# 371 Your Silly Little Horoscopes Are Thin Ice! Stay Away From Them!

The Book of Genesis

Day 371

Ge 40:5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man's dream in one night and each man's dream with its own interpretation.  6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad.  7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"  8 And they said to him, "We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it." So Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please."

“Do not interpretations belong to God?” It seems that there has always been an unhealthy interest in the paranormal.  Psychic readings, horoscopes, interpretation of dreams, etc. Along with this interest and dabbling in the occult comes the danger of satanic or demonic spiritual influences. Counterfeit spirituality is out there, and with the interest in these things on the rise, you can be sure that Satan and his hordes are out there trying to cash in.  The devil and his minions know how to sprinkle just enough truth to hook the unsuspecting, and once hooked,  faith can be watered down, diverted, and confused  to the point of no saving faith at all.  Bottom line is this: Are you going to believe God and His Word, or mix it in with outside forces for your truth.

Psychic hotlines, horoscopes, and the like may seem like harmless fun, but they are not, and the Bible is clear on that. De 18:10-12 says,  "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,  11 "or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  12 "For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.”

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, sorcery is listed as a work of the flesh, and those who practice the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God! (Ga 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.)

Sorcery is just a symptom of misplaced faith, and misplaced faith won’t cut it on the Last Day. Flee from all new age drivel. Stop posting their unbiblical baloney on social media and stick to the Word of God! You may like the spectacular and ear tickling sayings but there is no need for them! Listen to what Peter had to say after witnessing the spectacular transfiguration of Jesus Christ. He testified of actually hearing the voice of God on the Mount, yet was able to say, “ We also have the prophetic Word (the Bible) made sure!” (2 Pet 1:19) In other words, we have the Word of God, that Bible, and that’s all we need. Open IT rather than your silly daily horoscope today!

# 370 Let God Shine the Light In Your Darkness

The Book of Genesis

Day 370

Ge 40:5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man's dream in one night and each man's dream with its own interpretation.  6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad.  7 So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"  8 And they said to him, "We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it." So Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please."

Joseph, the servant, climbing to the top, God’s way. He was lifted up by the Lord as he quietly serves others.

Perhaps it was his daily routine to daily check in with the other prisoners. If it was, we can see it wasn’t just  a “Hi, how are you,” Sunday morning church greeting and then on to the next.  He knew these men. He knew when they were happy and he noticed it when they were sad. On this particular day, he notices their sadness, and please note, he doesn’t leave it there.  He pursues it. “Why are you sad? Is there something bothering you? Is everything all right? Do you want to talk about it?”  I wonder how many opportunities for true ministry are wasted in our daily lives as we ignore the countenance of others?

Well, the men open up to Joseph, which tells us that they had an element of trust in him, and they tell him of the reason for their sadness. . They each had a dream that was unsettling to them, mostly because they couldn’t figure out what the dreams meant.

Joseph replies with, ‘Do not interpretations, (or opening up) belong to God?”In other words, “Let’s see what God has to say about these dreams.”

Years later, another young man named Daniel would also be faced with the challenge of not only interpreting a dream, but “guessing,” if you will, the content of a king’s dream. The Lord gracefully revealed all to Daniel, and his immediate response was to give thanks and glory to God! He said, “Blessed be the Lord, He reveals deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.”  (Dan 2:22)

Joseph’s one sentence here is saying the same thing!  “Do not interpretations belong to God?”

Are you stumbling around in the dark these days, confused about where to turn and what to do? Do you need a little light in your present darkness? Then turn to the only one who can open things up for you….turn to God and His Word. He has revealed all we need to know about Him, and there is no need to be troubled by dreams. No need to run off to charlatans for interpretations.

The first step toward revelation and understanding is taken when we have a holy fear or reverence for the Lord.  Pr 9:10 says,  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

And remember what the Holy Spirit said in 2Pe 1:20,21,” knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,  21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

In other words, always check your interpretation with Scripture for the devil often disguises himself as an angel of light. Make sure your interpretation is in line with the Word of God!

# 369 Well Done Thy Good and Faithful Bystander?

The Book of Genesis

Day 369

Ge 40:1 It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.  2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker.  3 So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.  4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.

There is something in these verses that is very easy to miss. You’ll find it in verse 4, “and he served them.”  Underline it because you could go through this story many times and miss this important spiritual truth. Many times we also get caught up in the spectacular miracles of Jesus and miss this same spiritual truth. He said in Mt 20:28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Imagine. Joseph makes the decision to serve others while in the hoosegow.  What if we were to apply the same principle in our lives, no matter the situation!  I wonder what kind of an eternal difference we might make in the lives of others as we model Christ to them!  We can choose to have a servant attitude at work, in school, or in our families. Husbands, are you lording it over your wives because God has given you the role of leadership in your marriage, or are you loving and serving your wives as Christ loves and serves you?

