Monday Night Bible Study

Joseph’s ruse persists as he tests and stresses his brothers even further in this chapter. Having dined with whom they believe is a rich Egyptian ruler as powerful as Pharaoh, Joseph’s brothers are sent back home with as much food as they can carry. Again, the brothers’ money is left in their packs as they leave Egypt, and Joseph’s silver cup is surreptitiously placed in Benjamin’s pack, on order from Joseph. The testing of his brothers’ character continues.

After having successfully set them up, Joseph has one of his men overtake the brothers to find the “stolen” silver cup. The one whose pack it is found in will be killed, which is the idea of the brothers, such was their confidence in their own innocence. As readers, the attitude of the brothers here is a great clue for us that their moral character has improved. The brothers think it absurd that they would do such a thing, particularly after this Egyptian was so kind to them. Simeon had even been returned to them. When the cup was found in Benjamin’s things, the brothers tore their clothes, a sincere reaction of grief and mourning.

When they arrive back in the presence of Joseph, he tells them, in so many words, that they should not be surprised that they got caught – because this ruler practices divination. None of the brothers seem to expect mischief – the fact that the cup was found in Benjamin’s thingsnimplies his guilt. Judah admits as much when he says, ““What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.” Joseph then announces that because of this, Benjamin will be his slave.

The references to divination in this chapter consists of a device Joseph uses to exacerbate the planned “theft” of his silver cup. At this time, it was widely known that wise men, inclusive of Egyptian wise men, could discern the will of gods by observing liquid in a special cup. The impression on the brothers that Benjamin took a divination cup from this powerful Egyptian leader raises the stakes even higher.

Judah then does just as he has promised Israel he would: he interceded for young Benjamin. He tells Joseph the entirety of the story of Israel and how he would die of grief if Benjamin were not to return. Ironically, Judah also unknowingly mentions Joseph to Joseph himself when he says, “Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since.”

Joseph’s heart, already pierced by the sight of Benjamin, must be openly bleeding now as he hears Judah so valiantly stand up for Benjamin and that his father still remembers him. Surely this is the type of information he was seeking in this long ruse he is playing with his brothers. If he has been testing their loyalty to one another, he now has enough to know that they are much better than they were when they sold him as a slave.

Although it is difficult to imagine Joseph extending this ruse, he does not relinquish the truth just yet in this chapter. Joseph, so beaten and abused by the actions of his brothers so many years ago, is compelled to keep testing his brothers to make sure that they are more righteous and kindhearted than they were so long ago. Joseph also seems to be deciding whether they are deserving of the knowledge of his survival and success. We can tell that he loves Israel and Benjamin still very deeply – also his love for even Simeon is apparent as he releases him to be reunited with his brothers. It seems difficult to fault Joseph for his actions in light of how they treated him. We should keep in mind the fact that Joseph could have them tortured, maimed or killed. Instead, his heart is known to us through his desire to test their familial bonds, their sense of righteousness and their sense of respect. In a different version of this story, the brothers could have proven evil and capable of worse mischief than Joseph devises for them. But instead, the reality we see is a very sweet one: Joseph as a benefactor is holding out blessings upon them until he is sure that they are deserving. And the brothers themselves are in fear of this Egyptian leader, in turns obeying and honoring him as is his right.

The lesson for us in this chapter persists as it has in previous chapters: forgiveness. If Joseph can forgive his brothers given all of their history, then surely, we, more than likely in less dramatic circumstances, can bring ourselves to forgive our family members?

Extend the lesson further and we find more meaningful implications. Joseph’s brothers (sinners) torture an innocent future savior in Joseph (Jesus Christ) before they are ultimately tested (a life of faith, obedience and personal sacrifice) before being forgiven and allowed to share in unexpected and great blessings (eternal life). This analogy is far from a stretch, one which we will refer to more as the book of Genesis concludes.

As the drama unfolds between Joseph and his brothers, Joseph continues to conceal his identity as the brothers’ respect grows for the strange Egyptian authority figure.

