I guest taught a lesson in a Bible study class that is working its way through Genesis.  This is the study guide/discussion questions that I used with the class.

Genesis 38

“The Pot Calling the Kettle Black”

1. Chapter 38 opens with the phrase, “At that time” – what was “that time”?  What had taken place?  What was Judah’s role in it?  How did it turn out?  Where did Judah go?  Why?  What takes place?
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2. Who are Er, Onan, and Shelah?  What did Judah do for Er?  How did Er live according to God’s view?  What happened to him?  What was Onan’s responsibility?  How did he respond to that?  What was God’s response?
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3. What instruction does Judah then give Tamar?  Why?  After time passes and his wife dies, where does Judah decide to go?  Who hears about it?  What does she do?  Why?  When he sees her, who does Judah think she is?
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4. What arrangement does Judah make with the woman he meets?  What does he leave as a guarantee of payment?  What happens when Judah tries to send what was promised?  What is he told?  What does he do?
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5. What news is brought to Judah three months after this incident?  What does he want to have done?  What message does Tamar send to Judah?  How does he respond to this?  What takes place in the proper time?  Who are Perez and Zerah?  Where do we read of them again?

So what?

1. How often do circumstances and bad choices take you down a path you shouldn’t be on?  Is it easier to hide from regrets or face them?  Which is better?  Why is it so hard to see that at the time?
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2. How bad is too bad?  How do you respond to things that you aren’t given a choice about?  How much do you consider what’s in it for you when you decide a course of action?  How long do you think you would live if God punished all selfish actions in the way Onan was punished?
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3. Are there things that you try to keep to yourself that really belong to someone else?  Are there times that you fail to take the circumstances into account and begin to believe something will happen simply because it has happened before – forgetting why it happened and so, how to avoid it?  Have you ever used deceit to persuade someone to do what is right?  Is that a good idea?
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4. Do you have possessions that people would generally identify as belonging to, or coming from, you?  How willing would you be to give these up, particularly to a stranger?  How might trying to retrieve something that was “lost” in a questionable manner make you look?  Have you ever given up on something simply to avoid others noticing, and reacting to, what you did?
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5. How quick are you to judge people based on what others say about them?  Do you tend to be harsher or more lenient on those who fall to the same sin you struggle with?  Why?  How do you respond when your hypocrisy is exposed?  Do you have confidence that God can use the messed up circumstances in your life to accomplish great things?  You should!