Introduction

Do you remember your last test? Was it in school? Some license you wanted and you had to take a test? Training at work? Maybe your last test was from God? On God’s test: How did you do? Maybe you say you haven’t one of those recently- oh yes you have. Our lives are full of tests, not always recognizable. God is continually sending us tests, He does that to provide opportunities for our faith to grow

God’s tests are opportunities for our faith to grow

Our lesson describes Abraham’s faith tests of two of the greatest crisis of his entire life. He must learn lesson of “letting go” to the 2 most important people in his life. In chapt 22 =Isaac, in chapt23=Sarah. We learn from the life of Abraham and his tests, how to please God instead of ourselves, how to be obedient when nothing makes sense, how to be submissive to God’s will not our own, How to trust God’s promises when you can’t see His purposes.

Outline:

I. Test #1:The Severe Sacrifice: Abraham puts God first in his life Gen:22

Akedah= “The binding”= Jewish name of this event

A. God’s Command Gen 22:1,2

B. Abraham’s Obedience Gen 22:3-10.

C. God’s Approval Gen 22:11-24

II. Test #2: The Sad Farewell: Abraham buries Sarah in Promised Land Gen 23

A. Abraham’s Grief Gen 23:1,2

B. Sarah’s Grave Gen 23:3-20

Severe Sacrifice

A. God’s command READ Gen 22:1a

1. “God tested Abraham” We need to make a clear distinction between our temptations and our testings. Satan and perhaps some people tempt us so that we fail, fall, the evil in us comes out. Remember

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. James 1:13

God tests us for the opposite reason. His tests are designed to mature our faith,grow us.

The testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything James 1:3,4

Testing helps uncover our true motives, clarifies deep loyalties, reveals deceit and encourages true faith.

God knew how Abraham would respond to this test, but Abraham had to know that he did love God even more than his dearest possession. Father of the nation needed to know God must come first. This test touched Abraham’s tenderest, most vulnerable, most precious place. READ Gen 22:1b

2. "Abraham" "Here I am" = Hebrew phrase= hineni only used a few times in Scripture

There is really no equivalent in English.

This term indicates readiness, alertness, attentiveness, receptivity and responsiveness to instructions. Jewish Study Bible

Abraham is ready to listen to God. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if that could be said about us? That we are ready, alert, willing to be responsive to God’s calls on our lives? Even if

3. Command READ Gen 22:2

Abraham is familiar with God’s voice, this is no mistake. Possible that Abraham was accustomed to pagan human sacrifices of the Canaanites around him, may have even witnessed some. No doubt this command pierced the deepest part of his heart. “whom you love” This would not have been much of a test if Abraham had not deeply loved his son, but he did, “only son”= only son of the promise, only son through whom God would make a great nation, only son through whom the world would be blessed. What a dilemma for Abraham: The Promise of God required that Isaac live but the Command of God required that Isaac die. Part of this trial was that God seemed to be contradicting God. Have you ever experienced that? What is going on in your life seems to contradict what you know of God? It’s a hard place to be. Unbelievers, or those weak in their faith stumble over such challenges. As you mature, walk w/God, you may still hit those places where you don’t understand God at all, but after a time, when you look back, you know, you believe God reveals Himself to be good and His purposes are for your good and His glory. Maturing faith waits to see how the wisdom of God will be revealed. The waiting can be painful, may seem very long, many abandon their faith because of God’s testing. Not Abraham. He locked into the truth that God is faithful, God is able to do the impossible, God’s purposes will not be thwarted. This is His faith.

B. Abraham’s Obedience Gen 22:3-10

1. What a night he must have had. Soren Kierrekgard commenting on this says he probably got up early because he didn’t sleep at all that night. Haven’t you had nights like that, the night before you took a big exam, or went to court, or did anything really difficult? We know that Abraham regardless of what was going on in his mind and heart, chose to obey immediately READ Gen 22:3,4 Region of Moriah, tradition says it was one of the NE hills of Jerusalem- spot where David would buy the threshing floor from Araunah (uhROOnuh) to build an altar, later Solomon would build the Temple, later the area where Jesus would sacrifice his life. It would take about 3 days to travel the 50 miles from Beersheba to Jerusalem. Physically, emotionally exhausting for Abraham. Finally they reached the place, Abraham leaves the servants behind telling them “we will worship and return to you” . Question is: Is he covering his secret or making a statement of his faith?

