Daily reading

Today’s reading is: Gen. 37-39; 1 Chr. 2:3-6,8

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Genesis Chapter Thirty-Seven

  1. Following the death of Isaac, Jacob lived in the land of promise, as the heir to the promise (v.1).
  2. Jacob’s sons worked his flocks, near and far (vv. 2,12-17).
  3. There was a distinction at this point in their family life between Leah and the two concubines (vv. 2,10).
  4. Jacob considered Joseph his favorite son (v.3).
    1. As Israel, he loved Joseph more than all his sons.  This reflects Jacob’s spiritual life priorities, and Joseph’s participation in assistance to his father.
    2. Joseph was the son of his old age. בֶּן־זְקֻנִים ben-zequniym.  Years later, Benjamin will be described in this way (Gen. 44:20), as Isaac was to Abraham (Gen. 21:2,7).  Joseph was born when Jacob was 91 years old, so Jacob is now 108 years old at this point.
      1. He was the young man who loved to learn from his elderly father (Philem. 9; 2nd Jn. 1; 3rd Jn 1).
      2. He was the son with the greatest spiritual eagerness (vv. 5-7,9-10,14; 39:2,3,8-10).
    3. Joseph was given the full-length robe (priestly garment). פַּס. כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים pas#6446: n.m. flat (of the hand or foot), palm, sole; of the tunic reaching to the palms and soles.  Used 5x5vv. (Gen. 37:3,23,32; 2nd Sam. 13:18,19).
  5. Jacob received spiritual appraisals from his son, Joseph (v.2).
  6. Joseph has two prophetic dreams about his family (Gen. 37:5-11).
    1. Joseph’s brothers react with hatred and jealousy (vv.8,11).
    2. Jacob reacted to Joseph’s dream with a rebuke, and yet kept it in mind as one who respected his son’s dreams (vv.10,11).
  7. Jacob, as Israel, sent Joseph on a family priesthood work-assignment (vv.12‑14).
  8. Jacob’s brothers conspire to kill “the dreamer” (Gen. 37:18-30).
    1. Reuben speaks up and convinces the brothers to throw Joseph into a pit instead (vv.21,22), intending to return and rescue the young man (vv.29,30).
    2. Judah speaks up and convinces the brothers to sell Joseph into slavery, thus preserving Joseph’s life (vv.25-28).
  9. Jacob, the deceiver, is now deceived by his own sons (vv.31-35).

Genesis Chapter Thirty-Eight

  1. Following the betrayal of Joseph, Judah separated himself from his brothers, and lived with Hirah the Adullamite (Gen. 38:1).
  2. Judah married a Canaanite woman, Bath-shua, and while living in Chezib, fathered three sons: Er, Onan, & Shelah (Gen. 38:2-5).
  3. Judah arranges for his son Er to marry Tamar, but Er died the sin unto death before fathering any children (Gen. 38:6,7).
  4. Judah arranges for Onan to marry Tamar and father a child in Er’s name (Gen. 38:8-10).
    1. This practice is called Levirate Marriage, and was codified under Mosaic Law (Deut. 25:5-10).
    2. This practice gave rise to the Sadducees’ ludicrous question to the Lord (Matt. 22:23-28).
    3. In Onan’s case, he used Tamar for his own pleasure, but didn’t allow her to become pregnant (v9).  Thus, he also died the sin unto death (v.10).
  5. Following the death of Onan, Judah was unwilling to give Tamar to his final son, Shelah (Gen. 38:11,14b).
  6. Bath-shua dies and the widower Judah finds support with Hirah the Adullamite (Gen. 38:12,13).
  7. Tamar disguises herself as a harlot, and has sex with her father‑in‑law, in order to become pregnant (Gen. 39:14-23).
    1. Tamar obtained Judah’s seal, cord, and staff as a pledge for the promised price of her harlotry (v.18).
    2. When Judah sent Hirah to pay the harlot, Tamar was nowhere to be found (vv.20‑22).
    3. Judah intends to replace his missing items, and not allow his harlotry to become public knowledge (v.23).
  8. Tamar’s harlotry, and Judah’s harlotry with her are exposed (Gen. 38:24-26).
    1. Judah intends to burn Tamar as a harlot (v.24).  This will later become the law in Israel for the daughter of any priest (Lev. 21:9).
    2. Tamar confesses her harlotry to Judah, and then identifies him as the father of her child (children) (v.25).
    3. Judah confessed his own guilt, and her “greater” righteousness.  He spared Tamar’s life, but kept her as a widow rather than a wife, from that time on (v.26).
  9. Tamar gave birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah (Gen. 38:27-30).
    1. The scarlet thread was supposed to mark the firstborn son (v.28).
    2. Perez: “breach” came out first, however (v.29).  Judah is the Tribe from which the Christ will come (Gen. 49:10), and Perez is the line through which that occurs (Matt. 1:3).
    3. Zerah: “rising, dawning” became the second son (v.30). 
      1. Zerah may also mean “scarlet” if it comes from a Canaanite word rather than a Hebrew word.
      2. The Zerahites were one of the four clan divisions of Judah (Perez had two clan divisions) (Num. 26:20,21).
      3. Achan was a Zerahite (Josh. 7:1).

Genesis Chapter Thirty-Nine

  1. Joseph is bought as a slave by Potiphar, Captain of Pharaoh’s guard (Gen. 39:1).
  2. The Lord was with Joseph (Gen. 39:2).  Joseph was spiritually prosperous even while he was temporally enslaved.
  3. Potiphar recognized the Divine blessing upon Joseph, and entrusted the young man with his entire house (Gen. 39:3-6a).
  4. Potiphar’s wife directly and repeatedly tempted Joseph to commit adultery (Gen. 39:6b-10).
    1. Joseph resisted the temptation (v.10a).
    2. Joseph avoided the woman (v.10b).
  5. Potiphar’s wife laid a trap for Joseph, and he was forced to flee without his garment (Gen. 39:11,12).
  6. Potiphar’s wife then accused Joseph of attempted-rape, and Potiphar had Joseph imprisoned for his crime (Gen. 39:13-20).
  7. The Lord was with Joseph (Gen. 39:21a).  Joseph was spiritually prosperous even while he was temporally imprisoned.
  8. The chief jailer recognized the Divine blessing upon Joseph, and entrusted the young man with the entire jail operation (Gen. 39:21b-23).