The Marketing of Evil - Part VII -- The Media

David Kupelian has written an excellent book on "The Marketing of Evil". I'm working my way through it slowly and sharing some of his thoughts. But you won't get the full impact of his writing until you read the whole book. Here's another installment of my synopsis of the book, this time on the matter of the media.

Kupelian gives us some examples as to how mainstream media goes totally against the public. For example, take Ronald Reagan. The people loved him, the media hated him (and he gives quote after quote to back this up). But when he died, the media couldn't stop gushing all over him calling him the "Great Communicator" and quoting his now famous line, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

Kupleian than takes his readers to the movie, "The Matrix" and uses it as a parallel to the various "matrices" we all get caught in, with special emphasis on the "evolution matrix". The Matrix is all about contradictions. He also gives example after example of contradictions in the life vs. the platform of John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate against George Bush. He exposes how the media hid things from the public.

Kupelian writes, "...the more God diminishes in our lives, the more government has to rise to take His place. As William Penn said, 'Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.'"

Kupelian continues, ". . .when people have a real moment-to-moment relationship -- with 'fear and trembling,' as the Good Book says -- with the Living God, they do not look to government to solve all of their problems."

Then he moves to more of the political scene where he describes the role of playing Israel as the "aggressor Goliath" going to pick on the young and unarmed "Arab David". With great detail he exposes the irrationality and insanity of such a thought. Well worth the chapter alone.

But let's move on to the established church, the Catholic Church in this case and see how that ties in with the Boy Scouts of America. Kupelian shows how the media can distort reality. The clergy sex scandal was referred to as a story about "Pedophile Priests". That's convenient says Kupelian but not true. The actual scandal was about "sexual seductions of teenage boys by predatory homosexual men". He gives data from lawyers indicating that 85 per cent of the victims were teenage boys. The media was flaming irate at the fact the church was protecting these "pedophile priests" (but would not refer to them as homosexuals mind you). Yet, they also went ballistic over the so-called "discriminatory" policy of the Boys Scouts of America because they would not allow declared homosexuals to become leaders. So much so, that they managed to mobilize dozens of organizations and corporations, fifty United Way agencies, some local governments and school districts, to withdraw Scout funding or to declare the organization as prejudiced and bigoted. What a hypocrisy.

Kupelian asks the question, "What's behind all this and why does it happen?" You'll need to read the chapter, but let me give you some of his thoughts. Read the following carefully and see if this was not / is not true in your life: "With the promise of reward and/or the threat of punishment -- through intimidation, false love, cruelty, seduction, and endless other ways people appeal to the various hidden weaknesses in all of us -- our lives are shaped and molded by outside influences. In a sense, I'm describing the very machinery of life within the matrix that all of us -- even the most decent and noble -- get caught up in to one degree or another."

He appeals to us to become informed and become "free" of the matrix we have been caught in. Read this book for yourself and for your family.

I approach Kupelian's next chapter called "Blood Confessions: How Lying Marketers Sold America on Unrestricted Abortion" with great angst. See you soon. Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated, either right here on the blog or on FB.

-- Ken Godevenos, Management Consultant to Corporations including Not-for-Profits.

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Potiphar Leaves Joseph In Charge Of Everything - Genesis 39:5-6

And it came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with him around he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

Imagine getting promoted at work to a very senior job and from that point on your employer’s company became a success story – sales doubled, share price soared, new products were developed, and the chairman of the Board knew that you were the reason! Well that in essence was exactly what happened in the case of Potiphar’s house and Joseph. And from earlier verses we know that Potiphar realized all this was because the Lord was with Joseph.

Potiphar was happy to leave “everything he owned” to the care of Joseph. So far, so good. But was there a downside that was missed? I believe so. Potiphar dropped the ball. The scripture says that as long as Joseph was around, Potiphar did not concern himself with anything except eating. Wow. Potiphar lived a carefree life, indulging only in the pleasures and desires of his stomach, his appetite for food. As long as ‘profits’ were being produced with Joseph’s overseeing his household, nothing else mattered to him. But he failed to see the implications of the situation or to put it in the words of Bill Hybels, “he took his eyes off the main event” and failed to realize the new dynamics at play in his life. And what were they?

Well, for starters as long as he was the one running the show, everyone looked to him for direction and leadership. And that most likely included his wife. She may well have been proud of her husband doing so well, getting to the position he had achieved in Pharoah’s kingdom, and providing so well for her. But now as he seemed to concern himself only with what he ate, he lost that attractiveness for her and perhaps for his staff. In fact, it was Joseph they all went to for direction, advice, and leadership. Potiphar was the ‘boss’ in name only. He no longer made things happen or granted favors or made decisions. Joseph was the man.

