- Opportunity Costs
There are certain connections in life that you will never find until you disconnect from other connections. There are some nobler doors you will never find until you have stepped out of certain spaces. Many stories in the Bible say this, but the life of Judah the son of Jacob is profound in its illustration of the point.
- Names and Meanings
It is reported of Judah that “at that time” when he “went down from his brethren” was when he found his friend, Hirah the “certain Adullamite” (Genesis 38:1). Hirah became Judah’s connection to the woman of his life, Shuah the Canaanite, whose name also meant “wealth.” The relationship with Hirah was one that lasted many years, from the time of meeting Shuah to when his own sons also became fathers and he a grandfather (Genesis 38:12). That would have been no less than three decades. Hirah was still there when Judah was bereaved of Shuah, and he was there in the subsequent relationship with Tamar that produced Pharez and Zarah the twins (Genesis 38:20). He was there with Judah in good times and bad times.
Hirah means “a noble race.” Hirah was from the city of Adullam, a city whose name meant “justice of the people”; a royal city that, in Micah 1:15, is called “the glory of Israel.” Hirah the Adullamite was significantly many things in one, to Judah of the royal sceptre (Genesis 49:10), Judah of praise (Genesis 29:35; 49:8), Judah whose name meant “praise,” “praised,” “celebrated.”
- Destiny Encounters
The Bible records that Judah met Hirah “at that time” when he left his brethren. Which brethren? What time? If we go back to the previous chapter, the brethren he had left were all of them who had conspired against and just sold Joseph their younger brother off into Egypt, out of jealousy and malice. That was not a proper company to continue to be with at that time, it would appear. Those were the “brethren,” and that was the “time”: brethren of jealousy, strife, lies to a father; brethren who were determined dream killers. The time was a time of betrayals.
“At that time” when Praise (which is the meaning of Judah) left his then-questionable company of conspirators, traitors and dream killers was when he connected with Hirah of the glory of Israel. When Judah the prophetic Sceptre of Israel disconnected from his conspiratorial brethren was when he connected with Hirah the justice of the people. “At that time” when Judah “went down from his brethren” was when he met Hirah the noble race and found Wealth. He disconnected from shame to connect to nobility and royalty and justice. It was a connection through which he began to find personal destiny fulfilments, in terms of his prophetic mandates as Sceptre (Ruler) and Praise. Had Judah missed Hirah, he might have lived and died a “celebration” only in name but not in life, or not so much of a celebration after all.
There are places in life that you will never reach until you leave other places. There are connections you will never find in life while you still cling to other connections. There are doors that will never open to you while you keep your cherished chair in certain rooms. Nobody gets There who would not leave Here. All the people you need to find to give you a room in life are not Here (Luke 22:10).
- At that Time…
Time is of the essence in all of this, “Because to every purpose there is time and judgment” (Ecclesiastes 8:6). Of Judah it was said, “at that time.…” Suppose Judah had waited until forever to disconnect from those brethren, he might have missed Hirah by the ‘time’ he got there. The rest of his life would have been without that important destiny friend. He might have been just a name, for missing Time, People, and Places.
From The Preacher’s diary,
November 7, 2023.