By faith Abraham when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son even though God had said to him “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking he did receive Isaac back from the dead. Hebrews 11:17-19

We will return= Abraham believed in the Resurrection. Is there anything too hard for God, He expected God to do a miraculous thing.

2. That kind of faith is infectious, extremely inspiring, causes us to wonder if Isaac caught this spirit of total trust. Isaac is a na’ar= young man perhaps a teenager which makes his question even more poignant READ Gen 22:7 (where is the lamb)Imagine how that question pierced Abraham’s heart. Spoke with confidence Gen 22:8 God will provide.

3. Gen 22:9 Abraham prepared the altar. At some point Isaac had to be told. Picture the scene, after the altar was built, wood arranged, Abraham turned to Isaac with tears running down his face, heartbroken, explained to Isaac God’s command. Isaac, old enough to carry wood, also old enough to run away, but there is no hint of resistance, he becomes a willing participant in his sacrifice. Glimpse of Isaac’s faith: 1. Faith in the love of his father Abraham. 2. Faith in the Covenant- how many times has he heard he was the heir of the promises, of a great nation, too numerous to count, thru his descendants all nations would be blessed, he would inherit the land. Believing somehow this still was all true, Isaac put himself on the altar was bound, blade of the knife was lifted to cut his throat…when God called READ Gen 22:11-12

C. God’s approval Gen 22:11-24

1. Abraham you’ve passed the test. STOP. I never wanted Isaac’s life, I wanted your total devotion, now I know that you fear God. Because Abraham’s life was characterized by listening to God, he heard God at the most critical time. hineni =Here am I ready to listen, ready to obey. God provides another –a ram caught by its horns in the bushes- was sacrificed instead of Isaac and once again God re-iterates His Covenant with Abraham “I swear”….Gen 22:15-18. So many lessons for us

Holding things loosely

The first commandment is that we are to have no other gods before Him. God is first, #1. Everything and everyone else is second. We must hold loosely to things that are temporal, but also to people. Chuck Swindoll says “the greater the possessiveness the greater the pain of turning loose, letting go” Letting go of unrealized dreams, letting go of grown children, letting go past relationships, letting go of trinkets and treasures, holding loosely to everyone and everything except God.

I was truly convicted weren’t you to fill in the chart ranking the hardest and easiest things to give God:

Family members, children, old pictures, home, car, job/career, financial security, food, friends, my Bible, my understanding of God’s will, health, church, possessions, TV education

Application: can you do that? Hold loosely to those things to be sure that if God calls you can trust Him and surrender all? Are there any of God’s gifts you love more than God? If they were taken away, would you be mad at God? Is God testing you in any of these areas right now? How are you doing with the test? What are you learning about God?

Doctrine of Substitution: life can be preserved only at the cost of life given.

The substitution of a male sheep for the first born son foreshadows the Passover in Exodus when substitutionary blood of the lamb was put on the doorposts so that the death angel would Passover that house. Passover lamb foreshadowed the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ- the Lamb that was slain for our sins (I Peter 1:19) “precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished, spotless, the blood of Christ:

Picture of Calvary:

1. Place = Gen 22:3 Moriah Luke 23:33 “the place”

2. Wood= Gen 22:6 Issac carried his own wood John 19:17 “carrying his own cross”

The image of Isaac’s carrying the wood on which he is to be burned adds enormous power to the story. A midrash relates this to a Roman (not Jewish) method of execution that was sometimes used on Jewish martyrs “It’s like a person who carries his cross on his own shoulders” Jewish Study Bible

3. Submission= Gen 22:9 John 10:18 “I lay it down on my own initiative” John 18:11 “ The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?”

