Soap Opera Drama!

Warning: This is another kid-unfriendly chapter. You'd be surprised how much of the Bible would be considered R-rated if it were accurately depicted onscreen. 

Even though many of us have read the Bible (or at least the stories inside), the writers still decide to add some cliffhangers. The chapter that we're reading today will have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Joseph. Yes, we will get back to him, but first we have some family drama to deal with. Why does this chapter have nothing to do with Joseph? Why deal with a cliffhanger? I'm guessing this is because Genesis is largely a chronological book. There is not a whole lot of skipping around. Foreshadowing, yes. Actual skipping, no.

Anyway, let's read this soap opera of a chapter and next post deals with what happens to Joseph next.

By the way, I mean no disrespect by calling it a soap opera. I'm merely explaining that the drama  that occurs in this chapter sounds like something that you might watch on Days of Our Lives.

Beresheet (Genesis) 38:1-5 "It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him."

Why they specify a "certain Adullamite" and a "certain Canaanite" is beyond me. It's almost like we're expected to know who these men are. Methinks we're missing some back story. I also think we probably won't be filled in.

Beresheet 38:6-10 "Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahuah, and Yahuah killed him. And Judah said to Onan, 'Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.' But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased Yahuah; therefore He killed him also."

There was a tradition in biblical times, and it went that if a man was married and he died before they had a son, then the next closest male relative was supposed to become a kinsman redeemer. That is, he was supposed to make sure that his relative's bloodline continued rather than going extinct with him. The son would be considered his relative's son, and everybody's supposed to be happy and honored. Onan did not honor his brother and do his job. He wanted to have his own son, which he would probably have been allowed to do, had he followed the law of the time. But he did not, so Yahuah killed him.

Beresheet 38:11 "Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, 'Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown.' For he said, 'Lest he also die like his brothers.' And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house."

I understand waiting for Shelah to grow up, but why does he suddenly sound so sneaky?

Beresheet 38:12-19 "Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And it was told Tamar, saying, 'Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.' So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. Then he turned to her by the way, and said, 'Please let me come in to you'; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, 'What will you give me, that yo may come in to me?' And he said, 'I will send a young goat from the flock.' So she said, 'Will you give me a pledge till you send it?' Then he said, 'What pledge shall I give you?' So she said, 'Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.' Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood."

I know that was a long piece, but I was having a hard time finding a good break-off point. Anyway, wow. What can I say? I really don't know. What kind of man is Judah if he sees who he thinks is a prostitute and automatically goes and asks to sleep with her? I understand his wife is dead, but really? I'm guessing Tamar is making Judah act as Er's kinsman redeemer now. On a semi-separate note, a signet ring is a ring that is unique to the person. There is only one of that exact design in the whole world. There are lots of signet rings, but they are all different.

Beresheet 38:20-24 "And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her. Then he asked the men of that place, saying, 'Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?' And they said, 'There was no harlot in this place.' So he returned to Judah and said, 'I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.' Then Judah said, 'Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.' And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, 'Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.' So Judah said, 'Bring her out and let her be burned!'"

Can you hear the DUN DUN DUN too? I sure do. On a side note, wouldn't um... what Judah and Tamar did be a bit difficult to do without him finding out who she is? Maybe the lights were dim or the veil was really tight. I don't know, and I don't really care to find out. Just pondering. This seems to happen fairly often... *cough cough Jacob and Leah cough*

Beresheet 38:25 "When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, 'By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.' And she said, 'Please determine whose these are -- the signet and cord, and staff.'"

Is Judah going to pretend he doesn't know what's happening and burn her anyway, or will he acknowledge that he royally messed up? By the way, he's about ready to burn her for sleeping with someone else, but he can go and impregnate a harlot without consequence? Double standard!

Beresheet 38:26 "So Judah acknowledged them and said, 'She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.' And he never knew her again."

Judah might be irritated by his little brothers, he might go and sleep with a harlot, he might sell his younger brother, he might even keep his youngest son from becoming his big brother's kinsman redeemer, but he's not all bad. There's some honor in him.

Beresheet 38:27-30 "Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, 'This one came out first.' Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, 'How did you break through? This breach be upon you!' Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah."

...Why do they care which one came out first? The firstborn son always got a ton of perks in his inheritance. The lion's share, if you will. The second, third, fourth, etc.? Notsomuch. It all works out though, except perhaps in cases where one or the other is the parent's favorite. Example: Jacob was his mom's favorite. Joseph was his dad's favorite. Bad stuff happens when parents play favorites!

Next time, we'll get back to Joseph.

In the meantime, if you could use a laugh after all this soap opera drama, check out Nigahiga's Rant on Asian Dramas on Youtube. No, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the Bible, but it's funny and I couldn't find any soap opera-y songs. I know they exist, I just didn't look very hard.