11 prostitute, Tamar mnnifeatly was not a woman of refined and delicate sensibili- ties; but then she was a Canaanite, and had been the wife of Er and Onan1 who were not calculated to improve her modesty. 4. She was g,iilty of temptatwn. It ia true the narrative does not represent her as having been guilty of solicitation, like the "foolish woman" described by Solomon (Prov. vii. 6-23; ix. 14-18). Per- haps she knew that Judah would not require solicitation; but if so, she was all the more guilty in placing temptation in Judah'a way. 5. She committed ince:;t. The guilt of an incestuous connection which rested on Judah unconsciously she had knowingly nnd willingly taken on herself. III. THE TRANSGRESSIONS OF JUDAH. More numerous, if not more heinous, than those of either hie sons or his daughter-in-Jaw were the offences of Judah. Jacob's fourth son sinned-1. In marrying a Canaanituh wife. Though Judah's marriage with Shuah's daughter was blessed by God, who made it fruitful, it does not follo,v that it was approved by God. 2. In withholding Shelah from Tamar. Although it does not appear as yet to have been commanded that in default of issue a widow should be married by her deceased husband's brother, it is obvious that Judah recog- nised that it should be so, both by his own act in giving Onan to Tamar after Er·~ death, and by his own subsequent confession with regard to Shelah (ver. 26). 3. In deceiving Tamar. Instead of frankly telling her that he did not intend his thin! ~on to become her husband, he bound her to remain a widow, and sent her home to her father's house (instead of keeping her in his own) under the impression that Shelah was only withheld from her on the score of youth. 4. In committin(J sin witli Tamar. Though in reality Judah committed incest, yet so far as his intention went it was only adultery, or fornication. Yet all forms of unchastity are forbidden in the law of God. And it gives !I very low conception of the morality of Judah that he, a member of the consecrated family of Israel, who had himself been manied, should have so openly, and deliberately, and coolly turned aside to seek the company of a common strumpet, as he imagined Tamar to be. Judah should have acted on the J?rinciple afterwards stated by Paul (1 Cor. vii. 9). 5. In condemning Tamar. "Brmg her forth, and let her be burnt," said the indignant patriarch. It is obvious the sentence was excessive in its severity. It was not imperative, else it could not have been remitted; and a recollection of his visit to Timnath three months pre• viously should have inclined him to lean to mercy's side. But the virtuous Angelo~ of society always procure indulgence for themselves by damning their fellow-sinners (l,feas'ltre for Measure, .Act II.). Scripture counsels differently (Matt. vii. 3; Ilom. ii. 22; Gal. vi. 1). Vera. 12-26.-Judah's sin with Tamar. I. COMMITTED. 1. Suddenly. It was occasioned by the sight of a supposed courtes!ln. Much evil enters by the eye (cf. 2 Sam. xi. 2). Great need for the prayer of David (Pa. cxix. 37), 2. Openly. Judah wne in the company of Hirah, bis friend, when he beheld Tamar sitting in the gate of Enajim, and, without attempting to hide it from his frieRd, went to seek her society. Shamelessness in sin betokens gre!lt depravity. 3. Wilfully. Though in n mnnner surprised by the temptation, Judah w11e not inadl'ertently betrayed into commission of his sin with Tamar, but, on the contrary, went about it in n remarkably deliberate manner. 4. lne:r:cU&ably. There was no reason why J udnh should not hnve sought !I second wife to succeed Shuah's daughter, rather than consort with prostitutes. II. DETECTED. 1. Quickly, No doubt Judah thought he hnd heard the last of his indiscretion on the way to Timnath; but lo I in three short months his guilt is rliscovered. Not every offender is so speedily arrested ; but sooner or Inter detection is inevitable for all. "Be sure thy sin will find thoe out." 2. Unexpectedly. Judah never imagined that his own signet, and chain, and staff would be produced as witnesses 11g11inst him; and criminals never can be sure from what quarter testimony ehnll nrise to condemn them. 3. Completely. There was no possibility of Judah's evading the charge of To.mar. By 110 sort of ingenuity could he repudillte the articles of dress with which probably his household were fnmiliar. 4. P'ltblicly. At tho very moment when Tamar was produced for execution Judah was oblig-,d to confess his guilt in presence of his a~sembled household; and in like mnnncr will the wickccl yet be openly convicted in the sight of an assembled world. 446 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [cu. XXXIX. 1-6.
III. CONFESSED. _1. Candul.ly. Found out, Judah did not attempt either to deny or to palliate his guilt, but frankly acknowledg·ed that Tamar's condition was due to him. 2. Promptly. Nor did he hesitate to own his guilt, but immediately con- fessed ~hat. he had done. 3. Pe:n,itently. This we may infer from the statement of the lnstonan that the offence was not again repeated. IV. FORGIVEN. It does not fall within the scope of the historian's design to indi• cate whether Judah obtained mercy; but this may be reasonably concluded from- 1. T!ie pro'f'!,ptness of hi.s co,ifessi,on. 2. The sincerity of liis penitence. 3. The reality of his fauh-as evinced by the fact that he wns reckoned among the nnces• tors of our Lord. Vera. 27-30.-Tamar's twins. I. POINTS OF RESEMBLANCE. (1) The offspring of the snme parents; (2) the fruit of the same sin; (3) the gift of the same God. II. PorNTs OF DISTINCTION, (1) The order of their birth; (2) the import of their names; (3) the purpose of their lives-the first being an ancestor of the promised seed. HOMILIES BY VARIOUS .AUTHORS. Ch. x:a:viii.-.The goodness and severity of God. These occurrences in the family of Judah would seem (1) to betoken the retributive }udgment of God, and (2) illus- trate his grace. Joseph is Jost, and still Divinely protected. Judah is a wande1er from his brethren, a sensual, self-wille_d, degenerate man; yet it is in the line of this same wanderer that the promised seed shall appear. The'whole is a lesson on the evil of separation from the people of God. Luther asks why such things were placed in Scripture, and answers, (1) That no one should be self-righteous, a11d (2) that no one should despair, and (3) to remind us that Gentiles by natural n:ght are brothers, mother, sisters to our Lord; the word of salvation is a word for Lhe ·whole v.•orld.-R.