Tamar Genesis 38
I had intended to skip Tamar. It seemed she had no apparent mystical experience of God in her story. Then I read the geneology of Jesus and there she is---the first of only four women recorded in His lineage. Why was she mentioned (remembered)? Was it because her disputed pregnancy paralleled that of Mary’s? Or was there some other significance that God would have us not forget? So I looked at her again.
Hers was a story about preserving the male line. This was often the theme when women were written into the scriptures. Her husband, Er, had died and left her childless. Onan, her brother-in-law, was obliged to have relations with her to give her a child who would become Er’s descendent. Onan resorted to birth control because Tamar’s child would be Er’s child and could diminish his own children’s rights. Eventually Onan died of illness which was seen as punishment from God, of course. His father, Judah, promised his youngest son to fulfill the obligations of Tamar’s marriage contract. Judah had no intention of giving his last son over to Tamar, but he told her to return to her family to wait until his son came of age for marriage. In time it became clear that Judah was avoiding the laws of marriage, and that Tamar would not be able to fulfill her right to bear a child. Motherhood was the only source of security for women of that time, so to restore her woman rights Tamar devised a plan to take the law into her own hands.
Since the law was on her side, Tamar could have chosen to publicly disgrace Judah for his neglect, and expose Onan’s sin. Instead she engaged in a more “honorable” plot. She disguised as a temple prostitute, symbolic of the still widely held Canannite belief that sexuality and fertility were divine forces and of women’s sacred role. Tamar would use this divine force to extract and demand her right of motherhood.
Judah fell for the disguise and propositioned her. But she would not risk her life or integrity without a price. Judah promised her a newborn kid from his flock, but Tamar demanded his seal, his cord and his staff as a security for his promise. What she had actually demanded were the symbols of the identity of her future child’s father. In time her pregnancy was discovered and she was accused of being a whore. It was Judah’s right to sentence her to death as an adultererwithin his family. Tamar sent the seal, cord and staff back to Judah and it became clear that he should be condemned as well, or admit the truth of his fatherhood. He acknowledged his paternity but agreed to forego any sexual rights with Tamar. The woman had won her rights.
Her Heart’s Desire: Tamar valued truth and wanted her rights as a woman.
Points to Ponder:
1. Judah was one of Jacob’s 12 sons, the one who had saved Joseph’s life by suggesting that the brothers sell him as a slave rather than kill him. He had insisted that Onan fulfill his duties to his dead brother’s memory. When he couldn’t keep his promise of the newborn kid, he worried about how that would look publicly. He was capable of acting morally but not for the purest of reasons. Was Tamar God’s instrument for making Judah face his own lack of integrity? Was she the one who could teach Judah to accept responsibility for his actions. Later when Judah’s brother, Benjamin, is falsely accused of stealing, Judah courageously offered to become a slave in exchange for Benjamin’s freedom. ( a role reversal with Joseph)
2. Tamar fought fearlessly over her reproductive rights. Marriage and its laws were a source of security for woman at that time. But single women, and especially the single women with child, were most vulnerable, even subject to the death penalty. Today we have some parallels. Do women have reproductive rights or are they entirely in the hands of the male lawmakers? Do single mothers suffer the greatest risks also today? Is the right to choose a closed religious issue, not to even be discussed, in some of our religious institutions?
3. Judah realizes that Tamar went out of her way to spare his reputation. He praises herfor her discretion. He admits that her sins were out of desperation, while his were out of negligence and deceit. He willingly assumed the responsibility for both her and her children. Judah becomes a model of responsibility for all the children of this world. Women should not have to be the sole providers of children because laws are not enforced regarding child support.
4. Tamar was independent, smart, courageous, decisive and fearless. She stood up for her rights and demanded responsibility and accountability from her male partners. Public scandal was not her way, but honor could not be upheld without truth and justice. . Perhaps if we had more women in leadership we would see more of these qualities in our institutions today. When our priorities deprive women and children of health care, nourishment and a safe home do we use every conceiveable plan to get those inalienable rights restored?
