`I do not serve a God who does not fulfil His promises; I serve a God of great mercy.
A redeemer that liveth from the beginning to the end and I don’t believe He brought me this far to desert me`
Dawn was breaking as she neared Enaim. The plan was set in motion, hoping she didn’t turn away and run as fast as her feeble feet could whisk her. But who wouldn’t run away from such a deadly reality? Tamar finally reached the cave where she probably played by when she was a little girl, and now a cave that would change her life, a cave that will give her sons that she had longed for. It had been a hard couple of years for Tamar.
This young lady was an epitome of beauty, clothed in humility that it made it impossible for one not to be amazed by her. She was raised right, church every weekend, the leader for young women’s ministry, told the children story just before the sermon began. She never troubled anyone. `Blessed is the man who will have such perfection` was the constant array of words in her neighbourhood, where she dutifully organised donations for the poor.
Her husband though was a mirror of evil, a heartless man who carried with him loads of anger. Her mother`s words of advice lingered within her, of patience, of a virtuous wife. But even those could not have prepared her enough for the nightmare of a marriage she had plunged herself into. Er had cold calculating eyes that brought a shiver down her spine whenever he walked into their home.
He never noticed the freshly picked flowers by the window seal, nor did he ever look into his wife’s eyes to embrace her, hold her and tell her how blessed he was. He never uttered a word of gratitude after she laboured all day to make their house a home, or shine his warrior belt or prepare a delicate lamb dish for him and his friends to pleasure in. She shuddered at the thought of how his touch made her skin crawl. She was filled with fear and loath that she felt relieved when he passed away.
But her second marriage to Er`s little brother was a double burden. There was no family worship, no melodies of praise illuminating their home towards the heavens. He didn’t believe in her God, her God who appeared in a burning bush that stubbornly turned not into ashes, a God who had parted waters, and on dry ground let the Israelites pass through.
How could He not believe in the giver of life?, a God so true and faithful to His promise of giving Sarah a son, a God not limited by age nor time. Tamar hoped for a baby, a child whom she would hold close and rekindle a spirit within her and Judah`s family. Onan had no intention of giving her a child. And after His death, Tamar returned home.
`I do not serve a God who does not fulfil His promises; I serve a God of great mercy. A redeemer that liveth from the beginning to the end and I don’t believe He brought me this far to desert me` she whispered as she waited for her plan to trick her father in law into giving her a child. The story goes on and she eventually gives birth to two twins.
Tamar’s courage to wait on the Lord`s promises, to deliberately love Him more even though she was a cast away, returning to her father’s home, with two dead husbands and no child still puzzles me. It would have been her right to believe that she was a misfortune, that there was no future for her to summon into her present. However, we can draw an important lesson from the story of Tamar; that God loves us all to the very core of His being, He has our lives intricately arranged for us, if only we would trust in Him. It requires courage to accept God’s right to reveal Himself in the manner of His choosing without us questioning His goodness and love for us. The courage to wait on the Lord as did Paul and Silas in prison and Job in great loss, is an ingredient that will nourish our faith. If we believe that God is loving and good, great and owns all power, we can face hardships, and like Tamar, courageously persist through the bad times until God brings us forth to triumph.
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