Interrupting the flow of the Joseph narrative at the end of Genesis is this one-chapter interlude, telling us how it came to be that Judah has descendants. Onanism and prostitution are mentioned, so not exactly an episode that would make sense for younger ears. Levirate marriage is also discussed, but that probably isn't as big of a deal for younger listeners...
And yes, this is another story in salvation history where the characters go through something that looks pretty bad, and potentially is pretty bad, but it gets redeemed in the end with the advent of Christ. If you've been noticing a theme for every time we've dipped our toes into the Torah, you would be right!
As always,
