January 27, 2024
Read Genesis 37-39, Psalm 27
What’s your family like? Is it fun, loving, normal, quiet, crazy, unusual, or a challenge? Does it bring good thoughts, bad thoughts, or maybe some of both. There are no perfect families because there are no perfect people. That goes for children, parents, grandparents and anyone else. When you read these next chapters in Genesis you may be thankful for the family you do have. Jacob and his sons had a very dysfunctional family to say the least. There was favoritism, brothers that plotted to murder their own brother, and brothers who refused to get their brother’s wife pregnant! Yes, I said that. We will discuss that shortly. The good news is that no matter how crazy your family is, we can see through these chapters in Genesis that God is sovereign and His plans can not be stopped.
The narrative of Joseph is the longest of the family stories in Genesis stretching from chapters 37-50 with only a quick sidebar to Judah and Tamar in chapter 38. Everything that Jospeh will face in these chapters goes from bad to worse. Joseph will be thrown down a cistern (a natural well), being sold in slavery in Egypt, and being falsely accused of rape and put in prison. Despite all this, the Scripture repeats several times, “The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered” v. 2, 21. No matter what we go through with our families or in life, we can trust that God is with us too.
In Genesis 38 we find the narrative of Judah and Tamar. After Tamar’s husband dies, Judah, the father-in-law should have help provide a Tamar an heir through the Jewish practice of Leverite Marriage. The Scriptures mention the practice of Leverite marriages in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. In this practice, if a man dies without leaving a male heir, it was the duty of his brother to marry the widow and produce offspring on behalf of the deceased brother. This was done to ensure the continuation of the deceased brother’s lineage and inheritance. The purpose of this practice was to protect the family name and inheritance within the community. Apparently this law was already understood and given by God before Moses wrote the law down. Tamar takes matters in her own hands when Judah refuses to act. She disguises herself and tricks Judah into sleeping with her in order to maintain the family line. A deal is bartered and Judah gives her an agreement to give her a goat but uses his personal staff, seal, and cord. This is the Old Testament equivalent of giving someone your drivers license, since they were often personalized for identification. Judah hears that Tamar becomes pregnant and he quickly jumps to condemn her for her act until he learns that he was the one that got her pregnant. He exclaims, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah” v. 26. Judah called her more righteous because she sought after an heir from the family when he did not. No matter what our families do or do not do. We can always seek to do the right thing.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
DId God Really Say... 