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- Transformation Was Necessary. We know from reading the rest of God’s story that Judah went on to become the father of the southern kingdom. What Tamar did led to a fully necessary change in character for Judah.
- Confession and Repentance Are What God Wants. God knows we all are sinful creatures, but He wants us to rise above our nature and choose the better way: Him.
- The Story Is Tied in with the Joseph Narrative. This isn’t just a digression from the “main” story – that of what happened to Joseph, who was sold into slavery, rose to become so respected under the king of Egypt that he was appointed second in command, and ultimately saved the lives of God’s chosen people.
- God Cares about Widows. But the story isn’t just about Judah and Joseph. God was outraged at what happened to Tamar and how she was treated. God cares about widows and others considered to be the “least” in the world, such as orphans.
- What Happens in Genesis 38
- Why Is This Story in The Bible?
- Why Bring The Messiah Out of This Mess?
- What Genesis 38 Is in Your Bible
I do encourage you to read Genesis 38. The entire kerfuffle we read about results from Judah and his sons refusing to fulfill their duty to their in-law, a woman named Tamar (see Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Here’s the story. Tamar loses her husband—that’s tough enough. After this, she follows the law of the land and marries her husband’s brother Onan, wh...
I know from reading the Bible how this story plays into the larger story of the Bible, and its role in Scripture was what first came to mind after I prayed. I’d like to share with you how Genesis 38 belongs in the bigger story of the Bible. See, Judah is the son of Israel that God chooses to carry on the family line of the Messiah, the promised res...
You may be thinking, “But WHY?” Why did it have to be this way? Why bring the Messiah out of all thismess? That was my honest question too. Why would God include this unpleasant little anecdote in his Word? First, because it’s a link in the genealogy of Jesus. But why would he intend this ugly mess to be a link in his own Son’s story? Well, we know...
Genesis 38 is in the Bible because it’s part of God’s story of how he would rescue us from our perversion. It’s also in the Bible to remind us that God worked redemption through flawed means. He changed Judah and used his mess to humble him before God and make him a new man. He sovereignly turned Judah’s sinful decisions into steps that would lead ...
May 30, 2022 · Having patience with the difficulties in life is difficult, but this verse points to the fact that doing so will allow the troubles to not bother you anymore as your faith increases and you learn to let God fight your battles. 2. Be Courageous. Tamar saw an opportunity to improve her life, and she took it.
- “The stories of Genesis are often challenging and stimulating, but they seldom if ever propose simple models to be imitated” (John J. Collins, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004], 90).
- This term, in essence, describes the ability to read and understand the story as an Israelite would have. See John Barton, Reading the Old Testament-Method in Biblical Study (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1984), 8–29; Marc Zvi Brettler, How to Read the Bible (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2005), 13–17.
- “From Rabbinic times, the odd placement of Gen 38 has caused problems for biblical exegetes and commentators. At the beginning of the stories about Joseph, just when the plot begins to thicken, this chapter on Judah and his adventures seems a disturbing interruption of the narrative flow” (Johanna W. H. Bos, “Out of the Shadows—Genesis 38; Judges 4:17–22; Ruth 3,” Semeia 42 [1988]: 40).
- I am not certain that Latter-day Saint commentators would have anything unique to say. Perhaps, from another perspective, some Latter-day Saint teachers could be encouraged to explore non-Latter-day Saint publications for help in understanding the Bible.
- She Was the Daughter-in-law of Judah. Watch this video on YouTube. Courtesy of YouTube. Tamar, in the Bible, became the daughter-in-law of Judah through her marriage to his son Er, as recorded in Genesis 38:6.
- She Was Married to Judah’s Firstborn, Er, who Displeased God and Died. Tamar’s story in the Biblebegins with her marriage to Er, Judah’s firstborn son.
- Tamar Was Given to Judah’s Second Son, Onan, as a Wife. Watch this video on YouTube. Courtesy of YouTube. Tamar, in the Bible, became the wife of Judah’s second son, Onan, through the custom of levirate marriage after her first husband, Er, passed away.
- Judah Was Reluctant to Give Tamar his Third Son, Shelah. Tamar’s story in Genesis 38 highlights her determination amidst adversity. After losing two husbands, Judah was reluctant to give his third son, Shelah, to Tamar as per the levirate custom.
New International Version. Judah and Tamar. 38 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4 She conceived again and gave birth to ...
Judah and Tamar - At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah ...
