It's hardly a distinguishing start to life when you are born the fourth son of a woman whom your father never loved and the young Judah must have been aware of his mother Leah's sadness at her light, especially when he saw the way his dad treated her sister Rachel, who had no family at all by this time. And I'm sure it didn't help when Joseph and Benjamin came along that his father's favouritism would extend to Rachel's children as well. Yet that was hardly enough reason to consider killing and then eventually suggesting selling your brother to the next camel train of traders that passed. I wonder how often Judah was to think of his actions during the next few years.Things seemed to be going along very nicely for him and he had probably tried to put the whole Joseph affair out of his mind, as he got married and had three sons, Er, Oman and Shelah. A good few years then passed and he sorted out a wife called Tamar for Er, but the young son, possibly having inherited some of his dad's traits, wasn't the best character and so God took his life and not long afterwards the life of Oman, the second son, who had refuse to marry Tamar in his place, with all the preconditions Judah had set.
Yet Judah still had big plans for her but needed time for his third ¡son to grow up so he sent her off home until Shelah was old enough to be her husband. Unfortunately Judah's own physical desires got the better of him on one of his trips and, unknown to him, he fell victim to Tamar's own plan and some months later she gave birth to twin sons Perez and Zerah.
Around this time Judah got himself into more deep water on a visit to Egypt to buy food with his brothers when Joseph, now Prime Minister in that country, plants a silver cup in Benjamin's sack and then demands that the young boy remain as a slave. Judah, who has personally guaranteed Benjamin's safe return to his father, is distraught and intercedes on Benjamin's behalf saying 'please my Lord let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy.' In effect he offers to take his place and suffer his pain.
Sometimes I wonder why Joseph, his illustrious and more famous brother, was not chosen as the direct ancestor though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of Jesus but both Matthew and Luke, in listing the family tree of our Lord, point specifically to Judah and his son Perez as being the chosen pathway of the family tree.
Then when I read Judah's own story again, I realise that when he interceded for Benjamin in front of the mighty Prince of Egypt, God was painting a picture for me, how, many years later, Judah's descendant and God's son, would intercede for my sin before the Creator. In effect He took my place and paid the price that I should have paid with my death, but through His resurrection , He not only overcame death for Himself , but also for me. Revelation 5v5 reminds me ' Stop weeping! Look the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has conquered.'
If you think that's hard to believe, just think how Judah felt when he realised the Prince of Egypt was in reality his brother and friend and that's what Jesus wants to be for you.
