JOSEPH’S LIFE (Genesis 37-50)
* This section of Genesis is actually a continuation of the life of Jacob
(Gen. 37:2), but for the sake of simplifying our outline of Genesis we will
consider it as a separate section.
1. Joseph is sold in slavery in Dothan, north of Shechem, and taken
captive to Egypt (Genesis 37:17).
Maps & Charts #3
a. There was division and animosity in the home that led to Joseph’s
rejection. Jacob’s home was a textbook case of what not to do!
(1) Joseph was hated because he was the firstborn son of the
favorite wife, Rachel. Though Benjamin was the youngest son
of Rachel, Benjamin probably reminded Jacob of her death,
so he favored Joseph, who was born while Rachel was still in
her beautiful prime. Now that Rachel had died and possibly
Leah as well (because she is not mentioned here), Joseph was
being raised by the servant-wives Bilhah and Zilpah (Gen.
37:2). There was “no love lost” between Rachel and Leah or
between their servants and children. Joseph was the product
of this divided home. The same thing happens today in
divorced families. God alone can trace the generations of
carnal fruit that grows from divided homes. At the same time,
we can praise God for the great mercy that is available in
such cases. Where sin abounds, grace can much more abound
(Rom. 5:20).
(2) Joseph was hated because he tattled on his family members
(Gen. 37:2). Though there is a time to expose sin, wisdom
understands that there is also a time to cover sin (1 Pet. 4:8)
and this is especially true in the home. Noah’s sons were
commended for covering their father’s sin (Gen. 9:23). In his
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childish zeal, Joseph perhaps needed more wisdom about
how to handle himself in the family context.
(3) Joseph was hated because he was loved more than the
others (Gen. 37:3-4). This favoritism began with Joseph’s
grandfather Isaac, who favored Esau above Jacob. Now Jacob
favors Joseph above his other sons. The favoritism was
brightly and daily evident in the coat of many colors.
Possessions and gifts are often the source of antagonism in
families, because some of the children are favored above the
others.
(4) Joseph was hated because of his dreams (Gen. 37:5-11).
Joseph was a prophet from his youth and God showed him
the future, but his family did not believe his prophecies.
Compare Mat. 13:57. Cain also envied his brother Abel
because he was a prophet (1 Jn. 3:12).
(a) In Joseph’s first dream, 11 sheaves bow down to Joseph’s
sheaf (Gen. 37:7). The 11 sheaves signify Joseph’s
brothers.
(b) In the second dream, the sun, moon, and 11 stars bow
down to Joseph (Gen. 37:9). The sun and moon signified
Jacob and Rachel, and the 11 stars signified his brothers
(v. 10).
(c) The imagery of the sun, moon, and 12 stars is repeated in
the vision in Revelation 12:1-6, which is a prophecy of
Israel during the Tribulation period. When the devil
attempts to destroy her, she flees into the wilderness and is
protected by God for 1,260 days (42 months), which is the
last 3.5 years of the Tribulation.
b. The awful deed in Dothan (Gen. 37:12-36)
(1) The brothers were back in Shechem, in the place where
Dinah was defiled and where the brothers had murdered an
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entire community. The cruelty that displayed itself in that evil
deed is now displayed toward their own flesh and blood.
(a) This shows the great spiritual danger of going back to
former backslidings. The flesh is powerful and if it is not
subdued by the Spirit, it is capable of any evil. See Gal.
5:16-25.
(b) Revivals do not last unless they are fanned by continual
communion and obedience. Jacob and his sons had
experienced a great revival following the former event in
Shechem; they had buried their idols and earrings and had
worshipped God at Bethel. Now that revival was dissipated
and they are back in the place of their carnal backsliding.
(2) Joseph was an obedient son (Gen. 37:13).
(3) They called Joseph “this dreamer” (Gen. 37:19-20), showing
that the main reason that they hated him was the visions.
They hated his prophecies.
(4) The decision to murder Joseph was made by all of the
brothers conspiring together (Gen. 37:18). Reuben was the
only exception (Gen. 37:21-22).
(5) The brothers ignored Joseph’s anguished pleading (Gen.
42:21).
(6) For covetousness the brothers sold Joseph into slavery (Gen.
37:26-28). This was possibly one of the motives that had
formerly caused them to murder the entire town of Shechem
(Gen. 34:27-29).
(7) Joseph was purchased by the Ishmeelites (Gen. 37:28). Thus
we see that the children of Ishmael are already doing
anything they can to offend Israel.
(8) We also see that slavery is an ancient custom and has never
been limited to one nation or people. It has been practiced by
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Arabs, Africans, Asians, Europeans, North Americans, and
South Americans. In fact, it is still practiced in some parts of
the Middle East and Africa.
(9) Jacob is treated with the same type of deception that he had
practiced toward his father (Gen. 37:31-33). Joseph’s
brothers used a kid of a goat and a coat to deceive Jacob. It
was a kid of the goats that Rebekah and Jacob had used to
deceive Isaac (Gen. 27:9) and Jacob wore Esau’s coat in the
deception (Gen. 27:15). Compare Num. 32:23.
(10) Jacob’s mourning (Gen. 37:34-35)
(a) His mourning was like that of the world; he refused to be
comforted. At this point Jacob is not living by faith in God’s
promises; he was acting like a man without hope. Believers
should sorrow but we should not sorrow like the world,
because we have a living hope in Jesus Christ and we have
all of the great promises of God. See 1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1
Thess. 4:13.