After returning home to Israel (Jacob), Joseph’s brothers and the family finish eating all of the grain. Israel urges his sons to return to Egypt to buy more food. Judah then reminds his father that “the man” (Joseph, for the brothers still do not know that it was him) bid them to bring their youngest brother Benjamin should they return to Egypt. They remembered this authority figure in Egypt telling them that they would not see him to buy food unless they brought the youngest Benjamin. Just as he did in the previous chapter, Judah volunteers to bear the risk in taking Benjamin, saying “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.  I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.”

Although Israel is not happy with the situation, he knows that they need food, so he allows Benjamin to return to Egypt to get more food. But he has conditions that they should take gifts and the money for the food from the previous trip back to this authority figure, that they might placate him. Israel is hopeful that his sons will return with Benjamin and Simeon, the second oldest, whom Joseph had retained during their last visit.

You will probably remember that he asked his brothers about the youngest of them during their previous trip. Joseph’s affinity for Benjamin most likely originates in the fact that they both had the same mother in Rachel. When Joseph sees his brothers return with Benjamin, he is very happy. He sends them to his home and tells his servants to slaughter an animal for them and that he will eat with them at noon.

But Joseph’s brothers were afraid and supposed that they were brought to Joseph’s house to be punished because they received the food during their last visit without paying. When they express this fear to Joseph’s house steward, he urges them not to worry, saying that, in effect, there is nothing to worry about. This steward knows something of God Almighty that Joseph believed in and he must have known that these were his brothers also, because he says, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks.” Simeon is also then rejoined with his brothers.

When Joseph arrives home, the brothers give him the gifts and bow before him, fulfilling the dream that Joseph had as a child. Joseph asked about the wellness of Israel and recognizes Benjamin once more. He is overcome with emotion and must retreat to privacy to weep. After this, he returns to his brothers and dines with them. This is significant because Egyptians do not typically dine with outsiders, but of course, Joseph is not an Egyptian.

Joseph cannot hold back from seating his brothers in the order of their age, nor can he resist giving his brother Benjamin more food than everyone else.

It is striking how much respect his brothers pay to him in contrast with how they treated him formerly. Joseph’s giving more food to Benjamin may have been a test of sorts to see whether their tendencies toward envy would still be their downfall. But no evidence of this occurs. Joseph is being blessed by God and is in turn blessing his brothers, just as we ought to do with our own blessings. But there is also much more going on here. Think about the effort needed from Joseph to keep from telling his brothers. Surely the buildup is needed to maximize the impact, but we can feel his emotion as we read this chapter. He is heartbroken yet hopeful. He loves them yet he is also testing them. Are there shades of character in Joseph that God exhibits towards us?

This story is not over. Joseph has more in store for his estranged family as he ultimately reveals himself and blesses them even further. But there is more to come…

As the famine weighs on the entire region, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt where he heard that there is food to be bought. All of the brothers except Benjamin went to Egypt; Benjamin stayed at home because Jacob feared that something would happen to him just as something had happened to Joseph.

At this time, Joseph retained ownership in Egypt of dispersing and selling the stored food. When his brothers come to him, he recognizes them and speaks harshly to them. His brothers do not recognize him. When he speaks to them this way, he does so in the context of the dream he had many years ago where he saw himself ruling over his brothers. This reaction may reveal some immaturity on Joseph’s part – the inclination to engage in petty revenge. Or, we could alternatively take the impression that Joseph is testing them to detect whether they have changed by accusing something that he knows they are innocent of (being spies in the land). His brothers persist in the truth that they come from Canaan to seek food and that they are all brothers, all present save for one that stayed home (Benjamin) and one that died in the past (Joseph, who of course did not die but is the one challenging them).

Joseph then tells them that he will keep them in prison until their youngest brother comes to prove that their words are true. However, after three days in prison, Joseph tells them to go back to Canaan with grain, and to bring their younger brother back as proof of their words. But before they leave, they come to believe that it is for the reason of the injustice they did to Joseph so long ago that they are being punished now. Reuben reiterates how it was he that suggested that they not treat Joseph so. Joseph, unbeknownst to his brothers, understood all they said and thusly took Simeon and bound him as he sent the other brothers back with food, with their money hidden in their grain sacks. Joseph still loved his brothers and his family despite what they had done to him. He wanted to be kind to them, yet also still test them. Simeon was left behind as the only one bound because he was the next oldest after Reuben (Reuben was overlooked because of how he had tried to prevent Joseph’s calamity).

Before the brothers made it back to Jacob, one of them noticed that his money was hidden in his sack of grain. By the time they each returned and recounted the events to Jacob, each brother discovered that their money had been hidden in their grain sacks. But the plan to take Benjamin back to Joseph did not sit well with Jacob for he feared for Benjamin’s safety.

This chapter compels us to look at Joseph’s character. Given the power and autonomy that Joseph had been blessed with, he could have taken the opportunity to torture and kill his brothers; a different man would have done just this. Joseph has negative feelings towards them that he has to work through, but he does not give these feelings free reign over his actions. Joseph instead chooses to test his brothers and bless them simultaneously. By requiring them to return with Benjamin, but also surreptitiously returning their payment for the food, he instills in his brothers a wary awe. He is asking of them a sacrifice that he will not require, he is testing their obedience and also putting fear into them just as they did to him. Joseph acts like a righteous man on a good day – he does not abuse his power but he uses it to perhaps teach a lesson to his brothers.

Two full years after the events of Genesis 40, we are told the stories of two of Pharaoh’s dreams in Genesis 41. His dreams are parallel in both their structure and meaning, but the imagery differs. The first dream is of seven fat, fine cows that are devoured by seven pitiful and gaunt cows. The second dream is of seven plump, quality heads of grain that are devoured by seven thin and sickly heads of grain.

Pharaoh, troubled by his dreams, seeks wise men and magicians to interpret them, but none could. But then the chief butler remembers the young Hebrew (Joseph) that had accurately interpreted dreams in the prison. So Pharaoh calls for Joseph and after he is cleaned up, Joseph meets Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asks him about his ability to interpret dreams, Joseph says, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Even after so much suffering, Joseph’s faith is still strong.

After being told the dreams, Joseph interprets them as having the same meaning. Seven years of great abundance and blessing will be in the land, followed by seven years of intense famine. The seven lean consume the seven fat as a way to demonstrate how the seven good years will be forgotten in the midst of the famine. Joseph, in a wise move, suggests that Pharaoh appoint an overseer in Egypt to store up food during the good years for use during the lean. More shrewd than opportunistic, Joseph is probably aware of his organizational and leadership abilities, and understands that Pharaoh may appoint him as this overseer, particularly that he is now highly esteemed after interpreting the dreams.

Pharaoh liked the interpretation and the advice, assigns Joseph in the role of the overseer: “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” Pharaoh gives Joseph his signet ring, fine linen and a gold chain. Joseph also was given great authority, an Egyptian wife, and a new name, Zaphnath-Paaneah. At this point, Joseph could have been enamored with the attention and came to be as one of the Egyptian leaders, worshipping idols and engaging in pagan beliefs and practices. But as far as we can tell from the text here, Joseph’s faith in God only grew stronger. The Bible goes on referring to him as Joseph and not the new Egyptian name. This name change was not respected and not given by God, so Joseph remains Joseph and his faith in God remains strong. He was thirty years old at this point.

Joseph does a fantastic job as overseer, and stores immeasurable quantities of food during the seven abundant years. He also fathers two children: Manasseh and Ephraim, later representative of the two half-tribes of Joseph of the tribe of Israel. Their names bore significant meaning to Joseph: “Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.””

After the seven abundant years ended, the famine came. Pharaoh directed all seeking food to Joseph and Joseph, in another shrewd move, sold the grain to the Egyptians and surrounding countries. So Joseph proved to be a great blessing to Pharaoh, Egypt and the population at large while also improving his own unique situation. He truly made the best of things and he did it all through relying on God. Without his faith, Joseph would have remained a slave in prison forever.