When menial tasks present themselves, do you lord it over others or do you roll up your shirtsleeves and pitch in?

This is important stuff! Let us, in the strength and power of the Spirit, learn to lay our agendas aside and serve others. Remember, when all is said and done, Jesus will say this to those who are His true followers: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Servant! He will not say, well done thou good and faithful bystander!”

# 368 Trusting God In Adversity

The Book of Genesis

Day 368

Ge 39:13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,  14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, "See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.  15 "And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside."  16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.  17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me;  18 "so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside."  19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this manner," that his anger was aroused.  20 Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.  21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.  23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.

I am reminded of the words of James here. He wrote in Jas 4:1, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”

Potiphar’s wife unable to obtain what she was lusting after, resorts to war! She will fix this Hebrew who dared resist her advances! Let’s see how his God will help him, when he is thrust into the king’s prison!

Yes, let’s see! In spite of this terrible turn of events, we shall see that the Lord’s hand is still with Joseph! God once again shows Joseph mercy and grants him favor in the sight of the prison keepers, and it isn’t long before Joseph is running the whole show just as he did in Potiphar’s house!

Now, if we were honest here and put ourselves in Joseph’s shoes, we likely would be complaining long and loud to God! “Hey God! I resisted the temptation to commit adultery, and this is my reward for seeking to please you?” This is Your reward? Being shoved in prison?” If this is Your favor, I’d hate to see Your disfavor!”

But Joseph has a tremendous lesson for all of us. God’s favor and mercy is for us in all our circumstances, even when we can’t see it! Look for it! 2Ch 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him”

God’s eyes have landed squarely on Joseph after his display of loyalty in the matter of resisting sexual sin with Potiphar’s wife, and you can be sure His eyes are on you every time you exhibit a loyal heart to Him! His favor and strength will be forthcoming , wait for it as Joseph did. It may not be in a way that you expect it, but if you continue to trust, even in adverse circumstances, God will deliver! 

Remember, God will not allow you to be tempted (trialed) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation (trial) will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it!

# 367 Don’t Think You Are Stronger Than Others….You’re Not!

The Book of Genesis

Day 367

Ge 39:6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.  7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."  8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.  9 "There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"  10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.  11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside,  12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

The pressure is relentless. Potiphar’s wife keeps it up day after day but Joseph refuses to commit this sin against God! He refuses to lie with another man’s wife! Even more to his credit, we read in verse 10 that he made every attempt to not be alone with her! What godly wisdom from this young man!

Adultery doesn’t usually begin with an invitation at the water cooler. It’s not a “hello, my name is _________ would you like to commit adultery with me?” Adultery typically follows stolen intimate moments alone. Those moments are often preceded  by the longing looks that Jesus defines as adultery  in Mt 5:28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

James explains the progressive nature of sin this way: Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Joseph refused to be drawn away by any carnal desires. He refused to allow himself to even be put in a position of temptation. In so doing, he was fleeing those youthful lusts that Paul spoke of in his second letter to Timothy: 2Ti 2:22A “Flee also youthful lusts;”

Do not be deceived in this matter! Don’t think that you will be different, that you are stronger than others. Recognize your own flirtatious stirrings and those of others and flee. Seek to build accountability into all meetings with the opposite sex, (note that Potiphar’s wife was not successful in compromising Joseph until all others were out of the house….the witnesses were gone!

Finally, submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you, and the most he will get from you will be an empty cloak as you remain faithful to God!

# 366 That I Might Not Sin Against You

The Book of Genesis

Day 366

Ge 39:6b-10, “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.  7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."  8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.  9 "There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"  10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.”

Guess what? You will be tempted to sin today. Somewhere, somehow, you will be put in a place where you are going to have to choose between doing something according to the world’s way, or according to God’s way. God has given you complete freedom in that regard. He has given you the run of the house, just as Potiphar had given Joseph. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and a son has complete freedom in the house. He doesn’t have to be looking over his shoulder, worried about the lash of a whip at the slightest infraction of the rules. You have been set free by God’s only Son, who took the lashes in your stead. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (Jn 8:35,36)

You are no longer under law, you are under grace. Grace involves trust and God is so sure of the power of His grace, that He is willing to trust it to keep you in times of temptation. Grace adopts the attitude of Joseph that says, “In light of what my master is trusting me with, how can I abuse that trust? How can I knowingly violate my master’s rules. Joseph knew his heavenly Master’s rules as well, for he had hidden them in his heart, and they kept him from sinning against God.

