https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+38

Key words / phrases:- The very special tribe of Judah, The great scandal, Not trusting God, Judgment, Mercy, Redeeming Sinners & Outcasts

Potential Discussion Questions:-

• In what ways the scandalous / incestuous sexual encounter between Judah and her daughter-in-law Tamar (v15 - v19) significant in the history? Why does it's place in the history may seem very awkward? Is there a spiritual message in it?

In Old Testament, we see God raising up a group of people named "Israel". God refers to Himself as Israel's husband and lover (Isaiah 54:4-8, Isaiah 62:1-5, Jeremiah 3:4, Jeremiah 31:31-33, Hosea 2:14-20)! At this point of the passage, God is the process of raising the 12 tribes of Israel. Out of the 12 tribes, the tribe of Judah is the most special tribe, as JESUS (the central & the key figure of Bible / Savior of mankind), came via this tribe. The great irony here is that, the HOLY God, who hates sin so much (to such as extent that His sinless Son Jesus had to die a very painful death) raises this most special tribe of Israel via a scandalous / incestuous sexual encounter between Judah and her daughter-in-law Tamar (v15 - v19, Matthew 1:1-17).

And again, Jesus choose to came through this scandalous / incestuous sexual encounter (Matthew 1:1-17)! Now think about the 12 sons of Jacob, each of whom form a tribe of Israel. Out of them - Joseph was surely a very righteous Godly man (Genesis 39-50). Not so much, the other brothers. The other 10 brothers were murderous (Genesis 34:30, Genesis 37:20), and Reuben & Judah were sexually immoral (Genesis 35:22, Genesis v15- v19). In contrast to Rueben's and Judah's sexual immorality, Joseph refused to sleep with his master's wife (Genesis 39:7-12). Judah also married a Canaanite, even though Abraham & Isaac forbid doing so (Genesis 24:3, Genesis 28:1). Judah also convinced his brothers to sell his own brother Joseph as a slave (Genesis 37:27). Judah obviously lacked reverence and seriousness for the Holy God and His holy plans. (BTW, we do see some repentance on Judah's part latter:- Genesis 43:33) So much more was Joseph righteous compared to all eleven of his brothers. So much was Joseph righteous that, historically commentators have loved to draw parallels between the life of Joseph and the life of Jesus - Joseph is often referred to as a foreshadow of Jesus.

So, one would think that Jesus would choose to come via super righteous Joseph than immoral Judah who lacked reverence and seriousness for the Holy God (BTW, we do see some repentance on Judah's part latter:- Genesis 43:33)! But no - Jesus choose to come via Judah! And, not only that - Jesus decided to come via the scandalous / incestuous sexual encounter between Judah and her daughter-in-law Tamar (v15 - v19; Matthew 1:1-17).

God could have waited for Judah's son Selah to bore children or Judah could have married again and bore more children. But no - the Holy God, who hates sin so much (to such as extent that His sinless Son Jesus had to die a very painful death), choose the scandalous / incestuous sexual encounter between Judah and her daughter-in-law Tamar (v15 - v19) to raise the most special of the twelve tribes of Israel and as a key ancestral point for Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17).

Now, the question is why?! I believe it is because Jesus came to save the sinners (Matthew 9:12-13: "... Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'") AND redeem the outcasts such as Tamar and Perez (John 4, John 8:3-9)! Sinners like Judah and Tamar and outcasts like Tamar & Perez, are just three examples of broken people God wants to save & redeem via the death of His Son Jesus! Hence by choosing the scandalous / incestuous sexual encounter between Judah and her daughter-in-law Tamar (v15 - v19) to raise one of the twelve tribes of Israel and as a key ancestral point for Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17), God is declaring that His redeeming grace is definitely available to sinners and outcasts! But a sinner must repent and turn to God (Romans 5:21 - Romans 6). Esau and Judas did not repent and accept the forgiving grace of God(Hebrews 12:16, Matthew 27:3-5), and hence are believed to not have eternal life. But Apostle Paul, who used to be a very wicked man (Acts 9:1-5), repented and accepted the saving and forgiving grace of God and was saved eternally (1 Timothy 1:13 - 16) and also used mightily by God. "

• In verses 7 & 10 we see God bringing judgement upon the two sons of Judah. Sounds scary? Do you see these kinds of judgement in today's time?

Jesus reminds of God's justness and judgment on evil in Luke 13:1-5 "Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.' ".

God's judgement happens in God's timing. The Psalmist yearned: “O Lord, how long will you look on?” (Psalm 35:17). Jeremiah yearned: "Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” (Jeremiah 12:1). In today's time, when we look around at all the evil in this world, we may feel the same. But Scriptures assure that God is 100% just and He does not let evil go unpunished. For those who repent and turn to God, the punishments of their sins was put on Jesus (Romans 3:21-31). The rest, will face judgement (i.e., Luke 13:1-5) for all their sins.

• Any comments on the hypocrisy of Judah wanting to have Tamar stoned for death on charges of prostitution (v 24)?

Judah soon found that he was guilty as well (v26). This reminds of John 8:3-9:- "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ... (Jesus) said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ... At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there."!

MISC COMMENTS

• Judah's own loose character (v 2 - married Canaanite, v 16 - indulged in prostitution) may have led to bad parenting which in turn led to the death of his two sons (v 7 -10).
• By his acts in v9, Onan was possibly offending God because God's plan was to raise numerous descendants via Jacob / Judah (Genesis 28:14). This act would also potentially malign Tamar of being barren.
• Like Leah in the previous generation of this household, Tamar is also being mistreated here. Judah asks her to leave his house, believing she was the cause of his sons death. Then Judah breaks his promise to Tamar and does not bring her back to marry his son Shelah.
• Tamar lacks trusts in God and takes things into her own hands by committing a grave sin of indulging in a scandalous / incestuous sexual encounter with Judah (v15 -19). She must have hoped to reinforce her roots in Judah's household by bearing children to Judah. Interestingly, in the previous generation, Judah's mother Leah thought Jacob would love her if she bore children to him (Genesis 29:32).