Genesis 39 - Day 39 (link to daily reading plan)
Scripture: Genesis 39:2, 19-21 Observation: Joseph is sold to Potiphar, who was captain of the guard for Pharoah. God was with Joseph so He blessed Potiphar's household. Sometime later Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph but he kept his integrity so she accused him of trying to rape her. Potiphar was furious but didn't believe her and threw Joseph into prison. Verse 21 reveals that the Lord was with Joseph in prison. Application: The path to sanctification isn't always straight, short, or easy. The Lord was with Joseph at Potiphar's home but he was still wrongfully accused and thrown into prison. Remember that God is more concerned about who we are becoming than what we are doing. Even though it didn't look like it, God was with Joseph. Despite our circumstances and what we're feeling, God is with us. Prayer: Lord, please help me to recognize Your hand as you guide me along Your path. Genesis 38 - Day 38 (link to the daily reading plan)
Scripture: Genesis 38:26 Commentary: The sudden switch of focus from Joseph on his way to Egypt (37:36) to Judah’s marriage (38:2) has thrown many readers, who see chap. 38 as an irrelevant digression. This is because they have forgotten that chaps. 37–50 are not headed “This is the story of Joseph” but “this is the family history of Jacob”(37:2). Consequently, it is not surprising that occasionally sons of Jacob other than Joseph should sometimes occupy center stage. And principles of divine providence that are illustrated on a grander scale elsewhere in Genesis, e.g., justice for the deceived, choice of the younger son, are here encapsulated in a short narrative. This short story then helps to focus the leading ideas of the whole patriarchal narrative. It begins rather inauspiciously with Judah leaving his brothers and seeing and taking a Canaanite as a wife, who gives birth to three sons. When his eldest, Er, reaches the age for marriage, probably in his late teens, Judah finds a bride for him. Unfortunately he dies soon after marriage for some unspecified sin. As Tamar is childless, it is her father-in-law’s duty to give his next son in marriage to her, to perpetuate the dead son’s name. But his next son, Onan, while publicly marrying her, secretly contrives to ensure that no children will be conceived. This is not merely an offense against the conventional morality of the day, which insisted on the duty of Levirate marriage, but it disregards the fundamental duty of husbands to father children (Gen 1:28) and shows scant respect for the promises to the patriarchs that they should have descendants beyond counting. So Onan dies too. Once again, since it was the husband who sinned, Tamar has a right to expect to marry the next of Judah’s sons. But Shelah, his third son, is too young, and though he promises to give him to Tamar in due course, Judah decides not to give any more of his sons to Tamar. Tamar is therefore left a widow, but technically betrothed to Shelah. Time passes and Judah’s faithlessness becomes evident, for Shelah has grown old enough to marry and yet he is not given to Tamar. Legal redress for a widow in Tamar’s situation was impossible. So one day she seizes the opportunity to produce a child for her departed husband Er. By dressing as a prostitute she succeeds in having intercourse with her father-in-law, Judah, and immediately conceives. By the standards of Leviticus, such an incestuous relationship merits the death penalty (20:12). This is one of a number of sexual relationships banned by Leviticus that occur in the patriarchal narratives, witnessing the different standards of that age. Evidently Genesis regards Tamar’s action as at least partially justified, because Judah had failed to let his son marry her as promised. Eventually, news of Tamar’s pregnancy reaches Judah, who fiercely sentences her to death for disregarding her betrothal vow. Infidelity during betrothal counted as adultery, and therefore merited the death penalty (Deut 22:13–21, 23–24). Under OT law, if Tamar was culpable, so was her partner. Consequently, if he but realized it, Judah in sentencing her to death has also condemned himself to the same fate. At the last moment Tamar makes her point, proving that Judah was indeed the father of the child. Judah admits his guilt, “She is in the right, not I” (38:26). She is innocent, he admits, because I forced her to take this action by refusing to give my son Shelah to her in marriage. She, unlike me, was concerned to perpetuate the family line, to produce descendants for Abraham. So the story closes with another remarkable twin birth, replacing, as it were, Judah’s two lost sons, Er and Onan, with Zerah and Peres. The younger, called Peres, headed the Judahite clan from which Boaz came, so that at his marriage to Ruth the elders prayed, “may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman”(Ruth 4:12). Boaz was the ancestor of King David, who in turn was the forefather of “Jesus … who is called Christ” (Matt 1:6, 16). So this story, which at first sight seems to be so marginal to biblical history, records a vital link in saving history. Tamar, through her determination to have children, secured for Judah the honor of fathering both David and the Savior of the world. Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis 16–50 (Vol. 2, pp. 369–370). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Application: Whoever said the bible is boring or irrelevant never read the bible for themselves. This was a "kairos" or turning point for Judah as we will see at the end of this story. These are the moments that God uses to sanctify us. When we recognize that what we are doing isn't going to produce what we want or what will help us grow in our relationship with God. Judah recognized his "sin" and repented. Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning. Genesis 37 - Day 37 (link to daily reading plan)
Scripture: Genesis 37 Observation: After Esau's genealogy in chapter 36, we're given another glimpse of Jacob's dysfunctional family. We're finally introduced to the second protagonist of Genesis, a talented but spoiled teenager who has a knack for rubbing his siblings the wrong way. Application: With the divorce rate in the United States hovering between 40-50 percent, blended families have become more of the norm than the exception today. Apparently, with polygamy and multiple wives being an accepted part of ancient culture, men back then faced the same challenges that a divorced father does today - "How do effectively manage all of the relationships?" Jacob favored Joseph over his other children and drove a wedge between them. Eventually, the sibling's jealousy and hatred toward Joe climaxed with a plot to kill their half-brother. Even if you're not divorced or live in a blended family, we each have the power to heal or divide relationships. Prayer: Lord, thank You for showing and teaching me how to be a loving parent. Genesis 36 - Day 36 (link to daily reading plan)
Scripture: Genesis 36 Commentary: Genealogies do not easily inspire theological reflection, but in Genesis, they have a most important function. Genesis is concerned with tracing Israel’s ancestral line, and in their neighbor Edom, they saw their nearest relative, indeed Israel’s twin brother Esau. But why was Jacob chosen while Esau was passed over? Much earlier, the narrative reported the antenatal oracle foretelling that “two nations are in your womb … the older will be a slave of the younger” (25:23). And when Isaac blessed Esau, he declared, “You shall live by your sword, and be subject to your brother” (27:40). Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis 16–50 (Vol. 2, p. 341). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Application: Each person named here had hopes and dreams, as well as, character flaws, idiosyncrasies and were pretty much just like us. God cared for each of them as much as He cares for us. Like them, we have the freedom to choose how we will live. Choose wisely. Prayer: Lord, whom am I that You would care to know my name? Genesis 35 - Day 35 (link to reading plan)
Scripture: Genesis 35:1-4 Observation: God instructs Jacob to move to Bethel so he tells everyone in his household to purify themselves and "Get rid of all your pagan idols..." Application: From the beginning, God has been patiently working to fulfill His plan of redemption. Step by step, piece by piece He has been lovingly sanctifying His children. Here's another example of God meeting us where we are. Prayer: Lord God, thank You for patiently working in me. |
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