Joseph’s story in this chapter compels us to ask, “Am I making the most of my bad situations?” The temptation to complain, wallow and talk derisively of others is particularly strong when we find ourselves challenged. The temptation is particularly strong when we are undeserving of such conditions. But if we hold onto our faith in God, no matter how bleak, we will prevail like Joseph. We need only to believe, pray and practice. God is always there for us. He is not on our timeline and nor does he typically do what we expect or ask, but He will always answer our prayers and He will always receive us when we come to him in the right sprit.

Joseph, apparently demonstrating excellence everywhere he goes, has responsibility as a prisoner, having earned the trust of the prison keeper. Joseph has dominion over the other prisoners and “The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.” Genesis‬ ‭39:23‬

So when Joseph watches over a wary butler and baker that have done some unknown things to offend Pharaoh, his handling of the situation is apt. These men are the “chiefs” of their position, meaning they are both in charge of all the servants and baking that takes place under Pharaoh respectively. As they sleep in the prison, the butler and baker have seemingly inexplicable dreams on the same night. Joseph, attentive and well-intentioned as he is, notices their sadness and confusion over their dreams and says to them in verse 8: “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” Joseph’s empathy and concern compel him.

Before we call his attitude presumptuous, we should remember that Joseph is both a righteous, faithful believer in God and (although at this exact moment it is yet to be proven), a dependable interpreter of dreams. Recall in Genesis 37:5-11 how he interpreted his own dreams to his family: that he would one day rule over them. Joseph’s dreams from that passage have not yet come true, but they will.

The chief butler tells his dream to Joseph first. It concerns a vine with three branches that bring ripe grapes. The butler gives Pharaoh his cup, having pressed the ripe grapes within. In this dream, the butler is serving Pharaoh again and Joseph interprets it to mean that the butler will be restored to his previous position. Many translations say that the butler’s head will be “lifted up”, meaning that he will be restored and respected again. Joseph is absolutely convinced that this interpretation is true. Since he knows that the butler will return to serve Pharaoh, he asks him to appeal to Pharaoh on his behalf, that he has been taken from his homeland, made to be a slave and has been wrongly placed in prison. But the butler, like many of us could tend to do, forgets Joseph’s requested favor once he is replaced to normalcy.

The chief baker, encouraged by this positive interpretation, asks Joseph to interpret his dream. His dream involved three white baskets on top of his head, with birds eating out of the top one. In this dream, the goods meant for Pharaoh are consumed by birds, suggesting that after three days’ time the baker would not be back in Pharaoh’s good graces. As Joseph makes this interpretation, he says that Pharaoh will “lift off” his head and hang him from a tree, a fitting departure from the butler’s head bring lifted up. For in three days, the baker is hanged and birds eat his flesh. The butler and baker’s dreams are parallel in their structure and opposite in their interpretation.

This chapter tells us about the faithfulness of Joseph and about God’s faith in Joseph. Joseph’s accurate interpretations of the ambiguous dreams show us how much God was with him. If we were told of the actions that landed the butler and baker in prison, we may be able to suss out a moral lesson aside from “don’t anger the king”, but their mistakes are not central to this chapter. More important is the story of Joseph, a godly man who has reason to hate God. Despite being taken and sold, accused and imprisoned, Joseph maintains faith. Joseph’s strength and faith are a gold standard that we should reach for and he is the first in the Bible story to demonstrate faith under such adversity. Job and Paul liken themselves unto Joseph in their way as they continue to believe in God and not reject Him, even when conditions are horrible. Paul and Joseph particularly have much in common in this respect as Paul sings while in prison in Acts 16. Both Paul and Joseph make the best out of a bad situation, using the God-given faculties at hand. It should drive us to ask, “How do I respond when God has put me in an awful place?”

Because the place we are in now is not where we will be forever. If we remain faithful, our final abode will be heaven. An eternity spent in a perfect place surely is worth time spent in prisons, time spent in dark emotions, time wrestling family strife, time brooding over unexpected diagnoses, etc.

