Genesis 38

What we will find is that Genesis 38 is both a story of hurt and hope; it is a story of hurt as broken people and broken systems lead to broken promises and broken survivors; but it is also a story of hope as broken sinners ultimately lead to a savior who would be broken for us.

Outline

  • First, Broken people lead to broken survivors (38:1-10)
    • Sinful desires lead to broken people (38:1-5)
    • Sinful desires lead to a broken system (38:6-8)
    • Sinful desires lead to a broken survivor (38:9-10)
  • Second, Broken promises lead to broken hope (38:11-24)
    • There is broken hope for her marriage  (38:11-14)
    • There is broken hope for her future (38:15-19)
    • There is broken hope for her life (38:20-24)
  • Third, Broken sinners lead to a savior who will be broken for us (38:25-30)
    • A broken sinner bears the fruit of repentance (38:25-26)
    • A broken survivor bears the fruit of redemption (38:27-30)

Christ Connections

  • Matthew 1 lists five women in the genealogy of Jesus and Tamar is one of them. Tamar’s name goes from being rebuked in Genesis 38 to being revered in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:3. 
  • While Tamar was defiled by the son of Judah and rejected and used by Judah himself, a greater son of Judah has now come. And he was defiled and rejected for us so that none of us should have to carry the shame born by Tamar.
  •  This vulnerable woman made a way for Jesus, now Jesus makes a way for the vulnerable to find hope and healing and become valued members of the family of God.

Applications

  • After Tamar suffers the loss of her first husband, Er, she then suffers the loss of her dignity as she is abused by her second husband, Onan. The text indicates that this was not a one time event. Onan abuses his power and position to take advantage of a broken system to exploit her over and over again. Most people who experience abuse are like Tamar—90% of survivors know their abuser.
  • God puts Onan to death in judgment for this abuse, when God kills two of Judah’s three sons, it seems as if he is putting the promise of a deliverance in jeopardy. But the truth is God is showing that he will not compromise his character in keeping his covenant
  • The reasons that Tamar experiences abuse is that sinful desires lead broken people to misuse a broken system in a way that creates broken survivors. We can be tempted to fall into the same pattern as Judah—he didn’t realize that a broken person was taking advantage of a broken system. He didn’t see the crisis so he didn’t provide protection, we must do all we can for our church to be safe for survivors and safe from abuse.
  • Judah is creating the appearance that he is caring for Tamar but he is more concerned about himself than the survivor. Judah treated Tamar as a problem to be minimized rather than a victim to be dignified. Now, Tamar is experiencing what the survivor community calls the second abuse, the first abuse is what happened to you in that horrific moment; the second abuse is what happens to you over and over again as people don’t care well for you.