Judah
Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. He helped his brothers turn Joseph over to slavery in Egypt. It was his idea to sell Joseph to a passing caravan of Midianite traders thereby saving Joseph's life. Judah married a Canaanite woman and had three sons. He married his oldest son Er to Tamar, but Er died before they had children. The next brother was to take Tamar and raise up children, but he wouldn't and soon died. Next Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and lured Judah. She became pregnant. When Judah discovered who she was he blamed himself for not giving her his other son. Tamar had twin sons by Judah. When Jacob blessed his sons he said, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs." Judah became the dominant Israelite tribe and produced the royal house of David.
Lessons from the life of Judah:
- Be willing to recognize and admit your mistakes and ask forgiveness.
- It's easy to be blind to your own sins.
- Procrastination often makes matters worse.
- Judah's offer to substitute his life for Benjamin's is a picture of what Jesus would do for His people.
Read the story of Judah in Genesis 29:35 through 50:26. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2 through 4.
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