What do you think?

In this chapter, we rejoin the narrative concerning Joseph. When we last left Joseph, he had been sold as a slave to Ishmaelites by his brothers for 20 shekels of silver. Once in Egypt, Joseph was sold again to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers and captain of the men that guarded Pharaoh. Although it is still early in Joseph’s life, we can already find many examples of how God has blessed him. Joseph’s life follows a prosperous yet challenging path. Through the conditions of familial adversity, slavery and the like, God is preparing Joseph for strong leadership and exemplary righteousness.

In verse 2, we are told directly: “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” People in authority around Joseph notice that prosperity naturally (divinely) accompanies Joseph’s efforts. In Genesis 39, both Potiphar and the keeper of the king’s prison notice this and give Joseph lots of responsibility and oversight. The trust that they give to a virtual nobody comes from the impression they get of his abilities and leadership – abilities and leadership that are directly blessed by God for prosperity.

But Joseph’s master’s wife lusts after him and beckons him to bed with her on more than one occasion. Joseph was young, handsome and capable, but this does not excuse her wandering eyes. However, he does not wilt in the face of the evil temptation and softly rebukes her: “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Later, in a decidedly dramatic event, Joseph’s sense of righteousness forces him to flee as his master’s wife again tries to bring him to bed when they were alone in the home. But as he flees, she keeps his garment and uses it later as supposed proof that Joseph had mocked her. Naturally, Joseph’s master’s anger is aroused at this and he sends Joseph to the king’s prison. But, as we referenced early in this study, the Lord blesses Joseph in all that he does. God’s direction of Joseph’s life thus far is to instill in him strength and prosperity through unlikely adversity: ^“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.”

Next week: Jospeh’s interpretation of dreams in Genesis 40.

 

Verses 1-11: Judah’s willful separation

Israel’s (Jacob’s) family is, in steps and phases, falling away from God and falling apart altogether.

Judah was Israel’s fourth son, borne to him by Leah. The way that Judah’s story is placed in the middle of Joseph’s story contrasts Judah’s poor moral character with Joseph’s godly and superior moral character. Judah’s story in this chapter is a sign of the worldliness and sin that most of Jacob’s children invite into their life through intermarrying and dwelling with the idolatrous Canaanites. As it happens, Judah marries a Canaanite woman, then solicits a prostitute who he later finds out is his daughter-in-law. This inordinate familial chaos is what results even today when we depart from God’s will for us and our families. Contrasting Judah with Joseph is a clear and effective example to behold as a way to endorse or approve of God’s design for how man ought to act.

Although explicit commands had not yet come down from God to prohibit marriage with the idolatrous Canaanites, the case is being made through these examples that we are blessed when we follow God’s will for us in all things and we are likewise cursed with abominable conditions when we live only for ourselves.

In the beginning of this chapter, Judah leaves the presence of his brothers and goes to visit Hirah an Adullamite. Judah marries Shua, a Canaanite. He has sons by her: Er, Onan and Shelah. Judah then marries Er to a Canaanite woman named Tamar. But Er had displeased God (exactly how or why we are not told) and God causes Er’s death. According to the custom of the day, Judah tells Onan, the next eldest brother, to take Tamar as his wife. Under the custom, a child that would come from Onan and Tamar’s union would be attributed to Er rather than Onan as Israel’s firstborn grandson. Because Onan did not want this for his natural child, he did not complete the sexual act with Tamar and he expelled his seed on the ground. Because of this, God kills Onan too.

Shelah, Judah’s third son, should then be next to take Tamar as his wife. But Shelah at this time was not yet grown. Judah tells Tamar to stay at her father’s house as a widow until Shelah is old enough to be her husband.

Verses 12-30: Judah’s folly

The next series of events is shameful and sad. Judah’s behavior is not reflective of a spirit that recognizes God or that is cognizant and appreciative of His blessings. Judah’s wife Shua dies. By way of comforting himself, Judah goes with his friend Hirah to Timnah, where sheep-shearing is taking place.

