Articles
FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES (Part I)
“Blame it all on my roots,” was Garth’s plea, but such a plea would not work for Ju-
dah. Granted, his family roots were troubled, but he had actually gone “down from
his brethren,” distancing himself from his roots as he “turned in to a certain Adulla-
mite, whose name was Hirah” (Genesis 38:1). Hirah was from Adullam, a low-lying
region to the northwest of Judah’s family’s homestead near Hebron (37:14), & Hirah
was Judah’s friend (38:12). Indeed, Judah had friends in low places, not only lower in
elevation, but lower in standards.
Paul warned that “evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
This still rings true. Yes, God’s people are to be an elevating influence upon the
worldly & their debased standards, but the question is: who is influencing whom?
Judah’s problem was that he allowed his friends in low places to lower his standards,
& it had a lasting impact on his family. The same can happen today: surrounded by a
lost & dying world, & with so many friends & acquaintances immersed in varying de-
grees of worldliness, Christians young & old alike must be careful to be the influenc-
ers instead of the influenced. The friend of the world is the enemy of God (James
4:4), and the more Christians let the world influence the days of their lives, the more
they let the enemy influence the eternity of their loved ones, as did Judah.
Those with Friends in Low Places Often Choose Family from Low Places. Judah did,
opting to marry a Canaanite woman from near Adullam (Genesis 38:2). Judah’s fa-
ther & grandfather had both deliberately avoided marrying daughters of the sur-
rounding people (Genesis 24:4; 28:1), & his uncle Esau had triggered family drama by
marrying such women (Genesis 26:34-35; 27:46; 28:8). Nevertheless, Judah started
his household with a woman from the lowlands.