4. Provision= Gen 22:8,13 John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son…”

5. Sacrifice accepted= Gen 22:12 Mt 28:6 The Empty Tomb, The Resurrection

God will provide- Jehovah Jireh, Adonai Yireh

Now Abraham truly understands the meaning of his words to Isaac Gen 22:8. He gives this place the name Gen 22:14. Later generations would use this as a proverb “On the mountain of the Lord it shall be provided”.

This story of the sacrifice of Isaac helped Israel as a nation in later difficult times to understand and have confidence in God when he seemed to be contradicting His own words and works. It can help us today too to face the sacrifices God calls us to make, remembering when God allows us to be tested, it’s not for His benefit, but ours. Abraham learned he loved God more than anything or anyone and we really won’t learn that unless we’re ready to completely surrender our all. Only after you and I have climbed the mountain of sacrifice, only when we’re willing to give up the “Isaac” in our lives, do we find the provision God has for us. I pray God will give us all the grace and the willingness to be obedient to his testings. Look at the text, seems out of place, next

2. Genealogy Gen 22:20-24

Wonder why is it tacked on to the end of this story? There is a purpose. God is telling us He has spared Isaac’s life for a reason, He has a plan. 100’s of miles away, he is preparing Rebekah, getting her ready to share Isaac’s life, getting her ready to be one of the mothers through whom the covenant will be passed. Foreshadowing of Gen 24.

ears pass between Gen 22 and 23 and Abraham has another test ….

II. Second Test: Sarah’s death, sad farewell Gen 23

Test: How would a man of faith cope with one of the greatest challenges of life- death of a deeply loved and cherished spouse? Some of you have faced that test, I have not.. yet, but I’ve watched my dad the last 3 years since my mother died…and I know that going on living without her has been his hardest test.

A. Abraham’s grief READ Gen 23:1,2

Sarah was 127, meant Abraham is 137, married over 100yrs. She was younger than him, so perhaps a surprise she died first. He grieved, he wept over her. This was his life partner, only link with the home of his childhood, she understood when he talked about his dad, she knew his brothers, shared his call to leave and go not knowing where they would live, she bore the hardships, joys, she sacrificed and supported him- as he knelt before her those memories surely flooded his heart, she had been a good and faithful wife and mother. His grief was real, bitter, painful, bible tells us he wept. Deep grief demands tears, his tears were the empty feeling he had from the loss of her presence, not longer would they walk together, no longer would he hear her voice instructing the servants, no longer would he see her kiss their son. We know by his actions Abraham was a man of faith believed in the promises of God and in the resurrection of the dead (Heb 11:13-16 LB) Abraham believed she had gone to that better country. He grieved but he grieved with HOPE (I Thes 4:13) Hope is what comforts. Death is not enemy 4 be

Death is not extinguishing the light, it is only putting out the lamp because the Dawn has come. Tagore

Sarah had been born in pagan Ur but she left there, God of Abraham had become her God, she had faith in the Covenant, died, believing in the land of the Promise. Abraham desired to bury Sarah in this land as a testimony of God’s love and His faithfulness beyond death. “To your descendants I will give this land” 12:7. That surely motivated him to purchase a burial place for Sarah. It would be a pledge, earnest down payment of his inheritance.

B. Sarah’s grave Gen 23:3-20

Example of Oriental Bargaining. Since he was “an alien, stranger” v4 he probably needed the approval of the people in the area to actually purchase any land. He asks to buy land and the men reply sure, none of us will refuse you, you’re a mighty warrior. So Abraham says he wants the Cave of Machpelah, pay full price. The owner says “oh no, I’ll give you the cave and the field” Gen 23:10,11. Don’t be confused his offer to “give” was just the middle eastern way of bargaining, he had no intentions of giving anything away and Abraham knew it insists on paying full price, most likely overpaid and then buried Sarah there. Only real estate in the Promised Land he ever legally owned. I wonder if at the end of his life he looked back and asked “is this all” Probably not because thru the tests of his life he came to know the priorities of his life, true meaning of life is not acquiring possessions/people but the maturation of the soul. He spent his life getting to know God

Being devoted to Him, obedient, trusting God to develop his faith,

Is that what the tests of your life are doing for you?

