by Pastor Afolabi Oladele

This is a transcript of a sermon preached by Pastor Afolabi Oladele in June 2019

This title came from Genesis chapter 38. God strategically put Genesis chapter 38 in between Genesis 37 and Genesis 39. In Genesis 37 the children of Israel sold their brother Joseph into slavery. And it was Judah who told his brothers to sell Joseph to Ishmaelite traders instead of killing him. He said, “What gain do we have in killing our brother? Let us sell him.”

And then in Genesis 38 Judah withdrew from his brethren for a season. At that time Judah withdrew from his brothers and went to [lodge with] a certain Adullamite named Hirah. There Judah saw and met a daughter of Shuah, a Canaanite; he took her as wife and lived with her. Genesis 38:1-2 AMPC, emphasis added

You would wonder, what could have happened that led to Judah withdrawing from his brethren? I don’t know. But this man, Judah, took a step, that but for the power of Eternal God, the whole story of redemption would have been destroyed.

When one who is taught of the word of God and knows the life of God, and the principles of the Eternal God steps out of the place where God has put him, he can only go down – further and further down. And in this Scripture in Genesis 38:1, you see Judah going away from the place where God had put him.

There are 3 things that the Eternal God seeks to preserve amongst His people – purity, maintaining the unity and the maturity for you to wait until God takes you to the place He has appointed for you. These three things are not things that you should ever toy with. This man, Judah, broke unity. He left his brethren and then went and married the daughter of a Canaanite called Shuah. Does that sound normal to you? Who are Canaanites? Infidels! The people of who God said, “I am taking this land from them and I’m giving it to you” (Gen. 15:18-21). What Judad did was like a man who has been redeemed who then goes back to his vomit. But here what you find is that by marrying a Canaanite she was going to stop the coming forth of the seed of Eternal God. What kind of seed will come out from Shuah, a wicked woman? Wicked sons! The Canaanite woman taught her children all the wicked ways of the Canaanites and God was not going to have that. God killed bother her first son, Er and her second son, Onan.

Tamar was married to Er and then she was given to Onan after Er’s death to raise seed up for Er. After both sons died, she was expecting to be given as a wife to the third son, Shelah but instead of giving his third son, Shelah, to Tamar, his daughter-in-law in marriage, Judah said to her, Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up. He did this because he thought that his third sons may die just like his older brothers did.

We thought that that was the end of the story but later on when Tamar saw that Shelah had grown and she was not given to him as a wife, she put off her widow’s clothes and then put on a veil and sat by the wayside on the road to Timnath, pretending to be a harlot, when she heard that father-in-law, Judah, was going to shear his sheep in Timnath (Genesis 38:11-23).

Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household. After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him. When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,” she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked. “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.  He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.  After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again. Genesis 38:11-19 NIV

For the pleasure of sleeping with a woman Judah gave up his signet, bracelets and staff. That’s where the title of this sermon came from – The Signet, the Cord and the Staff. Let’s look at the things that Judah chose to give up. And I would unveil this to you that will understand what it’s all about.

What is a signet? A signet is a sign of authority. It represents authority and power. So you’ll understand, I’ll give 3 examples from the word of God – Pharaoh and Joseph; Ahasuerus and Mordecia; the Prodigal son and his father.

Pharaoh and Joseph

In Genesis 41:42 when Pharaoh was going to confirm authority on Joseph, transfer power to Joseph, and change Joseph’s status from that of a prisoner to Prime Minister, he did it via the transfer of a signet.

And this was what Judah, gave away voluntarily for sex. And I warn you, young men that any sexual encounter you have outside marriage (what you consider to be just a fleeting moment of pleasure) is you just throwing away the power, the authority and the elevation that God has put upon your life. What you stand to lose if you engage in any sexual interaction outside the purveiw of marriage is beyond what you can imagine.

Ahasuerus and Mordecai (Esther 8)

In Esther 8:7-8 when Mordecai was going to be honoured, God said through the mouth of Esther’s husband, Ahasuerus:

Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse. Esther 8:7-8, emphasis added

I’m trying to get you to see what it is that God has given to everyone who is a child of God, who is a believer and who has come to the grace that Christ gives freely – there is something upon your life, that is different from what you can imagine. You are a signet, you have authority, power and dominion that God has laid on your life that you don’t trifle or play with.

The Prodigal Son

When the prodigal son returned, his father said, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand (the signet of authority) (Luke 15:22).

