Genesis is divided into two major sections, the first dealing primarily with creation and the latter dealing primarily with redemption. The two major sections are further subdivided into histories of the various major figures within the overall narrative. Genesis 37:1 through 50:26 forms a literary unit self-titled as “the history of Jacob.” Though much material concerning Jacob’s personal life is recounted in the prior section (25:19 – 36:43), the section currently under discussion deals with the legacy of the man Jacob as it is played out in the lives of his twelve sons, the heads of the tribes of Israel. The overriding theme of the history of Jacob is God’s sovereignty in the preservation of Israel. The major characters of the narrative are Jacob, Joseph, and Judah. Jacob is the divinely-chosen son of Isaac through whom the promise of Abraham is perpetrated. Joseph is the favored son of Jacob through whom God sovereignly and faithfully preserves Israel during a worldwide famine. Judah is the fourth-born son of Jacob who inherits first-born status due to the violence and immorality of his three older brothers. No model of godly character himself, Judah goes from committing various acts of shameful behavior, including devising the scheme to sell Joseph into slavery, to becoming surety for Benjamin, which became the key to unlocking God’s provision of safety that He had prepared beforehand for them through His sovereign exaltation of Joseph over the land of Egypt.
The very name “Jacob” means “he grasps the heel” or “he cheats, supplants.” 1 He was so-named because he took hold of his twin brother’s heel during birth, an act which typified the character of much of his adult life. Jacob’s life, much of which is recounted in the history of his father Isaac (25:19 – 36:43), is dominated by his conflicts with his twin-brother Esau, his uncle Laban, and, most importantly, with Yahweh. All three conflicts were eventually resolved as Jacob the deceiver was confronted by God and transformed into Israel, the prince of God. Thus, by the time of Genesis 37:2, the narrative arrives at the point where Jacob has personally been transformed, but his legacy of deceit has been passed on to his sons.
That the sons of Jacob lived up to their namesake is evidenced in their deceitful and violent treatment of Shechem’s house (34:1-31) as well as their conspiracy against Joseph with the corresponding tale they concocted to cover their guilt (37:12-36). Furthermore, Judah’s lack of integrity in marrying a Canaanite woman, his failure to give his youngest son to his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar, and his immoral relationship with his Tamar all highlight the pitiful legacy of Jacob which provides a foil to the character and integrity of Joseph and the faithfulness and grace of Yahweh (38:1-30). Despite their empty insistence of being honest men (42:11), it is the very integrity of the sons of Jacob which God puts to the severest test through the hand of Joseph (42:14ff). In the end, despite the evil, self-willed life of deceit and treachery characteristic of the sons of Jacob, it is the sovereignty of God that prevails as he used the very evil they intended against their brother Joseph to bring about a preservation, not only of the people of Israel, but of the whole world (41:56-57; 45:7-8; 50:20).
Just as the section entitled “The history of Isaac” (25:19 – 35:39) is primarily a history of the sons of Isaac, “The history of Jacob” focuses on the sons of Jacob, most of whom have inherited the deceitful nature that was his prior to God’s transformation of his character. The notable exception is Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob and the object of his brothers’ hatred. Ironically, Joseph is a victim of treachery and deceit, but in him is reflected the faithfulness of God to preserve the tiny, embryonic nation through the trials of physical and spiritual famine. The story of Joseph’s life can be outlined as follows: (1) rejection by his brethren; (2) separation from his brethren; (3) preservation of his brethren.
1. Joseph the beloved of Jacob
2. Joseph the dreamer of dreams
3. Joseph the victim of hatred and jealousy
Joseph is rejected by his brothers because of Jacob’s overt favoritism toward him. Scripture says his brothers hated him so much that they could not even speak peaceably to him (37:4; cf. 45:15). When Joseph revealed two dreams he had in which his father, mother, and brothers all bowed down to him, the intense hatred his brothers had for him was stirred up to the point that they considered killing him (37:18-20). Instead, through the scheme of Judah, he was sold to a company of Ishmaelites and taken to Egypt as a slave (37:25-36).
1. Joseph in Potiphar’s house
2. Joseph in prison
3. Joseph over Egypt
The key idea of Joseph’s banishment to Egypt is found in 39:2 and 39:23, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man.” The favor of God on Joseph and His exaltation of him to places of authority prevailed right up until the end of his life. But though exalted by God, Joseph continued to suffer the consequences of the sinfulness of man. Potiphar’s wife deceitfully accused him of attempted rape, unjustly landing Joseph in prison (39:1-20). While in prison, he was forgotten by the butler to whom he had given an accurate and favorable interpretation of a dream (39:21 – 40:23). Not until his exaltation over all of Egypt did Joseph find shelter from the injustices of man. But even his prominence in Egypt could not protect him from the emotional wounds caused by his brothers’ rejection and aggravated by their sudden appearance before him as they sought relief from the famine (42:3ff).
