Section 9 - Part 2:

Order of Service:

Announcements

Martyrs and Missionaries

Communion

Worship

Teaching

Fellowship / Discussion

Prayer time as a group

Current Sermon Position:

Gen 1:1-2:4 The generations of the heavens and the earth

Gen 2:4-5:1 The book of the generations of Adam

Gen 5:1-6:9 The generations of Noah

Gen 6:9-10:1 The generations of the sons of Noah

Gen 10:1-11:10 The generations of Shem

Gen 11:10-11:27 The generations of Terah

Gen 11:27-25:19 The generations of Isaac

Gen 25:19-37:2 The generations of Jacob

Gen 37:2-Ex 1:1 The generations of the Sons of Jacob

Hermeneutic Notes:

Rhetorical or Narrative Changes:

Authorship and Date

When was Genesis written? ~1491-1400 BC with the Exodus ~1447 BC

Who wrote it? Moses

How could a book written so long ago be organized in such a detailed way to foreshadow the specific individuals that would come as ancestors for the Messiah?

Soteriology

The soteriological plan of God: Heilsgeschichte (Salvation history)

Topical Concerns:

The holiness of God

The soteriological plan of God: Heilsgeschichte (Salvation history)

God’s use of human sin to bring about His will - His Sovereignty

Fatherly responsibility

A husband’s responsibility to love his wife and children

Familial responsibility

Jesus’ lineage

God using the second born, not the normal birth order

Adultery

Hypocrisy

Not fulfilling the love of a husband

Failure to teach his children in the way they should go

Marriage outside of God’s expectations

Context:

Introduction to Judah

Judah is a primary character to observe his faithfulness grow in Genesis

Perez is the ancestor of Jesus:

Matthew 1:1–17 NASB95

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Text

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 38

1 And it came about at that time, that

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Adullamite) ADULLAMITE [Heb. ’aḏullāmî]. A man of ADULLAM (1), used only of Judah’s friend Hirah (Gen. 38:1, 12, 20).

Joshua 15:35 “Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and Azekah,”

1 Samuel 22:1 “So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him.”

Who were the Adullamites in the Bible?

Adullamites were inhabitants of Adullam[1], a city located in the Shephelah region roughly midway between Bethlehem and Gath[2]. The biblical record provides remarkably limited information about this group—the only Adullamite explicitly named in Scripture is Hirah, identified as a friend of Judah[1] in the Genesis 38 account of Judah and Tamar.

Hirah appears in Genesis 38 as Judah’s companion and is entrusted with delivering a pledge on Judah’s behalf[2]. The term “Adullamite” literally means “native of Adullam,” and since Adullam was a royal city during the conquest period, Hirah was likely a king if he held that status during his own time[3].

While Adullamites as a people group remain largely obscure in biblical narrative, Adullam itself held strategic importance throughout Israel’s history. The city features prominently in David’s rise to power, as David fled from Saul to a cave near Adullam and gathered approximately 400 men there[2]. After the conquest, Adullam was allotted to the tribe of Judah[2], and it later served as a settlement for returning exiles and as a refuge for Judas Maccabeus during the Maccabean revolt[2]. The sparse biblical references to Adullamites themselves suggest they were simply the ordinary residents of this strategically significant Judahite city rather than a distinct ethnic or cultural group.

[1] Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., in Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995). [See here, here.] [2] Jeffries M. Hamilton, “Adullam (Place),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1:81. [3] William Muir, “ADULLAM,” in A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, ed. James Hastings et al. (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912), 1:44.

1 Chronicles 2:3 “The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, so He put him to death.”

Should Judah have had a relationship with a Canaanite?

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 38

6 Now

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 38

12 Now after a considerable time

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 38

20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 He asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is

Judah had committed adultery in his heart while fulfilling his obligation to his daughter-in-law

Judah and the Adullamite thought they would appear as fools by the people but their sin would be remembered forever

This act brought twins into the world

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 38

24 Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “

In God’s eyes, was adultery allowed?

Judah judged when he had sinned - he judged Tamar as a harlot, which she wasn’t, while he was an adulterer, which he was in his heart.

Matthew 7:1–6 ““Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Judah saw the righteousness of Tamar but still did not carry out the loving relationship he should have had with her at that point

1 Corinthians 7:2–5 “But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

Judah should have feared God and fulfilled what he committed to.

Instead if ensuring his son knew his responsibility and fulfilled it, he lied to Tamar.

Judah feared God but instead of this leading to righteous living, he sinned against Tamar and Shelah

Tamar, by not having Shelah fulfill his role as a brother

Shelah because he did not instruct him in the fear of the Lord

Genesis 38:11 “Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.”

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 38

27 It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. 28 Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named

This is the reason for this chapter: Perez.

Perez was technically the second born, but ends up being

Application:

Fatherly Leadership and Love

Don’t let the Devil in your bed

Fear God, hate sin

God is merciful even with us in our sin (He used the sin of Judah to bring about Jesus)

Fear God in your judgment of others

A wife/woman can take action to ensure the holiness of the family

NOTE:

The German word is Heilsgeschichte, a compound word formed from the words for “salvation” and “history.”[1] In English, “salvation history” is the most common translation[2], though other equivalents include redemptive history, sacred history, and similar formulations.[1]

The term appears to have been introduced by Johann Christian Konrad von Hofmann in 1841[2], and it denotes a theological principle that interprets the Bible as describing God’s actions of salvation in history.[1]

[1] Bill T. Arnold, Encountering the Book of Genesis: A Study of Its Content and Issues, ed. Walter A. Elwell and Eugene H. Merrill, Encountering Biblical Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1998), 222. [2] L. Ann Jervis, Paul and Time: Life in the Temporality of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2023), 1.