Likewise, we too, can have the help of the Holy Spirit to keep us from sinning against God, when we hide His Word in our heart. Ps 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!”

This hiding of God’s Word is a cooperative effort. We expose ourselves to God’s Word by humbly and prayerfully receiving it. This involves hearing it, reading it, meditating on it and memorizing it. God the Holy Spirit then hides it in our hearts. He knows where it is and reveals it to us in our hour of temptation. Know this! Believe this! And live like a son, rather than a slave, because if you try to do it on your own strength, you will fail.

# 365 Potiphar Is A Type of You!

The Book of Genesis

Day 365

Ge 39:5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.  6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

Joseph, in serving his master is made overseer of all he has. It is just as Jesus said in Mt 20:27, “ whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—”

The Lord was with Joseph and for his sake, he blesses Potiphar’s house, and so it is with those who walk closely with the Lord. Their blessings spill over and touch those who are near them. Potiphar was so impressed with Joseph that he left all he had in Joseph’s hand, or we might say care. Potiphar was so oblivious to the day to day management of his affairs, that all he really knew about was the food that Joseph placed before him.

What a picture of trust! What a life! No anxieties! Imagine trusting another to meet all your obligations, to conduct all your business….all that’s left for Potiphar is to live! Friend, this is a picture of grace. This is a picture of what Jesus has done for you. He is the Joseph in your life and he wants us to be like Potiphar, “casting all our cares upon Him, because HE cares for us!”

The only thing Potiphar knew was the bread that Joseph placed before him. Jesus is the Bread of Life and that’s all God wants us to know as well! He has placed Jesus, the Bread of Life, before us and invites us to partake. Partake of Jesus! Taste and see that the Lord is good! Trust Him for all the details of your life! Trust Him for your salvation, and trust Him for your spiritual care and the physical necessities you need. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you!

Stop trying to earn your salvation. It has been done for you in Jesus. How ridiculous it would’ve been for Potiphar to roll up his sleeves and work with someone like Joseph around! How ridiculous for us to roll up our sleeves and pitch in to try and work for our salvation with someone like Jesus around!

There is no need to worry with Jesus!  

Php 4:6,7  says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

God, has placed the Bread of Life before you just as Joseph placed the bread before Potiphar! Your part is simply to partake of Him!

# 364 Serve!

The Book of Genesis

Day 364

Ge 39:3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.  4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.

 On the corporate ladder in Potiphar’s house, Joseph was one to watch. Everything he did prospered because the Lord was with him! His master obviously noticed and moved Joseph up to the position  of overseer of his house. Not bad for a lowly slave!

In this rise to the top, Joseph demonstrates a spiritual law. It was a law that Jesus would later share with His disciples. We read about it in Mt 20:26 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  27 "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—

Now, this is not a one shot deal. Joseph didn’t arrive at Potiphar’s house, serve him one time, and then get promoted. No! This type of servanthood is an attitude, a lifestyle, and I think many shy away from it because they try serving others for a short time, and if they aren’t soon rewarded, they walk away from it. We must remember this is a process and since it is a spiritual law, any mastery, any lordship, that is attained happens only because God has His hand in it delivering on His faithful Word.

God simply gave Joseph the opportunity to serve, and he seized it, not because he loved Potiphar, but because he loved the Lord! So God blessed him.

As a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord IS WITH YOU! He has given you opportunities to serve. Look for them and seize them whenever you can! Eph 2:10 SAYS, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

He also has gifted you to serve, so let’s serve! We were not given new life in Christ to be spectators!

# 363 Pushing Forward

The Book of Genesis

Day 363

Ge 39:1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.  2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Back to the story of Joseph. Sold into slavery by his brothers, he is carted off to Egypt where he is purchased by Potiphar. Just 17 years old and he finds himself a servant in the seat of power in Egypt. His story closely resembling the story of Daniel, who was carted off to slavery as a teen to serve in the house of the king of Babylon. Both men were highly used of God to serve his eternal purposes! Both were called upon to interpret dreams, and both showed an unwavering reliance on God no matter their circumstances, and both display servants’ hearts and attitudes toward their masters. The Lord was with both men and they prospered.

The idea of being successful or prospering here is to be “pushing forward, to be advancing.” Wouldn’t you like to have that kind of a track record in all your endeavors? Wouldn’t you like to have that kind of progress and success?

