Two Unchangeable Things
Journey to Christmas with the Midwives of the Messiah
by Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
For years Tamar lived with the knowledge that Canaanite and Jewish law required Judah to care for her. When her mother-in-law died, Tamar concluded she had no hope of Judah coming through, but Tamar also saw a glimmer of hope. The Leverite Law stated that if there were no sons to fulfill the responsibility of impregnating a widow so that her first husband would be remembered, the next of kin was legally bound to “marry” her. Tamar took things into her own hands and used prostitution, deception, drunkenness, the immoral culture and Judah’s life choices to force her father-in-law to remember her, and remember her, he did. Tamar dressed as a prostitute, her identity hidden by her clothing and enticed her newly widowed father-in-law to engage in the immorality of that city's worship. Through deception and sexual immorality, Tamar forced her father-in-law to give her what was hers by God's law.
Once more, we cannot dissect the morality of Tamar’s choices in a devotional. I encourage you to read Chapter 1 in Harlots and Heroines, The Midwives of the Messiah for more on Tamar’s life, but for our purposes, a gift that cannot be broken is that our God cannot lie. Watching God protect the line of our Messiah and ensuring Jesus would come from the line of Judah encouraged me to trust Him to keep all of His promises as I struggled to find a new normal in the days after our son’s death.
Let’s make this gift even more practical for anyone who has suffered betrayal and rejection from those who should have protected you. If you find it hard to trust again, read Today’s Treasure and consider it a love note from Yahweh, our Covenant-Keeping God. You can trust the One Who cannot lie. Accept this gift that cannot be broken. Our God cannot lie. Don’t let the trappings of Christmas tarnish the beautiful treasure of our promise-keeping God. Turn the tables on the enemy who wants to steal the joy of knowing Jesus and allow each Christmas decoration, package, twinkling light, and Christmas Carol remind you to flee to the Lord and that:
… God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
Hebrews 6:18 NLT
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
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To learn more about Tamar’s story, read Genesis 38 and Chapter 1 in Harlots and Heroines, The Midwives of the Messiah. Put yourself into Tamar’s life and note the feelings she experienced as one man after another rejected her. Write across those feelings in all capital letters: YAHWEH, The Great I AM, Our Covenant-Keeping God. I can trust Him.
Sharon is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.