Genesis 39:1-6

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1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. ~ Genesis 39:1-6

Today, we transition into Genesis 39 where the story of Joseph is being unfolded. This man who once had a coat of distinction is now seen in Egypt enslaved by Potiphar the captain of Pharaoh’s army. Since the introduction of Joseph in Genesis 37, we have noted that the thread through his life is the idea of forgiveness. We pointed out that there are three parts to forgiveness: the injury, the debt incurred by the injury, and the cancellation of that debt. Today, we will see the unfolding of this major doctrine which is a must if we are to be reconciled to God.

In v.1 of today’s passage we read, “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.”

Joseph had been stripped of his robe, shoved into a pit, and sold into slavery by his brothers. And then, he was taken away from his family and his land to a people of a foreign place where there was no knowledge of the God of the Bible. Joseph would be there for 13 years before he would see his family again. And Joseph kept believing in the God of the Bible and the presence of God was pronounced in his life as a result.

At the young age of 17 Joseph was now alone in a foreign land. But God, who is always in control, even when the events around us seem to show otherwise, was preparing Joseph to do some very cool things that would impact the entire world. Joseph's amazing journey which went from slavery to the second highest position in Egypt, unfolds in today’s passage. When life seems to be going great and setbacks come along, we can rest assured that God has some big things planned in our immediate future. Only when we find ourselves clinging to God will we be positioned to see the great things the Lord has in store for us. Of course, we mustn't let ourselves think that it is only about us because when God blesses us, He always has someone else in mind. It is arrogance that always short circuits God's will both in and through our lives.

In v.2-4 of today’s passage we read, “2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”

Here, the name YHWH is reintroduced into the continuing narrative of the events of Israel. He’s only been mentioned 6 times in the past 8 chapters and yet He will be mentioned 8 times in this one chapter. His name has been used very little, but in the case of Joseph, it will be used alot due to the relationship Joseph had with Him. Because the Lord is named here, we can know immediately that everything which has and will happen is being directed by Him for the sake of the covenant that He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was the God of the Bible who was attending to these events in order to ensure that they unfolded perfectly to fulfill the covenant. As Joseph so diligently walked with God, the Lord used him to picture for us the Lord Jesus Christ. All the while God used the yielded life of this remarkable young man to eventually lead many to faith in the Lord Jesus.

YHWH was with Joseph because Joseph exercised YHWH's presence everyday. The Lord is there everyday in our lives, the question becomes, “Do we exercise His presence every day?” To exercise God’s presence is to be aware of His involvement in our lives daily. It is listening for Him to speak to us through His Word, His Spirit, nature and people. Becoming aware of God in our daily lives requires intentionality. We must be in the practice of looking for Him and expecting Him to speak to us. The litmus test to determining whether it is God's voice or not is whether what He says jives with His Word, the Bible.

Due to the fact that God was with Joseph, he found favor in the eyes of those around him in Egypt. When we read that Potiphar saw that the Lord is with Joseph, it doesn’t mean that Potiphar knew who the Lord was for himself. It means that he saw that Joseph was blessed and that he was a blessing to him and his family. As a result, Potiphar trusted Joseph so much that he allowed him to live in his home. This didn't happen over night which suggests that Joseph was consistent in his walk with the Lord. Saying "no" to the self-life is a must if we are to walk in the Spirit. As a result, Potiphar’s home was blessed and it prospered by the presence of God in the life of Joseph.

The biggest sign that we are walking with the Lord is that we increasingly are becoming servants. As the grace of God increased in the life of Joseph, he experienced more favor from Potiphar. The increase of Potiphar’s favor was in direct proportion to Joseph choosing to be the servant of the Lord. Joseph had been faithful to the Lord his God and now the blessing of His God was upon him to the point that he was made the overseer of the house of Potiphar. The word for “overseer” comes from the Hebrew word which means "to superintend." This honorary position had been granted to Joseph for his diligence and faithfulness over a great period of time. In this capacity, Joseph was granted complete authority and free-will to exercise that authority over all matters related to Potiphar.

In v.5-6 of today’s passage we read, “5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” 

In the middle of such great blessing suddenly out of no where, an entirely new thought and direction comes into play at the very end of today's passage. This is the wrench thrown into the mechanism of it all, the pesky fly in the ointment. And, if we look at it as such, we will miss entirely God and His culture that He so desires to inculcate into us. The break is so sudden and obvious that one has to step back and wonder why the verse wasn’t divided before this sentence was even constructed. But, God who oversees His word determined it to be this way. 