You can you know. It is a promise of God found in the first Psalm!  Let’s look at it!

Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Verse three assures us “whatever he does shall “prosper.” Same word! Who is he that prospers? The one who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, he meditates in it day and night.”

If you are lacking success in your life, feeling like you’re in a rut and not moving forward, maybe it’s time to get back to these basics. Stop listening to the advice of the world, flee from any temptations placed in your path, and start taking God’s Word seriously again. It may be time for you to once again “delight” in hearing what God’s Word has to say. Let the Word of God have free reign in your life all day, every day and see how that works for you!

Draw near to Him, by drawing near to His Word and he promises that He will push you forward in accordance with His Word, and you can’t do better than that….now can you!

# 362 A Recap

The Book of Genesis

Day 362

This chapter served as a sordid interruption in the story of Joseph, and it’s not one that you’ll find in any children’s devotional. Quite frankly when I first did these devotions on the air, I wanted to skip this chapter because of the subject matter, yet when all is said and done, I hope you have been richly blessed by our time spent here. If we look past the sordid details, there are great lessons for us!

Some of the important spiritual truths that we have pulled from this chapter include: (1) Don’t depart from your brothers! Judah made a conscious decision to walk away from the ways of his people. He moved into the world, adopted their ways, and his sin snowballed!

(2) We learned of the levirate law and how important it was, especially to the Jewish people as they were the ones who were to bring Jesus physically to this world through the seed of Abraham! This levirate law served as a type of New Testament great commission, where the church is charged with bringing Christ to the world in a spiritual sense!

We learned about the importance of trusting God to bring life into the world! In our modern day love affair with birth control we have sought to determine who is brought into this world. We want to be in “control!” 

Hopefully, we have been able to view the creation of souls through the lens of eternity.  (Has not God said in Mal 2:15, “But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.”

The good news of this chapter is that in spite of man’s efforts to thwart the effect of the levirate law, God moved forward with His plans to bring the Savior to the world. This may be the most important lesson of all. God sits in heaven and laughs at man as we set ourselves up as gods. In spite of all our rebellion and man made plans to control our destiny, He says, “Yet I have set My King, on My holy hill of Zion.” Despite Judah’s attempts to disengage himself from the Old Testament great commission, God brought it to pass! And despite our lack of interest in the urgency of the New Testament great commission, God still stirs up times of revival all in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus.

Jesus will come again, but not as a baby in the manger to live die and rise from the dead to save us from our sins. This time he will come bringing the iron rod of judgment. It will happen. Man can in no way control the timing of this event, all we can do is surrender our lives to Jesus and then be willing participants in the Great Commission of bringing His Good News to the world!

Mt 24:46 "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

# 361 The Breach Be Upon You

The Book of Genesis

Day 361

Ge 38:27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb.  28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, "This one came out first."  29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, "How did you break through? This breach be upon you!" Therefore his name was called Perez.  30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.

What a surprise! Tamar is not only pregnant, but she is pregnant with twins! And what an interesting birth process! Tamar goes into labor and out pops a hand. We aren’t told why, but the midwife decides to tie a scarlet thread on the hand. She probably just wanted to keep track of who was who and the order in which they come out of the womb. As we shall see, the birth of these twins was very similar to the birth of Esau and Jacob, where the second one out of the womb supplanted the first.

Now stay with me here, as I think there is another lesson for us here and it involves the color of the thread. Why is it important that we know this is a red thread? I think it’s because the color red symbolizes blood, and these twins in the womb of Tamar represent Law and Grace. One of them must take precedence over the other.

Zerah represents the Law, and the Law is identified with the shedding of blood, hence the scarlet thread. The Law seeks to be first and it demands the shedding of blood. Then the hand of Zerah is withdrawn and his brother Perez (who represents grace) pops out unexpectedly! The midwife is amazed! “How did you break through ? This breach be upon you.”  The midwife was surprised by grace!

Now, listen to the dictionary definition of “breach, ” and I think you’ll get a better idea of the significance of Perez overtaking Zerah and being the first born. Breach is defined as “violation of the Law, a broken, ruptured, or torn condition, a gap as in a wall.” So the midwife was saying to Perez,  “May the violation of the Law, the broken condition of mankind, the gap between God and man be upon you!”

Pretty heavy load on one little child, but in being the first born, it is Perez who is included in the lineage of Jesus Christ, and it is Jesus who repaired the gap between God and man! It was Jesus who satisfied the shedding of blood that the law demands! It is Jesus who surprises us with grace and allows us to escape the tyranny of “I must do,” to the freedom of Jesus has done! The breach is upon Him!