5. Tamar responded to a higher deeper truth regarding justice and her dignity as a person. Such levels of truth become more important than life and can prompt one to take the law into our own hands. Persons of a high moral development believe in a higher power that overides all human power. Mystics have been know to function that way morally. What other women mystics confronted the established order for the sake of justice?
Hers was a story about preserving the male line. This was often the theme when women were written into the scriptures. Her husband, Er, had died and left her childless. Onan, her brother-in-law, was obliged to have relations with her to give her a child who would become Er’s descendent. Onan resorted to birth control because Tamar’s child would be Er’s child and could diminish his own children’s rights. Eventually Onan died of illness which was seen as punishment from God, of course. His father, Judah, promised his youngest son to fulfill the obligations of Tamar’s marriage contract. Judah had no intention of giving his last son over to Tamar, but he told her to return to her family to wait until his son came of age for marriage. In time it became clear that Judah was avoiding the laws of marriage, and that Tamar would not be able to fulfill her right to bear a child. Motherhood was the only source of security for women of that time, so to restore her woman rights Tamar devised a plan to take the law into her own hands.
Since the law was on her side, Tamar could have chosen to publicly disgrace Judah for his neglect, and expose Onan’s sin. Instead she engaged in a more “honorable” plot. She disguised as a temple prostitute, symbolic of the still widely held Canannite belief that sexuality and fertility were divine forces and of women’s sacred role. Tamar would use this divine force to extract and demand her right of motherhood.
Judah fell for the disguise and propositioned her. But she would not risk her life or integrity without a price. Judah promised her a newborn kid from his flock, but Tamar demanded his seal, his cord and his staff as a security for his promise. What she had actually demanded were the symbols of the identity of her future child’s father. In time her pregnancy was discovered and she was accused of being a whore. It was Judah’s right to sentence her to death as an adultererwithin his family. Tamar sent the seal, cord and staff back to Judah and it became clear that he should be condemned as well, or admit the truth of his fatherhood. He acknowledged his paternity but agreed to forego any sexual rights with Tamar. The woman had won her rights.
Her Heart’s Desire: Tamar valued truth and wanted her rights as a woman.
Points to Ponder:
1. Judah was one of Jacob’s 12 sons, the one who had saved Joseph’s life by suggesting that the brothers sell him as a slave rather than kill him. He had insisted that Onan fulfill his duties to his dead brother’s memory. When he couldn’t keep his promise of the newborn kid, he worried about how that would look publicly. He was capable of acting morally but not for the purest of reasons. Was Tamar God’s instrument for making Judah face his own lack of integrity? Was she the one who could teach Judah to accept responsibility for his actions. Later when Judah’s brother, Benjamin, is falsely accused of stealing, Judah courageously offered to become a slave in exchange for Benjamin’s freedom. ( a role reversal with Joseph)
2. Tamar fought fearlessly over her reproductive rights. Marriage and its laws were a source of security for woman at that time. But single women, and especially the single women with child, were most vulnerable, even subject to the death penalty. Today we have some parallels. Do women have reproductive rights or are they entirely in the hands of the male lawmakers? Do single mothers suffer the greatest risks also today? Is the right to choose a closed religious issue, not to even be discussed, in some of our religious institutions?
3. Judah realizes that Tamar went out of her way to spare his reputation. He praises herfor her discretion. He admits that her sins were out of desperation, while his were out of negligence and deceit. He willingly assumed the responsibility for both her and her children. Judah becomes a model of responsibility for all the children of this world. Women should not have to be the sole providers of children because laws are not enforced regarding child support.
4. Tamar was independent, smart, courageous, decisive and fearless. She stood up for her rights and demanded responsibility and accountability from her male partners. Public scandal was not her way, but honor could not be upheld without truth and justice. . Perhaps if we had more women in leadership we would see more of these qualities in our institutions today. When our priorities deprive women and children of health care, nourishment and a safe home do we use every conceiveable plan to get those inalienable rights restored?
5. Tamar responded to a higher deeper truth regarding justice and her dignity as a person. Such levels of truth become more important than life and can prompt one to take the law into our own hands. Persons of a high moral development believe in a higher power that overides all human power. Mystics have been know to function that way morally. What other women mystics confronted the established order for the sake of justice?
posted by Her Heart's Desire @ 11:14 PM
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