The Five Women Of Mathew One

A Seven-Week Study of Women in the Bible

Janet Jagers

• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN:
  9781641142526
• Print ISBN:
  9781641142519
• Topic: Theology & Religion

Janet Jagers has taught the Bible for forty-five years in women's Bible classes, Child Evangelism Fellowship, and Awana programs. She is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and is currently studying to become a biblical counselor through Light University. Janet is a survivor of breast cancer, Lyme disease, and lupus and writes to encourage other women as they go through similar trials. Seeing a need for studies on women in the Bible written from a woman's perspective, she is now turning her years of teaching notes into book form. Her greatest desire is to help women to develop a strong relationship with Jesus Christ and to pass their faith on to their children. She and her husband of fifty-five years, Donald, have three children who are all actively involved in Christian ministry, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Janet currently resides in South Carolina. Why are women mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord in the first chapter of Matthew? Why five women instead of three or four or even seven? And why these particular women who are so very different? Janet Jagers answers these and other questions in her book, The Five Women of Matthew 1. Listen to the stories of Tamar the Canaanite, Rahab the Harlot, Ruth the Moabite, Bathsheba the Israelite, and Mary the Mother of Jesus. As we study the lives of these five extraordinary women, we will discover wonderful truths like-no woman is so bad that she cannot be saved, and no woman is so good that she does not need to be saved. As their stories unfold, we will discover anew the unfathomable debt of God's amazing grace and unfailing love.

Tamar the Canaanite

Day 1: Tamar, A Palm Tree

Matthew 1:1–3

“A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar.”

When I first looked at the genealogy of our Lord as it was recorded in Matthew 1, I was puzzled to see that Tamar’s name was included. The fact that a Canaanite woman would be mentioned surprised me, especially after I studied her life story as it is recorded in Genesis 38. I was shocked by the way she tricked her father-in-law, Judah, into giving her a son. But I could not deny the obvious fact that God had included her name in this first most important chapter of the New Testament. I also noticed that He did not mention what she had done, but just stated the fact that she was the mother of Perez and Zerah, the sons of Judah. I could not ignore the indisputable fact that she was given honorable mention because she was included in the linage of our Lord and Savior. So I had to rethink my first reaction and take a closer look at Tamar and what made her do the unusual things that she did. If God honored and blessed her, there had to be a reason that I was missing. As I took a fresh look at the life and times of this young Canaanite woman, I discovered hidden truths that helped me to better appreciate the intricate detail and planning that the Lord of the Universe went through to work out His sovereign purpose in the lives of His people.

Tamar’s story is recorded in Genesis 38. It is neatly tucked between Genesis chapters 37 and 39. It could easily be overlooked. Chapter 37 gives us the well-known story of Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers as they sold him into the hands of Ishmaelite merchants headed to Egypt. Chapter 39 gives the account of Joseph’s experience as a slave in Potiphar’s house and his following imprisonment based on the false charges of his master’s wife. As we read these chapters in Genesis, it appears as if Tamar’s story interrupts the flow of Joseph’s tale, yet as the story unfolds, we will discover that her account has a vital part in the narrative of the journey of God’s people.

Tamar was a Canaanite. Her name means “a palm tree.” I have been to this area in Israel and was pleased to see the abundance of tall regal date and palm trees growing there. I can easily imagine a mother or father naming their little daughter after these dignified, stately trees. Tamar probably lived in or near the city of Adullam, which was southwest of Jerusalem. It was the resident city of a Canaanite king. Because of that, it probably was well fortified with a surrounding stone wall. As was the custom in those days, there would have been villages located near and around the city. The villagers would depend on the city for protection while the city would depend on the villagers for goods and trade and labor. It was most likely in one of these surrounding villages that Tamar grew up. (1) As a Canaanite, Tamar was a descendant of Canaan and his father Ham, Noah’s son. Noah had two other sons, Japheth and Shem. Abraham and his family were the descendants of Shem. While Abraham knew and worshipped the True and Living God, the Canaanites were idol worshipers. Not just any old, everyday idols, but totally detestable idols. According to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, they worshiped at least nine idols. Of all the idols, the Canaanites were particularly addicted to Baal worship, which was probably one of the most appalling of them all. That included the practice of animal sacrifices, ritualistic meals, and immoral dances along with special high places for sacred prostitution by both male and female prostitutes. They were also partial to Ashtoreth, the goddess of sex and war. Licentious worship was conducted in honor of her. Some women became temple prostitutes as an act of worship to her. To the inhabitants of Canaan, their practice was not frowned upon, but looked up to as an honorable activity.

It was into this culture that Tamar was born and influenced as she grew to be a young woman of marriageable age. She knew little if any of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The time was about 1925 BC. It would be another five hundred years before Moses would be presented with the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The only law that was in effect at this time was the moral code that Abraham and his sons received from the revealed will of the God of Israel. A law that, I might add, Tamar had no knowledge of. The fact that Tamar would be presented with the honor of mothering two sons who would one day be included in the lineage of our Lord is almost impossible to imagine. But it happened. And because it did, we have the opportunity to study the fascinating, albeit unlikely facts as they unfold.

As we learn more about Tamar and her times, I invite you to imagine what village life was like in Canaan about 1900 BC. Imagine the sights and sounds Tamar encountered in her everyday walk. Hear the jingle of the bells on goats’ collars as their shepherds lead them to town. Listen to the merchants’ insistent calls as they barter their goods along the road. Side step the ever-present camels and donkeys as they patiently await their masters’ next commands. Smell the wooly coats of sheep in nearby pastures and enjoy the antics of their newborn lambs as they kick and jump for the pure joy of just being alive. Feel the warmth of the dry arid sun as it beats down on your head. Soak in the atmosphere of this ancient Middle Eastern country. Today, there are still places in Israel that are not all that different. This was where the story of an everyday young woman named Tamar begins, just an ordinary woman who is totally unaware of the remarkable destiny ahead of her.

1. Manners and Customs of Bible Lands by Fred H. Wright.

Day 1 Study Guide

1. What is your first impression of Tamar? Do you look on her in a favorable or unfavorable way?
   
   
2. Why do you think that the Lord placed her story between Genesis chapters 37 and 39?
   
   
3. How was the Canaanite culture different than that of the Israelites? What gods did they worship?
   
   
4. What could Tamar have known of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

Thought

There are still people all over...

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