Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah. She lived in a society where girls were married young and expected to begin producing children shortly thereafter. As if that were not difficult enough, they would have no say in who their father chose to be their husband. Their father’s decisions often revolved around financial or other benefits the marriage would bring to the family. In effect, marriages were little more than business arrangements. Nevertheless, although the era and culture may be vastly different from ours, there are some things about marriage that are not bound by time or place, such as a young bride’s hopes and dreams—and fears.
Try to imagine being in Tamar’s sandals. Here you are: a young bride taken into a strange home of one man, three teenage boys—one of which is your new husband, and a mother-in-law. You quickly discover, perhaps on your wedding night, that your husband is not at all as you had hoped and dreamed. In fact, he is downright evil. You’re trapped. You have no rights. You might even pray to your gods, the only ones you’ve ever known. Maybe you even send up a prayer to Judah’s God—it certainly couldn’t hurt. Then suddenly, boom! Your husband is dead. If you were frantic before, that was nothing compared to this. Your mind races. “What’s going to happen next? Will I be punished? Am I with child? Will I be sent away? Will my family take me back?” Tamar has no answers; all she knows at this point is that her husband is dead.
“... But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death” Genesis 38:7
But Er was a wicked man in the LORD's sight, so the LORD took his life.
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When we finally get our first glimpse into the life of Tamar, it’s not looking bright. In a mere two verses, she is married, discovers her husband is evil, and is abruptly widowed. So much suffering! While these events are sobering—and this is only the beginning of Tamar’s story—right from the start we are given a glimmer of hope because Tamar is not the only one who suddenly comes onto the scene. For two full chapters leading up to these events, God is never mentioned. Then, all of a sudden, He appears—precisely when Tamar enters the story.
Based on the chronology, Tamar’s marriage to Er lasted between a few days to at most, a few months. While we do not know exactly how long Tamar’s marriage to Er lasted, the rapid succession of events seems to indicate that God’s judgment on Er came swiftly. Right from the start, we see evidence of God’s mercy for Tamar. He looked down from heaven and saw Er’s wickedness and Tamar’s helplessness. He did not have to step in — but He did.
Think of a time when God intervened when you suffered. How did God step in? What impact did it have on your relationship with God?
I don’t know about you, but that’s not how I would have described this miraculous event. The word “miracle” isn’t even in the text! I think it is because the event was not merely about God’s miraculous provision, as glorious as it was. Rather, it was about humbly acknowledging The Provider.
God the Father, Our Provider
What’s more wonderful is that God our Provider desires to give us something far superior to physical bread. Food can only temporarily satisfy. He even warns those who have such a narrow view,
“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.’” (John 6:26
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.
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He wants to give us so much more! Jesus tells us,
“For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:40
For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day."
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Jesus sacrificed His life so that we could experience an eternal joy and fulfillment beyond anything this world can offer. And He demonstrated He has the power to do it. A few chapters later, after giving thanks to God, Jesus raises a man named Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41-44
So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"
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This is why, when you and I gather around the table to give thanks for our food, we give thanks not merely for the temporary, earthly provisions, as wonderful as they are, but to give thanks to The Provider. And what is God’s greatest provision? His Son Jesus.
“And now [God] offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32-33
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, Moses didn't give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
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Jesus says Himself,
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” (John 6:51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh."
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Consider Esther: A young Jewish girl was taken into exile along with her family to Babylon, where she was adopted by her elder cousin Mordecai who, “had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.” (Esther 2:7
This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.
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). This girl would become Queen Esther whom God used to facilitate the deliverance of her people. While an evil advisor was hell-bent on exterminating them, Ether's wise adopted father challenged her with these famous words,
“And who knows if perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14
If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"
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How about Moses: Born at a time when the Pharaoh of Egypt, fearing a rebellion, put to death all newborn Israelite boys. But baby Moses escaped when he was adopted by the Pharaoh’s own daughter. In time, God would use Moses to deliver the entire nation of Israel from slavery.
"The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:9-10
Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt."
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And Jesus! Even Jesus was adopted! When Joseph learned Mary was pregnant (and knew the child wasn’t his), he hoped to spare her a scandal and planned to call off the engagement. But God came to Joseph in a dream.
