Tamar didn't wait for God to intervene and give her what she was entitled to. She used her creativity, knowledge, and resources to get what was rightfully hers.
2) "But in a way she ‘redeemed’ Judah. She saved him from doing what was wrong, and was thus a pre-figure of Jesus, who was one of her descendents." (http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.5.Tamar_and_Judah.htm)
Judah thought he was engaging in a sin. In fact, I think he sort of did engage in a sin--from his point of view, he had sex with a prostitute. The fact that she wasn't actually a prostitute and the sexual union was actually legitimate sort of didn't matter, since he didn't know that. But basically she got him off the hook. He would have been committing a great, serious sin if it wasn't for the fact that she was actually who she was. Because of who she was, what would have been a sin wasn't a sin. She, her identity, turned his sin into something actually incredibly righteous and just. This is a symbol of Christ, who by his identity, by who he is, can take our sins and turn them into righteousness.
This is certainly a story about reproductive justice: Tamar claiming her right to control her reproductive life and to have the children that she was entitled to. Tamar did not allow anyone to take away her right to have children.
This is certainly a story about family. Tamar wanted children. She was entitled to children. She used her creativity to devise a plan that allowed her to have those children.
This is certainly a story about women. About a conniving, manipulative woman, yes. But also an assertive woman who got what she was entitled to even in a patriarchal system that diminished her.
This is certainly a story about superstition after death. Judah superstitiously believes that Tamar is bad luck and this is why her husbands die. Certainly, all of us seek meaning after the death of a love one--someone to blame it on. This story cautions us to avoid that superstition.
This is certainly a story about identity. Tamar temporarily hides her identity in order to achieve her greater goals. Judah very deeply gives up his identity (the physical markers of his identity) in order to have sex with Tamar. But in the end, all identities are known.
This is certainly a story about thinking outside the box. Tamar exercises some serious creativity to figure out this plot. This was a complicated ploy--she had to travel, she had to obtain costumes, she had to time out the encounter so she would get pregnant, etc. She exercised some mighty creativity and planning.
This is certainly a story about justice. Tamar had rights and Judah disregarded them. She didn't just roll over and let herself get taken advantage of. She exercised her rights.
This is certainly a story about sex. Gritty, commercialized, dehumanizing, but reproductive sex. The sex in this story, as gritty as it looks from the outside, is actually legal, moral, sanctioned sex that leads to the birth of rightful heirs.
This is certainly a story about repentance. Judah recognizes what he does wrong, in the well-stated phrase, "she is more righteous than I." Somehow, he is not held morally accountable for (in his mind) sleeping with a prostitute.
But there is something else in this story, something else about mistresses, second-class citizens, and why affairs are immoral. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but it's on the tip of my brain.