Grab a soothing hot tea w/honey along with your favorite technicolored tunic and enjoy Gen 37-39. Today’s reading covers Joseph’s dream, the plot against Joseph, Judah and Tamar, Joseph’s success in Egypt and Joseph’s imprisonment. Here are some notes:
Joseph attempts to do the right thing by sharing his dreams with his brothers and father, but because it involved them bowing down to him, it made them angry. They were also angry because Israel (Jacob) showed favoritism towards Joseph which always ends badly.
Oddly enough, it was Reuben, the firstborn, who attempted to save Joseph. This is odd for two reasons: Firstly, Reuben should have been given the multi-colored robe by his father, not Joseph, since it symbolized the future leader of the household; secondly, Reuben is recorded as having slept with his father’s concubine which would make him seem like the least likely to do something good. This goes to prove that just because he made a poor decision one time, he is not incapable of doing the right thing later on.
Jacob is deceived by his sons, just like he deceived Isaac, sometimes sin’s punishment is long delayed.
Gen 38 is riddled with wickedness and immorality, and there are a few points worth noting.
Many people use the story of Onan and the “spilling of his seed” to make the case against birth control or other sexual practices that do not lead to pregnancy; however, this is incorrect reasoning. This was specific instance where it was Onan’s duty to take over for his dead brother and produce offspring for the line of Judah. His intentional failure to do so was a direct rebellion against God and his father Judah and that is why God killed him.
It is interesting to note that Tamar correctly thought that she could entice Judah to sleep with her simply by dressing up like a prostitute during sheep shearing time (a time in the the ancient world frequently associated with festivity and licentious behavior characteristic of pagan fertility-cult practices according to JM). This spoke volumes about Judah’s moral character (or lack thereof) Furthermore, it is interesting to note that Judah had no shame later on in asking everyone in town the whereabouts of the temple whore.
Chapter 39 tells how Joseph finds favor in the eyes of Potiphar and then looses that favor based on doing the right thing and fleeing from Potiphar’s sexual advances. This just goes to show that doing the right thing may not always lead to earthly gain, but it will always lead to finding favor in the eyes of God.
