Genesis 38:1-11

Today’s chapter is a break in the story of Joseph. The drama is compelling and the lessons amazing! This is the story of Judah and Tamar. As we know, Jesus was from the line of Judah, so this little side trip in Genesis is important to His story. If you read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, you will find Tamar, a Canaanite woman, is mentioned along with Rahab (also a Canaanite), Ruth (a Moabite), and Bathsheba (wife of a Hittite). These four pagans are the only women mentioned, besides Mary. So we want to pay attention to what God tells us about Tamar.

Jon Courson says in his introduction to this story, “Jewelers wisely display diamonds against black velvet, knowing the dark background highlights the beauty of the gems.” The ugliness of sin in our background certainly makes the grace of God more brilliant in our lives! Or, as the apostle Paul wrote:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor 4:7)

Only God could take the sin and deception we read of in this chapter, weave it into the line of the Savior, and redeem the line for His glory and our salvation! So let’s get into the story:

At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. (Genesis 38:1-5)

Of course, the first thing we need to note is the opening, “At that time...” What time is it referring to? Well, Judah and his brothers had just sold off Joseph and deceived their father, who was completely unconsolable. It was Judah who had argued that the brothers NOT kill Joseph, but rather sell him to the caravan that just happened to be coming toward them. Nevertheless, having to watch his father’s agony day after day must have been too much for him, so he splits from the family. He heads for a pagan area and stays with his pagan buddy, Hirah. There he meets his Canaanite wife and has three sons. Judah ran from one dysfunctional family, only to create his own:

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death.


Then Judah said to Onan, “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so he put him to death also. (vs. 6-10)

Goodness! What a pair these boys were! Er is the first individual mentioned in the Bible to be put to death by God. The previous judgments had been against groups (the people of Noah’s time and Sodom and Gommorah). So, he must have been one nasty fellow! Jon Courson writes in his commentary here, “... the problem with wickedness is that it’s contagious. Wicked people draw other people into their depravity. So, the LORD, in His wisdom and mercy, deals with the problem decisively.” (Courson’s Old Testament Commentary, P. 173)

When Er’s brother, Onan, was ordered by Judah to take his brother’s widow and produce an heir for him, he disobeyed and “spilled his semen.” He was willing to take pleasure from Tamar, but he would not give her a son. Courson makes an important point here:

This verse is often misused as a statement against birth control. The issue here, however, isn’t about family planning. It’s about family plotting - for in his actions, Onan is saying, “I’m going to despise the directive of my father and trample on the casket of my brother. Thus, this scenario has nothing to do with God’s opinion about family planning - and everything to do with a man determined to manipulate the situation. (Courson, P. 173)

With two sons gone, Judah decides the problem must be Tamar! So he sends her to live with her father, with the promise that as soon as number three son is of age, she will have him! (vs. 11) Will Judah keep his word, and will Tamar ever have her son? Stay tuned!

 

Genesis 37:29-36

When the eldest brother, Reuben, returned from wherever he’d gone, he found that Joseph was gone, and “he tore his clothes.” (Gen 37:29) Reuben had intended on somehow rescuing his brother and returning him to Jacob (vs. 22), but now it was too late. Sometimes the moment to speak up and act is gone before we have had the courage to step out boldly. Each day we are faced with opportunities to do the right thing or to present Christ to others. Often, when the moments pass us, they never return. Today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). Joseph was gone, so now Reuben joins the cover up.

Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”


He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” (vs. 31-33)

Remember that Jacob had used the skin of a goat to deceive his father, Isaac in Genesis 27:16. Here, his sons deceived him with the blood of a goat. What goes around comes around, or, as the Bible says it, “A man reaps what he sows.” (Gal 6:7)

The brothers had hoped to be rid of Joseph and the hold he had on their fathers’ attention. But the opposite happened. Jacob became unconsolable:

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.” So his father wept for him. (vs. 34-35)

The loss for Jacob was so great that he refused the comfort of his other children. Jacob would spend his days grieving for what he had lost, rather than appreciating what blessings he had (although I’m sure we could argue whether or not these kids were a blessing)! The brothers had completely blown it! They nursed their jealously until it grew into unmitigated hatred. They plotted to kill Joseph (and for all intents and purposes, Joseph WAS dead to his family for years). They sold him as a slave. And, finally, they covered it all up with deception. Their hopes for finally having their father’s approval died when Jacob refused their comfort. Sin never satisfies - it ALWAYS brings death.

Don’t you wonder what was going through Joseph’s head through all of this? Isn’t it amazing that it appears he was silent throughout? We are not told of him protesting or resisting. Did he cry out? Certainly he must have been overwhelmed by the extent of their hatred for him. This was rejection on a huge scale. He wasn’t merely abandoned - he was sent away. Joseph would be the perfect example of the person who lets God be his defense. In the same way, Jesus did not speak to defend Himself when he was arrested and tried and crucified. This chapter ends with almost a footnote:

Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. (vs. 36)

While all looks hopeless for Joseph, we will see that God has actually rescued him. Even before Joseph was thrown into the pit, God was sending the answer in the form of the Midianite merchants. If Joseph could have seen what lay ahead for him, and for his family, in Egypt, he would have rejoiced. But at this point in the story, he must have felt desolate and deserted. When we are at our lowest point, and think all hope is gone, we need to remember that God’s plan is still unfolding, and He is already sending help our way! Can’t wait to see it all unfold!

Genesis 37:20-28

As I have been reading and rereading today’s passage, the LORD has been convicting me of how my own behavior has, at times, mimicked the behavior of Joseph’s brothers here. Let’s look at what is in their hearts as they see Joseph coming:

“Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” (Gen 37:20)

Look at what motivated their hated of Joseph: jealousy. They were contemptuous of his dreams that indicated he would rule over them. And they were jealous of the attention their father paid to his favorite son. Jealousy fed leads to hatred. Think about people around you who provoke envy in your heart: neighbors who seem to have an easier life (or easier kids), co-workers who appear to be getting farther ahead than you, a sibling who has a better marriage... Envy comes from a lack of contentment and gratitude. If we are truly thankful to God for the MANY blessings He has given us freely, we do not need to be stewing over who has it better - we can be happy for those who are doing well, not jealous.

Note that eldest brother, Reuben, makes an attempt to mollify the brothers in order to rescue Joseph:

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.


So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. (vs. 21-24)

Why didn’t Reuben just call his brothers out on this whole thing, rather than give them another option? They ripped off the offending robe and threw him into a waterless cistern in the middle of the desert! Now, apparently Reuben intended to come back and rescue Joseph, but he did not show moral courage or leadership here - he vacillated and, therefore, became as guilty as his brothers. We’re not told where Reuben went to, but verse 29 would indicate that Reuben had stepped away for a moment, because he was not there when the brothers proceeded with their actions against Joseph.

As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.


Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.


So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. (vs. 25-28)

How callous were these brothers that they could sit down and eat their meal while their brother was surely crying to them from the bottom of the cistern? Judah steps up, just like Reuben and makes a half-hearted attempt to mitigate what they’ve done. “Hey, bros, this is not going to help us if we kill him - we’ll be in deep trouble then - so let’s just get rid of him, because, hey, he’s our baby brother!” He was just trying to put lipstick on this pig. They technically wouldn’t be guilty of murder, but, as Jesus pointed out, they had already committed murder in their hearts.

So they sold Joseph to an Ishmaelite group of traveling salesmen for some silver (just like Jesus was sold). Problem solved! The brother was gone, and now they would have all of Dad’s affection, right? Wrong! We’ll look at the results of their actions tomorrow, but for now, as we sit in on judgment of these nasty boys, can we even identify just a bit with what they did??? Both Reuben and Judah showed more concern for what others thought of them than for doing the right thing. Has this ever happened to you?

This is where God convicted me this morning! It is so difficult to stand out in a group and call out gossip for what it is. It’s easier to laugh at tasteless jokes than to admit offense. When the mob we hang with is ready to lynch someone’s reputation, do we find the courage to call it wrong? It is HARD to stand up for what is right, but Jesus did not call us to EASY! Do you see the parallel here between Reuben and Judah with Pontius Pilate in listening to the mob crying out for Jesus’ blood? He washed his hands of the mess, as if it took away his guilt in the murder. Moral courage calls for more.

We’ll see tomorrow that they really didn’t solve their problem with Joseph. Sin never makes things better...

 

Genesis 37:14b-20

Today’s passage is all about betrayal, and Beth Moore refers us to a passage from the Psalms that speaks to the pain of betrayal:

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God. (Psalm 55:12-14)

Perhaps, like David, you have felt the pain of such a betrayal. We aren’t surprised when an enemy is against us. Even though it hurts, we can explain it away and brush it off. But, when someone we have been close with turns against us, the pain is deep and the scars lasting. This is the betrayal experienced by Joseph, whose brothers had grown to HATE him.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”


He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”


“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”


So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.


“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” (Gen 37:14b-20)

Before we get to the brothers, note that Joseph actually received help from the Shechemite, who should have been the enemy. Sometimes it seems like we receive better treatment from those outside of the church than our own brothers and sisters in Christ. That is truly pathetic! There were instances in the New Testament when Jesus was better received by Gentiles (the Roman Centurian, the Samaritan woman). And, of course, He was rejected by His own, who plotted to kill Him even early in His ministry.

