Bible Study: Genesis Chapters 38

A Picture of the Seriousness of God

Prayer:

             Heavenly Father, teach me to take seriously the things that You take seriously so that I might be pure and acceptable in Your sight. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. 

Introduction:

            Being the youngest in the family had definite advantages. When one of my siblings said a word that propelled my mother like a missile to the cupboard in search for red pepper, I withdrew from playing “mocking bird.” When their actions caused my father to unbuckle his belt, I ceased playing “mirror me.” Sure, I did my share of tactless behavior and suffered the consequences. Nevertheless, through observation, I avoided some hard-knock lessons and learned to take seriously the things that my parents took seriously.

The Lesson

            The oldest in Jacob’s family, Judah set his own course of rebellion by obviously mocking the God of his forefathers. Judah married outside of the family circle (verses 1 and 2) and didn’t bother teaching his sons to take seriously the things of Almighty God. Judah’s oldest son, Er married a woman named Tamar. He was so wicked that the Bible says the LORD killed him before he had any children (verse 7).

            The custom in those days required the brother of a man who died childless to take the responsibility of supplying an heir by taking the deceased man’s wife as a second wife. The first-born of that union became the lawful heir of the dead man. Neither the brother nor the widow had the right to refuse the demand of the head of the family to fulfill this obligation. Onan, Judah’s second son, agreed to the wishes of his father, but deliberately and deceptively prevented conception. While he may have fooled Jacob, Onan did not fool the LORD. And the thing which he [Onan] did displeased the LORD: wherefore he [the LORD] slew him also (verse 10).

            So why would a seemingly small matter displease the LORD so much? First disobedience is never a small matter to our Heavenly Father. Disobedience stems from a rebellious heart. Since God is truth, deception goes against the very nature of God. Remember—God created us in His image and expects us to reflect Him in all that we do. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

            The picture becomes clearer as we look deeper into Onan’s motives. In Biblical times, the eldest son received the largest portion of the inheritance. If that son died with no heirs, his inheritance deferred to the next in line, in this case, Onan and his sons. So he would have received Er’s portion as well as his own. If Onan had fathered a son for his brother, that child would have received more than Onan and his sons. Onan had wrapped his disobedience and deception in a tight ball of greed. As deception goes against God’s nature, greed also goes against the Loving and Giving Being of Almighty God. From the beginning, God said that sin brings death. Sometimes death comes swiftly, sometimes it lingers; but it is always sure.

            After Onan’s death, Judah requested Tamar to wait for his third son, Shelah, to mature and then he would marry her and give her children. Tamar returned to her father’s house and lived as a grieving widow for several years (verse 11).

            Apparently, Judah was a slow learner when it came to God-lessons. With the passing of time, Judah’s wife died, and after grieving, he traveled to Timnah. Realizing that Shelah had become of age, but no marriage had been arranged, Tamar played a harlot and entrapped Judah. Three months later, he received word that she was pregnant by the man who gave her his staff and seal. Judah recognized his property and admitted that Tamar was more righteous in her behavior than he had been because he had refused to carry out his vow to her concerning Shelah.

Conclusion and Challenge

Bottom line: No matter how our culture identifies it, interprets it, or justifies it, God takes sin seriously.

Paul wrote: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (driven by lust), Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance (discord that splits a group), emulations (haughty ambitions), wrath, strife, seditions (resisting authority), heresies (beliefs contrary to the gospel), envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings (unrestrained festivities), and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

It is easy to name each sin and state how our culture has justified that which God has condemned. Those who are prone to alcoholism are no longer considered drunks, rather they are ill due to a chemical imbalance. Those who murder are merely responding to their unfavorable past. Homosexuals are born with an extra chromosome. Liars are impulsive and cannot help themselves. But the Word of God says they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21b).

God takes sin seriously. We cannot hide it or rationalize it. Sin is sin. We must face it and take it as seriously as God does. Our only escape from it and the death that accompanies it—our only hope is repentance and belief in Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God.