Verses 1-7
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Verse 7. Understand that God can and will take away life, personally killing a person if He must (Job 34:14-15). There are examples of this in the New Testament also (see Acts 11:23). Know that if He does this, it is always just.
Verses 8-10
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Onan was not willing to be a dutiful husband to Tamar, only to bring up children that would not be called his own. In other words, he was being selfish. He only wanted to go as far as sleeping with her. This was so displeasing to God that Onan had to be killed for it.
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Do not hide selfish motives beneath actions that appear Christian. This is intensely displeasing to God.
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Regarding marriage specifically, do not marry for your own purposes. Choose a spouse in order to create a marriage and bring up children that will be for the glory of God.
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Verses 11-14
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Because two of his sons died while married to Tamar, even though Tamar did nothing wrong, he feared that his third son would also die if he married Tamar. Overall, he avoided doing what was right in order to protect himself from more grief—a grief that he feared.
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Do not neglect to do what is right in order to avoid discomfort or pain.
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The pain of disobedience will always be greater in the end than the discomfort of obedience.
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Verses 15-30
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Verses 24-26. Tamar did sin in sleeping with Judah. She was not married to him. But, after Judah realized his sin, he admitted his wrongs and even protected Tamar's reputation. He humbled himself in this way.
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Even when you know that someone else has sinned, take responsibility for your own sins, and admit them.
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Do not harm someone else's reputation in order to protect your own. This only leads to humiliation in the end.
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