Unlikely Risks
By Marilyn Jennings, Social Media Strategist
Throughout history, God has used the unlikely and meek to accomplish significant work for His Kingdom, often when they stepped out in faith or took risks. Women, in particular, have faced many cultural challenges, but biblical stories illustrate how God amplified His strength through their faith and the risks they took, resulting in incredible blessings.
Tamar - Waiting for Righteousness
Tamar, the widow of Judah's firstborn son, was stuck between the men in her life not honoring God's commands. In Jewish tradition, if a woman's husband died, his brother would marry her to provide an heir for the deceased brother's lineage and his property to be preserved, which is called levirate. Tamar's husband had been firstborn, so any son she bore would potentially inherit half of Judah's holdings while the other two sons would inherit a fourth each. The scriptures say Judah's second son was greedy, so he planned and acted in a way to leave Tamar childless when lying with her, and for that, God struck him dead. Judah was a little (understandably) scared of Tamar at this point. Two of his sons who had married her had ended up dead, and she was now, in his mind, possibly a threat to his third and now only son. Judah decided privately not to allow Selah to perform levir for Tamar when he came of age while also not releasing her to allow her to remarry, effectively leaving Tamar in limbo.
Culturally, Tamar had no place in the family without a son, but she also couldn't remarry. As the years passed, she realized Judah wouldn't honor his promise, so she took a bold risk. Disguised, she positioned herself along the road where Judah would return from sheep shearing and possibly too much wine. Judah, unaware of her true identity, approached her. After their encounter, he leaves his seal and staff as an IOU of antiquity. When Judah later discovers that Tamar is pregnant, he calls to have her burned alive. But Tamar was ready! The passage says, "As she was being brought out [to be burned alive], she sent a message to her father-in-law. "I am pregnant by the man who owns these," she said. And she added, "See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are." Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." - Genesis 38:24-26
Judah, facing Tamar's radical devotion to his son and his family's legacy, must have felt humbled. Saying that she was more righteous than himself was a public admission of her innocence and his wrongdoing towards Tamar as the head of his family. Tamar's risk resulted in the birth of twins, one of which would be King David's forefather, and from David's house, Jesus would be born, our messiah. God honored Tamar's risk and pursuit of righteousness in faith, and the son of all righteousness was born through the line of Judah so that we all might be righteous through Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Miriam - Small Person, Big Risk
Miriam was a child when her mother placed her brother Moses in a basket on the Nile to protect him from Pharaoh's decree to kill Hebrew infants. Hiding nearby, Miriam watched as Pharaoh's daughter discovered the basket. Recognizing the child as one of the Hebrew children, Miriam took a courageous step. Despite the potential danger of speaking out to royalty, she approached Pharaoh's daughter and offered to find a nursemaid for the child—their mother.
This act could have had severe consequences for all involved, but Miriam's risk resulted in Moses being spared. Raised in Pharaoh's court, Moses grew to lead the Israelites out of slavery and into the Promised Land, fulfilling God's promise. Miriam's bravery and faith had a significant impact not only on her family but on an entire nation.
Rahab - Watchful and Obedient
In the book of Joshua, when the Israelites sent two spies into Jericho, the King learned of their presence and sought to capture them. Fearing for their lives, they took refuge in the house of Rahab, the prostitute who lies to the guards in pursuit, buying more time for the spies to hide and escape. We know from the Word that Rahab seemed to care deeply for her family with the way she barters for their safety and lives for her cooperation in hiding the spies. The Word also reveals that Rahab believed and had conviction that God had turned over the land of Jericho and surrounding kingdoms to Israel. In Joshua 2:10- she tells the spies, "We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear, and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." Rahab had observed God's power and presence flooding the world around her, and it informed her worldview, faith, and the risks she was willing to take for herself and her family. She effectively hid the spies, and they returned safely to Joshua.
When Jericho fell, God spared her and her family from perishing to honor her agreement with the spies. He also amplified Rahab's faithfulness through generations. The Word reveals that she married Salmon, one of the spies she had hidden, and became the great-great-grandmother of David, King over Israel. Rahab's faithfulness and risk transformed her spiritual dwelling from the "house of the prostitute" to a place of blessing within the "House of the King."
These women's lives remind us that stepping out in faith, despite uncertainty, can lead to extraordinary outcomes in God's Kingdom for generations. Through their risks, God's remarkable narrative of redemption, empowerment, and legacy unfolded, encouraging us to trust Him and act boldly in the face of our own challenges and circumstances.
"Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith." -Hudson Taylor