Er, Um, Hmmm
Er probably meant something different 3000 plus years ago than it does now. Or there is a good chance it is still the same. Either way, how about Er for a name? Er is a part of one of the most bizarre stories in the bible.
Backing up a bit…Judah was one of Jacob’s 12 sons. Judah had three sons. One was named Er. Judah got Er a wife, named Tamar.
But Er was displeasing to the LORD, and the LORD took his life.
Judah says to his second son, Onan, to do his duty and “Join with your brother’s wife…and provide offspring for your brother.” The duty was to carry on the family line for his brother. But Onan didn’t want to do it. Well, he didn’t want to seal the deal. Whenever he ‘lay’ with Tamar, he would spill his seed. (Here we have the first biblical reference to birth control!)
God didn’t like this either so he killed him too.
So Judah says to Tamar, I have one more son, but he is young. Go live with your father until he grows up and then he’ll take care of things. So she does.
Time goes by. Judah’s wife dies and he mourns. He travels to the city that Tamar has gone to. She finds out her father-in-law is coming and goes out to the city gates covered in a veil and wrapped herself up.
Judah saw her and took her for a harlot. So naturally he says, “Here, let me sleep with you.” And offers her a goat for payment.
She becomes pregnant.
Judah, apparently unaware that it was Tamar he was with, finds out she is with child. He wants her brought out and burned. He then finds out it is his child and has a change of heart. The scriptures add he wasn’t intimate with her again.
Finally, she goes into labor. She has twins. While in labor one of them put out his hand and the midwife tied a crimson thread on that hand, to signify he came out first. But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother, Perez.
It is from Perez that King David was descended.
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