The words, “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance” slap us directly in the face. These were the very same set of words given to describe Joseph's mother, Rachel, all the way back in Genesis 29:17. It reads, “Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.” 

This seemingly innocuous statement set up a course of events which led to seven years for Jacob as he worked off his payment for his desired wife, Rachel. But he didn't get Rachel, he got her sister, Leah. Then, another seven years of trial and grief working off payment for a second wife. All because of the deception of his father in law. In a similar way, through the deception of another person, this same set of words will lead to some years of grief for Joseph followed by his exaltation to become the second highest in the land of Egypt. And when he is in that position, there will be seven years of abundance and then seven years of famine. Thus the connection between Rachel and Joseph is one of astonishing symmetry and beauty.

Today’s passage highlights for us the sovereignty of God even in the unwanted moments of our lives. This is why we must never allow the "victim's mentality" to take hold in our lives because it is through these unwanted moments that the real star of the narrative arrives, the Lord Jesus who was, in essence, sold by His brothers to the Gentiles. Like Joseph, when they rejected the Lord Jesus, His message was carried to the nations. The Ishmaelites, the people whom God heard, carried the truth to the world. In the same way that the Lord was with Joseph, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon the Lord Jesus. Similar also to Joseph, the Lord Jesus according to 1 Peter 2:25 is “the Overseer of our souls.”

Once after Charles Spurgeon spoke to a large crowd in England while in the vestibule a man was asked what he thought of Spurgeon. Not knowing that Spurgeon was standing nearby listening, the man asked what his friend thought of the service, and he replied, “What a preacher!” Spurgeon began to weep. Someone asked him what was wrong and Spurgeon said, “I wish he had said, ‘What a Savior!’”

Genesis 38:20-30

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20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said. 22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.” 24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.” 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again. 27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez. 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah. ~ Genesis 38:20-30

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 38 which provides a contrast to the life of faith that God has called us to in this fallen world. In our last study we learned that after Judah lost his wife he sought the services of a prostitute, thinking that somehow his sorrows could be swept away by an exciting tryst with someone to whom he didn't have to be committed. Boy, did he discover that it does not serve to feed the flesh. The truth is when we live for a fleeting moment of pleasure by feeding the flesh we reap death and destruction.

In v.20-23 of today’s passage we read, "20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said. 22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her."

Having received the services of a prostitute, Judah sent the promised goat with his friend Hirah the Adullamite to be delivered to the unidentified woman. As Hirah went about asking about the whereabouts of the harlot, we learn that he used a different word for “harlot” which was the word used for a temple prostitute. Temple harlots had sex for religious purposes, not specifically for money. With his search being completed, Hiram did not find the woman. 

In this true story we learn that Judah's real problem was he lacked a conscience before God. This is what being defined by sin does to us, it weakens our heart for God. And, it is at that point that we lack the heart to be obedient to God. But, what we fail to see is that when we do not obey God, He loses nothing. In fact, when we choose not to be defined by God, we loose as we will see in this unfolding story.

This chapter began with “Judah departed.” Judah, which means “thank you,” went to visit Hirah the Adullamite. Hirah means “nobility.” Adullam means “the righteousness of the people.” The hidden message given in these names is: our pursuit of righteousness and nobility is of no value before God. Judah named his firstborn son Er which means “watcher.” Judah’s wife named their second-born son Onan which means “strong.” And then she named their third-born son Shelah which means “prosperity.” And, Shelah was named while Judah was in Chezib, which means “false.” Being sons of Judah, they should have been defined by God by being faithful to His covenant, but it is clear that they were not defind by God and thus they did not walk in the ways of God.

The last son born to Judah was Benjamin, which means "Son of my right hand." Benjamin was a picture of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 9:30-32 we read, “30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.”

What the Jews sought, they did not attain, and what the Gentiles didn’t pursue, they did attain. But this was so that God can have mercy on us all, Jew and Gentile alike. The answer is never found in the self life. The answer is always found in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.24-26 of today’s passage we read, "24 About three months later Judah was told, 'Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.' Judah said, 'Bring her out and have her burned to death!' 25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. 'I am pregnant by the man who owns these,' she said. And she added, 'See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.' 26 Judah recognized them and said, 'She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.' And he did not sleep with her again."

It had been a bit more than three months and Tamar was obviously showing the signs of her pregnancy. To this news Judah requested death to Tamar by fire which was the custom of the people in that area at that time. In one of the most ironic twists of the Bible, Tamar, on her way to being burned to death, sent Judah’s signet ring, cord, and staff back to him, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” Judah’s statement that, “She was more righteous than I” was her vindication before her accusers. And then the reason was given. Judah knowingly withheld from her the promised child, his third son, Shelah. This is how we know that she understood her right to the Messianic line. If it was to come through Judah, and Shelah was not to be given to her, then her act with Judah would bring about the child leading to Christ.

