How Does Judah's Sinful Life Point to Christ?

In Hebrew, Judah means thanksgiving or praise - יהודה. The name was appropriate, given the circumstances in which he was born. His mother Leah was Jacob’s first wife, but not the wife he loved. He wanted to marry Leah’s younger sister Rachel, but their father Laban tricked the young Jacob into marrying Leah first. Leah felt this coldness from her husband, and “When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb” (Genesis 29:31a). 

She bore Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and finally, Judah. She would have two more sons later, and one daughter. All total, Judah would have six half-brothers from Rachel, and from the two hand-maidens Jacob took as concubines at the cajoling of his wives. 

As the fourth son, even of the first wife, Judah was not of any particular prominence in the family line according to Hebrew tradition. He would not have the privileges of being the first-born, nor would he have the special love from his father that was given to Joseph and Benjamin. As with the other brothers, this feeling of unfairness amongst the siblings grew into bitter jealousy. 

When they threw Joseph into the pit, it was Judah’s idea to sell him into slavery: “‘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’” (Genesis 37:25). Rather than having the guilt of a brother’s blood on his hands directly, Judah calculated to have him die in slavery. 

In his youth, Judah saw his mother’s rejection by his father, and grew callous towards his own brother for it. The Bible paints a portrait of an angry young man, whose bitterness hardens his heart into cruelty. His choice to marry a Canaanite woman, as recorded in Genesis 38:2, was out of God’s will for the sons of Abraham as well, illustrating that he was not pursuing the things of God. This indifference to others appears to continue well into his adult years, until God sends a woman to intervene. 

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The woman God used to convict and transform Judah was not his wife. Three sons came from that marriage. When the oldest grew up, he married a young woman named Tamar, but Judah’s oldest son, “...was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death” (Genesis 38:7b). Judah promised her a child by one of his other sons, but the second son refused - and God also put him to death. The stated wickedness of his two oldest sons does not reflect well upon Judah’s parenting. Much like Jacob’s overt preference for one wife over the other, and her children over his others led to bad behavior among most of his sons, Judah seems to start off his adult life by failing to parent his children in a godly manner. 

Despite having a third son, Judah kept putting off fulfilling his promise to Tamar. By the customs of the time, he owed her a child and his familial protection, but he sent her away to live with her father. After his wife died, Tamar took matters into her own hands. She dressed as a prostitute, and seduced Judah. Taking his signet, his cord, and staff for protection, she did become pregnant with twins. Angry when he heard Tamar was pregnant, Judah demanded to know who the father was. She produced the items from before.

Convicted of his wickedness, he declared, “‘she is more righteous than I’” (Genesis 38:26b). He acknowledges his own failings in this moment, an act of repentance. After this incident, Judah’s character begins to change. He cares for Tamar’s twins and has acknowledged his fault. From here, the Bible presents this son of Jacob differently.

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Through the years, Judah’s family prospers, along with the other sons of Jacob. However, famine strikes the land of Israel. The brothers go to Egypt, where there is grained stored up for this period thanks to Joseph. Judah and his brothers do not recognize their younger brother, but are afraid when they see their money returned to them in their grain sacks, and are especially afraid that the second-in-command of Egypt demanded they bring their youngest brother Benjamin to Egypt.

The transformation of Judah and his rise to leadership amongst his brothers becomes apparent when looking at the way Reuben and Judah react to the demand to bring Benjamin to Egypt. Reuben was the oldest son of the first wife. By man’s law and logic, he should have been the natural leader and heir apparent. However, when Jacob mourns at possibly losing Benjamin, Reuben makes a strange offer. The Biblical record states, “Then Reuben said to his father, ‘Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you’” (Genesis 42:37). Rather than putting his own life on the line, Reuben offers up his own progeny. He stakes the lives of two uninvolved individuals, rather than taking responsibility and incurring all the risk upon himself. Jacob rejects this offer. While part of the reason for the rejection may be because he was not ready to let Benjamin go, it can also be inferred that he did not trust Reuben to bring the young man back alive. 

Eventually, Jacob had to relent or the whole family would have starved. Here, Judah steps up and takes Reuben’s role as the leader. When they go back, they know they must take Benjamin with them; “And Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go ... I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever’” (Genesis 43:8-9). Where Reuben offered his sons as a ransom, Judah offered himself. He accepted full responsibility for the price of his brother’s life. 

In Egypt, he acts as the spokesman for his family, not any of his older brothers. When Benjamin is accused of stealing a cup from Joseph’s household - though they still do not know it is Joseph - Judah again offers himself as the ransom for his brother’s life. Eventually Joseph reveals himself, and the whole family moves to Egypt to survive and live together once more. 

In these passages Judah acts as an intercessor, speaking for his family before a man to whom they owe much, who wields great power and authority. He then becomes the substitute, the surety that a debt will be paid. These characteristics foreshadow the role of Jesus Christ as the intercessor for mankind, and the substitute on the cross, who paid the debt humanity owed to the Creator because of its sins.

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There are many other individuals who provide illustrations of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. Judah shares the special distinction, along with his descendant David, to be in the line that would beget the Lord Jesus. Jacob prophesies this over his son when he hands out blessings to each son.

To the fourth son of his despised wife, Jacob declares, “Judah, your brothers shall praise you ... Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey you have gone up” (Genesis 49:8). This verse affirms what the Bible has implied through the story of Judah’s life. He grew up in one circumstance, but by repenting and turning from his youthful wickedness, he grows to surpass his brothers in his father’s eyes.

Jacob also says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet” (Genesis 49:10a). This blessing predicted how the rightful line of God’s anointed kings would come from Judah, in David. It also speaks to the eternal kingdom, and the eternal king - Jesus Christ - whose scepter will always reign. In fact, one of Judah’s twin sons - Perez - by Tamar would become the next in the line that would culminate in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Judah’s life provides an example of how God can transform and use anybody for His purpose. From a worldly perspective, Judah was an unimportant son who grew into a callous teenager, and a poor father. God used his sinful and lustful act of sleeping with a woman he believed to be a prostitute to convict him of his unrighteousness. Not only did that act begin the line of Christ, but it is the moment that Judah became a godlier man. No man is beyond God’s reach, beyond God’s hope, and through Judah’s descendent, mankind has the promise of salvation and everlasting life. 

Sources

Thangiah, Paul and George Wood. Receiving the 12 Blessings of Israel. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2016. 

Thomson, William H. Life and Times of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Madison: the University of Wisconson-Madison, 1912.

Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. United States of America: Victor Books, 1985.

Vanhoozer, Kevin J. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2008.

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Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry.