In the midst of the mess

Don't you just love reading the genealogy of Jesus? I mean every year when mom or dad would read the Christmas story, I begged them to read that long list of strange names over again...said no child EVER!

It wasn't until in my adulthood that I was bold enough to...skip it. Then my attitude began to change a little bit. I mean, if it's in Scripture, it's there for a reason. Certainly, I've heard sermons about how it was significant for the people of the day. But it's got to have some significance for me, too, right? I mean, Scripture says:

For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between bone and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  (Hebrews 4:12)

So, what exactly is God trying to say to me in this list of hard-to-pronounce names? Only a few of which I even recognize?

Well, I looked at it with fresh eyes. See, I'm challenging myself to read through the Chronological Bible this year, but with a twist. I am starting in December, and reading through the New Testament first. So, I'm starting right here with Christ's birth and ministry.

And as I take this fresh approach to the genealogy and try not to glaze over as I look over these verses, the names of the women pop out. Now, I've heard sermons on these verses that point out that the women included were significant to the Jewish people of this time. For their sins or for their faithfulness. First, because it shocked them that women would be named at all, and second that sinful women would be given such an honor.

And it goes farther than that as I look over these names (which are blurring together at this point...I'll be honest)...one name seems to jump off the page - Tamar.

Her story is not like Ruth's. I didn't hear it in Sunday School growing up. I've actually never heard a sermon preached about the woman either. But I have read her story. And it is not pretty to be sure.

This accounting is found in Genesis 38. I'll go ahead and give you to real quick Inter-local Sara Version:

There was Judah and his wife. They had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. 

Er married Tamar, but he was not a nice man, in fact the Bible says he was "a wicked man in the LORD's sight" so the Lord took his life. 

Now in this culture, if a woman doesn't have a child by her husband, the brother takes the widow as his wife and the firstborn of their union is considered the brother's child/heir so that the dearly departed's name will continue.

Well, Onan wasn't such a nice guy either. He made sure he didn't get Tamar pregnant. God did not like that. So he took Onan's life.

Now Judah is watching all of this from the outside. Must've been a little bit of a helicopter parent in him...a little "can't be my boy's fault" attitude (Sara's thought intrusion here). But, the Bible says that he (Judah) told Tamar to go back to her father's house until Shelah was old enough to marry her. But he had no intention of letting his little boy marry the husband-killer.

Now, Tamar waited. And she was no dummy. When Shelah had reached a proper age and Judah wasn't calling her on the ram-horn phone, she got the picture pretty quick. So, she disguised herself and sat by the road and waited for Judah by the side of the road. This gets a little weird...

Judah came by and something about the way she covered her face made her appear like a "lady of the night" if you get my drift. So, Judah propositioned her. They agreed her payment would be a goat.

"How do I know you will send me the goat?"

"Well, I'm all out of IOUs at the moment."

"How about you give me your driver's license? I know you'll come back for that."

"Seems fair to me."

So...afterward, he goes and gets the goat and can't find her. He decides to just let her have the driver's license. He'll just brave the line at the DMV and get another one.

Fast-forward three months, Tamar is pregnant. And Judah hits the roof. "Bring her out and burn her!"

But she said, "The man who made me pregnant gave me his ID."

"Oh yeah?"

She showed him and he was overcome with shame. "She is more righteous than I because I would not marry her to my son which was right."

What a story, huh? But the point I am making is that while it is a wild story, God used Tamar ultimately to bring about His will on earth. He took her mess and blessed it. He took what little she had and used it to glorify Himself.

God SEES you. He SEES your mess. And your tiredness. And those days you are at the end of your rope.

He longs to embrace you and assure you that He is working out a beautiful story in the midst of your mess. And it will be glorious!

Sometimes when you feel like you have been buried by laundry, and diapers, and dishes, and car lines all the other things that come with being mom - your heavenly Father sees you...and He is working in you...you haven't been buried at all - you've been planted.

So, this Christmas season, let's take the time the look at that list of Christ's ancestors and celebrate the fact that God is in the business of redeeming stories and using lives despite our hang ups.

And for that, I am so thankful.