In v.27-30 of today’s passage we read, "27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, 'This one came out first.' 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, 'So this is how you have broken out!' And he was named Perez. 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah."

Twins were born to Judah and Tamar. During childbirth, one brother’s hand emerged first, and a scarlet thread was tied around his wrist to confirm that he was to be the heir. But when he withdrew his hand, his brother barged past and was born first. The line-jumper was named Perez, which means break through. The one with the scarlet thread is called Zerah, which means the rising of the light. In those two names is found the heart of the gospel. This is the point of the Bible which constantly points us to that which the scarlet thread points us. Consistent throughout the Bible is the message: "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." This is so due to the fact that it is only life that can overcome death. This is the message of the cross that the rising of the light of God on the soul that willingly invites Him in dispels all darkness. 

Genesis 38:12-19

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12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.” ~ Genesis 38:12-19

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 38 which chronicles the family tree of Jacob’s fourth born son to Leah, Judah. This chapter underscores the utter importance of being defined by God. When it is not God who defines us, we tend to do really dumb stuff thinking it is good.

The tribe of Judah settled in the region south of Jerusalem and in time became the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce the great kings David and Solomon but also, it was prophesied, the Messiah would come through Judah. Judah's role as the de-facto leader among his brothers came about due to the moral failings of his brothers Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. Judah’s sense of authority over his brothers was moral and it continued even beyond Judah’s later indiscretions. 

Judah means “thank you” which is a key characteristic involved in the development of a deepening walk with God. In Romans 1 we learn that when we turn away from the Lord, that turn away begins with a lack of gratitude in our hearts for the Lord. Often, the more we get, leads to the more we want. Materialism leads to the “give-me” attitude where stuff fills the void of our heart. This is why it is most important that we are defined by God because without His value system being inculcated into our souls we will fall for foolishness.

In v.12 of today’s passage we read, “Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.”

The friends and family of Judah were obviously concerned for him after his wife died. The death of his wife preceded Judah going to Timnah where Judah’s sheep shearers were located. After a period of time of mourning, Judah was invited to the parties and festivities that were known to be a part of the festive shearing of the sheep at Timnah. Judah took along with him his friend Hirah the Adullamite to enjoy the festivities that would distract Judah from his pain.

In v.13-14 of today’s passage we read, “13 And it was told Tamar, saying, ‘Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.’ 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.”

In that culture a woman's identity was so wrapped up in the children that she was able to birth. From the beginning God had emphasized the importance of having children, but as was the case, Tamar allowed this very important thing to become more important than it should have been. Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah was so desperate for a son that she posed as a prostitute in the pathway of Judah her father in law. 

The clothes that Tamar wore while living in her father’s house distinguished her as a widow. She had remained faithful to her trust not only by not marrying, but also by showing those around her that she was a widow and living as a widow. If nothing else, the righteousness of her actions are testified to in the Bible. However, because of the length of time mentioned in the previous verse, Tamar had figured out that Judah had no intention of giving his third son to her as a husband. This was her right and if she knew of the Messianic blessing, then even more so. And so she devised a plan, maybe without knowing its outcome, to get him to see the error of his ways. She put on a veil and wrapped herself in a manner that would identify her as a prostitute. 

The word for “veil” is used only three times in the Bible. The first was when Rebekah covered herself as she approached her husband-to-be, Isaac. The other two are both in this story. Tamar was unknown to Judah because of the veil. It had been long enough for the third born son of Judah named Shelah to grow up to the point that she should have been given to him as a wife, but it hadn’t happened. Now, in order to be justified as she should have been by Judah, she turned the tables on him.

In v.15 of today’s passage we read, “When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.”

Since Tamar had dressed as a harlot in a harlotry kind of place, and her face was covered to disguise her identity, Judah had no way of knowing she was his daughter-in-law Tamar. This explains how he could inquire of her services. Since Judah was in such pain after the death of his wife, he justified soliciting the services of a prostitute. Again, this is why it is so important to be defined by God. God is clear in His word that there is to be one man for one woman and vice versa.

In v.16-19 of today's passage we read, "16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, 'Please let me come in to you;' for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, 'What will you give me, that you may come in to me?' 17 And he said, 'I will send a young goat from the flock.' So she said, 'Will you give me a pledge till you send it?' 18 Then he said, 'What pledge shall I give you?' So she said, 'Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.' Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood." 

Judah, seeing this woman by the wayside, being unmarried, and being completely unsuspecting of who she really was, made an offer for sex. Judah knew what he was doing when he asked to have sex with this prostitute. He knew that having sex with her was a part of the Canaanite religion and that the Canaanites would consider that he was doing this as an act of worship to one of their gods or goddesses. 

Judah, thinking that having sex with a prostitute would ease pain and comfort him, asked for sex and Tamar asked what he was willing to pay for her services. Judah offered her a kid goat for her services. Having agreed upon the price, Tamar then asked for a pledge or a deposit. At the point when the goat was received, it would be then that the deposit would be returned. The deposit was three things; Judah's signet ring, cord, and staff.

Again, this story was given to us to give us a contrast between being defined by God or being defined by our unfettered desires. It does not take long for us to realize that the wages of feeding the flesh are destructive. God desires not to restrict our freedom by He knows that left to ourselves we run a muck of our lives. 

The Holy Spirit is symbolized by the dove throughout the Bible. A dove has 9 main feathers on each wing, empowering its’ flight. In the New Testament we are informed that there are 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit and 9 fruits of the Spirit. These gifts and fruits are given to the yielded believer in order to enable us for our godly journey. The dove is unique from other birds in that instead of its wings pointing downward (toward its tail); the wings curl upward toward its head. The Holy Spirit never draws attention to Himself, but points all to Christ. Life lived in the flesh even under the law produces the works of the flesh. Life lived in the Spirit realizes the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. God gave us these qualities through the Holy Spirit because we cannot produce His life in us. And, when we grow in our fellowship with the Father and the Lord Jesus, we will realize the expression of these gifts and fruits in our lives. It will be at that point that we will recognize the utter foolishness of a life defined by the flesh.

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Genesis 38:1-11

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1 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. 6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also. 11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household. ~ Genesis 38:1-11

Today, we begin our study of Genesis 38 which upon first glance seems to be random and unnecessary. But, as we are learning, every word of the Bible is important because it is God’s word. As we are told elsewhere in the Bible it is a treasure which isn’t easily understood without being searched out. It is living and active and ready to transform us as we lay our souls bare to it. When we read the Bible, we can read it as a textbook or we can read it as a treasure book. The approach makes all the difference in the world because when we come to the Word of God as a treasure to be discovered we will be granted the abundant life that it promises. And oh, the horizons await!

This chapter was meant to be understood along with the previous account of Joseph’s life in the previous chapter. At this point in time Joseph was enduring an intense trial which would last for many years and is recorded to show how the Israelites ended up in Egypt. At the same time, the story of Judah and his family is given to show us about the main line which led to the Messiah. The Lord Jesus, the eventual Lion of Judah, came through Judah. Because of this, the story here bears directly on His ancestry.

In v.1 of today’s passage we read, “It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.”

Judah, like his brothers, was a shepherd and so he would take his flocks and head out for green pastures. For whatever reason, he decided to go out on his own, leaving his brothers, and to visit someone he met named Hirah whose name means “nobility.” He’s noted as an Adullamite. Adullam was a town to the south and west of Jerusalem in the lowlands. Adullam means “righteousness.”

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her."

While visiting Hirah in Adullam, Judah married a daughter of Shua, who is identified as a Canaanite. Shua means “wealth.” This verse is one which should tell us about the importance of names that God records in the Bible. Since the name of Judah’s friend is given, the people his friend belongs to is given, and the name of his father’s wife is given. But the wife’s name isn’t. The one person you’d expect to be named isn’t named at all. This tells us to pay attention when names are given. There is a story within the story to be discovered here. Later, in Genesis 46:12 we learn Judah’s family went to Egypt some time after this. This is some important information as we will see later.

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, “3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.”

Er means “watching.” And, with no other commentary about the times and life of Judah, the story jumps straight to the next son to be born, Onan, which means “strong.” But instead of Judah naming him, it says Shua named him.

In v.5 of today’s passage we read, “And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.”

And yet again, a third son is recorded by name. His name is Shelah which means “prosperity.” Again the wife names the son and then it notes the he, Judah, was at Chezib when she bore him. Chezib means “false.”

In v.6 of today’s passage we read, “Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.”

Judah got married at a young age and now he finds a wife for his firstborn at a young age as well. The wife he chose was named Tamar, meaning “Palm Tree.” In the Bible, the palm tree has several connotations. It is a symbol of prosperity, the element of an oasis, and it also is a picture of a faithful and righteous person.

In v.7 of todays passage we read, “But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him.”

We are told in Romans 6 that the wages of sin is death. Sin cannot abide in the presence of God, it must be atoned for. Since Er was evil before the Lord it makes sense that before the Lord in his sin death resulted. In an interesting play on “Er” and “wickedness” bear the same letters in the Hebrew for both words. God described Er as completely wicked; it being his very nature. Er’s wickedness was great like the people before the Flood of Noah and the people of Sodom. 

In v.8 of today’s passage we read, “And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.”

Because Er was dead and he left no children, Judah tells his second son Onan, to take Tamar as his wife and raise up an heir for Er. The word used for this marriage is a special word used just for this purpose. It is where a person acts as a husband for the widow of a brother who died without children.
This is something that will actually be mandated under the Law of Moses, but it was a custom which was obviously known at this time. It is also known to have been practiced in many cultures of the mid-east and Africa. It is a way of honoring the name of the dead so that their name doesn’t die out. It will also ensure that the inheritance of the firstborn remains alive.

In v.9 of today’s passage we read, “But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.”

Due to the custom of the land and Judah’s direction to him, the first child of Onan wouldn’t be recorded as his. It would be listed under Er. And the inheritance for Er would go to this son rather than to his own. This didn’t sit well with Onan and so instead of refusing to have Tamar at all, he committed a worse act. He took her as his wife, but he wouldn’t provide a child for her in the process. The Hebrew word literally says he “destroyed to the ground.” So he treated her shamefully, disgraced the name of his brother, and violated the custom handed down to him by his father.

In v.10 of today’s passage we read, “And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.”

Without the operative grace of God, the deaths of Er and Onan would have been the norm. The name "Lord" or "YHWH" is mentioned three times in this chapter and only in the two verses about Er and Onan. What they had done was a violation of the covenant God gave to Abraham and which was passed down to Isaac, then Jacob, and then to the sons of Israel. As Judah is the son in the line of the Messiah, these sons had willfully disgraced the covenant.

In v.11 of today’s passage we read, “Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, ‘Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.’”

Tamar had seen two husbands die without bearing children. Judah knew that Shelah was too young to perform his duties by giving her a child in place of those two brothers. And so he says to her to remain a widow in her father’s house until Shelah is old enough to fill the role. 

The point of all of this that seems most random is clearly before us. Even though Joseph was a slave in Egypt, Judah and his posterity were in bondage far more than Joseph. The freedom the Lord Jesus offers us is not a political revolution. His freedom is not about changing our outward circumstances. This is a significant concept because it reveals the Lord Jesus can free us wherever we are. Paul was on the road to Damascus persecuting Christians. The prodigal was in a pig pen. Peter was in a boat fishing. One woman was drawing water from a well. Another woman found freedom when caught in adultery. A thief was on a cross of execution when the Lord Jesus set his soul free! Spiritual freedom is not dependent upon physical circumstances that may have led or contributed to our bondage. The Lord Jesus can set us free when we are overdrawn in our checkbook without making a deposit. He can set us free from past or current failures without having to load a U-haul truck. It is only when we are being defined by the truth that we will know true freedom. And true freedom is bondage to our Creator.

Genesis 37:36

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Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. ~ Genesis 37:36

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 37 where the life of a seventeen year old teenager has been moved to center stage. We often see God in the Bible placing seemingly insignificant people at center stage to accomplish incredible things. I think of Ruth the Moabitess who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks but she bowed her will to the God of great miracles and she is noted in the lineage of the Messiah. I think of David who was the last son of Jesse whom God used to fell the frightening giant with one smoothed stone. Then there is Mary Magdalene,  a woman from whom the Lord Jesus cast out seven demons. The name Magdalene reveals that she came from Magdala, a city on the southwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. Those port cities all have some crazy stories that explain how its people end up messing with the wrong stuff. After the Lord Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary, she became one of His most ardent followers. In fact, she was the only one of Christ’s who saw Him last at the cross and first at the tomb. 

Throughout the Bible we see God using imperfect people for the sake of His mission to bring hope to the world. The Lord Jesus wasn't known for choosing individuals who were the most likely to succeed because those types of people usually have their eyes on the wrong man. When we get to the point that we believe God cannot possibly use us, it is then that we are useful to Him. The Lord Jesus used a bunch of flawed people to share His hope with a flawed and broken world. In God, we find newness of life, mending, and purpose. The Lord Jesus didn’t call the equipped, He equipped the called. And no matter what we have been through in life, we must remember that the same power that conquered the grave lives within us. 

