So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again. (Genesis 38:26)

One of the truly remarkable things about the Bible is how honestly it presents the people of God, even heroes among them.

Noah, the great man of faith and action – drunk and in disgrace.
Abraham, the father of the faithful – hiding behind his wife and behind lies.
Isaac, the chosen son – ignoring God’s word and caring only for the material.
Jacob, the father of Israel – deceives others to his own advantage.
Moses, the great lawgiver – misrepresented God in a notable way.
David, the man after God’s heart – a murderer and adulterer.

Genesis 38 is an honest chapter, telling a story from the life of Judah, the son of Jacob and father of one of the great tribes of Israel. Judah’s sons failed to provide descendants to Tamar, the widow of Judah’s oldest son.

Judah refused to do rightly by Tamar, and he compounded that sin by unwittingly hiring her as a prostitute. As a result, Tamar became pregnant, and Judah commanded she be put to death. Tamar then shrewdly revealed the father of the child in her womb: Judah himself.

In the end, Judah confessed that Tamar had acted more righteous than he had, because he didn’t do what was proper and customary in that culture – direct his youngest son to marry Tamar and provide descendants to her who would carry on the name of Judah’s oldest, deceased son.

The unpleasant and unflattering story of Judah and Tamar demonstrates how the corruption of the Canaanites had a bad effect on the sons of Israel and their families. The longer they stayed in Canaan, the more they would become like the Canaanites.

This was a family destined for corruption and assimilation among the depraved Canaanite culture. On the track displayed in Genesis 38, in a few generations there would be no more family of “Israel” – just another family absorbed into a lager people group, and a people group that was severely compromised morally.

What would rescue Israel from the path of doom? God worked in two main ways. First, Joseph and the great injustices done against him. Second, a great famine that afflicted the whole region.

Through Joseph, God would carry out a plan to take this family from Canaan, put them in a culture that would isolate them, and allow them to grow from a large family to a significant nation over many generations. Genesis 38 is more evidence that God’s plan was necessary for Israel’s survival as God’s covenant people.

As believers, we face seasons of difficulty and crisis. Our weaknesses and failings sometimes seem to ruin everything. We often must face consequences from our sin, but despite it all – God is working out His plan. Our failures don’t surprise Him or necessarily ruin His plans for us. God is in control even when things are getting worse.