# 360 Nip It The Bud

The Book of Genesis

Day 360

Ge 38:24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry." So Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!"  25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man to whom these belong, I am with child." And she said, "Please determine whose these are -the signet and cord, and staff."  26 So Judah acknowledged them and said, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son." And he never knew her again.

Judah, quick to call the Law into play when it’s someone else’s sin, (boy does that sound frighteningly familiar!) orders Tamar to be burned! Never mind that three lives will be lost! (She is pregnant with twins) One wants to ask Judah, “Hey Mr Law man, what about that biblical admonition to not put the children to death for the sins of their father?

But a funny thing happened on the way to the stake. Tamar produces the signet, cord, and staff, of the man who made her pregnant. I bet you could’ve heard a pin drop in the sand at that moment when Judah saw the incriminating evidence!  Even though she had tricked him into doing it, he was guilty of incest with his daughter-in-law!

Conviction floods over Judah as he realizes that if he had obeyed the levirate law in the first place, none of this happens! That’s the way it is so often with sin. If you trace it back, it usually starts out with something small. Left unchecked, it will lead to the worst kind of evil.  Keep that in mind the next time you click that mouse on your computer and head into the dark world of pornography! Keep that in mind, the next time you get a little flirty with that person at work.

These little gateways to sins, often end tragically, that’s why it is so important  for us to continually come before the throne of grace and with the Psalmist, make our plea: “Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” )Ps 139:23)

When’s the last time you took the time to sit quietly before the Lord and allowed the Holy Spirit free access to your heart? When have you given Him the freedom to shine His light in every dark chamber of your heart?  Ask Him to convince you of your sins as you read God’s Word. (It’s one of His main tasks!)

Pray that He will illuminate the sins in your life, write them down….every last one of them! Look at them, read them, confess them, and receive the promised forgiveness of God! Then shred the paper because that’s what God has done. He has taken every one of those confessed sins and thrown them in the Sea of Forgetfulness. You may still remember them as the accuser will remind you of them often, but I assure you God has completely forgotten them!

# 359 Kill Him! Burn Her!

The Book of Genesis

Day 359

Ge 38:24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry." So Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!"

Three months have passed since Judah’s adulterous tryst with his daughter-in-law Tamar and word gets back to him that she has played the harlot and is with child.  At this point he has no idea it is his child, all he knows is Tamar has broken the Law and he quickly brings it into play. “Let her be burned!” unborn child and all!

His reaction to Tamar’s sin is something we ought to pay attention to, because it is a trap that we can all fall into when we live under law rather than grace. It’s reminiscent of Nathan’s confrontation with David over his sexual sin with Bathsheba. Nathan tells David of a rich man who steals from the flock of a poor man and David immediately blurts out the Law,  “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die.”

“Kill him!” “Burn her!” The cries of those under the Law! Then Jesus comes along as a woman is caught in the act of adultery, “Stone her” cry those shackled to the Law, but Jesus the epitome of grace says, “Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone.”  One by one you can hear the stones tumble harmlessly to the ground, and Jesus says to the woman, “I don’t condemn you,” (grace never does) go and sin no more.” In other words, “go in the power of my grace, rely on Me, and I will help you to stay clear of sin.”

Judah, willfully committed sexual sin with Tamar, and willful sinners put themselves under the torment  of the Law and inevitably get around to judging others harshly. They fall into the trap of seeking to pry a speck out of their brother’s eye, forgetting about the log in their own.

If you find yourself quick to judge the sins of others, it may be a sign of too much Law and not enough grace in your spiritual journey. Perhaps you have forgotten  God’s unconditional forgiveness of your sins. Perhaps you have forgotten that neither you or anyone else can obey the Law of God perfectly. You can only turn to Jesus to plea, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Never forget the admonition found in Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

# 358 Be A True Friend

The Book of Genesis

Day 358

Ge 38:19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.  20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.  21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, "Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?" And they said, "There was no harlot in this place."  22 So he returned to Judah and said, "I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place."  23 Then Judah said, "Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her."

Tamar dons the garments of widowhood again and goes back home. Meanwhile Judah seeks to find the harlot in order to pay her the agreed price of a goat, so he can get his staff and signet back, but she is nowhere to be found!

At this point, let’s talk about Judah’s friend Hirah. He was with Judah when Judah went off on his little tryst. Hirah clearly knew what took place, and being a trusted friend, he sends Hirah back with the goat to reclaim his signet and staff from the harlot. Hirah comes back empty handed and Judah shrugs his shoulders and decides to forget the matter.

