Extreme Grace: Tamar’s Tenacity
Genesis 38:1-30
Key Verse 38:26 “Judah recognized them and said, ‘She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.’ And he did not sleep with her again.”
1. What do you know about Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, before chapter 38? Think of Joseph and the role Judah played in his enslavement. (cf. Genesis 37:26-27)
2. How does Judah experience disruptions in his life? What happens to his two sons and why? (1-10)
3. What ideas do you think Judah had about Tamar in light of what happened to his two sons? How does he treat her as a result? (11) Who was behind the disruptions in his life?
4. Why did Tamar disguise herself as a prostitute and sleep with her father-in-law? (12-23)
5. How does Judah respond to news of Tamar’s transgression? (24) How does Tamar’s tenacity and her actions serve as a mirror for Judah to see himself and his sins and lead to his repentance? (26; cf. Genesis 44:33-34)
6. Perez, a child born out of this serious transgression is named in the genealogy of Jesus. (cf. Matthew 1:3; cf. Genesis 49:9-10) What does this tell us about God’s grace and redemption?