5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Genesis 37:12-39:23
Matthew 12:22-42

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Genesis 38:24 (CSB): “About three months later Judah was told, ‘Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant.’ ‘Bring her out,’ Judah said, ‘and let her be burned to death!'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Once again, we are reminded that the Bible doesn’t clean up its main characters. It doesn’t gloss over their foibles and sins. Instead, it gives an honest reckoning so that we, New Testament believers, can look and learn (1 Corinthians 10:6-11).

As the grand story of Joseph begins in Genesis 37, it is quickly and briefly halted by the events of Genesis 38. Judah, who is married and has three sons, has to endure three funerals and is left with only one son. We aren’t sure what lustful thoughts had consumed his mind, but we read in Genesis 38:15-16 that he initiated the sexual encounter with someone he believed to be a prostitute. After a few months, it is discovered that his daughter-in-law is pregnant … and she has no husband! And this sets us up for the verse I have chosen for today.

When Judah, who had privately had sex with someone he perceived to be a prostitute, not knowing that it was his daughter-in-law, hears that Tamar (unmarried) is pregnant, he blows his top! He is prepared to discipline her. But his idea of discipline isn’t seasoned with grace. He wants her burned to death!

Now, was it utterly evil for Judah to have sex with someone he believed to be a prostitute? Of course! It was a sin against God! Joseph said so in the next chapter when Potiphar’s wife wanted to have sex with him.

Genesis 39:9 (CSB): “No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”

Next, was it utterly evil for Tamar to deceive her father-in-law and get pregnant by him? Yes! Of course! It was also a sin against a holy God.

So, both acts were evil. But what we observe is that Judah hides his own sin while condemning another sinner to death! It is totally unjust.

But this is how human nature often operates. We overlook our own sins while condemning others’ sins. The Pharisees (legalists) did it, and so do we.

What is the answer? Should we not be bothered by sin? Should we stop taking sin so seriously because we all struggle with it? Absolutely not! Sin put Jesus on the cross! It’s not a small thing in God’s eyes.

Well, what is the answer? First, focus on your own sinful propensities. Be honest with yourself (and others if necessary) about your struggles. Repent regularly and receive God’s grace for forgiveness and to keep you from doing it again. Let your honest assessment of your struggles humble you. Let it cause you to realize that you don’t have it all together and that you are utterly dependent upon Jesus to make you right in God’s eyes.

Then, and only then, are you prepared to assess and help deal with the sins of others. If you love them, you will warn them of what their sin did to Jesus and the dark places it will take them. But do so in humility and love that comes from knowing that you are a fellow struggler.

If Judah had embraced these two mindsets, he would have been broken over his sin and reached out in grace to help Tamar in her sin.

Before we can have the right attitude to help others with their sin struggles, we need to acknowledge that we have our own sin struggles, some of which might be much bigger than what we see others dealing with.

Matthew 7:3-5 (CSB): “Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.”

So, when you see someone in sin, and you become livid, do an honest self-examination to see if your anger is rooted in your desire to be appalled at someone else’s sin while covering up your own.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you do a self-examination to see if there is some sin that you are hiding (Psalm 139:23-24).
  • Ask God to help you to confess and repent of any and all sins that He brings to mind.
  • Ask God to humble you with the knowledge that if it weren’t for Jesus, you could sin just as badly as anyone else.
  • Ask God to help you demonstrate grace and love with those who stumble into sin (Galatians 6:1-2; James 5:19-20).

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into this topic, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean to “take the plank out of your own eye” (Matthew 7:4)?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)