First a little bit of background:
Judah, who's name means thanksgiving or praise, was the fourth son born to Jacob and Leah. From birth his family situation was not ideal - Jacob had been tricked into marrying Leah by Leah's father and the Bible said that Jacob hated Leah because of that deception. When Jacob was finally given his true love, Rachel, the gulf between Leah, her kids, and Rachel and her two sons was immense. Jacob, who was also known as a wheeler and dealer, (See Genesis 32:30 for just one example) didn't even bother hiding his favoritism for Rachel's oldest son, Joseph. To the point that finally, in a calculated fit of rage, Leah's sons decided to kill Joseph and rid themselves forever of Jacob's favored son.
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.
Now the story gets really weird . . .
The woman that God used to convict and transform Judah was not his wife. Judah had three sons and when the oldest was of age he married a young woman named Tamar. However, Judah's oldest son was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. Imagine this scenario, your oldest son has so plunged himself into sin that God has no other choice but to remove him from this world. Judah then promised Tamar his second son in marriage, but the second son refused and God also put him to death. At this point if I'm Tamar, taking my own chances in the world as a widow is looking better and better than staying in this family. At the very least it appears that Judah's wounds have bled into his own family - and isn't that the way sin always works? Sin is never content to stay locked up in a nice little box, it demands a bigger stage where it can continue to poison those it encounters, without fear or remorse. This is the way that this fallen world operates, and the Prince of this world exploits every weakness that we display.
So at this point of the story, despite having a third son, Judah puts off fulfilling his promise to Tamar. (I think we can deduce the fear that probably driving that decision) By the customs of the time, he owed her a child and his protection, but instead he sent her away to live with her father. Once again fulfilling his approach to his own sin and weaknesses, Judah sends Tamar away instead of dealing with the issues running rampant in his own family.
After hearing the news that Judah's 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 identification, she become pregnant with twins. Angry when he heard Tamar was pregnant, Judah demanded that his servants bring her before him to be burned to death. She agreed to go with them, but first she produced the items that Judah had given her in exchange for sleeping with her and inquired of the servants if they recognized who owned these items. Upon hearing this news Judah was stricken with guilt and repented saying, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't giver her to my son Shelah." And he did not sleep with her again.
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.
As the years go by, 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 children. 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 of the family. When they go back, they know they must take Benjamin with them; “So 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. His life has been transformed - no longer the man who dodge responsibility, now he steps up at great risk to his own survival. He then becomes the substitute, the surety that a debt will be paid. This is the power of the gospel, the amazing, transforming, power of Jesus Christ. Which is why the verse in Revelation is so powerful, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5) From the disgraced to the triumphant - that is the power of Jesus Christ to transform lives and overcome the deepest failings we possess.
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.
