Discussion Questions, 12/2/12

1. Read through Matthew's genealogy recorded in Matthew 1:1-17.  Apart from the ladies mentioned, does anything else strike you about the genealogy?  Why was it important for Matthew to begin his record of Jesus' life like this?

2. Read through Genesis 38.  What flaws do you see in Judah's character?  Do you recognize any of them in your own life?

3. What does it mean to be a friend of the world?  How does Judah act as a friend of the world?  In what ways does "the world" threaten or tempt you in an ongoing way?

4. What feelings do you have as you think about Tamar in this story, and her actions?  How do you think God looked upon her actions? 

5. What do we learn about repentance from Judah's story?  How did Judah's repentance come about?  What does this tell us about our need for relationships in which we're known and cared for?

6. How does the analogy of the Lord of the Rings help in your thinking about reading the Old Testament?  How does the story of Judah and Tamar deepen our grasp of who Jesus is, what He came to do, and who He came for?