Friday - Genesis 38 - Could Things Be Any Worse?

Be careful reading this chapter.  This stuff isn't light...

First of all, realize that this one chapter covers a long segment in the life of Judah (Israel's 4th son and the father of the royal tribe of the Messiah).  In this chapter Judah finds a wife, has three boys, marries two of them off successively to the same woman and then likewise buries them both in succession, watches his youngest son grow up and finally fathers children by his own daughter-in-law.

"Whoa, slow down," you say? Well. I didn't write the chapter. And, no, it's not part of a pornographic novel or an X-rated comedy act... it's the holy Word of God.

Sometimes I think we actually imagine that we are holier than God or that our standards are higher than His.  Don't get me wrong, I myself GREATLY appreciate/prefer couth conversation.  In general, I don’t find "bedroom” conversation to be comfortable or appropriate in my milieu. However, it is a dangerous misnomer to assume that refraining from discussions that include such realities (even in a serious context) is somehow a form of spirituality. See, the authors of the Bible explored some of the most embarrassing and even unsophisticated issues of life without any apparent restraint or hesitation (Genesis 38:9).  They were respectful, but not shy.  This chapter abounds with such matters.

Tamar is the main player in this drama.  Having been married to Er (Genesis 38:6-7) and to Onan (Genesis 38:8-10), she remained a childless widow.  She waited patiently for Shelah to mature, but Judah still didn't give him to her (because Judah was afraid that the same end would come to him as had come upon his two older brothers). When Judah didn't keep his promise, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and deceived him into sleeping with her so she could have his children and fulfill her role as a mother of his continuing line.

When Judah found out that Tamar was pregnant, he knew she had been promiscuous. What he didn't realize was that he was the guilty paramour. Of course, he knew he was guilty of being a whoremonger, but he thought it was unknown.  And, he was primarily interested in his reputation (Genesis 38:23), not in genuine righteousness. So, when her misdeed was discovered, he was ready to have her burned alive (Genesis 38:24)... that is, until she exposed him and his guilt, then he was (not surprisingly) quite merciful.

Only God could take another ugly situation in Israel's family and not only give us a little laugh, but also bring joy and continuity to Judah's family. Here is the humor: baby Zarah preceded his twin brother Pharez by sticking his hand out during birth (Genesis 38:28). That'd make any parent chuckle. Of course, Pharez ended up winning the struggle in more ways than one… by becoming one of Jesus' ancestors (Matthew 1:3).

Thursday - Genesis 37 - A Tale of a Teenage Dreamer

At 17 years old Joseph was already living a stressful life. His father loved him, his mother was deceased and his 10 older brothers hated him more and more every day. And hey, that was before God got involved. God sent Joseph 2 dreams about his future... wonderful right? Well, those revelations REALLY got Joseph into some hot water initially.

So, in his own home, Joseph was known as a cocky dreamer? Sounds like an unpleasant start for a young man in a very rough family (remember Simeon and Levi and what they did to Shechem’s city?).  To say the least, he had a long row to hoe!

Now, one day his dad sent him out to check on his brothers and their work. Unbeknownst to him, his 10 brothers' hatred for him had reached a boiling point and so while he was approaching their camp, they conspired to kill him. Had it not been for Reuben and God, Joseph would have died in his teens.  God had other plans.

Joseph's coat made it home to his father, Israel, while Joseph himself made his way (involuntarily) into Egypt with a caravan of his Ishmaelite cousins.  Now, while Reuben was clearly not a part of the deal that cost Joseph his spot in the family, Reuben did join in when it came time to cover the crime.

I can't help pointing out that God's mercy was present right in the middle of Joseph's pain (Genesis 50:20). God blessed Joseph with dreams of his future prosperity, God spared Joseph's life when his brothers had it in for him, and God placed him in a prominent household in Egypt so that He could begin preparing him for the grandiose career which was yet to come for him.

God makes no mistakes. Even when we don't understand, when we don't see His plan, when we can't trace His hand... we can trust His heart - Babbie Mason.

My friend, God is good, all of the time! Even if you and I were to find ourselves hated by our own family, exiled from our own country and enslaved by Godless heathen... God would still be good.  When Joseph's biography is completely told there will be no question that the early hardships were worth bearing in order for him to arrive at his ultimate destination as savior and ruler of the known world.

Tuesday - Genesis 36 - Esau Goes South

God has committed a significant fraction of Scripture to chronicling families and nations that are generally opposed to Him. Cain's lineage, Ham's & Japheth's lineages, Ishmael's lineage and (here) Esau's lineage are only brief and relatively concise versions of such accounts. Considerable segments of certain books in the Bible (like Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth & Isaiah) give more detailed descriptions of the heathen nations whose paths crossed with God's people. Other books (like Esther, Daniel, Jonah and Nahum) are predominantly about Gentile peoples with Jews playing more of a supporting role in those stories. Even the book of Revelation includes large selections devoted almost entirely to God's interaction with His human enemies. To me, Romans 9:22 is the passage that most vividly explains the reason behind this phenomenon, “What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?"  These peoples who stand outside of God's family are still part of the race that God has created for His own glory... and He will receive glory from their existence... whether by demonstrating His patience or His justice; or both, each in its time.

Now, on to the passage: just like Abraham and Lot before them, Israel and Esau outgrew their territory (Genesis 13:6 & 36:7). Sometime after these twin brothers buried their father, Esau was squeezed out of the "Promise Land" picture. We have no reason to think it was a result of ill intentions in Israel's heart, but it came to pass nonetheless.  Esau, his three wives, his five sons, his daughters and the rest of his household took all of their things and moved away "from the face" of Israel (Genesis 36:6).

They went to Seir (south of the Dead Sea in modern day Jordan, northwest of Saudi Arabia) where the family grew until it became a whole nation: the Edomites (Genesis 36:9). In their new country Edom multiplied and was filled with men who became dukes and kings in their land. Here is the list of Edomite monarchs: Bela (king in Dinhabah), Jobab, Husham, Hadad, Samlah, Saul, Baalhanan & Hadar (king in Pau). Notice that Moses took the time to specifically point out (in Genesis 36:31) that Esau's descendants were ruled by human kings long before the descendants of Israel were.