Girls have power

I've been reading a lot about women in the Bible and I'm even writing a book about it now. I know that there are a lot of books out there already but this one is going to have a study guide and have it written in an easy to read way to youth can understand it better.

So I wanted to give kind a back ground as to some of what I've been meditating on and what God's been telling me about these women. And I'll write about one a week for the next four weeks.

In the genealogy of Jesus found in Chapter 1 of Matthew there are 16 verses that give names of descendants from Abraham through to Jesus Christ, and if you haven't noticed most of the names recorded are all males with the exception of 4. Those are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba (Uriah's wife). All of which have had people claim their unrighteousness but what I see is they way God used these women (no matter what their circumstances may have been) to be women that are warriors, ezers (which is Hebrew for strong helper) and how women were and are significant in the eyes of God.

So Tamar. Poor old Tamar who is only remembered as dressing herself as a prostitute so that she may trick Judah into sleeping with her. But I'm about to defend her case. You can find Tamar's story in Genesis 38 if you want more than what I'm giving.

Tamar was first married to Er (who is the first born child of Judah) and this was no happy marriage. She would not have chosen her partner because of old Jewish customs where the Fathers decided on who you married to benefit the family. Also in verse 7 it says " But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the Lord's sight;" He was so wicked that "the Lord put him to death".

So now Tamar is a widow and without child. I know that this sounds really wrong in our society today put in the old Jewish culture it was normal and expected for Er's brother (Onan) to take her as a wife and lie with her so she may have a baby to carry on Er's name. Onan how ever "knew the offspring would not be his" which would mean that his inheritance would be cut drastically from 2/3 of his Fathers land to 1/4. So he made it seem like he was fulfilling his duty as Er's brother but was actually spilling himself on the ground. This would have been horrific for Tamar. She was just trying to produce a son for for dead husband and so Onan would just get his jollies but not fulfill the laws.

Then God comes along and strikes him down to for his wickedness. Judah sends Tamar back to her Father and tells her that he will summon her back when his last son Shelah has become a man to fulfill his duty.

Judah's wife dies and then intends not to give his last son to Tamar who is just doing what she is supposed to. On his way to shear his sheep at Timnah, Tamar took off her widow's clothes, and but on a veil so that she would not be recognised by Judah. They end up sleep together and he gives this prostitute his staff and his seal and cord (which symbolises his authority and his family line.)

Judah finds out that Tamar is pregnant by means of prostitution and orders her to be killed by fire. She walks out with a staff and a cord and seal. She says "I am pregnant by the man who owns these."

Judah's reaction is with the words "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah."

Tamar later gives birth to twins Perez and Zerah and Perez carries on the line that leads to Jesus Christ.

Judah realised that he did the dirty on Tamar and even says that"she is more righteous than I" She was doing what God had told her culture to do and this woman faith carried on the blood line. Praise God that she was an ezer.