You, that are sons of the Living God, if you never knew it, behold I show you today, you are not an ordinary man. If only you knew what God has put upon your life you will walk carefully and use the power of the Eternal God to do deliverance in the nations around you. These are examples of what a signet stands for, the things God has given to you and to me as children of the Living God who have been purchased by His precious blood. You are not an ordinary man. That’s why Paul was saying in 2 Corinthians 5:16, henceforth know we no man after the flesh. We know no man after the flesh. When I see you I see Christ in you. When I see you I’m looking at Jesus Christ. Why then do you behave as those who are just scums of the earth? You are not! You are a prince of the Eternal God upon whom the power of the Living God has been given. Because the same way as the Father put the signet upon the son’s hand God has put a signet upon your lives. Stop living like people who are powerless, like people who are trampled under feet, like people who are the rags of the earth when God has said this is My beloved son. Do you not know that the same words that Eternal God spoke concerning Jesus are true for you? That this is My beloved son, hear ye him? When you speak they have to listen to you. I don’t know if you understand what I’m saying. I speak and they have to listen to me because I speak not as Afolabi but I speak as the son of God.

You need to begin to understand who you are so that you do not fall into the error of Judah. Judah did not fully understand who he was. His signet bore the seal of his name. It was the identity of his person. The seal was the power of the authority that he was carrying. When his father, Jacob, was speaking in Genesis 49 concerning him, he said, “The sceptre of authority is with Judah. Judah is a lion’s son,” because what was on that seal that Judah gave up was a face of a lion. How do I know this? Every single one of the sons of Israel that was mentioned in Genesis 49 had a symbol. Zebulun was a ship, Napthali was an ass, Judah was the lion. And the lion bows before no man. Whose sons are you? The son of the son of a lion is a lion. A cub is a lion. I need you to know who you are so that you don’t surrender who you are on the platter of so-called fun. Don’t do it! Don’t throw it away.

In Genesis 38:18 Tamar said to Judah, give me your signet, your bracelets and your staff. And to my shock and amazement he surrendered it just like that. Maybe you’ve made such a mistake, today is your day of redemption. It wasn’t just the signet that Judah gave Tamar, she also asked for his signet seal and his cord and he gave them to her. In those days you carried your seal on your neck on a cord. It’s only later on that seals were worn on rings. The cord was an integral part of the totality of authority.

What does the cord stand for?

Where in the Scriptures was a cord was spoken about? In Joshua 2 the spies of Israel who spied out Jericho, when they were discovered by the King of Jericho, were let down a cord through a window by Rahab, the harlot? The spies then said to Rahab, hang a scarlet cord from this same window from which you have let us down and we will save you and your household, when we come into the land to destroy it (Joshua 2). Genesis 38 does not tell us the colour of Judah’s cord but I’d like to believe it was a scarlet cord that was carrying his signet. Exodus 12:13 says, when I see the blood I will pass over you. When the children of Israel entered into Jericho to take the city, they looked for a scarlet cord hanging from a window to ensure that Rahab and her family were not killed and that the covenant which they made with her was kept.

The scarlet cord was a representation of the covenant that Jesus has given that redeemed you and me. It is an integral part of the authority that you are carrying. If you disown the blood (live like one not saved by the blood), you have thrown away your authority. This man, Judah, gave everything away.

It’s crucial for you to see what God has wrought for us. There were errors that Judah made but the Eternal God was already working a plan out. How come it was not another Canaanite woman that Judah slept with? God arranged it so that it would be a progenitor of Abraham that Judah had a child with. The same root unto whom the promise was given.

People looked upon Tamar and condemned her. If only they knew that the Eternal God was working something out. O daughter of Zion, God is working something out sot that you may be a tool in the hands of God for bringing back the deliverance that He has promised. This word is going to both men and women. You may have been labelled and given a name that does not belong to you because people do not understand that God is working out something in your life.

If the Eternal God could do wonderfully in bringing restoration to Judah, who says God can’t give restoration to you today? Who says God can’t turn your life around today? Who am I to say that it is not possible, when God could do it for a man to whom so much was given who gave it all away? If you are a Tamar or a Judah, there is redemption today. There is a turning around today. For your sake is this word coming. And I’m praying that all who come in contact with this revelation will humble themselves before the Lord to accept His help for restoration of what they had lost

What does a seal stand for?

Judah gave away the seal; he gave the integral part of it which was the cord and then he gave away the staff. It was the rod of authority. In those days the staff that people had was encrusted with designs of worth showing a father transferring the inheritance to his son and wherever that son took that staff to, people would know this is so-and-so’s son.

In Genesis 38 who was the agent that went with Judah to go and see a harlot? His friend Hirah, the Adullamite! The same friend he left his brothers to go and stay with. Watch the company that you are keeping from this day henceforth because when the Lord brings about your redemption He doesn’t expect you to go back to your vomit. After Judah had done the deed he went back looking to get his things back but the woman was nowhere to be found. And just as we all are quick to do, when Judah was told that Tamar his daughter-in-law was pregnant, his response was: kill her. And then Tamar responded, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff (Genesis 38:25).

And if anything I’m saying is confronting you with your iniquities, don’t be discouraged, there is hope for you. This word is come to give you hope, to turn you around, to bring you back to the place of your inheritance. This word has come to let you know that God has control over all the issues of your life. He didn’t ask for anything from Judah to bring Tamar back. But do you know what? Out of Tamar came forth two children – Pharez and Zerah. And I want to show you another secret here. If you look at the Scripture in Genesis 38:27-30 when Tamar was going to give birth, one child put his hand out first and they thought that he was going to be first child. A scarlet thread was tied around his hand but he pulled his hand back. And then his brother, Pharez, showed up. Jesus spoke concerning this when He said, the first shall be the last and the last shall be the first. That’s what confers grace upon me and you as the Gentiles; that we became firstborns. That Scripture began to show the nature of what the church – you and I – is going to be. Out of nowhere like Elijah, they came forth with power.

So it looked like this man, Judah, had lost it all but God was working. He brought Tamar back and she said to Judah, “Take, what you gave away voluntarily.” Remember in Genesis 37 that Judah’s heart was after money (he was the one who said that Joseph should be sold). Three things to note about the life of Judah – money, women, pleasure. Young men listen to me. People say, “enjoy your life.”  The question is, what is your definition of “enjoy your life”? That you’re sleeping around and doing whatever you like? The greatest source of joy that you will ever have is not in the business of this world. When Paul said, I have finished my course, I have run the race, he was saying I am blameless according to the purpose that God had established for my life.  Paul was not speaking about sinless perfection. Paul was speaking about perfection according to the purpose that God gave him. Paul said that there was a crown of righteousness waiting for him which the Lord will give to all those who have faithfully served Him. Apply your heart to whatever God has given into your heart. It is the greatest source of joy that you will ever have. What matters is that you please the Master. And that’s what I’m challenging everyone of you to do. If there’s any purpose you are seeking in life, it’s not to ride a big car or to build a big house, it is to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. What would you be remembered for?

I am not here condemning you of the errors that you have made in life. I’m here showing you the power and the hand of the Eternal God that’s snatched me out of sin and turned my life around. He’s ready to do the same for you today, whether you are a Tamar or you are a Judah. Whether you are a Tamar, a woman that is reckoned to have been a harlot or you are a Judah, whatever the mistake that you have made, the same mighty hand of God that intervened and turned things around concerning Judah, that same God is here for you today. So I don’t want you to live with your head down, but rather possess and take unto yourself all that God has given to you that you may be the prince that God has called you and live like a prince, one that has power to turn things around.

Judah threw all that God had vested in him at the feet of a Canannitish woman. But for God’s intervention the story of redemption could have been terminated. And because God is a covenant keeper, He would keep His covenant concerning you. I am not here to condemn you of your errors today, you will only be condemned of yourselves if you turn away and don’t repent like Judah did. Judah repented. He was one that was redeemed from the pit of hell to become God’s star warrior. God is willing to do the same with you today whatever your situation may have been.

Please note the word “Adullamite” in Genesis 38 verse 1 because the place of your fall will be the place of your strength. The place of your fall will be the place of your victory.

Do you know what? The cave of Adullam was the place where the character of David was shaped, the preparation of David for kingship was done in the cave of Adullam. Yet it was in Abdullam that Judah surrendered his authority. That same place where you surrendered authority God will turn it to a point of strength for you today by my word because that’s the pattern that God set in the Scripture. That for the repentant, for those who will return to God with their hearts, that place of failure in your life, God will cause you to  triumph and stand on top of it and say it is over. Out of the cave of Adullam David not only had his own character shaped but vagabonds, people who are debtors, he turned them into mighty men. If you come to the presence of the Lord today not only will He turn your weakness to the place of strength, but out of you shall arise mighty men who will take the word of God and people will look at them and say, this is the work of the Eternal God.

David brought up many mighty men in the same place where Judah fell, men who were mightier than him. David slew only one giant but these men slew more. God turned it into a place of strength in the life of this man. And this is what I present to you today, as you read. This is what I come to you with.