Jan 25: Genesis 38-40

Jan 25, Genesis 38-40

This is a longer entry - but required as there is a lot to discuss…

Genesis 38 is not rated G, and yes you are reading the Bible. Here we take a quick but important break to the story of Joseph, and focus on one of Joseph’s brothers, Judah. Judah had left his family and was doing things that he should not have been doing - he married a Canaanite, which was looked so badly upon that her name isn’t even mentioned. Judah had three kids and picked a wife, Tamar, for his firstborn son, Er. But, his son was wicked before the Lord and God put him to death. As was tradition back then, it was the brothers responsibility to marry the wife of the deceased brother, if he was single, and keep the brothers name alive by having a son for the remembrance of the deceased brother. So, Onan, the second brother, knew that the offspring wouldn't be his, but devoted to his brother’s name; so he selfishly spilled his semen on the ground when he went into her, purposely making it so that Tamar couldn’t have a baby in remembrance for his dead brother. Not taking care of his family was wicked before the Lord, and God put him to death also. There was one brother left and Judah told Tamar to wait until he grew up and he would be Tamar’s. Some scholars say that Judah was afraid of marrying off his last son to Tamar, as every husband of hers had died. But either way, Judah did something that was dishonoring to the wife, and sent her home, instead of keeping her with the family, as all woman left their families and joined the husbands family, for life. Meanwhile, Judah’s wife dies and after Judah is done mourning he goes up to the town of Timnah to shear his sheep, obviously ‘shearing sheep’ isn’t the only thing Judah does when he goes to the town of Timnah, as Tamar knows what Judah was about to do. Tamar then sees an opportunity for the tradition of the brothers or fathers responsibility to marry the wife of the deceased brother or son, if he was single, and keep the brother or sons name alive by having a son for the remembrance of the deceased brother or son. With or without Judah’s awareness, Tamar is taking matters into her own hands, so that Judah’s family can fulfill her with a son, in the place of Er. As the Scripture states in verse 14, Tamar saw that the younger son had grown up and Judah had not sent for her. Here Judah isn’t taking care of his responsible matters, so Tamar is going to force the hand of judah’s obedience. She takes off her widows garments and covers her face with a veil. Judah sees her and thinks she is a prostitute and asked her for sex (he didn't know that she was his daughter in law) and she asked what the payment would be. Judah said that he would give her a young goat from his flock, but since he didn't have one with him, he would give her some collateral until he could send it - a signet, cord, and his staff (His seal hung by the cord around his neck). This would be the same thing as a man offering his passport, photo i.d., and his credit card for her to hold, until he could get her the payment. This is what Tamar wanted, proof of who the baby’s father would be. Well, Judah went into Tamar and she gets pregnant as she had hoped, planned, and probably prayed for. She left there and took his collateral and put back on the widows garments. I am not making this stuff up! Judah kept his word and sent a young goat to the woman but she was not to be found. Judah searches for her but can’t find her, remember he wants his i.d. back! But later says forget it and don’t tell anyone, because it was beyond sinful and embarrassing. Three months later, Judah gets all holy on everybody when he finds out that Tamar is pregnant and wants her burned because of her immorality (oh the hypocrisy and irony!). As she was being sent out to be killed, she asked her father in law to identify the i.d. of the babies father, which was all his. At that point, Judah realized that this young woman had forced the obedience of Judah’s family to her, through Judah being deceived. Once Judah realized that he was caught, in the act of rebellion against God, he had the best response…, “She is more righteous than I.” This was a turning point for Judah, as obedience to God grabs his heart from this moment on, and you will learn that he is the Father of the Jews (Judah - Jews). The point that the Bible states, that Judah, “did not know her again,” probably means that he did marry her out of tradition for providing a son for her but also means he honored her and never slept with her again. When it was time for birth - she had twins and the midwife put a thread around the one coming out first to identify it, and after she did the older one went back in and the younger one came out first… We will come back to this! 

Genesis 39 - Back to Joseph, again - I am not making this stuff up! This is an historic story as well. Remember, last time we read about it, Joseph was sold to Potiphar in Egypt. The Lord was with Joseph in these endeavors. Joseph’s master saw that whatever Joseph did, it succeeded (because the Lord was with him), and Joseph became 2nd in charge in the entire household after Potiphar. Since Joseph was in charge, God blessed the entire house of Potiphar because of Joseph. Potiphar's wife wanted to have sex with Joseph, who was handsome, and Joseph refused day after day. Here is the thing in the Ancient world to be aware of - owners had the ‘right’ to have sex with whatever slaves they wanted, but it appears that in verse 9, Joseph states that, “Nothing is held back from him, except his (Potiphar’s) wife.” Stating in the end of the verse that it wasn’t so much Potiphar’s rule, but more God’s rule, that was keeping him free from sinning with her. One day, Potiphar's wife set him up when nobody was in the house and begged him for sex, but he refused. She grabbed his garment and he ran out of the house. She was humiliated and got the men of the house on her side before her husband came home and concocted her little story. Remember, Joseph is still a slave when this happens with very little or no rights. When Potiphar gets home, his wife tells him some variation of the story that Joseph was going to rape her and she screamed. She emphasized that he was a Hebrew and had some blame statements in there about Joseph being ‘Potiphar's’ servant - not her’s… Joseph was then thrown in prison and Joseph was put in charge of a lot of things in prison, because the Lord was with him while he was in there. We are reminded again of God’s Sovereignty and how He makes everything work out, even when it just seems ludicrous what someone has to go through at no fault of their own! The Lord made Joseph succeed for the Lord, not for Joseph. But when things go good for us, we take the credit as if we made all these awesome things happen… we are not that powerful! Sure, we have a part to play, but God is the one orchestrating all the events, we are simply pawns working our way through. Not that pawns are not important, but not as important as God. 

Genesis 40. Some time has passed and Pharaoh was angry with his officers, a cup-bearer and a baker, and had them arrested. They were put into prison with Joseph. One night, both officers had dreams and Joseph interpreted the dreams for them in the morning. The dream of the cup-bearer was interpreted as restoration to his previous job and the the dream of the baker was interpreted as death for him. Joseph asked them to remember him when they got out as he was falsely accused and that is why he was in prison. A few days later it was Pharaoh’s birthday and both dreams came true - the cup-bearer went back to work and the baker was hanged. But, the chief cup-bearer forgets all about Joseph who had interpreted his dreams. How typical it is in our lives as well. When things are bad and we are on our knees promising the world only to forget all of that when things get better and we are back on top and not in need of any help. How long does the cup-bearer forget? We will learn later on it was for two years… But the Lord will make him remember, just in time…

To sum it all up:

• In our selfishness, we sin and God will not have it. It is my plea to you to work out your salvation for God’s Glory and know where you stand - either you are standing for God or standing against Him. Don’t play in the middle ground or sit on the fence. Time is of the essence and we may not have tomorrow to live…
• We are reminded again of God’s Sovereignty and how He makes everything work out,even when it just seems ludicrous what someone has to go through at no fault of their own! As you will see through the story of Joseph. God does see and the Lord will make everything right, in His time…