Deuteronomy Part 11
Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore
February 25, 2018
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 5:8-18
When Judah, one of the 12 covenant sons of Jacob, was about 15 years old, he took the daughter of Shua, of the race of the Canaanites, to be his wife. She was descended from the murderer Cain. He had three sons with her. They were three mongrel sons that were forbidden to enter the congregation of Israel. Their names were:
- Er: Named by Judah,
- Onan: Named by his Canaanite wife, and
- Shelah: Named by his Canaanite wife.
Judah had broken God’s 7th commandment. To make matters worse, Judah got a pure Israelite woman, Tamar, to be the bride of his first mongrel son. The book of Jasher says that Tamar was the daughter of Elam, who was the son of Shem. Judah probably lied to Elam about his wife or Elam wouldn’t have given her to be Er’s wife.
Er was about 15 years old; Judah about 30 or 31 when the two were brought together for marriage. But Er was wicked in the sight of the LORD because he would not consummate his marriage with Tamar, therefore the LORD slew him. So Er died childless, and Tamar was a widow.