If you just read Gen. 38 you might think there is no hope for Israel, for the “Scepter” and for the tribe of Judah. Unlike Isaac and Jacob who married “in the family,” Judah marries a Canaanite woman. Enough time goes by that the first two of the three sons of Judah reach marriageable age. It’s obvious that any teaching of true religion by Judah in the family (actually; there is no thought that he taught them any such thing) hasn’t caught on with the boys. After his wife dies Judah is then hanging with a prostitute, and if that’s not bad enough, the prostitute turns out to be his daughter-in-law. Hopeless! The only glimmer is that Judah still has a conscience: “She has been more righteous than I” (v26).
On the other hand, read Gen. 39 and you see a
man with hope in the darkest of times.
In case you weren’t aware, I don’t buy the idea that Joseph was a snotty
little brother who proudly declared his dreams to his envious brothers. The brothers were envious; but Joseph
understood that God had spoken through those dreams (Gen. 37). If he did not believe in the hope that God
presented in those dreams, that he would someday be ascendent in his family,
then he might have jumped at the opportunity to lay with his boss’s wife. He knew that his current position was not the
fulfillment of God’s promise. And he
lived like it.
By the way, I’m not making this up. Look at 39:14,17: he had been open about
being a Hebrew. Potiphar’s wife treats
him like the world likes to treat those who seek to live a righteous life and
refuse the enticements of the world. The
woman had to be upset that Joseph hadn’t jumped at the opportunity to enjoy her
pleasures. All, apparently, because he
was one of those “Hebrews.” The
descendants of Heber were Semites (from Shem, Gen. 11:10-16). The Egyptians were Hamites (from Ham, Gen. 10:6;
Mizraim is Egypt). Shem was blessed
above the other sons of Noah and maintained a righteous line of which Judah and
Joseph were a part. I am certain Joseph
realized that his God was making him prosper (39:3,23).
While we are on the subject, here’s another
observation about Joseph’s character. To
see the sadness on the faces of Pharaoh’s two servants (40:6) and to care about
them (40:7) is the mark of a righteous man.
And so is the immediate answer to the men, “Do not interpretations belong
to God” (40:8).
To this point, here is what I am trying to
point out: both Judah and Joseph experienced one trial after another. Times were difficult for both. Each responded differently. Judah kept digging the hole deeper. Joseph seemed to continue living on a higher
plane. But, if we jump to the end of the
story, both are exalted. Judah would eventually become the righteous, God-fearing brother. Both would be honored by father Jacob with
aspects of the right of the firstborn.
Do you remember this: pbpginfwmy? Please be patient; God is not finished with
me yet.
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