And then the scripture tells us that Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance”. Take your eye off the ball or the main events in your life and the devil is ready to jump into action. Leave your main responsibilities to others, especially those that are “handsome” or “beautiful” in the case of females turn your attention to mundane things liking eating or whatever else turns your crank, and your spouse is likely to get some ideas.

But what is the lesson for us today from these verses, as spouses, as business owners, as pastors or leaders, and as Christians? Simply this. You can delegate but you cannot abdicate. You can trust but you need to remain connected and aware. Someone else’s faith in God does not always cover you. And finally, make sure that what you focus on in life is what really matters. That is my prayer for us all. We’ll watch this story unfold in the verses ahead.

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Potiphar Notices The Lord Was With Joseph - Genesis 39:3-4

Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house and all that he owned he put in his charge.

Who hasn’t read these two verses before and not wished what was true for Joseph would also be true in our own lives? Looking at this young man’s situation, we see nothing special. He was the second youngest of twelve sons in Jacob’s family. He had accomplished very little by the time he was sold by his older brothers to a traveling group of traders headed to Egypt and ultimately bought by Potiphar, the captain of the Pharaoh’s bodyguard, and employed as a slave/servant in his household.

Yet we note the following: First the Lord was with him. The Bible gives no reason as to why that was the case. God chose him for reasons known only to Himself. God saw something in Joseph that He wanted to both bless as well as use. And there is no evidence at this point that Joseph resisted God in any way. Chapter 37 tells us how Joseph dreamed dreams of success over his brothers, enjoyed the many-colored coat he had been given, obeyed his father when asked to go and find his brothers, and generally was an easy-going young man enjoying life. I would imagine at seventeen years of age as we are told he was (Genesis 37:2), with his father Jacob being quite old, he spent much time listening to Jacob’s account of how he, and Joseph’s grandfather Isaac, and his great-grandfather Abraham, served and obeyed and loved God. I believe Joseph knew all about God and in his own youthful way wanted to serve Him and love and obey Him. And now he’s in Egypt as a servant. He did the only thing he knew how to do well – make the best of it. There is no record of his complaining. God saw that. I wonder if God sees anything like that in you and me. I wonder as Jill Briscoe put it so nicely when I heard her in Toronto on October 24, 2010, “Does He have your heart? Does He have your heart?”

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The Marketing of Evil - Part VI -- Sabotaging Our Schools

We have been providing summaries of David Kupelian's book, "The Marketing of Evil" (2005). This post addresses his chapter on "How Radicals Have Hijacked America's Education System".
The author makes it clear he is not writing to argue for prayer or Bible reading in schools. Instead, he purposes to show how the "government's school system has been cultivated to indoctrinate, to mold, to socialize children, and even to prepare them for the work force, but not to bring forth from within them the noble character and understanding of truth that lie buried within each child."

He quotes clinical psychologist James Dobson as warning, "Do you understand that children are (like) the stem cells for the culture? The environment that you put them in is what they grow up to be. And if you can control what they hear, if you could control what they're told, if you have access to their minds . . . you can make them into just about whatever you want them to be."

Here are some other highlights of the chapter:

* Since the 1999 Columbine school massacre, school boards have gone insane with their 'no tolerance' policies to the point of being ridiculous. He cites many examples.

* He warns us of the "my kid's school is not like that" syndrome.

* Kupelian explains thoroughly the move away from the alphabetic phonic way teaching children how to read an have replaced it with the look-say or whole-word approach, resulting in millions of poor readers. A most interesting section of the book. Parents need to read this. I thank God for my wife and daughters who are taking time to teach my grand-children how to read phonetically. The nine and seven year olds are now avid readers and the younger ones love books and will soon be reading very well.

* The education system has taken a new worldview approach to some critical issues. For example, sex outside marriage is okay as long as you don't get pregnant or a sexually transmitted disease (and even getting pregnant is not too bad, since you can get an abortion); and being 'gay' is normal -- if you think otherwise you are simply a bigot and one full of hate. What nonsense. But that's the teaching of the overall educational system today.

* Many think that a "public" school is a good thing. But they do not realize that the word "public" is really a nice way of saying, "government". Now some things that the government provides are not bad, especially if they're 'free'. But Kupelian asks, "at what cost?" Love this one line, "Free food is great too, but not if it's been poisoned."