Tamar hears that Judah will be coming to Timnah. Tamar was not happy with Judah because he had not yet given her to his third son Shelah as a wife (it is unclear whether, by this time, Shelah was grown). We are not told why Judah had not yet done this but as his previous two sons had died while married to her, we can understand his hesitation (even though they had died because they displeased God and not because of any act by Tamar). In fact, Judah’s reluctance to give Tamar to Shelah conveys Judah’s ignorance of God’s role in these matters, deepening the idea that (at this time) Judah’s righteousness and allegiance to God is nowhere near that of his father’s or his grandfather’s.

Tamar replaces her garments of widowhood with a veil and then sits in an open place in Timnah. The text does not tell us that she dressed as a prostitute, but that is what Judah takes her for when he sees her. He propositions her and she accepts, citing a goat for payment for the act. Since Judah does not have the goat with him, they agree that Judah will leave his signet, cord and staff as a pledge until he can pay her with the goat. These items would have been unique to Judah and could not have been mistaken for another man’s.

Tamar gets pregnant from the encounter. After, she returns home and puts back on the clothes of a widow. When Judah tries to locate her to pay, the “harlot” cannot be found, so he seems to write off his signet, cord and staff as casualties of an afternoon’s dalliance.

Later, however, Judah finds out that Tamar is pregnant and because she was still technically family, Judah is angry that she has “played the harlot” and has gotten pregnant outside of marriage. He calls for her to be burned. But Tamar comes out holding Judah’s signet, cord and staff, saying that their owner is the father of her children.

Judah instantly knows what has happened: Tamar was the prostitute that he propositioned in Timnah. His quick judgment of the situation is clear: “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.”

Who was right and who was wrong in this chapter? Both Judah and Tamar acted in selfish ways that were ungodly. While it is true that Judah did not deserve for his two sons to die and Tamar did not deserve for her two husbands to die, these deaths do not provide permission for their behavior. Prostitution, entrapment, fornication, deception and a lack of love and care for family are the sins of Judah and Tamar in this passage. Their story reminds us of what can happen when we drift away from God in our lives. When we make important decisions based on self rather than what is right, we typically suffer along with those that are affected by the decision. Consequences may not be immediate or even soon, but they will eventually come.

Tamar’s twins are born: Perez and Zerah. Although it looked as if one would come out of the womb first, the other did, therefore their names were allocated. This occurrence has harmony in the Abrahamic covenant and in the bloodline that will lead to Jesus. Although neither Isaac, Jacob, Judah nor Perez are recognized as firstborn to their fathers, they still are the ones through which the covenant is fulfilled. What does this say about Jesus? Perhaps it is meant to tell us that Christ’s human fathers are unimportant; His true and divine Father is the focus.

Looking at Judah’s behavior in this chapter is disappointing, but there is a very positive message to be had. In Matthew 1:1-3, we are given the genealogy of Jesus Christ. There it is recorded that Jesus’ bloodline includes that of Judah and his son Perez, one of Tamar’s twins born from Judah and his daughter-in-law. This shows us God’s great capacity for mercy upon His people. The Abrahamic covenant came true in spite of the behavior of the descendants. And Jesus descending from a lineage of chosen sinners is genuinely fitting considering the role he plays in the forgiveness of the sin of all mankind.

Verses 1-11: Joseph’s incipient greatness

After the completion of Israel’s (formerly Jacob) homecoming, Esau’s departure and the deaths of Isaac and Rachel, the world of God delves into the lives and occurrences to follow, with a unique and deserved concentration on Joseph.

Joseph starts out as unique among his brothers as he was the firstborn of only two sons born to Rachel, Isaac’s true love (the other being Benjamin). The other sons (and one daughter Dinah) that were not born to Rachel were were born of Leah or one of the two handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah.

