Lesson 19 – Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38)

 

Lesson 19

Judah and Tamar

Genesis 38

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OPEN IT

1. Why is sex so effective in advertising?

EXPLORE IT

1. What did Judah do? (Gen.38:1–5)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

2. Whom did Er marry, and what happened to him? (Gen.38:6–7)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

3. What did Judah tell Onan to do, what did he do, and what happened to him? (Gen.38:8–10)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

4. Why did Onan die? (Gen.38:8–10)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

5.What did Tamar do? (Gen.38:11)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

6. Why did Tamar go to live in her father’s house? (Gen.38:11)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

7. What did Tamar do when she heard that Judah had gone to Timnah? (Gen.38:13–14)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

8. What happened to Judah and Tamar in Timnah? (Gen.38:15–19)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

9. What did Judah do about his promise? (Gen.38:20–23)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

10. How did Judah respond to the news about Tamar? (Gen.38:24)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

11. How did Judah respond when he found out the truth? (Gen.38:25–26)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

12. What happened when Tamar gave birth? (Gen.38:27–30)
Parallel Verses: Acts 7:9-10; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:22

GET IT

1. What makes sexual sin so tempting?
2. How should we deal with the temptation to engage in sexual immorality?

APPLY IT

1. What can you do this week to avoid or guard against sexual temptation?

Verse Memory / Mnemonic Table

Memory Verse	Mnemonic Keyword(s)
Genesis 38:26	🧠 “UNEXPECTED RIGHTEOUSNESS”

Commentary Summary Block

Got Questions:
This passage in Genesis 38 highlights divine justice and mercy and clarifies how God calls His people to trust His word. A doctrinal focus for this lesson is that God remains faithful to His promise even when human understanding is limited, and He calls for a believing response grounded in His character.

Enduring Word:
In Judah and Tamar, the flow of the passage shows promise and blessing in the middle of real human weakness and delay. A pastoral takeaway is that God works patiently through flawed people, and the lesson invites readers to respond with obedience, humility, and confidence in the Lord’s timing.

Bible Project:
Within the larger story of Scripture, Genesis 38 advances the theme of undefined. This lesson fits into the broader biblical narrative by showing how God’s promises move history forward and prepare the way for the covenant story that unfolds across the rest of Genesis and beyond.

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