* He points out how the educators are not necessarily intentionally trying to hurt children. Rather, they approach education from a totally different worldview -- one where God is non-existent and humans are mere animals.

* Finally, he does discuss 'homeschooling' as one viable alternative.

Another excellent chapter in this book. I wish the readers of this blog could somehow get the whole picture that David is painting all at once. It is truly a book of great impact on one's life. Strongly recommended.

In our next installment in this series we turn our attention to the media 'matrix' and how the press creates a world of illusion we think is real.

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Joseph is Bought by Potiphar - Genesis 39:1-2

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Genesis chapter 38 was a unique though important sub-plot to the main story of the book. This chapter (39) takes us back to Joseph and his saga. He had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s bodyguard.

Now right from the start of his time in Egypt, we read “the Lord was with Joseph”. Many of us would be satisfied with just that assurance and the presence of God in our lives. But there is something interesting that happens when God comes to be with us and we welcome His participation in our day-to-day business. Scripture says Joseph became a successful man – from the start. That does not mean he became wealthy or powerful. It means he was successful at whatever he had to do in life. In fact, we read that he was simply a servant “in the house of his master the Egyptian”.

Here’s the lesson we can take from this. You or I might have to go into our ‘Egypt’ for a while. But as a Christian, you can know that the Lord will be with you there as well. And you will be successful at whatever you have to experience down there. Not as man would define success, but as God would define it. You’ll have peace and joy and purpose as you serve Him. I think more than ever, with life as it is today and with all the curves that are thrown our way through relationships, government decisions, employment experiences, illnesses, and so much more, the only way for each of us to travel to our own ‘Egypt’ when life takes us there, is to make sure “the Lord is with us” – we can’t leave ‘home’ without Him. It is my prayer that with God by your side, your journey will indeed become a life adventure.

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Tamar Gives Birth to Twins - Genesis 38:27-30

And it came about at the times she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez. And afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.

So rather than being burned as was the custom for a woman who had sex outside of marriage, Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, was spared as he admitted his part in her pregnancy. In a few short months, Tamar was about to give birth to twins. What happened on that day as the midwife facilitated those births was both interesting and significant. One of the twins managed to stick his hand out of Tamar’s birth canal. Seeing it, the midwife immediately tied a scarlet thread on it to indentify that child as being the firstborn. But it appears that God had other plans. The ‘newly marked’ child withdrew his hand back into the womb and his brother exited the canal first instead.

Surprised at this turn of events, the midwife declares the actual firstborn as having “created a breach” and thus names him Perez (or Pharez in the King James Version). This is indeed the child through which God had intended to fulfill the covenant He had first made with Abraham. This genealogy was to be through Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law and not through the sons that his wife Shuah had given him before she died. Why? Perhaps to simply demonstrate to us that God’s ways are indeed not always our ways. Perhaps to show He can use even those who play the role of a prostitute. There is no person that has stooped so low that God cannot make into a beautiful vessel for His purposes. The word ‘perez’ actually means breach or violation. This child broke the rules on who was to be first. God is no respecter of persons when it comes to being first or second or last.

Recently I had the chance of watching a short clip on Jim Cymbala, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Senior Pastor’s series on prayer. It depicted the life of a renowned makeup artist who at one time was commanding three thousand dollars per day but had ended up in the streets because of his drug addictions. Through of the witness and love and care of one model who introduced him to Christ, this man is now back on his feet, working, loving God, involved in the Church, and being a testimony to Christ around the world. There are millions of stories just like his. God is the ultimate Repairman.

The infant with the scarlet thread tied on his hand in our scripture portion is then named Zerah (which means rising) once he was born.

Tamar’s is a story that once again illustrates the “grace of God” in choosing who He wants to call upon and use for His purposes. Regardless of the role she chose to take on, God’s grace extended His Hand to Tamar and she became chosen for His purposes.

No matter how badly you and I have screwed up or have been misused by others today, we need to remember it is impossible for us to have fallen so far down that God cannot reach our up stretched arm and lift us to His loving heart. May you know really know that today.