As chapter 37 opens, Joseph is with his many brothers and they are all feeding their flock. Joseph, who will eventually be shown in the Bible to be a righteous individual and a man of great integrity, gives a bad report of his brothers to his father Israel. His bothers will, for their part, shortly be shown to be envious and spiteful. Granted, the brothers (or anyone, for that matter), would resent Joseph for “telling” on them – but given the known respective characters of Joseph and his brothers, Joseph’s report was very likely justified.

Compounding the brothers’ resentment, Israel made and gifted to Joseph a coat of many colors, a sure symbol of favoritism among the siblings. Joseph also had two dreams around this time that painted him as one day reigning over his brothers and parents as a great leader. These were prophetic dreams and Joseph interpreted them that way. We get the sense that Joseph shares these dreams with his family as a way to reveal the prophecy of his future rather than with a condescending attitude. Because of jealousy and resentment, his brothers were sadly unprepared to share in the full meaning of these dreams. But Israel had a different understanding. He must have seen the goodness and righteousness in Joseph for he did not completely discount these dreams as his sons did: “And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” Genesis 37:11

Verses 12-36: Joseph sold to Potiphar

All of Israel’s sons except for Joseph take took the flocks to Shechem, presumably to find good grazing land. Israel trusted Joseph’s judgment and sent him to find his brothers, so that he could report on their behavior again as he had before. When Joseph goes to Shechem, he seeks but does not find his brothers, and he is told that they have gone to Dothan. Joseph goes to Dothan and finds them there. This change in the plan is the first subtle sign that things will go wrong for Joseph on this seemingly simple journey. After this, Israel would have little to no way of knowing where Joseph had gone. Joseph’s brothers’ resentment is alive and well because they purpose to kill him as they see him approaching. Calling him a dreamer and deriding his dreams, they plan to kill him, cast him into a pit and blame it on a wild animal.

However, Reuben intercedes and proposes that they merely cast him into a pit. Reuben’s plan is to ultimately save Joseph and return him to their father. It is fitting that Reuben would make this intercession because he was the firstborn of all the brothers, holding a place of prominence and respect.

When Joseph reaches them, they strip off his coat of many colors and cast him into a pit. Then, unashamedly, the brothers sit down to eat, not far from the pit. During the meal and in a conversation hastened by Judah, the brothers decide to sell Joseph to traders descended from Ishmael that are headed to Egypt (You may remember Ishmael as the one born of Hagar to Abraham in Genesis 16). Judah is another voice of semi-reason in the madness as he says, “let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” Thus Joseph was sold to the Midianites for twenty shekels of silver.

Reuben later returned to the pit and Joseph was not there. When Reuben asked the brothers about Joseph, the brothers then collectively devised the plan of soaking Joseph’s coat of many colors in blood in an effort to show Israel that he had been ripped apart by a wild animal. When they took the blood-soaked garment to Israel, he accepted the lie and mourned for many days.

But as it would happen, and as we know, Joseph is not dead. He is merely a slave and is sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. What will happen to him? As a slave in Egypt, we will see that Joseph is capable of much.

 

Esau leaves Canaan, not because of any lingering conflict between he and his brother, but because “…their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock, So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.” Genesis 36:7-8

This was the same reason that instigated the separation of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13: too much livestock to be comfortably supported by the land. Esau was called Edom, meaning red, due to the color of his hair and his ruddy complexion.

There is additional context to Esau leaving the land, and it is more important than the reason of livestock. Esau’s wives came from the land of Canaan, from among the idolatrous culture and ungodly influence of the native people. Because of this, Esau and his family are no different than the surrounding people of Canaan. Remember that Rebekah had worried over the wives of Esau: “When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.”

Esau’s legacy is a poor one in terms of following God, but a rich one in terms of material wealth. The family relations, kings, chiefs and assorted individuals listed in this chapter all represent “Edom,” the name of the kingdom over which Esau had oversight. Although Esau did not receive the birthright, Isaac’s first blessing or the promises of the Abrahamic covenant, God still blessed him with wealth and made his family a great nation.

Indeed, the blessing that Esau received from Isaac in Genesis 27:39-40 is coming to fruition: ““Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.” Esau served his brother Isaac, only to eventually break free and preside over his own nation.