The means by which Joseph got to the center of the stage were not ordered by him. He did not want his brothers to hate him but they did and their hatred led them to sell Joseph to Midianite traders who were en route to Egypt. I am sure that when he discovered he had been purchased by Potiphar, Joseph had some reservations. Potiphar was the captain of the Egyptian king's guard. There weren’t many more powerful men around at that time. Interestingly, later we will learn that Potiphar was impressed with Joseph’s intelligence, I bet Joseph didn’t think of how his grade school learning would ever impress the second most important man in the world.

One of the most difficult parts of our personal relationship with God is the fact that He uses the trials of life to increase our confidence in Him. Early on in my Christian life I discovered that life was hard. In fact, even after I married my wife and we had a family, it was hard to make ends meet. Recently I asked Him why He made it so hard. He answered, "You had to be convinced that you needed me." In being convinced that we need Him, our confidence in Him is heightened because through the trials we are positioned to see that He is our only hope.

We find ourselves asking, "Why would a good and loving God allow us to go through such things as the death of a child, disease and injury to ourselves and our loved ones, financial hardships, rejection and fear?" The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children, and "He works all things together for our good."  This means our trials He allows so that we might be given the privilege to know Him in an increasingly intimate way. 

Our passage for today reads, "Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard."

This whole chapter starts with a picture of Jacob and his children, specifically Joseph, 17-years-old, the pride of his father. And we see Joseph talking with his brothers about dreams he’s having about him ruling over them. For obvious reasons that didn’t sit too well with his brothers, but it eventually led them to sell Joseph into slavery. At first, they were talking about killing him, but then they decided to sell him into slavery. And by the end of this chapter, this boy with this bright colored coat has been sold into slavery in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. 

All of this just underscores the providence of God in the life of a yielded teenager. And, even though there would await for Joseph some intense moments of fighting off the advances of  Potiphar's hot wife, God was still sovereign. A careful study of God's word reveals that God uses people who are not always the most qualified. Many times they were the least qualified! But what they did have, the needed depth of realizing that they desperately needed God, positioned them in a place of great usefulness. We learn that God uses people that are yielded and faithful to Him. God uses that man, that woman who is open and ready to be used by Him. He uses the ones who are willing to pay the price of personal sacrifice on behalf of the Lord Jesus. Sacrifice is the foundation to real community.

D. L. Moody, the evangelist, significantly used by God, was convinced that total surrender to God was the key to successful ministry. This was reinforced in the early years of his ministry when he heard the British evangelist Henry Varley say, “The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to him.” Moody asked God to make him that man, and, boy did He. Dwight Moody wasn’t perfect. He was flawed and limited, but he was open to God’s use. Moody was willing to be less so that Christ could be more. In the end, God used the converted shoe salesman to become the leading evangelist of his day. Estimates vary, but Moody is thought to have been used of God  to led as many as a million people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 37:31-35

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31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?” 33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. ~ Genesis 37:31-35

Today, we almost conclude our study of Genesis 37 where we are being introduced to the subject of forgiveness which has three parts: the injury, the debt created by the injury and the cancellation of the debt. The injury was seen in our last study where the brothers of Joseph stripped him of his robe, shoved him into a pit, and sold him into slavery to some Ishmaelite traders who lived in Midian.

In v.31-33 of today's passage we read, "31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, 'We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?' 33 And he recognized it and said, 'It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.'" 

Joseph's brothers concocted a story to explain the death of Jacob's most precious son. Ironically, the words, "a kid of the goats" was used later in Leviticus 16 for the Day of Atonement rituals. On that day, two goats were selected. One was made a sacrifice for the sins of the people and one was used as a scapegoat. The scapegoat had the sins of the people confessed over it and then it was released alive into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people. This goat, killed by his brothers was the scapegoat for their deeds, but they killed it to cover what they did, using its blood as a trick against their father. This incident reminds me of the words in Matthew 27:25 of those who chose the murderer Barabbas over the Lord Jesus to be released that day. Speaking of the Lord Jesus, they said, "His blood be on us and on our children." Instead of accepting their King and rejecting Barabbas, they called for Barabbas to be set free and accepted the bloodguilt of Christ.

Joseph's brothers then sent Joseph's tunic to their father by a messenger. They didn’t even take it to him themselves so that they could be there to help their father through his grief. Their actions couldn’t conceal their own guilt. Then, they admitted as much their guilt when they went down to Egypt looking for food. And the leaders of Israel knew it also when they tried to force the apostles to be quiet about the Lord Jesus. 

Jacob, whose name means "deceiver" was once again deceived, and Israel has likewise faced the deception concerning Jesus for two millennia. The scapegoat’s blood has remained and it can only be removed when one turns to the Lord and acknowledges his guilt before Him.