Homework questions are available in the student study guide which may be downloaded from the "Related Media" box on the series home page: https://bible.org/series/abraham

Introduction

Can you imagine what it would be like to be a son/daughter of a very famous person? Grow up in their shadow? Whoever you were, whatever talents or gifts you had would always seem “less than” inferior, read you this quote:

For Peter Fonda, being a son of Hollywood royalty wasn't easy. For one thing, he couldn't escape the comparisons; every time Peter went on an audition, it seemed, they wondered why he didn't possess the same natural skill as his dad, the great Henry Fonda. Then there were the other actors and directors who resented him, assuming his surname had given Peter an unfair advantage. And his relationship with his dad was hardly picture-perfect.

“Famous Fathers, Celebrity Sons” by Steve Ryfle Netscape Celebrity

Isaac was like Peter Fonda. For him, his life was somewhat obscured by the more eventful lives of both his father Abraham and his son Jacob. There’s only one chapter that is solely devoted to his life, 26. He did have a miraculous birth, and it seems he willingly submitted to almost a sacrificial death on Mt Moriah and like a fairy tale, he loved the woman God had chosen for him; like his father he is believer in the Covenant. Also like his father he was forced to wait a very long time for his children to be born. Both he and his father became entangled with ruler Abimelech in Gerar and tried to convince others that his wife was his sister.

But Isaac was also very much unlike his father. He never traveled more than a few miles from his birthplace. He had only one wife, only 2 sons. He was never in a battle, his disposition seems to have been more of a follower than a leader. Yet, he is a Patriarch of Israel, Covenant Keeper.

Today we’re going to focus on Isaac.

Outline:

I. Isaac becomes a Father - Genesis 25:19-26

II. Isaac receives Command and Covenant - Genesis 26:1-6

III. Isaac repeats Father’s sin - Genesis 26:7-11

IV. Isaac reveals patience in conflict - Genesis 26:12-22

V. Isaac rewarded by God and Abimelech - Genesis 26:23-33

I. Isaac becomes a Father - Genesis 25:19-26

A. Read Genesis 25:19-21a. I imagine Abraham was a great source of comfort to his son during these 20 years of infertility. Abraham himself had waited 25 years for Isaac’s birth, God seems to have a purpose and a pattern in waiting for his promises, at times unknown to us. Finally Rebekah becomes pregnant, she should be the happiest woman on earth but not quite, in fact she’s miserable, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!”(NET) She asks God why is this happening to me? READ Genesis 25:23. I’m sure she was encouraged by this prophecy. When you’re pregnant all you can think about is giving birth to a healthy baby. Rebekah is told that and much more, she is going to give birth successfully to two boys that would survive, grow up and they too would have families and descendants. There’s a little cloud over this joy, the prophecy says these boys would be separated, older would serve the younger. These boys are to be “two peoples, going their own ways from birth” NEB. I think it’s every parent’s desire that your children love each other, get along, some even hope they’ll be best friends. But that’s not always what happens. Right here, God says before they were born “they’re not going to get along, they won’t live near each other, power play in their relationship, younger is going to dominate”. READ Genesis 25:24-26. Esau’s name means “hairy one” =hairiness in the ancient world indicated an animal-like nature. Jacob’s name means “El will protect” but the Hebrew spelling of Jacob (ya’aaob) is similar to the word “heel” when Jacob grasped Esau’s heel during the birth he got the nickname “heel-holder” sometimes called “deceiver, trickster”. With their births Isaac becomes a father and the Covenant has a new heir, God has kept His promise.

We’re going to skip over the story of the birthright and pick that up next week, stay focused on Isaac. In chapter 26 we’re going to see a series of circumstances which are amazingly similar to what his father Abraham experienced.

