Light second purple candle - The Peace Candle
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I see”
This beloved hymn, “Amazing Grace,” was written autobiographically by former English slave ship captain and slave trader, John Newton. Born in London in 1725, John was the only child of a ship captain who was constantly at sea. His mother, a devoted believer in Christ, raised John to know the Scriptures and how to pray, but she died when he was young. Over time, the godly investments his mother made in him were pushed to the background of his mind and worldview and Newton lived a life of selfishness and debauchery. Following a series of unfortunate events, most of his own making, he found himself crying out to God for help from a sinking ship and found in that moment, access to the unlimited amazing grace of God through Jesus Christ.
Newton realized the severity of his cruel, ungodly past. He did not think he merited forgiveness; in his mind, his crime against fellow humans he transported in his ships as slaves for many years was undeserving of forgiveness by even the most forgiving humans. He was convinced he was an unforgivable racist wretch, who was lost and blind, and yet here was this free gift of grace offered to him.
Later, Newton was quoted as saying, “Yet, though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say, I am not what I once was; a slave to sin and Satan; and I can heartily join with the apostle, and acknowledge, ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’”
The story of today’s highlighted ancestor of Jesus, Judah, is equally appalling and redemptive as that of John Newton’s. Because of the details of prostitution and sexual misconduct that are part of Judah’s story, I’m only asking you to read Genesis 43-44. But if you are ever tempted to think that the bible is boring, then read Genesis 38! Talk about a wretch!!
* Read Genesis 43-44
Okay, so a little bit of Judah’s back story:
* Judah was Jacob’s fourth son, Leah’s child, who proclaimed, “This time I will praise the Lord.” upon his birth. (Gen 29:35)
* Judah was the ringleader in throwing little half-brother Joseph into a pit and then selling him to slave traders for 20 pieces of silver. (Gen 37:26-28)
* After lying to their father about Joseph’s demise, Judah runs away, leaving the family (perhaps with his portion from the sale of Joseph?) to live amongst the Canaanites, even marrying and having three sons with a Canaanite woman. (Gen 38:1-5)
* Judah got a wife, Tamar, for his eldest son, Er, but he was wicked and God put him to death. So Judah gave Tamar to his second son, Shua, and asked Shua to impregnate Tamar so his oldest son would have descendants. (Gen 38:6-8)
* Shua told his father he would have a child with Tamar, but didn’t, so God put him to death as well. (Gen 38:9-10)
* Judah was convinced that Tamar was cursed and didn’t want his youngest son, Shelah, to be killed, so he sent her back to her family, which was a complete disgrace, as no one would ever marry Tamar now. (Gen 38:11)
* Eventually, Judah’s wife died and he decided to have sex with what he thought was a cult prostitute, but it was really Tamar in disguise. He gave her several personal items as security for payment for sex. (Gen 38:12-19)
* Tamar became pregnant by Judah with twins, and when word got out that Judah’s daughter-in-law was somehow pregnant, he became furious and was ready to have her burned to death. (Gen 38:24)
* Tamar asked him who the personal items belonged to and he knew he was caught. (Gen 38:25-26)
* Tamar gives birth to Zerah and Perez. (Gen 38:27-30)
* Judah eventually brings his family, at least Tamar and the boys, back to his family’s land, because Jacob sends all of his sons, minus Benjamin, to Egypt to buy grain because of the severe famine that is plaguing their land. (Gen 42:1-40)
Wow! What a mess! Judah is a real scoundrel, just living according to what feels good and will help him forget his sin, until he is caught and the truth of his sin sets him free! We have to infer that Judah spent the next few years living an honest life and growing into the responsible leader of the family that we see him being in Genesis 42. Jacob will not allow Benjamin to accompany the brothers back to Egypt, even though the master (Joseph) has said not to return without their youngest brother. He refuses to trust Reuben with his precious Benjamin, but when Judah approaches and says, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our dependents. I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever,” (Gen 43:8-10) Jacob relents. He trusts Judah.
From that moment on Judah was the heir apparent and leader of the family of Israel. And when Jacob was blessing each of his sons prior to his death, he spoke these words of blessing over Judah:
Judah, your brothers will praise you.
Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
Judah is a young lion—
my son, you return from the kill.
He crouches; he lies down like a lion
or a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah
or the staff from between his feet
until he whose right it is comes
and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.
Genesis 49:8-10
Note Jacob’s use of kingly language to describe Judah and his descendants: his brothers will “bow down” to him, Judah is a “lion,” the “scepter” will not depart from him. From Judah’s line would come important royalty, culminating with the promised king, the Messiah, Jesus! In Revelation 5:5, Jesus is called “the Lion from the tribe of Judah.” This title is not only the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophetic words over Judah, it also symbolizes Jesus’ immense power, authority and royal lineage as the conquering King of Kings; the only one worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals. Jesus, “the Lion from the tribe of Judah,” triumphed victoriously over sin, death and the grave through His resurrection, embodying His divine sovereignty forever and ever!
* Sing O Day of Peace(see page 38 for lyrics)
* Reflect
* On John Newton’s gravestone, the following words say it all: “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith that he had long laboured to destroy.”
* Our God loves to redeem the unredeemable. It’s kind of His thing. Think back on your life. How has Jesus redeemed and transformed you?
* Pray with thanksgiving and praise that your God’s good plan of redemption included you, not because of anything you have done right, but because of His great mercy and love.
Lastly, I’d love to leave you with this music video of Amazing Grace with additional lyrics by Chris Tomlin, performed by the A Capella group, Pentatonix:
Pentatonix - Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) (Official Video)