In v.34-35 of today's passage we read, "34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him."

When Jacob tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, he did it as a sign of mourning. This is the first time sackcloth is mentioned in the Bible. Weeping has only happened five times so far in Genesis, this is the sixth time. Hagar wept in Genesis 21:16. Abraham in Genesis 23:2 wept early on. Jacob’s brother Esau wept in sadness when Jacob stole his birthright in Genesis 27:38. Then Jacob wept in joy when he married Rachel, the mother of Joseph in Genesis 29:11. Then Esau wept in joy when he and Jacob were reunited in Genesis 33:4. 

The sorrow and grief displayed here yet again underscores the second step involved in the process of forgiveness and that is the debt incurred by the injury. The debt that Joseph's brothers' actions produced was an echo of the greatest debt ever created and that is man's separation from the God of the Bible. This is what the Lord Jesus came to this earth to deal with once and for all. When we were separated from God by our rebellion against Him and His culture, we were corralled into the sin pen of Satan himself. It was there that we lived at the mercy of a false view of life. We had chosen sin and death over obedience to God and life. And, we didn't even know it. This is why the Lord Jesus came to us, to be separated from God and life so that we could be separated from sin and reunited to life with God. 

As we will see in our next study of the life of Joseph, all of these events were either caused by or allowed by God in order to position Joseph to know God most intimately and to be used by God to help others out of the sin pool of Satan. The God of the Bible is a Master Designer and we can truly trust Him to do the absolute best for us. The role we play in all of this is to trust Him as we encounter Him through our trials. I close with an incredible quote from C.S. Lewis, "God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man."

Genesis 37:23-30

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23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. 29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?” ~ Genesis 37:23-30

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 37 where the hatred of Joseph's brothers is rising. The problem that Joseph's brother had was not with Joseph; their problem was their reaction to Joseph. They did not realize that they could not prevent the fulfillment of the dream that God gave to Joseph from coming true. What God had planned would be fulfilled. Strangely, their hate actually accomplished God’s will. 

Man can never frustrate God’s will. It is foolish to try. He is God and we are not. But, the remainder of this story also includes the steps that are involved in forgiveness which are: the injury, the debt created by that injury and the cancellation of that debt. We will look at these three steps as we matriculate through the remainder of the book of Genesis.

Throughout our study of Genesis, we have found a ton of pictures which find their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 10:11 we read, "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." In order for these pictures or parallels to be such, they had to align with something God later instructs us on, either implicitly or explicitly. They must be directed properly to the plan of redemption as the Bible reveals it. If this is so, then these pictures explain the seemingly unnecessary nature of some things the Bible includes such as the hatred of Joseph's brothers. Joseph's brothers' problem was that they were not being defined by the God of the Bible. No, they were being defined by their flesh which are the evil desires that we find in all of us. It is these desires which bring death and destruction into our lives.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him."

Joseph’s coat was a sign of the favor that his father had given to him resulting in him having authority over his brothers. Since they hated him so, they wanted Joseph to feel the effects of the loss of the robe, so when he was sent by his father to check up on them, they stripped him of his special robe. This was the first of three things his brothers did to Joseph which created possibility of the first step involved in forgiving another. And of course, what his brothers meant for evil the Lord navigated to produce good for Joseph because Joseph fairly consistently was being defined by God. This is primarily what enabled him to discover that even their mistreatment of him would produce God's purpose and plan in his life. The only way that Joseph could do this was to be careful that He was following the Lord and the Lord was defining him.

In v.24-28 of today's passage we read, "24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt."

With the first description of the injury exacted upon Joseph clearly spelled out, specifically that his brothers had stripped him of his robe, they secondly shoved him into a pit which was empty and without water. They initially intended to leave Joseph that day in that pit but their plans changed as we will see in a moment.

It was after Joseph's brothers ate a meal that they decided to sell him to some Ishmaelites from Gilead who were enroute to Egypt. It was at that point that Judah realized that there was an alternative to leaving his brother in the pit, something tantamount to killing him. Instead they could profit off the sale of him. When his brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmaelite traders, they gave us the third part of the injury that they exacted upon Joseph that day: they stripped him of his robe, the shoved him into the pit and they sold him into slavery. 

In v.29-30 in today's passage we read, "29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, 'The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?'"

Reuben hadn’t consented to the sale, nor did he know of it. But when he discovered that his brother was gone, he tore his clothes, a sign of intense grief and pain. Then Reuben literally asked, "What shall I do now?" This was the very same question that the people of Israel who had gathered to hear the Apostle Peter's first recorded sermon in Acts 2 verbalized after hearing his message which was nothing less than the Gospel. Peter had explained what had happened, how the Lord Jesus had been crucified for our sin, how His tomb was empty on the morning of the third day, and that the Lord Jesus had risen. 

