Genesis 38:7-12 "And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 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. 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.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."
Judah had been in a place where it seemed everything was going his way. He had gotten rid of his troublesome brother, Joseph. He was out on his own and had made a friend named Hirah. He had married a Canaanite woman who had given him three sons, and all was right with the world…or so he thought.
The simple truth is that things are never right with the world or with us when we walk in the unrighteousness of the world. That unrighteousness has a way of propagating itself and leads to great sorrow. Judah’s firstborn son, Er, was so wicked that God took his life. This left Er’s wife, Tamar, a widow.
Judah’s second son, Onan, had a responsibility to raise up a child in his brother’s name. He went in to be intimate with Tamar, then (as the scripture says) spilled his seed on the ground. He had no intention of fulfilling his responsibility. This displeased the LORD, and he took Onan’s life too.
Judah pretended to give his remaining son, Shelah, to be Tamar’s husband that he might raise up children to his brothers. However, he indicated that Shelah was not quite ready to take on the responsibility of being a husband and father. He asked Tamar to return to her father’s house as a widow until Shelah was ready to marry. Judah’s real concern was that Tamar was responsible for his other son’s deaths, and he had no intention of sending Shelah to her.
After all this, Judah’s wife also died. Judah got over this loss (was comforted) and went about his life. He got with his good friend, Hirah, and went to Timnath to hang out with his sheepshearers. It was customary that during the sheep shearing, the owner of the flock would provide a feast and entertainment for men shearing the sheep and washing the wool. Basically, Judah went to throw a party.
We often overlook the impact of our unrighteousness on those around us. Judah had conspired to kill his brother Jospeh and had a hand in selling him into bondage. He had abandoned his father’s house and married a Canaanite. His sons apparently walked after the unrighteous behavior of their father and did even more grievous things than Judah. Yet, when all was said and done, Judah blamed their deaths on his daughter-in-law and sent her away from his house to live as a widow in her father’s house.
We will all face tribulation in this life (John 16:33). Some of it comes as a course of living, and some of it we bring on ourselves. We should never fall into the trap of blaming our shortcomings on those around us. Rather, we should look to Jesus and confess our sins. I am thankful that He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).