“As Joseph considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,* for he will save his people from their sins."
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And so Joseph took Mary as his wife.
Long before time began, God planned a rescue mission. And throughout history, He has weaved adoption into His salvation story.
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." (Galatians 4:4-7
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.* And because we* are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."* Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child.* And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
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Praise our Lord for His kindness and goodness and that He chooses to adopt us into His loving embrace!
Adoption: some call it “Plan B,” but I see “God’s Plan.”
In chapter 14 of the gospel of Mark, we read about Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Mary entered the room where Jesus was having dinner with his disciples. Breaking her alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and all cultural norms, Mary lovingly emptied the contents. She anointed Jesus’s head with the fragrant oil.
Mary’s act was far more than a kind gesture of respect and adoration. The gift was equivalent to a whole year’s salary and possibly tied to her hope for marriage—her hope for a future. It was often saved for a young woman’s wedding day, when she would pour it on her husband as an act of devotion.
Mary gave Jesus the most precious thing she owned—with no hope of any return in this life. Yet only One noticed the value of her extravagant gift: Jesus. Where the disciples saw a fool, Jesus saw a worshiper. What the disciples called a waste, Jesus received as a gift. Jesus saw Mary’s heart. He saw Behind the Seen. Jesus was so taken by her selfless act that He declared her actions would be proclaimed for all eternity. (Mark 14:1-9
It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. "But not during the Passover celebration," they agreed, "or the people may riot." Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,* a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why waste such expensive perfume?" they asked. "It could have been sold for a year's wages* and the money given to the poor!" So they scolded her harshly. But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed."
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The story doesn't end there. Days later, Jesus fell to his knees as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. We cannot even imagine the torment of His soul knowing what awaited Him. Perhaps the fragrance of Mary's sweet perfume lingered in the air around Him as He awaited His accusers. Hours later, Jesus is crucified ... His blood, sweat, and tears intermingled with the faint aroma of Mary's perfume.
A Fragrant Offering
The King, the Christ of God, who is the Sacrificial Lamb, had been anointed, and then crowned with thorns as He presented His own life as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. In that moment, the Temple curtain that veiled the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom. The barrier that separated us from a Holy God was removed forever. The One Who loves us so deeply was willing to pay for it with His Own Blood.
" ... Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:2
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us* and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
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One sacrifice paid it all. Have you received God's extravagant gift? He is Jesus, Christ the King, the Son of God.
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life." (2 Corinthians 2:14-16
But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
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“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
Isn’t that the truth?
Truth be told, there are quite a number of Bible verses that remind us not to hold on too tightly to our plans. That can be hard when we live in a society where we are virtually tethered to our calendars.
But what if God gives us the vision? What if our plans are conceived by the Holy Spirit? What happens when we move forward in obedience only to feel like we just slammed into a brick wall?
God says in His Word that when we yield to Him, we will hear His voice saying,
“This is the way, walk in it ...” and that He will lead us in the way we should go. (Isaiah 30:21-48
Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say,"This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images.You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, "Good riddance!" Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the LORD begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them. Look! The LORD is coming from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick, rising smoke.His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire. His hot breath pours out like a flood up to the neck of his enemies.He will sift out the proud nations for destruction. He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin. But the people of God will sing a song of joy, like the songs at the holy festivals.You will be filled with joy, as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrimsto Jerusalem, the mountain of the LORD— to the Rock of Israel. And the LORD will make his majestic voice heard. He will display the strength of his mighty arm.It will descend with devouring flames, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones. At the LORD's command, the Assyrians will be shattered. He will strike them down with his royal scepter. And as the LORD strikes them with his rod of punishment, his people will celebrate with tambourines and harps. Lifting his mighty arm, he will fight the Assyrians. Topheth—the place of burning— has long been ready for the Assyrian king; the pyre is piled high with wood.The breath of the LORD, like fire from a volcano, will set it ablaze.
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So we move forward. We step out in faith ... then suddenly, wham!