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The Marketing of Evil -- Synopsis, Part V - Obsessed with Sex

David Kupelian's book "The Marketing of Evil" is a must read if one is to understand how the world has crept into our lives. This is part V in a series in which I have tried to give you some highlights of the book. I don't get any commission for pushing it. I just want people to be aware of what we face every day of our lives. Here's the next installment:

Kupelian pulls no punches. He describes clearly how the advertising world bombards us today with images and suggestions that were totally unacceptable and down-right rude and obscene just a few decades ago. After discussing the competitive techniques and early evening time-slot advertising of erectile dysfunction products, he ends the section with this line, (you can guess what the product is), "Click,TV off. And all across the nation, from sea to shining sea, children look up at their parents and ask, 'Daddy, what's 'an erection' that lasts longer than four hours'?"

Kupelian describes how the pornography industry has taken the world by storm and blazed the way for "hooking up" or casual, recreational sex among middle- and high-school kids, for homosexuality activity, for the striking down of anti-sodomy law in a American state, for the growing sex slave trade in North America, and for child/sexual abuse -- including the American Psychological Association's proclamation in 1999 that claimed child sexual abuse could be harmless and beneficial. Yes, you read it right. You need to read the details about this.

He points out the movie "Birth" with Nicole Kidman, that basically seductively gets us to accept an older woman's sex with a ten year old as oh, so natural.

He then goes to explain how we moved from the Ozzie and Harriet days to where we are. Enter, stage left, Alfred Kinsey and his 'research'. I put the word in quotations because there is great controversy on the validity of the research. (Even today as one young woman claims her father was paid to sexually abuse her for Kinsey's research.) He exposes who Kinsey really was as a person using the words of his own biographers who were pro-Kinsey. There is no shame. He explains the horrors involved and yet the great cover-up. Wonderfully done -- in fact, his explanation on page 140 and 141 is akin to some cover-ups that go on in the church or religious organizations. That part is scary.

Finally, in this chapter he describes how Judaism went against the obsession with sex in its early years and now the whole liberal movement is simply out to change that again -- and they are succeeding. He explains the Satanists approach to sex and ends the chapter on an excellent treatise on the difference between love and sex and how they can integrate beautifully as God had intended.

And remember this is only one of ten chapters in the book. Make a point of picking up a copy at your bookstore or online today. You owe it to yourself, your family, and your children's children.

Next, Part VI of the synopsis on the chapter: Sabotaging Our Schools. Please feel free to comment on this blog.

-- Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant.

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The Marketing of Evil -- Synopsis, Part IV - Multicultural Madness and Family Meltdown

Interspersed with our studies in Genesis, I have been writing a synopsis on the book by David Kupelian, entitled The Marketing of Evil.

Today's review cover chapter 4, Multicultural Madness and chapter 5, Family Meltdown.

Kupelian tells us that multiculturalism has created a moral inversion which proclaims that all cultures are equal. And from there, this extends to all religions are equal. [To me, that's like saying all tires are equal, and therefore all automobiles that drive them or cause them to rotate are equal. Nonsense.) The spillover than moves to the premise that because all cultures are equal, then all sexuality is equal.

From there he shows us how we've gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, by simply believing that all life is equal -- that is, "a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy". Kupelian shows us why PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) do not fight for pro-life. Their reasoning is pathetic and well worth the price of the book.

Kupelian writes: "By equating man with a soulless animal, they (PETA and friends) have effectively negated -- in their minds -- the existence of any divine authority or juge over their lives. And thus they feel liberated from the 'ptriarchial' law-giving Ueo-Christian God they're rebelling against." Multiculturalism (in its fullest sense -- not just what we hear about with respect to immigration) is actually a hatred of and rebellion against Judeo-Christian values when we use it as a basis for equating all sexuality, all life, etc.

Kupelian asks, "What are we to conclude when the head of one of the world's premiere news organizations (Stephen Jukes of Reuters) is so paralyzed by multicultural orthodoxy that he is unable to call the worse terrorist attack in American history, 'a terrorist attack'?

He goes on to say, ""Americans," warned former Reagan staffer and columnist Paul Craig Roberts about the radical Islamic threat to this nation, "might be so politically correct and racially sensitive as to be unable to deal with the problem (of terrorism) at all."

Bottom line: (Kupelian writes) if the marketer can elicit in you a feeling -- the right feeling -- he has won. Game over.

Moving to his chapter on "Family Meltdown" Kupelian makes an interesting observation of how easy and inexpensive it is to get a divorce these days in America as compared to firing an employee.

Kupelian traces the start of the decline of the family back to Vladimir Lenin who, to facilitate the communist revolution, ended up facilitating the break up of the family by instituting de facto no-fault divorce. That's how he could maintain complete control of the people. Then to that was added the communist support for sexual immorality during marriage, approval of abortions, and forcing women out of the home into the workforce. All contributed to the demise of the Russian family.

