The reading for Thursday, January 12, 2023 , is Genesis 38 - 40
Today's reading: Genesis 38 - 40 Judah & Tamar, Joseph & Potiphar's Wife, the Cupbearer & the Baker, Er and Onan were so wicked in the Lord's sight so the Lord put them to death. What did they do that was so wicked? Jacob was no angel from my point of view. Jacob deceived Isaac and got his brother's blessing and birthright. In Onan's case, it tells us that it's because he would not fulfill his duty as a brother-in-law by producing children with Er's wife, Tamar. This just seems an odd custom to me. I cannot understand it without more cultural explanation. Tamar is not given to Judah's 3rd son, Shelah, as the custom would indicate, so Tamar takes matters into her own hands. Tamar poses as a proustite in order to sleep with Judah. Judah and Tamar negotiate a price for her services as a prostitute. Why does this seem permissible for Judah? How did Tamar know that he would partake of her "services"? When Judah tries to pay this prosti...