Note his reply to Hirah, “lest WE be shamed.” There is a lesson here of shared responsibility. Hirah did not enter into the deal with the harlot, yet he is now included in the shame of the event. He is Judah’s friend, and he could have sought to restrain Judah from engaging in this act of sexual sin. A true friend would say something like, “Hey Judah, I know you miss the physical act of sexual gratification, due to the passing of your wife, but hold on, this is not the way to respond!”

Well, we shouldn’t be too hard on Hirah, he is a Canaanite and he doesn’t know any better. The world could care less about the restraints concerning sexual activity spelled out in the Word of God.

But, it ought to be a different story for you and I. We know better and if we have a Christian brother or sister who have laid aside their Christianity for the sake of temporary pleasures, we need to be true friends and call them out! True friends take a stand. True friends help their brothers and sisters stand strong in the face of temptation. True friends help them to see the error of their ways so they might turn from their folly.

Jas 5:19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,  20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

“Save a soul from death?” Whoa! A real friend seeks to turn his erring brother back!

# 357 You Have A Name

The Book of Genesis

Day 357

Ge 38:11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown." For he said, "Lest he also die like his brothers." And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.  12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.  13 And it was told Tamar, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."  14 So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.  15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.  16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, "Please let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"  17 And he said, "I will send a young goat from the flock." So she said, "Will you give me a pledge till you send it?"  18 Then he said, "What pledge shall I give you?" So she said, "Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand." Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

In spite of the unwillingness around her, Tamar presses on in the work of raising up an heir. (Did she know that she was to be a vital part in the Old Testament commission of physically bringing Christ to the world?) If so, oh that we would have her zealousness and perseverance! We cannot condone her methods as she engaged in trickery and harlotry, and we certainly cannot condone the actions of Judah!

He shamelessly sleeps with what he thought was a harlot, THEN he hands over his family signet and staff as if they were some sort of trinkets. Both represented who he was! The signet, representing his name and his staff representing his occupation.  Although this was not the legal equivalent of selling one’s birthright, it amounts to about the same thing. Esau sold  his for a bowl of stew and Judah is selling his for a one night stand. He mustn’t have placed too much value on the family name!

Listen, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we too have a family name. It is “Christian!” And the question needs to be asked, “What are we willing to lay aside our name “Christian” for?” Is it to engage in viewing a quick shot of pornography? An adulterous fling? A drunken binge? Gossip” Fornication? Cheating on your taxes or ripping someone off in a business deal? What sort of licentiousness are we willing to engage in that will require us to lay aside our Christianity for a time?

Be careful my friend, for when we lay it down, we may not get it back. Judah didn’t really care if he got his signet back, but God cared and he pursued Judah through the pregnancy of Tamar in order to restore him and his family name.  Perhaps you have been careless as Judah was, and laid aside your family name of “Christian.” Know this! God desires to restore you too! Repent! Turn back to Jesus and have your family name restored!

# 356 Persevere In Telling Your Story

The Book of Genesis

Day 356

Ge 38:11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown." For he said, "Lest he also die like his brothers." And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.  12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.  13 And it was told Tamar, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."  14 So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.  15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.  16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, "Please let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"  17 And he said, "I will send a young goat from the flock." So she said, "Will you give me a pledge till you send it?"  18 Then he said, "What pledge shall I give you?" So she said, "Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand." Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

Two women come to mind in the matter of the levirate law in Scripture, Ruth and Tamar. Ruth of course is one of the Bible’s most lovable characters. She forsook her own country and their gods in order to remain with Naomi and follow her God, and perhaps provide a levirate inheritance for her.

Tamar on the other hand is usually associated with a harlot, but guess what folks, you will find her name in the genealogy of Christ. In fact her name shows up in the first verse of the first Book of the New Testament!

In spite of all the odds against her, she persevered in the matter of getting an inheritance through the line of Judah. The Bible doesn’t condone her tactics of deceit and harlotry, but it doesn’t cover them up either. There she is, front in center in Matthews account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ!

Ruth was at least given an option to follow Naomi, poor Tamar was sent packing back to her father’s house, yet she waited. She counted the years and knew that Shelah was well past the age of being given to her for the purpose of fulfilling the levirate law, but obviously Judah  had forgotten his pledge.

Out of fear of being neglected, she took matters into her own hands. If Judah would not provide opportunities for her to be a part of the Old Testament great commission of bringing Christ physically to the world, she would manufacture her own. Her tactics were nothing to write home about, but her zealousness for the cause is worthy to note.  If Judah is doing his job, Tamar doesn’t need to resort to these questionable tactics.