Finally, the author shares that when a man and a woman have so much going against them (even Christians, and he lists many items), their likelihood of success in marriage is very small. He suggests that the only thing that can possibly keep them together is their mutual love and pursuit of "Truth".

I've recommended this book, even though I have not finished it to others. They have finished it and they tell me the best is yet to come. Get a copy and find out what we're up against and why and what you can do about it.

-- Ken Godevenos, Toronto.

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Judah Learns Who The Harlot Was - Genesis 38:25-26

It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” And Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.

When Judah had learned that Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law, was pregnant, he ordered that she be brought out and burned in accordance with the practice of the day for women caught in immorality. While such arrangements were being made, Tamar sent Judah the signet ring, the cords, and staff that Judah had left with her when he thought he had availed himself of the services of a prostitute. With them, she sent him a message that simply said, “Take a look at these. These belong to the man who got me pregnant.”

It is not clear whether anyone else recognized these items. Most likely his friend the Adullamite would have done so, had he seen them at this time. Certainly Judah recognized them with great horror as he realized the ‘harlot’ he had slept with was Tamar. And his remarks are most interesting. “She is more righteous than I.” What was he saying?

It is possible he saw what was at the bottom of this and that he indeed was to blame for what happened because he had failed to give Tamar his last son, Shelah, to have as a husband who could give her children. There are other things to note from this passage as well. Judah had acted in secrecy, visiting who he thought was a prostitute. No one would know except those he had chosen to tell. We often think just that as we do things we hope no one sees or knows about. Yet, almost always, a day of reckoning does arrive.

There are those who think this whole episode especially the part of Tamar sending Judah his things and saying, “see, these belong to the man who got me pregnant, check to see if you recognize them” is a dramatic irony that parallels he and his other brothers sending his brother Joseph’s blood stained coat and asking their father if he recognized it as his son’s (Genesis 37:32,33). With the words he now utters, Judah convicts himself and indirectly confesses his sin.

Perhaps the saddest thing is that after being instrumental in saving the life of Joseph (Genesis 37:26, 27), history now records his sin and unrighteousness, for which he is remembered. While the words “And he did not sleep with her again” tells us he never repeated his sin, it is not clear as to whether or not those that he wronged forgave him. Nevertheless, as we pursue God’s forgiveness of our own sins, this passage serves to remind us that the evidence of true repentance is that the sin be abandoned.

It should be so with us. Let us not sin in secret. Let us recognize the need for forgiveness when we do. Let us abandon the sin we have been forgiven for. Let us forgive others who sin against us. And as we shall soon see, let us always look for the “purpose of God” in all that happens in our lives.

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Judah Learns Tamar is Pregnant - Genesis 38:24

Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

Let’s review the story so far. Judah’s eldest marries Tamar and then he dies leaving her childless. The second oldest brother refuses to do his duty and give her a child and he dies. Judah tells Tamar to go back to her father and wait for his third son to become of age, fearing that he too might die. Tamar is heartbroken and feels ill done by but does go to live with her family. Judah’s own wife eventually dies and Judah avails himself of someone he thought was a temple prostitute. When he sent a friend back to pay the prostitute with the young animal he had promised in exchange for the bond (his personal seal ring and his walking rod), she is nowhere to be found. We now pick up the story again.

Three months after his inability to retrieve his bond and complete the transaction as planned, Judah is informed that his daughter-in-law Tamar, a widow, living with her family, had played a prostitute and through that act became pregnant. In his fury, Judah immediately demands that she be “brought forth and be burned” presumably to death.

What’s the lesson? It has often been said that once we walk in another person’s shoes, we can better understand their predicament. We know, for example, that we can understand the mourning of those that have lost loved ones, if we ourselves have experienced such a loss. We understand war better if we have served in armed combat. And so on. Or taken to another plain, we know that we are not perfect. We know that only those without sin should be casting stones at those who have been caught in sin. And we know that people who live in glass houses should not be throwing stones at all. The list of expressions that can apply to some extent or another in Judah’s situation is endless.

There is no doubt he should have taken the time to think things out before he reacted so assertively. Many a series of questions in advance of a judgment would have been wise. Maybe a self-examination. In my role as President of a Mission organization for over eight years now, I find it much easier to understand and explain some of the decisions and actions of other Mission Presidents, church leaders, and even some government officials. I know how things happen and why sometimes those decisions are the best ones no matter what others think or what the media portrays.

