Genesis 36 – It seems as if all of Abraham’s descendants have the special touch of God on them. Though Esau had not received Isaac’s blessing, he too became very wealthy, to the point where he was forced to move away from Jacob because the land could not support them both. Some 400+ years later, when the Israelites came back from slavery in Egypt, the Edomites (from Esau’s nickname Edom, which means red, after his ruddy skin), still lived in that same area, the hill country of Seir, east of the Dead Sea.
This chapter contains those details that probably bore most, but remind us that the Bible is truly a historical document. It strives to recount history thoroughly and accurately at every opportunity. Esau had a grandson named Amalek (v. 12). If memory serves me right, I think he was the father of the Amalekites, with whom the Israelites had numerous run ins over the years. Verse 31 says “these were the kings who reigned before any Israelite king reigned.” In the book of 1 Samuel the Israelites demanded a king. One of the reasons they wanted one is because all the other nations had kings – they should too! God warned them that a king would eventually be a burden to them, and in the end, of course, he was right. Thought to remember: God’s people are set apart to different standards and a different way of life. It is not necessary (and sometimes downright harmful) to pattern ourselves after what we see around us in the world.
Genesis 37 – When I was a young boy hearing the story of Joseph and his brothers, I thought Joseph was perfectly innocent, and his brothers were purely evil. While its true that Joseph’s brothers were indeed guilty of a terrible sin when they sold him into slavery, Joseph could have done a lot to smooth things over instead of making things worse. It’s been said that you can imagine yourself with a bucked of water and a bucket of gasoline. When you come to a fire (i.e., a volatile situation) you can either throw the water on it and calm it down, or throw the gasoline on it and make it worse. Joseph threw gasoline on his brother’s jealous fire. They say him as an arrogant tattletale. While he would have said he was simply telling the truth, he could have been more diplomatic. Jacob didn’t help matters any, by making it clear that Joseph was his favorite.
It’s curious that the people who bought Joseph from his brothers are called Ishmaelites and Midianites interchangeably. Ishmael was Abraham’s son through Hagar, and Midian was his son through his wife Keturah, whom he married after Sarah’s death. It’s most likely that these two groups settled together, and the Midianites became an adopted tribe of the Ishmaelites. (The terms are used interchangeably in Judges 8:24 & 26 as well.) I wonder if they knew they were buying and selling into slavery the great nephew of the father of their nation?
Genesis 38 – After reading this chapter, I ask myself why an account like this would be included in the Bible. Two main thoughts come to mind. Judah failed morally on a number of levels. He did not keep his word to Tamar, his daughter in law, that his youngest son would become his wife. He slept with her while she was disguised as a prostitute. Then when her prostitution was discovered, he demanded capital punishment for her. Apparently soliciting a prostitute is fine in Judah’s mind, but being one is not. Yet it was Judah’s line that led eventually to King David, and finally to Jesus. And that family line passed through Tamar and her son Perez, born to her by Judah (her father in law – see Matthew 1:3), a clear reminder that Jesus came to save sinners, and sinners of every kind are part of his family heritage. Yet his love overcomes our sinfulness.
Verses 9 and 10 deserve some comment. This passage has been used to bolster the Roman Catholic church’s stance against birth control, based on a misinterpretation that God was angry at Onan for withdrawing at the time of ejaculation. However, it was Onan’s duty to sleep with Tamar, his dead brother’s wife, so that she would be able to have children. A widow without a child was destined for poverty and exploitation in those days. Rather than sleep with Tamar so that she would be able to have children, he slept with Tamar for his own pleasure. Using her in this way and not fulfilling his duty to give her a son was what angered God – not the act of spilling his semen on the ground.
Genesis 39 – The story turns now to Joseph. Even though he was a slave, God blessed him. He was sold to a prominent Egyptian household and, because God blessed everything he did, he was given great responsibility. Soon, however, he found himself in a no win situation. His master’s wife was attracted to him. If he slept with her, as she desired, he ran the risk of his master finding out. If he did not, things would be uneasy and she might eventually act out against him in frustration. Joseph’s only choice was to choose the God-pleasing option. Sure enough, his master’s wife accused him of trying to sleep with her, and he was sent to prison. Yet even there, God blessed him, and Joseph ascended to a position of leadership and responsibility under the prison warden.