A dear friend had just moved into a lovely home in the beautiful redwoods of Mount Hermon. She had been looking forward to having a quiet place where she could rest and God could give her son room to heal. Just weeks later, she was forced to evacuate because of approaching wildfires.
Another friend has a daughter who had been planning her wedding for over a year. Then COVID hit. They postponed the date. They postponed it again. Finally, she told her parents, “I just want to get married and move on with my life.” Others have lost their homes or had to say goodbye to loved ones from a distance.
As I was praying and journaling, I was struggling with my own disappointment over the LEGION Bible study video production dates being canceled at the last possible moment due to the fires. Add to that the enemy’s attempt to pile on guilt in knowing that my disappointment is trivial compared to what many others are dealing with.
The worse part of it is that no one knows when it will all end. In times like these, it is so easy to give in to despair, but that’s when we have to stop and say, “BUT GOD ...”
BUT GOD knows. And God cares. In fact, long before He gave you the dream, He knew exactly how the path, timing, and outcome would look. This is when we need to remind ourselves that God is sovereign over all. In fact, this is one of the key themes in the teaching sessions I will be recording for the Legion Bible study. (Good grief, I need to heed my own words!) And so as I was praying yesterday morning, “casting my cares” on God about when or if the video production would happen, I heard God’s gentle voice, saying,
“Shall I bring to the point of birth and not deliver?”
In other words, if God has pressed a dream into my heart or yours, would He bring us to the edge of fulfillment only to abandon us there? NEVER. GOD IS FAITHFUL TO FINISH WHAT HE STARTED. The path may look different than what we imagined. The timing may not be what we had hoped. But if God gives us the vision, the OUTCOME is as sure as the tomb was empty on resurrection morning.
“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.” (Psalms 138:8
The LORD will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me.
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What dream are you trusting God to fulfill in this season?
In Ephesians chapter three, we are challenged to try to grasp the “width, length, height, and depth” of God’s love. Sometimes when I read this illustration, I picture Christ as the carpenter. Carefully constructing His Church, He positions each person in their proper place, at the proper time, in the proper order. He does this so that together, we support and strengthen each other as we become vessels of God’s love in a hurting world.
But at other times, my heart and mind may gravitate to one particular aspect. Over the years, each one has seemed to jump off the page at one time or another. They serve to remind me of a specific attribute of God that speaks to my heart in my current situation. How about you?
How Do You Envision God’s Love?
Consider length. It may remind us of God’s faithfulness. It is an awesome and humbling joy to realize that God has been, and will continue, watching over the full length of each of our lives, beginning from before we were conceived, through birth, life, death, and even beyond the grave!
Width serves to remind us of God’s omnipresence: at any given moment, God is involved with every detail of our lives. Carefully orchestrating each one with perfect precision so that despite the difficulties, we might draw closer to the One who has loved us since before time began.
The depth of God’s love may cause us to reflect on the fact that God knows us fully and completely, even better than we know ourselves. It may bring to mind the fact that Jesus was willing to leave His heavenly throne, suffer death on a cross, and be raised to life. As a result, He is able to meet us even in the darkest corners of our hearts.
And lastly, height lovingly lures the mind and spirit of each one of us to bask in God’s holiness and sovereignty. To be reminded that He is above all things and yet, though He created the entire universe and everything in it, the greatest object of His affection is us.
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.”Ephesians 3:18
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
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“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT
And so I found myself praying for revival—for hearts to turn back to God in the midst of all the chaos. To seek Him when all seems lost.
If we put our hope in this world: whether in our health, or home, or a 401k, things can change in a moment’s notice. It is times like these when we are reminded that there is only one true, everlasting hope–and it can only be found beyond this world. In this life, nothing is guaranteed, but God is the “same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” When we put our hope in Him, we will never be disappointed.
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (Psalms 39:7
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.
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If you are facing a difficulty, here are some favorite passages I turn to in difficult times:
Psalm 91 (when in need of comfort or reminder of God’s protection)
Romans 8:31-39
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep."*) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,* neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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(when in need of courage or perseverance)
Ephesians 1:3-14
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.* He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,* for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own* by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
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(when in need of an eternal perspective)
What are some of your favorite ‘go to’ Bible passages?
