Genesis 38 Devotional Bible Study

Genesis 38 Chapter Summary

Judah married a Canaanite woman. She gave birth to Er, Onan, and Shelah. The first son, Er, married a Canaanite woman named Tamar. Er was wicked, so the Lord put him to death. Onan then married Tamar. He was supposed to carry on Er's family line, but when he had sex with Tamar, he would pull out and spill his semen on the ground instead of impregnating her. The Lord put him to death for doing so.

Judah was afraid that his youngest son, Shelah, would also die if he married Tamar, so he told Tamar to wait until he was older.

 

Years later, Judah's wife died. Once he recovered from his grief, he went to visit the men shearing his sheep. Tamar heard he was coming, and realizing he was never going to wed her to Shelah, she dressed up like a prostitute, covering her face with a veil. When Judah saw her, he promised to send her a young goat. In pledge, she asked for his personal seal and staff. Then he slept with her, and she became pregnant.

 

Three months later, Judah heard Tamar was pregnant. Because she was pledged to Shelah but had obviously slept with another man, Judah ordered her to be burned to death. When she was seized, she went word to Judah to see if he recognized the seal and staff.

 

Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah."

- Genesis 38:26

 

Tamar gave birth to twin boys, Perez and Zerah.

 

How Did All These Sins Start?

It’s time once again to play the game Count the Sins!

1. Judah married a Canaanite woman
2. Judah got a Canaanite wife for his son
3. Er was a wicked man
4. Onan was wicked, using Tamar only for his own pleasure rather than fulfilling his familial duty
5. Tamar prostituted herself to a man she had not been given to
6. Judah slept with a prostitute
7. Judah slept with a shrine prostitute, thus endorsing idolatry

How did all this start? “At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.”

Judah befriended a Canaanite man, a man who did not share his belief in the Lord. Can I tell you that people who don’t share your love for the Lord are not your friends? Becoming too close to them is dangerous for your well-being.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).