Jacob’s son Judah leaves his family and travels to Adullam. There he marries a Canaanite woman, a descendant of Canaan, which as a group Noah cursed.
They have three sons. The oldest is Er, followed by Onan, and then Shelah.
Judah finds a wife for his firstborn son, Er. Her name is Tamar (1).
All we know about Er is that he is wicked in God’s sight, so God kills him.
Does this idea of being wicked in God’s sight sound familiar? Back in the days of Noah, God saw the wickedness of all people and destroyed them with a flood.
Though we don’t know the details about Er’s wicked behavior, we do know it was severe enough for God to end his life right away. Though we all deserve death for our sins, it’s seldom immediate. Er’s punishment, however, is swift and final.
Thankfully, Jesus will later provide a solution to the death sentence we all face.
How does knowing that God sees all our sins affect us?
Though none of us are as wicked as Er, our sins do separate us from God. Have you turned to Jesus to be reconciled with the Father?
[Read about Er in Genesis 38:6–7. Discover more about wickedness in Genesis 6:5–6.]
Learn about 100 more biblical characters in More Old Testament Sinners and Saints, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy today.
More Old Testament Sinners and Saints is part of the Bible Character Sketches series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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