1. Joseph’s plan
2. Joseph’s tests
3. Joseph’s revelation
4. Joseph’s reunion
God gave to Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, an ability which vaulted him to a position as governor over all of Egypt. Joseph’s plan to provide relief from the coming famine not only saved Egypt, but also provided salvation for the surrounding nations who came to Egypt as the only place where bread could be found (41:56-57). The famine was also severe in Canaan, forcing Jacob to send ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain for their survival (42:1-2). The arrival of the sons of Jacob proved upsetting to Joseph. But rather than reject them, he accused them of being spies and tested them to see if they could prove their honesty. First, he had their grain payment secretly restored and warned them that unless they returned with their youngest brother, Benjamin, that they would not be allowed to buy anymore grain (42:14-38). Knowing his father’s love for Benjamin, Joseph devised a strategy that would force the sons of Jacob to adopt extreme measures in order to survive the famine that would devastate the land for several more years. In the process, Judah became surety for Benjamin for the sake of Jacob and then made good on his word when he offered himself as a substitute slave when Benjamin is “accused” of “stealing” Joseph’s cup (43:8-10; 44:18-33). At that point, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and reunited with them, having tested them to the point where they finally humbled themselves before him (45:1-15). Finally, after fifteen years of mourning, Jacob is gloriously reunited with his son, and comes to live out the last days of his life in Egypt under God’s sovereign provision, delivered through the hand of Joseph the dreamer (46:1 – 49:33).
In conjunction with the overall theme of the sovereignty of God in the preservation of Israel is the theme of Judah’s transformation from one who performs shameful acts to one who becomes surety for Benjamin in deference to the well-being of his father Jacob. Despite being the fourth-born son of Jacob, Judah inherited the prominence among the tribes because of the violence and immorality of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi (49:1-7). But Judah was no model of godly character himself and a character transformation would have to take place for Judah to assume the prominent position ordained for him.
Genesis 38 seems to bring an awkward interruption into the narrative surrounding Joseph, but in fact is placed there by the writer for a very significant purpose. Judah plays a prominent role in the history of Jacob. The case could be made that Judah’s transformation is the most significant theme of the latter chapters of Genesis, save God’s sovereign preservation of His people. The events surrounding Judah and Tamar recorded in chapter 38 serve two primary functions: (1) to highlight the importance of Judah having an heir raised up to him; (2) to underscore the godlessness characteristic of his life. But even before the immoral relationship of Judah with Tamar, precipitated by his failure to give his youngest son Shelah to her as a husband, the character flaws evident in Judah’s life are revealed by Scripture. It was, after all, Judah who devised the scheme to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites, for, he reasoned, there was no profit in merely killing him (37:26-27).
After the incidents involving Tamar, Judah is not mentioned again by name until the sons of Jacob prepare for a return trip to Egypt, having come to the end of the provisions that they secured during their first visit. From chapter 43 to the end of Genesis, Judah begins to take a prominent role among his brethren, especially as it related to the Joseph’s demand that they return with Benjamin or not return at all. In contrast to Reuben who offered his sons should he fail to bring Benjamin back, Judah personally became surety for the boy (42:37; 43:8-10). After Joseph plants the cup in Benjamin’s sack as a way of testing the integrity of his brothers, Scripture specifically notes that Judah and his brothers came before Joseph, indicating that he clearly taken the lead among the sons of Jacob and intended to fulfill his promise of surety (44:14). Then, in the turning point of the narrative, Judah personally offers himself to Joseph in place of the “guilty” Benjamin, seeking to spare Jacob from certain death by grief (44:18-34).
Though no where does Scripture record anything regarding Judah’s personal faith toward God, it is apparent that at the least he underwent a character transformation and thereby assumed the prominent role among his brothers. Interestingly, when Jacob approached Egypt to reunite with Joseph, Scripture records that “he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen” (46:28). The next mention of Judah is the blessing pronounced on him by Jacob. While the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are cursed by Jacob, Judah is the first in the list to receive a blessing:
Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
Genesis 49:8-10
Judah, though he raised up an heir to himself by his own daughter-in-law, whom he had mistaken for a harlot, nevertheless became the head of the tribes of Israel. Through the line of Judah came King David, his resulting dynasty, and ultimately, the Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (1 Sam. 17:12; 1 Kings 12:20; 2 Kings 8:19; Jer. 22:2; Matt. 1:2-6; Luke 1:32; Rev. 5:5).
Though none of us will ever find ourselves in the historical setting of the history of Jacob, we can all relate to the sinfulness characteristic of Jacob and his sons and the need for the sovereign, immutable, faithfulness of the God who keeps His covenant even in the midst of extreme sin and failure among His people. The history of Jacob teaches every generation not only about God’s sovereign preservation of Israel through famine and trials, but also of His sovereignty over the evil choices of men. The history of Jacob concludes with the timelessly applicable truth that even when men intend something for evil, God can use even that to bring about the good that He intends for His people, a promised captured by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NAS)
FOOTNOTES
1:Trent C. Butler, ed. Holman Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991), 738.