Those Jews on the day of Pentecost who heard Peter's message whose hearts were softened to the plight of the Lord Jesus their brother responded just as Reuben did. For those who repented, they were given the right to be called children of God. When we have come to know the meaning of the name Reuben we discover that this question asked so long ago by Reuben and reiterated by the Jews in Jerusalem on the day Pentecost, we find its fulfillment in the hearts of those who repent from the way of the flesh or those who repent from depending on themselves for their salvation to those who depend solely upon the Lord Jesus Christ for their eternal life.

Genesis 37:15-22

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15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?” 16 So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.” 17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. 18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. ~ Genesis 37:15-22

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 37 where the spotlight has firmly been placed on the fourth patriarch of Israel, Joseph who was Jacob's most favored son causing Joseph's brothers to hate him. Due to his favoritism, Jacob did not require Joseph to work as his brothers did as shepherds. Jacob made Jospeh the overseer of his brothers. In our last study, Jacob sent Joseph to the fields to make sure that his brothers were doing well.

In v.15-17 of today's passage we read, "15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, 'What are you seeking?' 16 So he said, 'I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.' 17 And the man said, 'They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.' So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan."

Joseph arrived at his father’s field in Shechem which was about 60 miles away. It was then that Joseph discovered his brothers weren’t there. As he wandered the area, a man asked him what he’s seeking. Whoever the man was, the Lord had him there when Joseph’s brothers were there, and he was there when Joseph arrived as well. The brothers may not have felt lost, but to Joseph they were. Joseph, not sure where his brothers were at that point, asked the man where they have gone. 

The man then told Joseph that his brothers had gone to Dothan which was about 12 miles due north of Shechem. Dothan means "two wells." As we learn in John 4 the piece of land where they were in Shechem contained Jacob’s well, but Dothan has two wells. The message that emanates from these two wells is we always have the choice to partake of the true waters of life or the false. In Jeremiah 2:13 we read, "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water."

There are wells which nourish and there are those which disappoint. We are told again and again in the Bible, people either forsake the true water of life and hewn for themselves broken cisterns. In the Bible, the well is the place of spiritual nourishment and the true well is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of turning back home to his father, Joseph went on to Dothan in order to find his brothers and he found them there. 

In v.18-20 of today's passage we read, "18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, 'Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!'"

Even from a long distance, the brothers identified Joseph, probably due to his coat of many colors. They hated him so much due to his favored position and his dreams, his brothers drew up a plan to kill him. The book of Matthew is 28 chapters long and each of those chapters has one or several links, or hidden connections, to the first 28 books of the Bible. In Genesis, there are no less than four of these links. One of them is in the dreams of Joseph. In Genesis, Joseph the son of Jacob, is shown to have dreams. In Matthew 1, Joseph the legal father of Jesus was given dreams as well. There is a difference here though. The dreams of Joseph, the father of Jesus, were intended to save Jesus, but the dreams of Joseph here were used as an excuse to kill him.

Throughout the Bible, God the Father is the One who directs man’s dreams, both in the giving and interpretation of them. And so even though the title is meant one way when spoken by his brothers about Joseph, it is intended in its fullest sense in another way when picturing for us the Lord Jesus.

At Dothan, the place of the two pits, the brothers intended to kill Joseph and cast him into one of the pits. The word for "pit" is used symbolically in the Bible for the place where the dead go. There is Sheol, the place of the dead, but there is also the pit. In Psalm 30:3 we read, "O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit."

Jealousy, murder, conspiracy, and lying in one story. Not only did his brothers hate Joseph, but they had no regard at all for their father. All they could think of was doing away with Joseph. As was the case with Genesis 34 in the incident with their sister Dinah, the Lord is never mentioned in this entire chapter. Not in general and not specifically, the Lord was entirely left out of the picture.

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, 'Let us not kill him.' 22 And Reuben said to them, 'Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him'—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father."

Reuben was the oldest son, the firstborn. He was in charge, and he was the one their father would hold responsible. Reuben tried to exercise his leadership by talking his brothers into a different plan to which they end up agreeing, for now. The Bible doesn’t specifically tell us why Reuben protested his brothers' plan, but scholars generally attribute it to his heart being more tender than the other brothers. The explanation is hinted at in Genesis 42 when they all stood in Joseph’s presence in Egypt, not knowing it was him and Reuben said, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.'"