INTRODUCTION:

(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV])
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV])
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

All of the studies found here, whether book studies or topical studies, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history recorded in the Word of God and in any ancient records from many, which records support it, plus archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, nor lexicons, nor concordances, nor commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief, apostasy, and a falling away from God Himself. We do not need them. That Word of God, written and preserved for us in our own language, is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and as the New Testament was for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc.

Tyndale Bible
Coverdale Bible
Matthew's Bible
Great Bible
Geneva Bible
Bishop's Bible
King James/Authorized Bible

There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:

(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

(1 Thessalonians 2:13 [KJV])
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!

Introduction/Start of study

Genesis Chapter 38: WE CANNOT STOP GOD'S PLAN

Judah would have been a teenager at this time, making friends with a guy named Hirah, an Adullamite, lacking some wisdom as young people do. Who we make friends with we often trust. Who we trust can lead us astray if we lack God's wisdom. More often, the friends influence us more that we influence them. no doubt that Jacob raised his sons to be upright, but starting to go with others away from his father's influence would soon change that.

God's warnings to Israel not to intermarry with the heathen, pagan nations around them was rarely heeded and, when unheeded, led to consequences, even if God made some good out of the bad, because He is Sovereign, because He had and has a plan for Israel, forever, so that, no matter what sin(s) they do, His promises to them shall stand forever. Israel was going to provide the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Jewish Messiah, the LORD Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world by Christ's blood, so they, nor anyone one else, could not fight against God and stop His plan, as even the enemy himself could not, cannot, will not ever do that, much stronger than mankind. What man does for evil, God turns into good. Such will be the case for Joseph who was sold by his brethren; such the case for Judah, who sold himself to a harlot. In every case, God is the God of the Resurrection Who can bring good from it. (Matthew 1:3 [AKJV/PCE])
And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

(Luke 3:33 [AKJV/PCE])
Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,

(Matthew 1:5 [AKJV/PCE])
And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

(Genesis 38:1 [AKJV/PCE])
And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

Walking along, knowing no one yet, meeting a new person, making a new friend, as a typical young man

(Deuteronomy 29:29 [AKJV/PCE])
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

(Genesis 38:2 [AKJV/PCE])
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

And our fleshly lust entices, lures, puts a head into a noose, captures, ensnares us men
How Judah was to walk with God in righteousness would have been revealed to him, not a secret
Jacob was not there to help in this decision of a a wife to choose, good for Judah and young people are easy prey, soon forgetting their upbringing in favor of what the eyes see

(1 John 2:15-16 [AKJV/PCE])
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

(Genesis 38:3-4 [AKJV/PCE])
And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

And the result: Two bad sons, the enemy trying to thwart God's plans
Yeah, that'll never work
Shelah was not reported to be bad

(Genesis 38:6 [AKJV/PCE])
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

A little early for a young Er to be taking a wife on, but Jacob got Er one, probably because he also was young to be on his own

(Genesis 38:7 [AKJV/PCE])
And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

While it does not say what Er did, it must have been bad for this to be so sudden, God waiting 120 years to flood earth, 400 years in Egypt for Israel, 4,000 years for the Messiah to destroy the enemy's stronghold on sin, plus another 2,000 thus far for it to be completed, Jesus taking back the earth
Again, God decides when, how long for us to do something before He does something

(Genesis 38:8 [AKJV/PCE])
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

Well, the law was not officially, formally given yet, but Judah knew what God expected and Judah expected it of Onan his son

(Deuteronomy 25:5 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

(Genesis 38:9-10 [AKJV/PCE])
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 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.

It would be his, but it would not be, because he was fulfilling God's will by raising seed to his brother
Later, as the verse above states, this was a duty, not suggestion
God says through Judah, "DO IT!" and Onan says, "NOPE!"
God was purifying the line of Judah, even taking in Rahab (also Rachab) an harlot, because of faith, not works. It is utter disdain, disregard for God, a non-repentant heart, a complete lack of faith that God purifies, in His tome. His time was at that time!

(Hebrews 11:31 [AKJV/PCE])
By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

(Genesis 38:11 [AKJV/PCE])
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

Judah had one more son left to marry Tamar
Perhaps Judah thought that, being young yet, Shelah would do as his brothers did and God would take him as well
That, or just way too young to marry, just a boy of a few years
"Save yourself for your husband one day", even though she was not still a maiden; she was a widow
Except that, in the end, Judah never gave Shelah to Tamar, for whatever reason
it may be because he did not want Shelah to marry young and die also like Er and Onan, or that he thought that Tamar was responsible for their deaths (sort of unlikely) or that he merely wanted Shelah to be much, much older by this time, unlike himself, Er, Onan, marrying so young

(Genesis 38:12 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Jacob was never comforted when he thought Joseph was dead; Judah was comforted when Shuah died, and that rather quickly
Hirah at this point is a friend, doing some of the bidding for Judah, leading Judah wherever, but sheepshearing was not what Jacob was thinking about at this point, apparently

(Genesis 38:13 [AKJV/PCE])
And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

Nothing unusual to tell her where her father in law was, except that she had plans........other plans...

