# 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!