38:1–30 The shattered covenant family began to intermarry with the cursed Canaanites and risked the loss of their distinctive identity (34:1–31 note). God met this threat by sending Joseph ahead of them into Egypt where they were to be segregated (43:32; 46:34). There He preserved them until they had become a great nation and the iniquity of the Amorite was full (15:13–16). That the bizarre episode of Judah and Tamar should contribute to the genealogy of Jesus Christ is a vivid demonstration of God’s grace (Matt. 1:3–16 note).