It is vital that we spend time in God’s Word.

But it’s not always easy.

We read a chapter and we don’t know what to get out of it or even how to start to understand it.

I thought I could try to help you get a little something out of what you are reading by providing you with some questions to ask as you look at the text.  Good questions are a good start to understanding. Sometimes there will be more questions, sometimes less.

You can do this!

So, get a notebook, a pen, your Bible, and if you would like some help, take some time to answer the questions, and you may be surprised by all God teaches you.

Genesis 38

1. We’ve been talking about Joseph, and yet here the writer turns to look at another brother. What brother does he focus on here?
2. That may be a hint even as we read the story of Joseph which is going to occupy the rest of the book, that the story of Joseph is not just about Joseph?
3. Judah seems to have a friendship with someone from Adullam, and he goes to visit him, and what does he see and do there?
4. If you look back at 34:2, there seems to be some hypocrisy here doesn’t there?
5. But they have a number of children, and Judah takes a wife for his firstborn.How did the writer describe the woman to whom Judah got “married?” Does he say that about the woman he took for his firstborn? So that tells you what?
6. What happens though to his firstborn and why?
7. What does this tell you about God?
8. What does Judah then tell his next son to do? As you look at verses 8-9, what word is repeated? Why is this particular word important in the context of Genesis?
9. So, we know the SEED is supposed to come through Judah, and yet the SEED is in trouble here. But in verse 11, what does Judah do? What does that tell you about Judah? Is he concerned about the great promise God had made?
10. Who is concerned about the seed as you read the rest of the chapter?
11. Who disguised himself earlier to receive the blessing? Now, what does Tamar do to receive the blessing?
12. How does Judah respond when he finds out Tamar is pregnant? What does this tell you about Judah? What does she do then and what does he acknowledge about her then?
13. She gives birth to twins. Who had twins earlier? What happened to those twins? And what happens to these twins? What is the surprise we are seeing here?
14. Now, for us, this is another strange and sad story. But what is God doing? Behind all the sin and foolishness and quite frankly awful thinks humans are doing, what is God doing? What is God making sure will happen and what hope does that give us?