The dating of Genesis depends significantly on which scholarly tradition you follow.

Traditional View (Mosaic Authorship)

According to traditional scholarship, Moses authored Genesis, with the writing likely occurring during the forty-year wilderness period around 1491–1451 B.C.[1] More recent estimates within this framework place the composition between 1440 and 1400 B.C., spanning from the exodus through Moses’s death.[2] There is no conclusive reason to deny Mosaic authorship.[2]

Modern Critical Scholarship

The picture becomes more complex in contemporary academic circles. Modern critical scholars argue that Genesis was written or edited from various sources much later, around the time of the temple’s destruction and Judah’s exile to Babylon, beginning in 597 B.C.[3] While there appears to be scholarly consensus that Genesis took its final form sometime after the Babylonian exile—perhaps in the fifth century B.C.—it nonetheless draws heavily on ancient Near Eastern traditions and texts that are considerably older.[3]

Scholarly Disagreement

The debate hinges on linguistic and literary analysis. Some scholars point to Genesis’s archaic language, which differs markedly from known post-exilic texts like Chronicles, suggesting an earlier date.[3] Others contend that Genesis depends on prophetic literature known to be exilic or post-exilic.[3] There is general agreement that multiple sources underlie Genesis, even if a single editor unified them into one work.[3]

The answer ultimately depends on whether you prioritize traditional attribution or modern source criticism.

[1] William Smith, in Smith’s Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1986). [See here.] [2] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013). [See here, here.] [3] Simon Oliver, Creation: A Guide for the Perplexed, Guides for the Perplexed (London; Oxford; New York; New Delhi; Sydney: Bloomsbury T&T Clark: An Imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc; Bloomsbury, 2017), 11–12.

Paul explicitly instructs married couples to “stop depriving one another” of sexual intimacy (1 Cor 7:2–5), establishing that regular sexual relations form an essential part of Christian marriage rather than an obstacle to spirituality.

This teaching directly counters a misconception circulating in the Corinthian church. Some were teaching that celibacy within marriage was necessary and spiritual, but Paul advocates celibacy for the unmarried while opposing it within marriage[1]. A physical sexual relationship between husband and wife is perfectly compatible with Christian spirituality[1].

The biblical framework treats sexual intimacy as both a privilege and a responsibility. Each spouse has a duty to fulfill the other’s needs, and neither has exclusive authority over their own body—that authority belongs to the spouse (1 Cor 7:2–5). Pleasure in sexual relations is both healthy and expected, since the bodies of both parties belong to each other[2].

The only legitimate exception to regular sexual relations is temporary abstinence by mutual agreement for prayer, after which couples should resume relations so Satan cannot exploit their lack of self-control (1 Cor 7:2–5). Both parties must agree to the decision and the terms of their temporary period of sexual abstinence[3].

Beyond Paul’s teaching, Scripture celebrates marital sexuality throughout. Proverbs encourages a man to rejoice in his wife and be satisfied by her love (Prov 5:18–19), while Hebrews affirms that the marriage bed is to be undefiled and held in honor (Heb 13:4). Sexual relations are equal and reciprocal, with neither spouse having superior rights, and mutual stimulation and initiation are legitimate throughout Scripture[2].

[1] Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020). [See here, here.] [2] David G. Moore and Daniel L. Akin, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Max Anders (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2003), 14:189. [3] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2014–2021). [See here.]

The clearest passage on this principle is Matthew 7:1–2, where Jesus teaches: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6:37 presents a parallel formulation: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” The principle extends beyond judgment itself—the passage continues with the image of generosity: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:37–38)

Romans 2:1 sharpens the application: “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” This suggests that harsh judgment often reflects our own hidden guilt.

James 2:13 connects judgment to mercy: “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” The underlying principle is reciprocal accountability—the standard you apply to others becomes the measure applied to you.

Related passages on judgment:

Romans 14:10–13 grounds this teaching in eschatology: “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God... Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” James 4:11–12 emphasizes God’s exclusive authority: “He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law... There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?”

Genesis 38 exists primarily to establish the lineage of Perez, whose descendants become central to Israel’s future. Perez’s birth paves the way for David, Israel’s great king, as shown in the genealogy at the end of Ruth[1]. More significantly, Perez appears in Jesus’s genealogy in Matthew, with the text specifically noting that Judah fathered Perez and Zerah through Tamar[1].

The narrative also introduces Tamar, who becomes one of only a handful of women mentioned in Christ’s lineage. Tamar is one of only four women—alongside Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba—included in Jesus’s genealogy[1]. Her inclusion is particularly striking because God often chose people outside of Israel to carry out His purposes[2], and both Tamar and Ruth exemplify the kinsman-redeemer principle, though Tamar had to pursue a relationship rightfully hers while Boaz eagerly pursued the same for Ruth[2].

The chapter also establishes a pattern that echoes throughout Scripture. Perez’s birth exemplifies a common Old Testament theme where a younger son becomes pre-eminent over his older brother[3]. Though technically not firstborn, Perez “broke through” to be born before his twin[2], mirroring how God repeatedly chose non-firstborn sons for the messianic line.

Finally, Ruth connects the end of Genesis—where Perez is born—to Samuel, where David becomes king[2], making Genesis 38 foundational to understanding how God’s redemptive plan unfolds through unexpected people and circumstances.

[1] Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder, Genesis 12–50, Logos Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2026). [See here, here, here.] [2] Andrew E. Steinmann, Michael Eschelbach, et al., Called to Be God’s People: An Introduction to the Old Testament, ed. Andrew E. Steinmann, Called by the Gospel (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2006), 1:253. [3] John D. Barry, David Bomar, et al., eds., “Perez, Son of Judah,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). [See here.]