Was Tamar a sinner or a saint?
In Hebrew Bible by Dr. Eli Lizorkin-EyzenbergApril 24, 2017
Judah being one of Jacob’s children, participates in a conspiracy to get rid of his half-brother Joseph by selling him to Egypt. Given the 20 year life expectancy of Egyptian slaves, being sold to Egypt was not salvation from death, it was death postponed by much suffering. When Judah matures and himself becomes a father of three sons, two of whom die after marrying Tamar, he learns what it means to love someone too much. Despite the law of levirate marriage that obligates Judah to have his third son marry Tamar, year after year he refuses. His love for his son trumps his sense of justice towards Tamar.
This happens until Tamar orchestrates one of the greatest redemptive breakthroughs in the history of the world by getting Judah himself to restore his dead son’s seed. Tamar disgraces herself, pretending to be a local prostitute. Her truly unconventional, but incredibly courageous plan works. When she becomes pregnant and the truth about his relationship to the child is proven, Judah repents and declares Tamar not guilty of any wrong doing, owning his guilt instead (Gen.38:1-27).
The book of Ruth celebrates Perez – the child of Tamar and Judah, as a crucial part of God’s redemptive plan and establishes him as ancestor of King David (Ruth 4:11-17). What is even more important is that the Gospels include Perez among the forefathers of Jesus, the Messiah and the Book of Revelation refers to Jesus as the Lion from the tribe of Judah!
Was Tamar a sinner or a saint? - Israel Study Center
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