So basically, this passage is full of sex and scandals. Genesis 38 is commonly skipped because people either want to move along with the story of Joseph, or they just don't want to have to read something like this that from our perspective, doesn't seem to have any big implications. But I think the passage is important because of what it says about how we keep or make promises, and the larger picture this chapter wants to paint.
So promises/obligations unfulfilled:
1. Onan's disobedience to impregnate his older brother's widow (out of pride, he knows his son will be considered his dead brother's so he doesn't "impregnate" her)
2. Judah's unwillingness to provide his last son to Tamar (out of fear of losing him like he did his first two sons, he tells Tamar that Shelah is still young when in fact he is already of age)
3. Judah's failure to provide payment for Tamar's services (out of shame he stopped looking for her to get her the present he owes her)
So obligations were unmet because of pride (you're asked to do something you don't want to do), fear (you are afraid of giving up whatever it is you have), or shame (what you were asked to do might embarrass you in front of others). Tamar was considered more righteous by Judah because she didn't hide anything and she held him accountable to the promises that were broken to her.
The bigger picture that this chapter paints is the significance of Perez, the son of Tamar. One of Perez's descendants is a widely known king named David. And even further than that a man named Jesus of Nazareth. You can create a contrast between these obligations and God's promise. The former is usually performed out of consequences. God fulfills his promises through grace. And what's even more interesting is that He fulfills His promises through people who couldn't keep theirs.
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