Which brings us back to Joseph’s brothers. Joseph had traveled a great distance to check up on his brothers (and I can imagine that like all little brothers, he desperately yearned for the respect and affection of his big brothers). However, as soon as they saw him coming, their hatred reared its ugly head and they immediately plotted to KILL him! This never fails to shock me! I can understand their being truly annoyed with this kid brother wearing the obnoxious coat that screamed, “Dad loves me best!” (see verse 23) I could comprehend it if they had planned to “pants” him or taunt him - but KILL him?

This points out two dangers: that of nursing a grudge which feeds thoughts of revenge; and the danger of the mob mentality. When we stew over negative thoughts about someone we work with or about a family member or neighbor, we begin to fantasize ways to get our revenge - either through spreading gossip or finding the perfect nasty remark to make or ways to undermine their reputation, etc. Once we do this in our imagination, it’s a quick step to actually acting out our plots. A better solution? Jesus told us to pray for our enemies! Or go to them to work out a resolution and reconciliation if possible.

We know that people will do things in a group that they would never do by themselves. Every year I warn my fifth graders about the importance of choosing good friends in middle school and the need to hang out with kids who will encourage them to be their best, because if they hang with a bad crowd, they will surely do things they will regret. And the same is true for us: it matters where we seek fellowship. Do you surround yourself with believers who are like-minded, encourage you in obedience, support your marriage, cheer you on to continue to grow in Christ? Or are you hanging with the group from work that likes to party on Friday nights, or the women in your neighborhood who meet in the street to complain about their spouses, or the “friends” who counsel you to continue in an inappropriate relationship?

We know that the events here in Genesis 37 were used by God to work His eventual plan for the salvation of His people - but that does not mean He condoned the actions of the brothers. The greatest miracle is that God is able to work ALL things together for good - even the evil betrayal of brothers!

 

Genesis 37:12-14

Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.”


“Very well,” he replied.


So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. (Gen 37:12-14)

As with the entire story of Joseph, there seems to be two parts to what is happening here: the literal and the spiritual. I always just like to read exactly what is said and start there to get my gut reaction. And I think that is why I like Beth Moore’s take on this scene. We see that Joseph, a strong young man, is at home with Dad while the brothers are out doing the work of tending the sheep. So, right away, I’m upset with Jacob for continuing to set Joseph and his brothers against each other through his partiality. What he means to benefit Joseph actually works against him - as all demonstrated favoritism does! For it certainly must have rankled the brothers that Joseph remained at home while they were sweating with the sheep.

Jacob, called Israel here, asks Joseph to check up on his brothers to see “if all is well” with them down in Shechem. The word for “well” here is shalom, so Jacob is wanting to know if the brothers are experiencing peace in Shechem. And he surely should worry about that, since Shechem is the site of Dinah’s rape and the vengeful mass murder that followed. Beth points out that shalom is also the word used in verse 4, when we are told that Joseph’s brothers “hated him and could not speak a kind word [shalom] to him.” Because of their hatred towards him, they could not speak peace to Joseph. Certainly there is no peace in this family! And now Jacob is asking Joseph to report on the brothers. I’m sure it was out of true concern, but it feels like Joseph is always in the position of ratting on his brothers! That is my gut reaction!

I think back to my childhood when my mother was always making my older sister watch us three younger ones. Bless my mother, she surely could have, and should have worked it that it wasn’t seen as a punishment to my teenage sister, who yearned to be with her friends. But my sister hated having to do it, and we therefore hated having her watch us. Not a good thing! She had to go away to college for me to appreciate her!! :)

Now, Jon Courson, bless his heart, looks at this same scene and sees the parallel to the story of Christ being sent to his brothers by the Father to bring peace. Just as Joseph immediately responded in obedience and willingly left home to go to the dangerous and sin-filled Shechem, Jesus obeyed the Father in all things and agreed to leave the glory and peace of Heaven to come to our sin-filled world that we might be saved! To his father’s request, Joseph answers, “Very well,” or as the King James version says it, “Here am I.” And Jesus IS the I Am who is ALWAYS here. He willingly became a man that He might bring us to the Father! Hallelujah and amen!

What are some of our take-aways here? First, as a parent, don’t set your children against each other!!! Your job is to foster love between them, not competition! :) Then, we must look at the need for obedience in all things to our Father. When He asks us to do something or go somewhere that we know is going to be risky, do we respond with “Here am I,” or do we whine, “You want me to go WHERE???” The place of obedience is always the place of blessing and peace. What will obedience cost you? What might you have to give up? A relationship that you know is not godly? A house? A job? Even though Joseph is being sent into a very dangerous place here, it is all part of God’s wonderful plan of salvation for his family. What if we don’t obey what God is asking us to do? What might be the ramifications, not only to ourselves, but to those we love. To obey is ALWAYS the best choice!!

Tomorrow we’ll see what happens when Joseph goes to check on his brothers!!!

 

Genesis 37:5-11

Today’s segment of Genesis 37 has many warnings for us, that go way beyond the flannelgraph version of the story of Joseph’s dreams.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”


His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.


Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”


When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. (Gen 37:5-11)

Beth Moore jokingly calls Joseph a 17 year-old “brat” here. Not only did he tattle on his brothers, but then he revealed to them the dream that indicates that he will one day rule over them. Their reaction was to hate him even more! Bad enough - but then he reveals to them the second dream! Even his father, who adored him, thought this was just too much. Beth suggests that sometimes it’s wiser to keep our dreams to ourselves.

Whenever God gives a vision, it is not for the glorification of the man who receives it, but for God’s glorification. Beth poses an interesting thought when she says we need to guard our hearts against SELF-promotion, because pride is also Satan’s biggest problem, and the trait which got him kicked out of heaven (remember he wanted to be like God - which is exactly what he tempted Eve with). Therefore, when we sense that God is calling us to a work for Him, or has given us a vision for some ministry, Satan loves to come alongside and tempt us to somehow promote ourselves. Beth uses a good test: if God gave you a vision, but then told you He was giving the ministry to someone else, would you be as excited about the vision?

That is NOT to say that you should NEVER share the vision God gives you. The reality is that Joseph was acting as a prophet here, and speaking forth the truth. However, what the brothers didn’t get was that these dreams were for their BENEFIT. Joseph’s eventual rule in Egypt would be for the salvation of his family. Jon Courson points out the parallel between Jesus and Joseph here. Jesus came to save His own people, but they would not have Him rule over them (see John 19:15).

We can see the tension building here in this family. Oh my! I can’t wait to read tomorrow’s verses!!! I’m off to the first day of school! I only had two hours of sleep last night. Woke up at 1:00 and could not shut off my brain! Just like the kids, I always get a stomach ache the first day! Thankfully, this is a minimum day!

Just wanted to make one plea to you all. Please forgive me for constantly referring to Beth Moore and Jon Courson - but after 35 years of Bible study, I’m an amalgamation of all those I’ve learned from. There isn’t an original thought in my pea brain! And that is scriptural, for Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “There is nothing new under the sun.”
Love you all!

 

Genesis 37:1-4

I’ve been delaying moving forward in Genesis, because we are coming to my favorite chapters, and I wanted to start this as I’m back to my routine of daily study. School starts on Wednesday (although I go back today), so I’ve been saving this part. We now begin our study of the life of Joseph. Jon Courson points out that while God gave one verse to his creation of the universe (Gen 1:36), he gives 12 chapters to Joseph. What does that tell you about how God values the life of one individual, including you? Wow!

Joseph has always been considered a type of Jesus. There is almost nothing negative noted about his life (much like one other OT character, Daniel). Both Joseph and Daniel were taken captive into enemy territory, and rose to places of prominence within the government while maintaining their personal integrity and their commitment to God. Their focus was on pleasing God, not man, so we have much to learn from them.

Genesis 37:2 tells us, “This is the account of Jacob.” Since we’ve just left the chapter devoted to Esau’s descendants, this may be why Jacob is listed as the star. However, these remaining chapters are truly more about Joseph and his role in the salvation of Jacob’s family. I said that there is almost nothing negative written about Joseph. However, Beth Moore and Jon Courson have different takes on these first verses:

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. (Gen 37:2)

Okay, right off the bat I’m thinking that Joseph was a tattletale - and, as a teacher, I know how others respond to the class tattletale, so I’m seeing a problem here. While Beth Moore also sees it this way, Jon Courson gives Joseph the benefit of the doubt as the obedient son, completely loyal to his father’s interests, seeing after those interests. Courson says that, like Jesus, Joseph was not trying to please others, only his father. I’ll leave the interpretation to you, but, either way, we can see why Joseph’s older brothers would not be thrilled with him. But there’s more:

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. (vs. 3-4)

This is really the heart of the matter in this family: dad showed partiality to Joseph. He not only loves him the most, he blatantly displayed it, making for Joseph a fine coat of many colors that confirmed the favoritism. He probably received the biggest cuts of meat at dinner and the softest bed, too! The excuse for this partiality was that Joseph was “born to him in his old age.” However, so was Benjamin! Joseph was the firstborn of Jacob’s love, Rachel, which was probably what led to the special bond he felt. And how did Joseph’s brothers respond? They weren’t just annoyed - they actually HATED him for it! That is a strong word! They never said a kind word to their little brother!

We’ll see that Jacob suffered dearly for showing favoritism to Joseph. We need to learn this lesson as parents! It is so important that we encourage good relationships between our children. Showing partiality to one drives a wedge between siblings, and in the long run will not only hurt the child who is favored, but will also come back to haunt the parent. We have frequently heard that the problem for parents is that children do not come with a manual that tells us how to handle them - but that is not true! We have God’s Manual for Parents right here in His Word. Genesis is filled with examples of what NOT to do. We’ll see more tomorrow!