Genesis 35
Back to Bethel
In Genesis 35, God again tells Jacob to go back to Bethel. The place where God appeared to him twenty years before when he was running from Esau. For some reason, Jacob had delayed going to Bethel though God had instructed him to go there first. His delay caused a problem with his daughter Dinah being violated and his sons Simeon and Levi taking revenge on the tribe that had violated her.
Bethel is thought to be outside Jerusalem, though the guide I use when we go to Israel believes it was in Jerusalem. Most scholars believe it was just outside Jerusalem and not far from Bethlehem. Jacob built a pillar to mark the place and anointed it with oil.
Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin. Rachel is buried in Bethlehem, which will become the hometown of David and the birthplace of Jesus.
The church I grew up in had two Revivals a year. Many of the evangelists would begin the meetings by preaching this passage about “Going Back to Bethel.” They would make the application that as Jacob needed to go back to where he met God that we need to go back to the time when we were closest to God in our lives. It made for a powerful way to begin revival meetings. It is good to go back to times when we had supernatural experiences with God.
Genesis 36 & 37
Esau’s Descendants
Genesis 36 records the line of Esau or Edom. As promised in his blessing, Esau becomes the father of a great nation as well. Jacob's descendants will interact later with the descendants of Esau when they are on their way to claim the Promised Land. They do not clash, which is a testament to the reconciliation of Esau and Jacob.
Genesis 37
Joseph’s Dreams
Genesis 37 has Joseph, a young man of 17, in his father’s house. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite and most loved son. He is given a special robe. Probably an ornate robe not meant for work but leisure. Joseph has a dream in which his sheaf stood upright, and the sheaves gathered around him bowed down to it. The brothers rightly interpreted that dream to mean they would bow down before him someday. This made the brothers even angrier than they were before. Joseph’s dream would cause everything to happen to him in the future.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers. When they saw him coming in that ornate robe, they threw him in an empty cistern and discussed whether they should kill him or not. Judah suggested that they sell him into slavery to a passing tribe of Ishmaelites. They dipped his robe in blood and showed it to Jacob, making him think wild animals had killed Joseph.
Genesis 38
Judah and Tamar
The Torah writer interrupts the Joseph narrative to tell a disturbing story about Judah. The Torah writer is very intentional in his writings, and so this story is well placed in the patriarch's narratives.
Judah left his brothers and took a Canaanite wife. To this union, three sons were born. When his oldest son Er was old enough to marry, he got him a Canaanite girl to marry by the name of Tamar. Er died shortly after the wedding. It then was the responsibility for Judah’s other son Onan to marry Tamar and give her children. Onan married her but refused to complete his duty to give her children. God put Onan to death because of his disobedience. Judah’s other son was too young to marry, and so he sent Tamar back to live in her father’s house until his third son Shelah came of age. The text seems to imply that Judah hoped that she might marry someone from her village.
After Shelah had come of age, Judah still didn’t send for Tamar. She knew where Judah was shearing sheep, and she dressed like a prostitute and offered herself to Judah. Judah offered her a lamb as payment. Since he didn’t have the lamb with him, she took his staff and his seal as a pledge for payment. Judah sent a friend with payment, but he couldn’t find the prostitute, and some men told them that there weren’t any prostitutes in that vicinity.
It seems strange that Jacob would not recognize his daughter-in-law. It has been suggested that she may have been as young as 12 or 13 when she was given in marriage to Judah’s oldest sons and that the youngest son may have only been 2 or 3 when she was sent away. If that is the case, she would have been a young teenage girl when she left, but eight to ten years later, she would have been a young woman, and her looks could have dramatically changed.
Tamar becomes pregnant as a result of Judah having sex with her. When Judah finds out that she is pregnant, he is going to have her put to death. Tamar then shows Judah his staff, seal, and cord. After seeing these items, Judah proclaims that Tamar is more righteous than he. This incident seems to change Judah. He will become the brothers' leader after this and seems to care about doing what is right in God’s sight after this.
Twins were born to this illicit union. It would not be lost on the readers that these boys born from a Canaanite woman would be in the line of King David and the coming Messiah.
Genesis 39
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
After the disturbing account of Judah and Tamar, the text returns to the Joseph narratives. Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar is a captain of the guard for Pharaoh.
Joseph does not sulk at the treatment of his brothers, but he works hard for Potiphar and soon earns the trust of his master by running the whole household. Joseph shows his character by keeping a good attitude, and even though life hasn’t been fair to him, he makes the best of a difficult situation. My mom had a saying, “bloom where you are planted.” In other words, in whatever situation, you find yourself do the best you can.
Potiphar’s wife tests Joseph’s character. She tries to seduce him every day. Joseph refuses her. One day she grabs his cloak, and Joseph is forced to leave naked. Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph, and so Potiphar has Joseph thrown in prison.
Genesis 40
Joseph in Prison
The jail Joseph is put in the prison where Pharoah’s prisoners are kept. The text tells us that the captain of the guard is in charge of this prison. Earlier in the text, we know that Potiphar is the captain of the guard. Potiphar has imprisoned Joseph in the jail that he has charge. Potiphar may have believed Joseph over his wife. Joseph is made a trustee in prison, and so once again, he thrives under challenging circumstances.
Pharaoh has imprisoned his cupbearer and baker. They both have had dreams which have disturbed them. Joseph offers to interpret their dreams. The interpretation for the cupbearer is that he will be restored to his former position in three days. Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him, which of course, he will not for a time. The baker’s dream was interpreted that he would be hung in three days, which came true. God has given Joseph a unique gift to interpret dreams which have guided his life since a teenager. It will also be responsible for Joseph fulfilling his purpose in life. We would all do well to use the gifts God has given us.