(Genesis 38:14 [AKJV/PCE])
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.

Probably making herself indistinguishable from the other harlots
Was this an area known for harlots on the roadside?
If so, then Judah was not just there to go to the sheepshearers

(Genesis 38:15 [AKJV/PCE])
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

And so now, the original motivation coupled with sheepshearing-or the enticement, the spontaneous lust of the flesh comes into play

(Genesis 38:16-17 [AKJV/PCE])
And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

It may be that this was not necessarily his ulterior motive, since he did not bring payment for harlots with him
In that case, then the immoderate, harlot dressing and lust of the flesh simply overcame the new widower who was vulnerable
In any case, Tamar wanted offspring. Er did not do it, Onan refused, and she never go Shelah from Judah who was pledged to her
She did not want just ANY offspring from any strange man; she wanted a family line of offspring, it seems

(Genesis 38:18 [AKJV/PCE])
And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

So her motive was not money, since she was going to accept a kid from the flock; the signet, bracelets and staff were just a pledge, like Shelah was to her

(Genesis 38:19 [AKJV/PCE])
And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

Deed done, back to "normal"
At that point, only Tamar would know what the deed that was done actually was

(Genesis 38:20 [AKJV/PCE])
And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

In fact, her act was so secretive, so clandestine, out of sight, that no one there even knew she was ever there
Hirah the Adullamite was not shy about helping Judah do this evil deed, revealing his own character, and he hiimself was not a widower, having just lost his wife, just a friend of Judah!

(Genesis 38:21 [AKJV/PCE])
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

A this point, Judah has to think that, since she was a harlot, she was sinful, dishonest
Since she was sinful and dishonest, he has now lost his signet, bracelet and staff to her wiles
This in addition to Er, Onan, Shuah, now some of his dignity and possessions

(Genesis 38:22-23 [AKJV/PCE])
And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

This is now to be a hush hush matter to be swept under the rug
If this was a regular harlot, commonly seen and visited there, they people there would have known this, known where she lived and "worked"
"Lest we be shamed", as in "OK, stop asking, or else all will know why, who, what, when"

(Genesis 38:24 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ And it came to pass about three months after, that 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.

To Judah, Tamar was betrothed to Shelah, so this was even worse in his eyes
Apparently, this burning was more of what today we call branding, for cattle usually done on the forehead
The forehead wwas a place most visible, it was where harlots were marked, and will be used by the anti-Christ to mark all of those who worship him ,and where God will place a mark on all of those who worship the O)ne True God, the LORD Jesus Christ
Not knowing all of the truth yet, this would be expected of Judah to say this-except he himself was guilty, being the whoremonger!

BURNING A BRAND INTO A HARLOT, ETC.

(Exodus 28:38 [AKJV/PCE])
And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

(Jeremiah 3:3 [AKJV/PCE])
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

(Ezekiel 9:4 [AKJV/PCE])
And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

(Genesis 38:25 [AKJV/PCE])
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

OOOOPS! Awkward silence, awkward pause
There could be no other explanation as to how those possessions of Judah got into Tamar's hands,as harlot's do not share profits, booty, ill gotten gains
"You not only slept with me, I am carrying your child!"

(Genesis 38:26 [AKJV/PCE])
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

As was said earlier, it is not known why Judah never gave Tamar his sin Shelah, but it did mean that she would not get a child from young Shelah, who was apparently old enouygh to give her one.

(Genesis 38:27-29-30 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

Jacob's mother Rebekah had twins, Jacob and Esau, which becamse two nations
Judah has twins by Tamar
Don't you just love that the Word of God has a built-in dictionary? "this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.". That is the definition of Pharez
As God is above us, working in mysterious ways, to too was Pharez in the line of the Messiah, because God is sovereign and can do anything and does
As ut turns out, Zarah is never really heard from again, so no history with Zarah

THE TWINS: PHAREZ AND ZARAH

. The twins, similar in thwe way they were born to Jacob and Esau, struggled for the birthright, and Pharez got that birthrught because he was named first, and he was in the direct lineage of the LORD Jesus ChristPharez got his name from breaching forth before his brother

(Ruth 4:18 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

(1 Chronicles 2:3-4 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him. And Tamar his daughter in law bare him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

(Matthew 1:3 [AKJV/PCE])
And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

(Genesis 46:12 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

(Joshua 7:1 [AKJV/PCE])
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

(Joshua 7:24 [AKJV/PCE])
And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

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Genesis Chapter 39