II. Isaac receives Command and Covenant - Genesis 26:1-6

A. READ Genesis 26:1. Separate event, nearly 100 yrs later from Abraham’s encounter with Abimelech in chapter 20. There is a famine in the land, Isaac is tested. Every event in our lives also has the potential to be a test for us. Whether it’s feast or famine, life or death, seems good or bad, everything we do/decisions we make, they have the potential for spiritual growth or slipping backwards. God allowed this famine to come at this time to encourage Isaac to trust Him in all things. MAP.

He went to Gerar. He had been living in Beer-lahai-roi (SW of Beersheba, area of Kadesh- Barnea) Semi-arid region. Perhaps Isaac thought he might do better where there was more rainfall, traveled about 50 miles NE to Gerar, closer to the coast. There another Abimelech was ruling, son or grandson of chapter 20. “Abimelech” seems to have been a title like Ceasar or Pharaoh or King. No mention of praying for guidance, seems that Isaac may have temporarily forgotten about relying on God’s direction, or dependent faith in God to provide, protect, instead he decided to act on his own, figure out how to feed his family himself, take control of his own life. He must have been making plans to go to Egypt when God intervenes.

B. READ Genesis 26:2-5 Lord appeared. This is the first time we see the Lord appearing to Isaac alone. God’s command “don’t go to Egypt” is followed by His promise of the Abrahamic Covenant, it now belongs Isaac. It includes the land, to become a great nation, to have and to bring blessings to all the world, this is promised to Isaac. God says “I will be with you and bless you” (Genesis 26:3).Why? Was it some good deed that Isaac had done? No, he was chosen the same way his father was chosen, by the Sovereignty of God. Out of all the people in the world, God chose Abraham- made promises to him and to his descendants – and Isaac was heir to the promises. God chose

C. READ Genesis 26:6 Isaac stayed in Gerar. Isaac obeyed God, stayed in the Promised Land, did not go down to Egypt. This section gives us a glimpse of possibly when the God of Abraham truly became the God of Isaac. Up until now, Isaac had lived in the shadow of his father. Back in chapter 22 on Mt Moriah Isaac had a willing faith and trust, in chapter 24, 25 we see he is a man of prayer. Now we see Isaac relating to God in a personal, one-on-one way. As we said last week, this personal faith, personal encounter with God is the way we all must come to have a saving relationship with God. It wasn’t enough that his father, his mother were believers, wasn’t enough that he was brought up in a godly home, wasn’t enough that he was the son of the promise, Isaac himself had to embrace the faith, he had to put his trust in the Living God, obey him. He did.

Application: What about you? I know some of you have been brought up like Isaac. You mother and father have been strong Christians all your life. You’ve always gone to church, always known of Jesus, He has always been part of your life. If I were to ask you “when did you become a believer?” you might answer “I’ve always gone to church, I grew up in the church.” If you answered that way I’d have to ask you respectfully, No the question is “When did you personally become a believer” You might answer my whole family is Christian. But, when did you decide their faith was your faith? Bible makes it clear, we individually must choose to when we hear the gospel, good news, we must either accept Christ as our Lord/Savior or we reject Him by default. Do you have a personal faith or is it second-hand? Is it your faith or is it the faith of your parents/grandparents that you’re relying on. Is it Your faith or the faith of your spouse, sibling or a close friend?

John 1:12 But to all who have received him - those who believe in his name- he has given the right to become God's children

God of Abraham became the God of Isaac, later we’ll see Jacob too must have a personal encounter with the Living God to become a Covenant Keeper.

Now Isaac has his father’s faith but he also has something else from his father.

