The big question that arises in Genesis 38 is why is this event recorded here? Why does this story “interrupt” the flow of the Joseph narrative? You will notice in chapter 39 the narration returns to Joseph and continues with him until the end of Genesis. Some scholars reject this text by calling it an addition because it seems to break the flow of the Joseph story. But we know that God puts these stories in the scriptures for a reason. The scriptures do not contain random stories, but actual events purposefully placed in the scriptures to teach readers about God. So rather than be troubled by this chapter and its inclusion, we should ask what God is teaching us at this point.
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