Gen 38:26a, And Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah."… As we proceed forward in our corporate reading of scripture, we come to this interesting chapter set in the midst of the recounting of the story of Joseph. The writer just detailed how Joseph was brought into the home of Potiphar as a slave sold by the Midianites. One would expect that the story would carry forward with Joseph. However, the writer took a vital sidestep at this juncture to highlight a most significant development before continuing with the eventual rescue plan of God for His chosen ones. 
You see, the story of Joseph in Egypt is important because it sets before us the manner in which God worked to manifest Himself and His salvation to His people. This is a most telling and interesting account of the working provision of God’s heart toward those whom He had chosen unto Himself from before time even began. However, as fascinating as this Joseph account is to us, the Holy Spirit kept the focal point centered on those in whom the Promise was vested and from whom the awaited Messiah of all humanity would be forth coming.
The fact is that the promise flowed down through the lineage of Judah. This chapter relates how that promise of God was kept alive despite the unfaithfulness of mankind. The story of Joseph, as well, has its ultimate importance set solely in the fact that through this provision of God, the line of Judah was preserved. If that was not at the heart of the whole account, it would be but another of the countless, yet glorious detailing of the work of God in the assorted lives of men. 
The key to our current chapter is that it is the account of how, despite mankind’s greatest failures, God shows forth His mercy and His grace and His sovereignty. As short as this chapter is, it contains the very salvation of the promise of God’s Christ to come by the intervention of one whose heart was righteous before God. Despite the manner of how Tamar seduced Judah, it was in order to keep the lineage of the firstborn of Judah alive. With that action, the promise of the blessing of God went forward.
This chapter has much within its few verses that parallel all that we have read to this point. There are those who practice evil in the sight of God and thereby suffer the loss of their lives. We have the heart of a widow, seeking to maintain the heritage unto which she was committed. We have the jealousy of a younger brother against maintaining the heritage of his older brother, and thereby losing his own life and heritage under the judgment of God. We have the detailing of the broken promise of Judah to his daughter-in-law. And we have the birthright of the older son being given to the younger son, even as they struggled in the womb. 
All of this becomes the focal point of the Holy Spirit before we continue with the account of Joseph in Egypt. This is no small and indiscriminate insertion into the midst of a greater picture. It is rather the heart of what God was accomplishing despite the seeming interference of humanity. This is the explanation as to why the detailed story of Joseph even has its purpose within the Bible. 
Continuing then, Judah saw that the righteousness of Tamar was deserving of recognition, as we read in our morning’s text. Instead of burning her to death, he rather proclaimed that she was more worthy of the praise of maintaining the lineage of the firstborn, and with it the promise and the blessing of God. There are several other examples of this type of heart-felt righteousness before the honor of God that scripture presents. We want to look at them as an added parallel of the work of God’s Hand in the lives of His people as related in our reading.
The first is the relationship of righteousness that David kept in his heart before God in his dealing with King Saul. Please turn to 1 Sam 24:9-20. If you would follow along with me, 1 Sam 24:9-20. And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, 'Behold, David seeks to harm you'? "Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.' "Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? "The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause, and deliver me from your hand." Now it came about when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. And he said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. And you have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 
	This passage is significant in the fact that because David stayed his hand from killing King Saul when he was given such an opportunity, the Lord revealed to Saul, and through Saul to David, that the throne would eventually become David’s. Saul recognized, as did Judah with Tamar, that David was dealing with him in a righteous manner, more righteous than Saul was treating David. It became very evident to Saul that the kingdom was being taken from him by the Lord and that it was going to be given to David and his descendents. Saul even expressed gratitude to David for sparing his life and doing what was good in the sight of the Lord with regard to being honoring to the anointed one whom God had put over the Children of Israel. 
David did not take it into his own hands to defend himself or to usurp the throne. He rather dealt with Saul in the manner in which he would not practice sin, or rebellion or any other form of wickedness. With that heart, David sought the Lord to do with Saul as the Lord so chose to do and not to bring about any self-purpose or self vindication into the process. 
	This is something that we each need to take to heart in all our dealings with others. God cannot bless nor can He condone actions in which we practice evil or wickedness, even though we may be able to find some sense of justification in it. When we take matters into our own hands, through any unrighteous manner, we will not enjoy the blessing of God. However, as evidenced in this passage, as David treated Saul with kindness and with righteousness, God was the One who blessed David and eventually gave him the throne over Israel. 
We always need to count on the Lord and trust Him to do all that is required in our lives to establish that which will honor Him. He, Alone, is the One Who will bring into fruition all that He has purposed to do. In that we can fully and utterly trust Him. He will rule and overrule to accomplish His heart’s desire in our lives. We need to faithfully count on Him to do it.
	The next analogous consideration from this morning’s reading is found in John 8:3-11. Please turn to it. John 8:3-11. It is the account of the woman caught in adultery who was brought before the Lord. This parallels what was being brought into place concerning Tamar and Judah. Tamar was about to be burned as a harlot, and Judah, when shown the items of his pledge, declared her righteousness, thus stopping that execution. 
In a similar manner, when faced with the conniving intentions of those who sought to discredit Him, Christ was put into a situation in which an adulterous woman was about to be stoned. Her life was on the line for her unrighteous actions, and yet Christ brought the focus of light upon the unrighteousness of her accusers. 
John 8:3-11, And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst. And straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" And she said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more." 
Jesus saw the fact that what was impelling the religious leaders was not to abide by the law, but to use this woman’s sin as a means of bringing down the authority and the person of Christ. They were plotting, in their vile scheme, to kill this woman for the sake of ridding themselves of the light that was shining into their darkness. Just as with Judah, when they were forced to face the actions of their own unrighteousness, they left the woman, thereby allowing the righteousness of Christ to not only be evidenced, but to be given to this adulterous one. He did not condemn her, but rather told her to go and sin no more.
Our final passage, this morning concerning righteousness, is Rom 3:19-26. Please turn to it so we can read it together. Rom 3:19-26. Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 
	In this passage we come face to face with the fact that none of us have any standing before God based on our own sense of righteousness. …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… As much as we would like to tell God that we are so much better than this or that person, in the light of the Law, our knowledge of sin testifies to the fact that we are all lost in our sin and trespasses.
	This is why, thank God, we are given salvation through His grace and His mercy. The promise of the Christ, the Messiah, made to Abraham, and carried forward through the lineage of Judah, to this very day, was maintained and fulfilled by God in the giving of His Only Begotten Son. In Jesus Christ, all the history of humanities’ struggles to find vindication and justification and holiness before God are met and fulfilled forever and forever. He is our righteousness as accomplished and put into place by His perfect sacrifice for your sake and for my sake. All who will truly call upon Him will be saved by His righteousness. 
	The course of human endeavor, throughout the scripture is always founded in the fact that it is those who were looking forward to the faithfulness of God in providing for the salvation of mankind and those who, after The Cross of Christ, revel in the awesome gift of God’s grace, are all secure in God’s righteousness alone. Yes, the Law was given during the Old Testament dispensation as the clarion manifestation that man could not and would never be able to save himself, no matter how much he tried to practice all the tenants of the Law. It is only by God’s Omnipotent grace that we know the right standing of Christ as our righteousness. It is God Who has so worked throughout both the Old and the New Testament times to preserve His heritage in His people for the sake of His glory in all that He has done in faithfulness and in truth and in love. So be it!
And Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah."... Amen. 

	This morning’s benediction is Deut 32:1-4. "Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth. "Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb. "For I proclaim the name of the Lord; Ascribe greatness to our God! "The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. Amen.