Out-Of-The Box Actions
She forced him to do what was right. Some might condemn her methods. But perhaps Tamar is one of those examples that prove the adage: desperate times require desperate means. Tamar’s story is found in Genesis 38. Judah’s daughter-in-law appears only briefly on the pages of history but that appearance is significant. Several years ago the Book Club that I hosted read Carolyn Custis James’ book, Lost Women of the Bible . It was a revelation, and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a different perspective on some of the people that history often overlooks. Here’s the background to the story. The custom of the time (later to become part of Levirate Law as noted in Deuteronomy 25:5-10) was that if a man died without an heir his brother was required to marry the widow and produce a child who would inherit the dead man’s estate. It is recorded in Genesis 38 that Judah had three sons. The eldest married and died without issue. The widow, Tamar, was then married to the second son, who also d...