Oh that we would have the zealousness of Tamar, (without any shady practices) in the matter of bringing Christ to the world. It’s really quite simple. Be prepared at any time to tell your story, and live in a manner that backs it up!

# 355 Get Involved With the Great Commission

The Book of Genesis

Day 355

Ge 38:11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown." For he said, "Lest he also die like his brothers." And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

Judah has lost two sons and now he is afraid of losing another, so he decides to remove Tamar from the picture. As if she had something to do with their deaths. He misses the point of course, his sons were killed because they were wicked and displeased the Lord. Truth be known, she was more righteous than this whole family when it came to obeying the Law of the Levirate.

But alas, many times we are blinded by the wickedness of ourselves and those closest to us, and we look for others to blame, we look for scapegoats.  So Judah sends Tamar back to her father with the promise that when the younger son is full grown, he will allow him to perform the levirate duty for her. But look what happens when he puts off that duty, he eventually forgets all about it. Out of sight, out of mind!

Remember the purpose of the levirate law, it was put in place in order to fulfill the Old Testament great commission of bring Christ physically into our world. The seed of Abraham was vital to this commission.

Judah’s handling of Tamar is very similar to our own attitude about the great commission of the New Testament, where we, the church, are charged with bringing Christ to the world in a spiritual sense. 

We have a tendency to get cold feet when things get a little stormy, or we get so caught up in our own lives that we put the great commission on hold. Let’s face it, sharing the gospel with others can bring trial and tribulation, in fact it should! But rather than putting it on the back burner for a while we ought to press on, lest we become like Judah and forget. Was Judah shipping Tamar off to her father’s house, hoping someone else would raise up an heir, thereby excusing him?

How about you and I? Have we forgotten our responsibilities in the great commission, hoping others will bring the good news.  Let’s rethink our role and the urgency of the great commission in our world today, and as the Holy Spirit spoke through Peter in 1Pe 3:15, “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

# 354 Playing at God

The Book of Genesis

Day 354

Gen 38:8 And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother."  9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.  10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.

Why was God so displeased with Onan? It was because of his refusal to participate in the great commission of the Old Testament, that of bringing Christ into the world physically. Onan wanted to keep his own inheritance intact. He sold out for material things.  This is the primary lesson to be learned from the death of Onan. As New Testament followers of Jesus Christ, we have been charged with participating sacrificially in bringing Christ to the world, “spiritually,” through the great commission!

But there are other lessons to be learned from this incident with Onan. Onan’s act of defiance in spilling his seed upon  the ground was nothing more than a primitive form of birth control. We are much more sophisticated in our modern day methods of seeking to block the divine creation of new life.  “No God, we will determine when life will come forth into this world!.” “Don’t You see God, a child right now would cramp our style and we won’t be able to have the nice material things we desire.” Further, if we start a family now, we won’t be able to do the things we want to do!”

“and the thing which Onan did displeased the Lord.”

We don’t know the plans God has for the seed in our body, but we do know He has plans! “Jer 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Note the word “before!”)

Will all be prophets like Jeremiah? Of course not, but all of God’s prospective creations in the womb matter to Him. They are all souls that will live eternally. They are souls that Jesus died for, so that they might spend eternity with God. Maybe we ought to start looking at our reproductive life through the lens of eternity, perhaps then we will appreciate the sovereignty of God in this matter, and turn over the size of our families to Him.

# 353 The Sin of Onan

The Book of Genesis

Day 353

Ge 38:8 And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother."  9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.  10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.

This obscure levirate law was so important that God took out Onan for his refusal to follow through with his duty to “raise up an heir.”  Why was this so important? Why was God so displeased with Onan?

I think we can trace it back to Abraham, and even to Adam and Eve. God told Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed! He had told Eve that her seed would one day rise up and crush Satan. The Messiah would come from the seed of the children of Abraham. Need we say more?

Onan’s purposeful emitting on the ground, was the equivalent of saying, “I’m not interested in the world getting a Savior, I am only interested in MY inheritance…..my worldy possessions. Let someone else do it!”

Onan paid the price for his selfish attitude.

This whole scenario is about bringing Christ to the world. This is the great commission of the OT patriarchs. Christ was to be brought to the world physically through the seed of Abraham. In the NT, Christ is to be brought to the world through the “spiritual” seed of Abraham and that’s you and I folks….that’s the church.

