Let HER be burned

“..Tamar thy daughter hath played the harlot ... and Judah said, Bring her forth and let her be burned.” - Genesis 38v24

What a mess! God's nation of Israel was not off to the best start. The brothers had sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt after he had a dream about them bowing down to him. Incest, treachery, immorality, and subterfuge described these future twelve tribes of Israel. On top of it Judah decides to take off on his own. As his family grew it also had its share of problems. By the get to this story God has killed two of his sons for their sin. This situation deals with Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar.

In all of this we never see God mentioned. As we see all though Scriptures man always messes things up when he leaves God out of the picture. Judah wants Tamar to wait until a third son grows up to marry her and give her a child, but Judah did not follow through and Tamar sets out a plan of her own.

Tamar set herself up along the roadside and gave every appearance of being a harlot. When Judah came along he propositioned her and agreed to give her certain items that would later identify him. As a result of this encounter Tamar became pregnant.

When word came to Judah that his daughter-in-law was pregnant as a result of playing the harlot we brashly declares, “Let he be burned!” At this point Judah had ignored his own sin and could only think of having Tamar punished. It was not until he was confronted with his own sin that he had to back down.

How sad it is when we rush to judgement of others while we ignore our own sin. Jesus dealt with this when He talked about getting the beam out of our own eyes before we try to get the speck out of others eyes.

Lord, help us to examine our own hearts before we rush out in judgement of others.