III. Isaac repeats Father’s sin - Genesis 26:7-11

A. READ Genesis 26:7. Poor Isaac, like his father, is burdened with a beautiful wife. It seems the men in the city were interested in her, maybe they even came up to Isaac and said “she’s gorgeous, I’d love to date her, who is she, is she related to you?” Isaac, like his father, became fearful for his life. Isaac, like his father, was worried that they might kill him to get Rebekah. And Isaac, like his father, knew lying wasn’t right but Isaac, like his father, thought perhaps in this circumstance it was necessary to save his life. Maybe Isaac was remembering how Dad lied, he got away with it and they didn’t kill him. We’re so disappointed when we read that he just like his father Abraham, too lied about his wife, but I wonder how many of us have restored to lying to get ourselves out of a jam, how many of us have lied to cover-up a mistake, to avoid something unpleasant? STORY. Lying is a sin, it can never truly help us, we can never expect God to bless the circumstance if we’re deceitful. God is gracious, slow to anger, but He doesn’t overlook sin, there will be consequences. What makes this particularly tragic is it is the same lie his father had used. His sin was just a repetition of his father’s sin. The easy way that Isaac repeated Abraham’s sin shows us it is much easier to imitate the weaknesses of our parents than to emulate their virtues. There’s great contrast between the personalities of Abraham and Isaac but they commit the same sin.

B. Back to the story. READ Genesis 26:8 This lie had gone on a long time but Isaac got careless, he was caught. Nothing harder than to live a lie over a lengthy period of time, it affects your whole life. Numbers 32:23 And know that your sin will find you out Why?

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. God said enough lying, no more. How disappointed Abimelech was READ Genesis 26:9,10. Abimelech saw and rightly confronted Isaac, Isaac had to admit what he’s done wrong. OUR SIN AFFECTS OTHERS, but sometimes its consequences are not apparent, at first, and we think we’ve gotten away with it. Isaac didn’t mean to hurt anyone, certainly not the King, but he did. Abimelech basically said, “you didn’t have to lie, you were being unfair to us, you could have hurt us by allowing someone to commit adultery and people are mad at you, you messed up. Instead of retaliating, I’m going to back off and sign a restraining order for your protection (Genesis 26:11) Imagine the humiliation.

TRUTH: Don’t lie, and don’t miss an opportunity to teach your children, grandchildren the personal consequences of sin, starting with your own sin.

Application. Why is that so difficult for us? Why do we have to learn how to be transparent, vulnerable and honest with others? Perhaps it’s because most of us are so concerned about other’s think of us we can’t risk being see as “less than perfect, or good, or righteous.” I wonder if Abraham ever said “Son, I had to learn a hard lesson about lying when I was afraid, I made a terrible mistake, I put your mother in great danger, and when the lie was exposed I felt awful, God forgave me, but I was so embarrassed that I let God down, I embarrassed the family, I pray you never have to go through that, it’s was too painful, learn from my mistake.”

Have you ever had a conversation with your children like that? With a loved one? We are not perfect, we do sin, and we need confession and forgiveness and we need to help others avoid repeating our sins.

Has this story spoken to you? Is there a habit, behavior, some language you see in your children that makes you cringe because it a mirror, you see yourself in them. How are you handling it?

IV. Isaac reveals patience in conflict - Genesis 26:12-22

A. Isaac stays in the area, must have acquired some land because the text says he planted crops and within one year they multiplied 100x because the Lord blessed him, rich, wealthy. Wait a minute, didn’t we just read he lied and now God is blessing him? Why? Glimpse of the mercy, grace, forgiveness, faithfulness of God Psalms 130:1-5 (LB) O Lord, from the depths of despair I cry for your help: “Hear me! Answer! Help me!” Lord, if you keep in mind our sins then who can ever get an answer to his prayers? But you forgive! What an awesome thing this is! That is why I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised. What did God promise Isaac READ Psalm 130:3 (to bless him). God is faithful, God keeps His promises, even when we do not. Isaac was blessed because God said He was going to bless him.

