It’s just not a good look for Judah. I’m reading Genesis 37 and 38 this morning and, for some reason (maybe an illuminating Spirit reason?), Judah, the fourth-born of Jacob, becomes the center of attention. And this as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev. 5:5) echoes, for some reason, in the background.

First, it’s Judah who comes up with the plan to sell Joseph into slavery.

Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.

(Genesis 37:26-27 ESV)

Okay . . . maybe he gets a little credit for not going along with the initial plan to kill Joseph (Gen. 37:18-20). But come on, if he was respected enough by the others so that they went with the “let’s sell him” Plan B, then he was respected enough to be heeded if had said instead, “No way! Send the boy back to dad.”

His brothers listened to him . . . Strike one, Judah.

And then, he deconstructs.

It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her.

(Genesis 38:1-2 ESV)

Judah went down . . .

Not long after the Joseph thing, “at that time”, Judah bails on the brothers and goes “down” — both geographically and spiritually — to Canaan. And there, he takes a wife. Like literally “takes” her — no mention of loving her, just took her. And so, he marries a Canaanite woman despite the family prohibition (Gen. 24:3, 28:1). Strike two, sir.

Then Judah commits the same sin God judged (by death) his second son for. He prevents his widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar, from having children by his son. (Read that whole mess in Gen. 38:6-11). Strike three! Heavy sigh.

But wait! There’s more! Can there be a strike four? Apparently. Here’s what happens after Judah’s wife dies.

When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.

(Genesis 38:13-16 ESV)

What a mess! Judah sleeps with his daughter-in-law. And, she conceives. So, Judah covers it up. But there’s no hiding that twins are born. (Read the rest of the story).

So, how am I feeling about Judah? Not so good. How high is he ranking in my estimation? Not all that high. How judge-y am I prone to be? More than I want to admit?

More than I want to admit because, echoing in my mind throughout the story is the reminder that the Son of God came into this world through this man’s lineage. Not only is Judah recorded in the divine line of Jesus the Christ, but so are the twins and — scandal beyond scandal — so is Tamar, the Canaanite woman who disguised herself as a prostitute and was impregnated by her father-in-law (Matt. 1:3).

Who would include that in their family tree? Not this guy. Much less include it as part of the birth story of the Savior of the world.

But beyond that — even more jaw-dropping — is the awareness that the spotless Lamb of God will be known in glory, and throughout eternity, as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.“

And so, I read Genesis 37 and 38 and grace is flooding the life of this guy who I’d be inclined to count out (with a strike to spare).

And I’m reminded that Judah is exactly the sort of person through whom God chooses to manifest His power and His patience in bringing about His promises. And that I’m more Judah than I’d care to admit. But thank God I’m more Judah than I could ever deserve. Kind of how grace works, isn’t it?

Kind of amazing? I’m thinkin’ . . .

Amazing grace! Amazing God!

O’ what a Savior!