This is the legacy of Esau: a man that made unwise decisions is yet materially blessed by God while suffering the consequences of those decisions: familial and divine exile. There is a hint of Esau’s redemption running through the end of his story here in chapter 36, but there is not proof of it. God, granting mercy and judgment alike, seems to leave Esau with the appropriate mix of both.

Verses 1-15: Setting things right

In the first verses of this chapter, God speaks to Jacob, telling him to go to Bethel. Even thought Jacob has fear of the other inhabitants of the land, his going to Bethel is not described as fleeing; God simply tells Jacob to go and he goes. God also tells Jacob to make an altar to Him at Bethel. This was the place where Jacob had first made a vow to God and where God had first appeared to Jacob. It is poignant at this time for God to tell Jacob to go back to Bethel because of the spiritual growth that Jacob experienced between then and now.

Straightaway Jacob instructs all of his family members to “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.” We should remember that Leah had taken the household idols from her father when she left her home. This idolatrous heritage evidently is now something that has blossomed into an issue large enough to need purifying. Jacob, imperfect from the start and imperfect still, has knowledge of the idols within his family and does not choose to expel them from his midst until now as he goes to build an altar to God. What is the significance of burying or hiding the idols instead of simply destroying them? Does this reveal a lingering sentiment that Jacob holds for the idolatrous ways of his family (or even his own)?

We are not given these answers, but we do know that as they traveled, God protected  them from the men in the cities that were around them. God was allaying the fears expressed by Jacob in Genesis 34:30 after so many had been slain over Dinah. When Jacob arrived at Bethel, he built the altar and named the place “El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.” Here at this place and at this time, Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse died.

Still at Bethel, God appears to Jacob again and changes his name from Jacob to Israel. Then God gives Jacob the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant in terms of what is an attestation of their strong relationship. As Jacob builds another altar to God, we get a sense that his name change to Israel has been earned, signifying Jacob/Israel’s growth in faith and stature as a true man of God.

Verses 16-29: 1 birth, 2 deaths, 12 tribes

Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, but died during childbirth. Isaac also died during this time, and was fittingly buried by Israel (Jacob) and Esau together, a reconciliation in brotherhood that more than likely would have pleased Isaac. At this time also, there is the unfortunate record of Reuben (Israel’s first son by Leah) laying with Rachel’s handmaid Bilhah (here recorded as Israel’s concubine). Israel came to know this also.

The record in this chapter of Benjamin’s birth gives us twelve sons of Jacob/Israel by four different mothers. Looking back to the time when Jacob was enamored of Rachel, we will remember that he first married Leah, then Rachel, and that both wives had handmaids through which he also bore children: Bilhah (Rachel) and Zilpah (Leah). Here is a breakdown:

Bore by Leah

Son 1:     Reuben – Genesis 29

Son 2:     Simeon – Genesis 29

Son 3:     Levi – Genesis 29

Son 4:     Judah – Genesis 29

Son 9:     Issachar – Genesis 30

Son 10:     Zebulun – Genesis 30

Daughter:     Dinah – Genesis 30

 

Bore by Bilhah (Rachel’s handmaid)

Son 5:     Dan – Genesis 30

Son 6:     Naphtali – Genesis 30

 

Bore by Zilpah (Leah’s handmaid)

Son 7:     Gad – Genesis 30

Son 8:     Asher – Genesis 30

 

Bore by Rachel

Son 11:     Joseph – Genesis 30

Son 12:     Benjamin – Genesis 35

 

This is the initial formation of the men that will head, in one way or another, the twelve tribes of Israel. Levi will eventually be a “tribe” of priests but will be dispersed through the other tribes to serve them as such. Also, Joseph will designate his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh as leaders of tribes whose descendants will be members.

It is from here – back from Adam – Noah – Abraham – to Jacob’s sons and the odyssey of faith that God’s people will experience through the Old and New Testaments, that we see how the Abrahamic covenant will finally come to full fruition when Christ becomes King.

There is a plan. God is the architect. We are all part of it.