(One of Israel's 12 sons)

Ahh.. JUDAH!  The forth in the line of Israel's 12 sons!  The grandson of Isaac & the great-grandson of Abraham!! As if that fabulous spectacular line-up wasn't enough - hows about the LORD in the flesh coming directly through your line??  NOW THAT is awesomeness at her FINEST!!!  There is an old saying, "you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family."  WELL??  The LORD CAN, & DID pick his family.. ALL THE WAY down the line.. Of Judah!  See Luke 3:23-38, for the full lineup.. Who would have 'thunk' that, from Judah's tribe, A LONG lineage of nobles would come... David, Solomon, Mary & Joseph, AND JESUS (the CHRIST!!)  How impressive is THAT??  The Lion from the Tribe of Judah!  Definitely bragging rights for Judah, FoSho!!  O course, in his day, he wouldn't have known nor prolly even DREAMT of it.. But bragging thru eternity??  FoSHO'nuff!!  Not EVEN gonna fib, I would be!!  Bragging LOUD & PROUD..  ABSOLUTELY!!  Judah.. Again.. 

WORTHY & CERTAINLY GLORIOUSLY FORMIDABLE bragging rights!!  FoSho! 

 

When God, (through Moses), was writing the book of Genesis, in Genesis 38, He abruptly switches focus during the awesome & amazing story of Joseph, & briefly takes focus  at Joseph's brother, Judah!  Judah's first born, Er, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, SO, the LORD puts Er, Judah's first born son, to death!  So Judah tells his second born child, Onan, to "go into your brother's wife and raise your brother's kiddos for him; For it is your duty.." But - in knowing they wouldn't be his own (but labeled as his brother's kids), his second born, Onan, wastes his semen on the ground.. And THAT was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so the second born son, (in the words of Mr. Miyagi) "gets the squish.. juust like-a-grape," and the LORD puts his second born son, Onan, to death..  To say the LORD was keeping close watch on His flesh bloodline is a pretty safe bet. 😉 So in fearing for his third born son, Shelah's life, (and being that Shelah was but a child/teen).. He tells his sons wife, Tamar to "remain a widow until his son is old enough and he will give her, to 'him' in marriage!"  After years of Tamar remaining a widow, waiting & now seeing that Judah's third born son Shelah, was fully grown, & never had been given her in marriage..  Fearing herself doomed to be barren.. She tricks Judah by covering her face & pretending to be a prostitute.. and, as it went..

P When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

Q And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

R And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

S And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

T And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

U And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

V Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

W And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

X And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

Y And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

Z When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

8 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

9 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

: And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

; And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

< And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

 

I love that story!! h  Without a doubt; Judah's, is the largest tribe of the 12 tribes (not in land; but in numbers o'course!  Here is a map of the land divided to the 12 tribes.. AND another more broken down chart fo yas!  

And if'n you are a born again believer??  

Indeed - YOU have been grafted IN (like flynn), to the tribe of Judah!  

 

...And SO ~ without further ado and delay ~ 'Ere's Judah's story...

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JUDAH, (Hebrew, יְהוּדָה), was born 1566 BC, in Paddan-aram (Haran).. ((modern day; southeastern Turkey)).. To Israel (Jacob), & Leah.  He was the 4th born of Israel and Leah.  T he Hebrew name for Judah, (יהודה), literally "thanksgiving" or "praise,"as upon his birth, Leah exclaims, "This time I will praise the LORD.."  Nowadays - the residents of Paddan-aram live in beehive huts, & are super nice to visitors..  They are also very aware of their lands awesome significance..  The land produces a nice piece of history right before your eyes!!  To think near all of Israel's family, started here!!  This was the land of which Laban, & his sister, Rebekah (wife of Isaac), AND Abraham & Sarah were from!! If ever you've the chance to visit.. DO!!  You'll be treated very well!  FoSho!!

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Some scholars say that Judah was sorta 'the leader' of his brothers but I have seen no Biblical evidence of that.  Of course as a big brother of most the clan.. I am pretty sure he would have had some (ALOT) of influence on his brothers.. And it was him that had the idea to sell his brother, Joseph, on that most fateful day!  But he was also the brother that offered up his life for the safe return of the youngest brother, Benjamin, to Israel.. So - in a sense..  Sooooo... #redeemed? FoSho!!​  

 

As I am sure you know..  Upon Israel, who was living in the land of Canaan; of his fathers), finding out from Judah (and his brothers), that, indeed, Mr Joseph was alive and well and living in Egypt.. And Oh, btw, he is NOW the lord over Egypt!  Israel (and the fam), relocated, here, to the now ruins of the palace of Pharaoh Necho II, in Egypt to be near his 'favorite' son!  That was to mark what would be to come of which the LORD told Abraham..

 

N And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;  O And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. P And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.  Q But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.. 

~Genesis 15:13-16

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Archaeologists have uncovered 'Joseph's statue,' on the north end of the palace ruins.

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Before his death, Judah told his children about his bravery and heroism in the wars against the kings of Canaan and the family of Esau, also confessed his shortcomings caused by wine that led him astray in his relationship with Bathshua and Tamar.. Judah admonished his sons not to love gold, and not to look upon the beauty of women, for through these things, the sons of Judah will fall into misery. In his last words, he reminded them to "observe the whole law of the Lord."

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There appears to be some confusion on the exact date of Judah's death.. Wiki states.. classical sources differ on the date of death, with the Book of Jubilees advocating a death at age 119, 18 years before his brother Levi... but the midrashic Book of Jasher advocating a death at the age of 129.. The passage is often regarded as presenting a significant chronological issue, as the surrounding context appears to constrain the events of the passage to happening within 22 years... SO - it appears he coulda died  1448, 1447, 1438 or 1437 BC...

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Purportedly, he is planted in Yehud, Israel.. See his tomb??  Another inside????

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