Genesis 38

"Judah recognized them and said 'She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.' And he did not know her intimately again."

Genesis 38:26

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the first time the bible shows a man forgiving another person's sin because he himself is just as sinful.  This story reminds me of the adulteress who was brought to Jesus for punishment.

I often hear that, socially speaking, it's acceptable for men to sleep around but not for women.  I disagree.  I think it's more individualized than that.  In my experience, each person has a tendency to say, "It's okay for me to do it, but it's not okay for anyone else."  In this case, Judah started out by saying that he would put Tamar to death for acting like a prostitute.  However, she brings forth evidence that he's the one she slept with...

What I love about this story of Judah and Tamar is that, in the end, he's willing to man up and say, "I've done you wrong, and I'll make it up to you."  How often is that the case?  How often do we condemn others for the specks in their eyes, while we are completely unaware of the planks in our own eyes?

Prayer of the Day

Open my eyes so that I may see my own sin.  Give me strength to battle my own way out of sin instead of battling others who have the same sin.  Help me overcome the thorns in my side so that I may help remove the same thorns from others.  Amen.