On the other hand, at this very moment of writing, I am dealing with a matter in one of our churches, not against an ultimate decision that was made by the leadership, but rather the statements surrounding that decision – that is, where the two parties affected by the decision are saying diametrically opposed things were said and/or happened. The unwillingness of the leadership to deal with this difference openly and in love, rather than just maintain they are right, maintain they alone are telling the truth, and as leaders must automatically be trusted and not questioned, does nothing for that church but to divide it further. Some are opposed to those who seek the truth, claiming that we “should not touch God’s anointed” and any opposition is “the work of the Enemy”. Or, “please, for the sake of unity, let’s let this pass.” Nice thoughts but I am convinced that nothing in the Christian church should trump “truth” because He is Truth and Truth is what we are all about. Jesus would never compromise ‘truth’ for the sake of unity, or to protect one of His chosen twelve. Yes, the Enemy is involved, but only because we fail to operate as spiritual Christians. Otherwise, he would have no toehold. He is the father of lies and when he believes that lies have been uttered he moves right in and goes to town. We need to be careful not to blame the “truth seekers” just because they are raising the heat in the church.

So that is our first lesson from this single verse: when we hear of news that we do not like and feel should be addressed, take time to ask questions so you have all the information, take time to think, and then run the information through a self-examination. Finally, run it through Scripture.

The second lesson, as we will soon find out, is “be sure your sins will find you out” especially as you go after the sins of others. That does not mean you had better never have sinned. No. But it does mean you have dealt with that sin, you have made amends, you have changed your life. You have let God remold you and be available for God to use you again for His Kingdom. Then you move forward with the assurance that as you do what you are required to do, you are under His direction and protection – no matter what that will look like. I pray it will be so with you.

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Judah Tries But Cannot Pay the Harlot - Genesis 38:20-23

When Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’” Then Judah said, “Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this kid, but you did not find her.”

You will remember that Judah left some personal belongings with someone he thought was a prostitute until he could send her the young goat he promised for payment in exchange for her sexual services. He sends his friend the Adullamite with the animal to find her, to compete the deal, and get his personal things back. Having no success in locating her, his friend makes several enquiries as to where he could find the “temple prostitute that was by the road at Enaim”. To his surprise, he is informed that there had never been such a person and he returns to tell Judah.

Judah appears frustrated at the news, but decides to let the matter go lest in any further attempts to find her, he becomes a laughing-stock. He absolves himself of any guilt in the matter by rationalizing that he made a reasonable effort to fulfill his share of the bargain but was unable to. The prostitute could keep Judah’s personal belongings.

As I studied these four verses I struggled as to what possible lesson God might have in this portion of scripture for us. Here are some thoughts:

First, as honorably as we may try to behave after some inappropriate action we have taken in order to ensure that we keep our part of any arrangement, we cannot expect God and others to cooperate fully. I am reminded of my grandchildren. One hits the other after being told not to, and is sent to her room for a “time out”. On her way upstairs, with tears running down her face, she cries out, “but I said I’m sorry!” There is often a consequence that still needs to be experienced.

Second, Judah was smart enough to know when to cut his losses. There is a time in the course of events after we have sinned to just stop trying to justify ourselves. We must leave the matter to God. Even if there are later consequences to be faced, it is best to face them with God rather than without Him.

Third, when we leave something behind as evidence of our sin as Judah did by leaving his personal things with Tamar his daughter-in-law whom he mistook for a prostitute, as inevitably there always is something left behind, we need to realize that this will always serve as a reminder of our sin. We need to learn how to best utilize that reminder to live a more godly and spirit-filled life acceptable to our Creator. Judah did not know what was ahead for him, but I am convinced he was always conscious of the fact that someone had evidence of what he had done. That is often the case with us. We may have sinned; asked forgiveness from those involved; and even received it. But there is always the knowledge that we did sin and that from the world’s perspective, not God’s, that sin may still have its consequences. It is in that realization that we must be fully dependent on our God to see us through. It is in that realization that we must realize that we are indeed at his mercy, not because He may want to punish us when we next step out of line, but because sin, even forgiven sin, has consequences. It is in that realization that only His grace can see us through whatever lies ahead.

Whatever your history or your current situation may be, realize that God hates sin but He loves you. You can be forgiven by Him of any sin you have committed if you ask and have accepted His gift of a personal relationship with Him and of salvation for eternity. And then, no matter what lies ahead, you can be assured of His carrying you through it. I pray you will know the peace He alone can give you today and live with the assurance of being His responsibility going forward, as you fellowship with Him.

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