Tamar's Choice

[dhatura]

I'm reading Genesis 38 and having trouble understanding it.
What's God's view of Tamar's choice? Is He critical? Does He approve?
Someone said Tamar's acts are not godly. But she seems not to have a lot of options. So God seems to acquiese in her acts?

 

[St_Worm2]

I'm reading Genesis 38 and having trouble understanding it.
What's God's view of Tamar's choice? Is He critical? Does He approve?
Someone said Tamar's acts are not godly. But she seems not to have a lot of options. So God seems to acquiese in her acts?

Hi Dhatura, it was through this final, desperate and dangerous act of Tamar's that God's will concerning the Messianic line was fulfilled (Judah and Tamar being the distant grandparents of both King David and Messiah Himself).

Were her actions Godly? In this situation, they were more so than anyone else's (which Judah did attest to) .. It's important to remember that she was never after anything immoral, she simply wanted what was rightfully hers in the Lord. That certainly cannot be said for any of the men in her life ..

Yours and His,
David

 

[dhatura]

Hi David,
Thanks for your response and reminding me that Tamar's act is desperate and dangerous. You have a discerning heart.
When I asked about her opinion of Tamar's act, a cell group friend said God doesn't necessarily only choose to use people who are righteous. Because all men are sinful according to God's standards. What do you think of this?
If she's right, do you think God loves Satan as well? There is certainly a purpose for Satan and hell in God's plan, which I don't fully understand, isn't it?

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi David,
When I asked about her opinion of Tamar's act, a cell group friend said God doesn't necessarily only choose to use people who are righteous. Because all men are sinful according to God's standards. What do you think of this?
If she's right, do you think God loves Satan as well? There is certainly a purpose for Satan and hell in God's plan, which I don't fully understand, isn't it?

She's right, trying to find any truly righteous people would be quite the task, even for God ..

As you read through the Bible, you will find that all but a few are quite "blemished" in regard to sin, even those we regard as Biblical heros. Fortunately for us, God is able to take the least that mankind has to offer and perform His will through us.

As far as all men being sinful, that's what the Bible tells us (see Romans 3:10-12 which speaks of the natural condition of all people everywhere outside of Christ).

As far as Satan goes, he is our enemy and he is God's. God loves His children, those who have been reconciled to Him by the work His Son did on our behalf. Everyone else is still His enemy, a child "of wrath" (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:1-3).

Yours and His,
David

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 3:23​

 

[dhatura]

Hi David,
I don't think non-christians are God's enemy. Even if they are, I think God loves them too, because they are also God's creation. I think God also has plans for them as well, because our God is omnipotent.

 

[dhatura]

Hi David,
I think God loves Satan as well, because Lucifer is also God's creation. But he became proud and rebelled against God. I believe if God wants to, He could have destroyed Satan then and there. But He didn't. Instead, He chose to send Satan to hell and allowed him to be there. This is God's love of Satan.
Satan thinks of God as his enemy. But nobody could be God's enemy with His allowances because God is omnipotent.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi David,
I don't think non-christians are God's enemy. Even if they are, I think God loves them too, because they are also God's creation. I think God also has plans for them as well, because our God is omnipotent.

Hi David,
I think God loves Satan as well, because Lucifer is also God's creation. But he became proud and rebelled against God. I believe if God wants to, He could have destroyed Satan then and there. But He didn't. Instead, He chose to send Satan to hell and allowed him to be there. This is God's love of Satan. Satan thinks of God as his enemy. But nobody could be God's enemy with His allowances because God is omnipotent.

Hi dhatura, I'm not quite sure I'm following your last sentence above. Please explain what you mean by "nobody could be God's enemy with His allowances" a little bit further for me. What, for instance, are His "allowances"?

If you mean that He "allowed" Satan to live, yes that's true, but I'm certain that doesn't mean He "loves" him. It does mean He wasn't finished with him (I think it's clear that Satan serves God's purposes at times), but I'd be more than hard-pressed to believe that God loves him, especially considering the judgment and fate that awaits him (click here to read Revelation 20:7-10).

Would you do that to someone you "loved" ..

As far as God loving something just because He made it, do you know of any place in the Bible where He tells us that's true? For that matter, do you "love" everything you make, or have you thrown some things out over the years because they didn't turn out the way you expected or needed them to?

Yours and His,
David

"The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented
day and night forever and ever."
Revelation 20:10​

 

[dhatura]

Hi David,
I base my conclusion on the premise that our God is a God of love. But of course he's incompatible with sins. He doesn't and cannot love the sins of Satan, as he doesn't and cannot love the sins of Christians either. Men are sinful and yet God still loves us. I think if Satan repents, he will be forgiven and loved by God as well. That's what I mean when I said God loves Satan as well. He is giving Satan opportunities as He does to all men. Of course, the problem with Satan is that he doesn't repent.
By the way, I finished reading The Screwtape Letters today. It's good and thanks for introducing me to it.

 

[dhatura]

Hi David,
It's a typo. It should be "Nobody could be God's enemy withOUT His allowances because He is omnipotent."

 

[1watchman]

Tamar is an interesting picture of mankind in a sinful world seeking to survive. The bigger picture in Genesis 38 seems to show that Israel failed to keep the calling of God and left their first estate, falling to the level of all ruined mankind; and this is contrasted with the Lord Jesus coming from God and going down to fallen man to be among them --born of man though of God, and taking man's sin upon Himself that He might redeem souls to God. Israel failed as Judah showed, but God has shown grace out of them and now to all who have also failed. Joseph then follows in Genesis 39 as a picture of Jesus being a victim of his brothers and yet their redeemer as we see today.

As was mentioned here, God is love, but also a God of justice, righteousness, mercy, and "not willing that any should perish". He is not one without the other, and rather than totally reject sinful man, God became their redeemer and provided salvation at such a cost to Himself. Out of the ruin God brought forth hope and redemption ---though many reject it.

The picture in Genesis 38 is to show mankind in general (even in religion) to be weak and helpless without God Himself.

 

[asiyreh]

You know what i've found out in this life. True wisdom is learning from other peoples mistakes, without having to make them for yourself.

Large sections of the old testament seem to largely provide this service. I'm not specifically addressing Tamar's choice here.

Understand the ancient Hebrew and the culture of early peoples. Alot of things that may seem abhorrent to you know were not necessarily so in that culture.
Children were very important to the woman of that culture, more so than they are now. When Tamar's spouse died she expected, she was promised, it was her right under Torah to have a child provided to her by that family in question.

Ample time was given, so the decision and then the justice of the Lord fell upon Judah. Actually this might be a typology. Judah then becomes a Hebrew nation of course. A type of prophesy of her consorting with spiritual prostitution. But anyways again another reason why having a child was so important to women then. They were literally establishing kingdoms.

 

[Queen of the Highway]

I'm reading Genesis 38 and having trouble understanding it.
What's God's view of Tamar's choice? Is He critical? Does He approve?
Someone said Tamar's acts are not godly. But she seems not to have a lot of options. So God seems to acquiese in her acts?

It is symbolic for the end, speaking of how what may appear to be a harlot, may really be a pure princess who just does not know it yet.

So, yes, it is perfectly fine.