(b) His children tried to comfort him which is a good and
wise thing to do. Compare 1 Thess. 5:11.
c. Judah’s folly (Genesis 38)
(1) The purpose of this chapter:
(a) It exalts the grace of God. See Rom. 5:20. By seeing
Judah’s natural character, the grace of God in calling him
to be a chief figure in the genealogy of Jesus Christ is seen
in its greatness and glory. “This chapter gives us an
account of Judah and his family, and such an account it is
that one would wonder that, of all Jacob’s sons, our Lord
should spring out of Judah, Heb 7:14. ... But God will show
that his choice is of grace and not of merit, and that Christ
came into the world to save sinners, even the chief, and is
not ashamed, upon their repentance, to be allied to them,
also that the worth and worthiness of Jesus Christ are
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personal, of himself, and not derived from his ancestors.
Humbling himself to be ‘made in the likeness of sinful
flesh,’ he was pleased to descend from some that were
infamous” (Matthew Henry).
(b) It humbles man, showing man that he has nothing to
glory of. At our very best, in our natural condition, we are
but sinful flesh. Salvation is 100% of the Lord. Isa. 64:6;
Lk. 18:13-14; Rom. 3:27; 4:2. “How little reason had the
Jews, who were so called from this Judah, to boast, as they
did, that they were not born of fornication! Jn.
8:41” (Matthew Henry).
(c) It proves the divine inspiration of Scripture. Man’s
writings tend to exalt man and to cover his faults, but
God’s Word records the evil as well as the good, exposing
man’s fallen nature, and does not seek to flatter man.
(2) Judah’s unequal yoke (Gen. 38:1-11)
(a) Judah befriended Hirah the Adullamite (Gen. 38:1). God
wants His people to be friendly to the unsaved as a light to
them but not to befriend them in such a manner that we
learn their evil ways. Compare Eph. 5:8-14; Phil. 2:15;
James 4:4. Judah’s illicit friendship directly resulted in
Judah’s unlawful marriage and later Hirah was associated
with Judah’s immorality (Gen. 38:20). Hirah was not a
godly friend. Compare Psalm 1:1, which warns of the
downward progression of evil companionships: first we
walk with them (in casual associations), then we stand
with them (lingering to spend more time with them,
learning their thinking and ways), finally we sit with them
(being comfortable in their company and with their
lifestyle). Also contrast 1 Cor. 15:33, which warns that evil
communications (associations) corrupt good manners
(right living). This is why it is so important that parents
lovingly but firmly guide their children in the matter of
friendships, that children and young people do not attend
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pagan schools; do not spend hours being brainwashed by
godless music, movies, and television, etc.
(b) Judah ignored the example of his grandfather Isaac and
his father Jacob, who refused to marry heathen women,
and married an idolatrous Canaanite (Gen. 38:2). Contrast
2 Cor. 6:14-15.
(c) The sons born to this union were wicked before God and
God killed them (Gen. 38:3-10). God is the great Judge of
all men, and there is a sin unto death. Compare 1 John
5:16-17.
(d) The sin of Onan was selfishness, disobedience to his
father, and dishonor to his brother (Gen. 38:9-10). The
custom of marrying the brother’s widow was afterwards
made inscripturated into the Law of Moses (Deut. 25:5).
Onan’s sin is more evident when we consider the fact that
Judah was the chosen seed of the Messianic line. “Had he
not been guilty of this wickedness, he might have had the
honour of being one of his ancestors” (Matthew Henry). In
fact, Tamar and her son Pharez are in the genealogy of
Christ (Mat. 1:3; Lk. 3:33).
(3) Judah’s incest with Tamar (Gen. 38:11-30)
(a) Judah had lied to his daughter-in-law (Gen. 38:11). One
sin leads to another (Gen. 38:26). Had Judah allowed
Tamar to remarry, she would not have been tempted with
this sin in her womanly desire to bear children. In the New
Testament God ordains that young widows remarry so they
will not be faced with such temptations (1 Tim. 5:11-14).
God allows every man and woman to have a spouse in
order to avoid fornication (1 Cor. 7:2). When religious
organizations and societies despise God’s laws and replace
them with their own humanistic laws, great harm results.
For example, the Roman Catholic Church’s unscriptural
doctrine of celibacy has produced untold immorality.
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(b) Tamar conceived of this wicked deed (Gen. 38:14), just as
Lot’s daughters did when they committed incest with their
father.
(c) Judah showed his immoral character by his willingness to
entertain a prostitute (Gen. 38:15-16). Judah’s wife had
recently died, and he was not careful about his actions
following this.
(d) His sin began with a look (Gen. 38:15). This is why it is
so important not to look upon sinful things. Compare Job
31:1; Ps. 101:3.
(e) Judah was concerned about being shamed before men for
his deeds, but he had no concern about being shamed
before God (Gen. 38:23). “He expresses no concern about
the sin, to get that pardoned, only about the shame, to
prevent that. There are many who are more solicitous to
preserve their reputation with men than to secure the
favour of God and a good conscience; lest we be shamed
goes further with them than lest we be damned” (Matthew
Henry).
(f) Judah was a hypocrite who was zealous against the sins of
others but not against his own sins (Gen. 38:24). Compare
Mat. 7:1, which is a warning against hypocritical
judgment.
(g) Judah’s sin was exposed before all (Gen. 38:25). Compare
Lk. 8:17. “The wickedness that has been most secretly
committed, and most industriously concealed, yet
sometimes is strangely brought to light, to the shame and
confusion of those who have said, No eye sees. A bird of
the air may carry the voice; however, there is a destroying
day coming, when all will be laid open” (Matthew Henry).
(h) Tamar and her son Pharez are in the lineage of Christ
(Mat. 1:3; Lk. 3:33), thus exalting the grace and mercy of
God.
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