Failure to participate in this NT commission puts our very souls in jeopardy! It puts us in the category of the unproductive servant who buries his talent. Onan’s seed wound up in the ground as did the talent of the unproductive servant and both paid for it with their eternal lives! God has given each one of us a part to play in the great commission, and maybe it’s time for each one of us to discover that part and plug it in our local congregation. Failure to do so is committing the NT equivalent of the sin of Onan.

Lu 9:26 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.

# 352 More On The Levirate Law

The Book of Genesis

Day 352

Ge 38:8 And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother."  9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.  10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.

Continuing our look at the Levirate Law today, in order to get some answers concerning God’s deep displeasure with Onan. More insight into this matter can be found in the Book of Ruth where the Law is brought forth again.

Ruth was a Moabitess, who was widowed while living in Moab. Her mother-in-law, Naomi was an Israelite whose husband was from Bethlehem a city of Judah. They had two sons, and they had to leave Judah because of famine.  It was while they were in Moab that their two sons married Moabite women.

Naomi’s husband died as did her two sons, and suddenly she was left without an heir.  It was in this heirless state that she decided to head back home to Judah. To get an idea of how ingrained this Law was to the Israelites, Naomi tells her two daughters-in-law to turn back to their own people because she (Naomi) was too old to bear any more children, much less sons. And even if she would bear sons, they would be too young for the women to wait for in order to produce heirs.  So she releases both daughters from the Law of the Levirate in order that they may find husbands in their homeland and build a new life there.

But Ruth, refuses to leave her mother-in-law and upon returning to Judah, they meet a man named Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Naomi’s deceased husband that can be traced back to Perez. (Ironically, we will read about Perez later in this chapter, because he was one of the twins born to Tamar, who was fathered by the illicit act of Judah.) This is an incredible tangled web, that God will untangle and turn out for good.

It was the refusal of Judah’s sons to play the role of the levirate that led to these events and the eventual marriage of Boaz to Ruth. It was Boaz who accepted the duty of the levirate and became Naomi’s and Ruth’s “kinsmen redeemer,” God used Boaz and Ruth and the levirate law to untangle the mess and get things back on track as it concerns the lineage of Christ through the seed of David. 

Again, a reminder to us of the sovereignty of God, and still more cause for us to bow down and worship our Lord. He had this circumstance all along, and He has yours as well. Keep trusting. Keep obeying, and see what God will bring forth in your life!

# 351 The Levirate Law

The Book of Genesis

Day 351

Ge 38:8 And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother."  9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.  10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.

What is going on here? It’s like we are given much more information about the sex life of Onan and Tamar than we really care to know! Well let’s start with the insistence of Judah that Onan marry Tamar, (the widow of his elder brother Er)  What is that all about?

It’s about a practice that would later become codified in Law in the Book of Deuteronomy.  It is called the Law of the Levirate. We read about it in De 25:5-10, "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.  6 "And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.  7 "But if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.'  8 "Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, 'I do not want to take her,'  9 "then his brother's wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother's house.' 10 "And his name shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal removed.'

Definitely foreign to our culture but not to the Israelites. The purpose of the Law was to ensure a widow of the possibility of raising up a male heir. This “heir” would then inherit all things that a male first born was entitled to. The problem here is Onan resisted this “duty” because he wanted all the inheritance for himself, rather than provide it for Tamar.

This may seem silly to us, but it’s not so silly when you remember God’s promise to Eve and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob! It was from their seed that the Messiah would come, and in hindsight, we see that the womb of Tamar had a role to play in the line of Christ.

In the enforcement of the Levirate law, there was an unusual courtroom scenario played out in the gate of the city involving the removal of a sandal and “spitting” in the offender’s face. This was the God-ordained way to properly deal with the brother who would not carry out his conjugal duties. (By the way, it didn’t have to turn  ugly, and you can  read about this method again in the Book of Ruth, when Boaz was given the right to marry Ruth)

The removal of the offender’s sandal was symbolic and it was as if to say, “You have no right to walk on the land of my inheritance.” It signified a removal of any material rights and claims of the offending brother.

Obviously Tamar did not carry the Levirate Law that far, because God took care of the situation on His own.  Any previous offenders of this Law, just lost some property and got some spit on their face, Onan  wasn’t so fortunate. God killed him because the thing that he had done “displeased God.”

Much has been made of the sin of Onan by biblical commentators, and we will continue to look at his wrongdoing next time.

In the meantime, just remember that in spite of man’s efforts to thwart God’s plan, God stepped in and brought it to fruition anyway. It is far better to work WITH God than against Him, and we can learn, even today, about working with Him as we read and seek to obey His Word.