Genesis 40 – While Joseph was in prison, pharaoh’s butler and baker were also thrown in prison and placed under his care. Henry Morris theorizes that a flask of poison or some other evidence of a plot against pharaoh had been uncovered, and since they were the ones who brought him his food and drink, they were placed in prison for pharaoh’s protection until a full investigation was conducted. They both dreamed, and Joseph was able to interpret them. The butler would be restored to his position in three days, while the baker would be executed. Verses 18 and 19 give a short and to the point recounting of Joseph’s interpretation. We can imagine he might have spoken these difficult words to the baker with some degree of tact, even hesitantly, being continually urged by the baker for the full interpretation. On pharaoh’s birthday, he “lifted up the heads” of the butler and baker, a term meaning that he recognized them in front of the rest of his court, the double entendre for the baker being that his head would be lifted from his body, as Joseph had predicted. The word for “hanged” in Hebrew can also mean impaled – the practice of some ancient cultures to behead people guilty of treason and impale their bodies on a pole as a warning to anyone else who might be considering the same thing. The main reason for these dreams and Joseph’s interpretation of them was to elevate Joseph to the position of prominence God had in mind for him. Unfortunately, the butler forgot Joseph when he got out of prison, but the time was not quite right.
Genesis 41 – If we can assumed Joseph was in the neighborhood of 17 when he was sold into slavery, and 30 when he was made Pharaoh’s second in command (v. 46), it was 13 long years of slavery for him. An intelligent and talented young man who had dreamt of his own prominence when he was younger, this must have seemed like an eternity. But God’s timing was exactly right. He used Joseph’s God given gift of interpreting dreams to impress Pharaoh, and must have made Pharaoh favorably disposed towards him, to elevate a Hebrew slave to be the 2nd most powerful man in the known world at that time. Delivering Egypt from this famine was important to God, but glorifying his name through Joseph and accomplishing his plan for his people were His chief purposes.
Some Bible scholars disbelieve the story of Joseph, on the grounds that it is so preposterous for any Pharaoh to confer such an honor on a foreigner, much less a slave. However, the leading of God will cause people to do out of the ordinary things, for all people are his servants, willing or not.
Others point at that there is little archeological evidence of Joseph’s presence in Egypt. However, there is a canal in Egypt to this day that was apparently dug about the time Joseph would have been there, and its name is Wadi el Joseph, or Canal of Joseph.
It is important to note that Joseph used his faith in God and administrative gifts to play the role God had in mind for a grander scheme and purpose. As the three Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) in various ways foreshadowed the spiritual life of God’s people, the journey from slavery to the Promised Land on the part of the later people of Israel would foreshadow the journey from slavery in sin to grace that all believers would one day receive through Jesus Christ. God is truly awesome to orchestrate events in all time to show over and over again His themes of mercy and grace for people who believe in Him.
Genesis 42 – Joseph’s actions are curious when his brothers come to buy grain. I think it’s safe to say there must have been many conflicting emotions for him. He probably thought he would not see his brothers again, and then to have them suddenly come before Him must have been a shock. His immediate reaction must have been some amount of anger and resentment mixed with joy. Why he kept his identity secret is unknown. Perhaps to test them and see if they had changed since the time they sold him into slavery. He wanted to make sure Benjamin was all right, and so came up with a plan to see to it that they would make a return trip by keeping Simeon in prison there. Yet his love and concern for his family is still seen, as he returned their money to them and gave them all the provisions they would need for their journey home, something they would not have expected from the ruler of the land.
Genesis 43 – Some have wondered why the brothers waited so long to make a return trip to Egypt, especially with Simeon in prison. They must have felt helpless. If they brought Benjamin back with them, who was to say he wouldn’t have been imprisoned too. Besides, the trip to Egypt was a long one – 5 days journey or more – and the grain they brought back with them wouldn’t have lasted long among such a huge household. It may have been a few months before they went back for more grain and for Simeon, but they must have felt like they had no choice. Finally, Jacob must have remembered his wrestling match with God, and that His Lord had promised to always be with Him. He allowed Benjamin to return with the other brothers so that their whole household wouldn’t starve.
The tests continued once they returned. Joseph gave his full brother Benjamin 5 times more to eat than the rest of the brothers, doubtless trying to see if they were subject to the same jealousy they had shown towards him years before.
Genesis 44 – A final test shows that Joseph’s brothers had indeed changed. Joseph had a special silver cup, no doubt a very valuable one that apparently was used for spiritual purposes by Egyptians as well, planted in Benjamin’s to make it look like he had stolen it. Would the brothers let Benjamin go into slavery while they went home? Thankfully, the brothers do pass the test. Judah offered to take Benjamin’s place. In the next chapter, we’ll find that Joseph is satisfied with his investigation of his brothers and finally reveals his identity.
It’s worthwhile to talk about this cup used for divination. Is it possible that Joseph, a believer in the true God, would have carried out this pagan religious practice? Not likely. It is more likely that Joseph was playing the part of a true Egyptian to keep his identity hidden from his brothers, including the pagan practices they would have expected of him. |