B. With this blessing comes conflict READ Genesis 26:13,14 As long as mankind is human the prosperity of one will be the envy of another. Envy= displeasure with God and His way of dividing up His resources. Do you ever struggle with envy? I do, I love nice things, nice houses, cars, trips. My great grandmother used to say “there’s nothing shameful in being poor, it’s just terribly inconvenient” We all would rather be rich and not be inconvenienced! This is convicting, the opposite of envy is contentment! But Isaac’s neighbors are envious, it may have seemed a surprise to Isaac but they are determined to ruin his life. They start by stopping up an old well (Genesis 26:15) Adequate water was necessary to live- needed it for his herds, crops and his family. Complaints must have reached the court, Abimelech gets involved and says “Go away, too powerful”. Moves away but not far enough. Begins again, he re-digs old wells his father had dug, finds fresh water, as soon as the well was discovered the Philistines claimed territorial rights. This happened several times (Genesis 26:17-22). Isaac had to come to grips with how to handle this conflict. Bible says rather than argue, fight over the disputed rights, he decided to move on. Decided he wouldn’t “power up” and fight. Don’t misunderstand, Isaac is not sweeping these problems under the rug- the names he gives the wells (Genesis 26:20,21) prove he is fully aware of the problem, his choices (Esek=dispute; Sitnah=opposition) Isaac is choosing, as Abraham did with Lot, to give up his own rights for the sake of peaceful relations. He is going to trust God’s care and promise to protect, bless and give him the land in His way, His timing.

We have conflicts in our lives too. There are times when we must confront wrongs, when we can’t overlook. Share some questions we can ask, making the decision to overlook or confront:

When and How should you go and confront someone? (Peacemakers Ministry)

When someone has something against you (Matthew 5:21-24)

When someone’s sins are too serious to overlook (Matthew 18:15)

Questions to ask yourself=

Is it dishonoring God? (Romans 2:21-24)

Is it damaging your relationship?

Is it hurting others? (Luke 17:2-3)

Is it hurting the offender? (James 5:19-20)

Isaac is a man in search of peace, decision to move on. These are wells, why go to war over a well when we can move a mile or two and dig another. It’s not worth it. There are always 2 ways to handle conflict: God’s Way and your way. God’s way may mean getting godly advice, it may take longer and it be harder but God will lead and guide and help.

Application: Is there a conflict over “rights” in your home that you’re struggling with? Would gentleness describe the way you’re reacting? Listening to radio, “strange lack of civility” today, convicted me along with this lesson, trait of Isaac I want to develop is manifesting peace, actions, language, opinions. Are you living in peace? In your family? With your neighbors, even at personal sacrifice? Ours is a “don’t get mad, get even” world= but is your life different? Or are you right now jeopardizing your testimony over some personal right or thing? Isaac was a peacemaker who was rewarded by God and surprisingly also by Abimelech.

V. Isaac rewarded by God and Abimelech - Genesis 26:23-33

A. Isaac moves on to Beersheba, very same night after he puts up the tents, unpacking boxes, God comes to him. This is the second and last recorded time that God appears to personally to Isaac. READ Genesis 26:23 Don’t be afraid I am with you. Wonder what Isaac had been fearing? Was it that there would be enough water in Beersheba? Crops and herds continue to produce enough food? Would they be in personal danger there? God comes and says “don’t be afraid, you are my chosen one, you are the heir of my promises” Just like his father Isaac responded by building an altar and worshipping God revealing he is a Covenant keeper to a watching world, not long after

B. Abimelech and 2 leading men in his court visit Isaac to make a treaty with him. Isaac asks a great question “why after you kicked me out have you come to see me”? READ Genesis 26:28 God is with you, you are a man of faith, you can be trusted, we want to be at peace with you. They saw his prosperity and rightly attributed to God’s blessing and they were impressed with the way he handled conflict

TRUTH: When we go through difficult times, there will always be people watching us. We will make an impression, whether good or bad. We will have a witness, either of faith or unbelief.

Isaac was not his father, he was his own unique person, entrusted with the responsibility as heir of the Promises of God, entrusted to live his faith before a watching world, set apart to trust God’s provisions and to worship Him openly, he was challenged to resolve conflict as a godly peacemaker. Though he was not perfect, Isaac was called to be a Covenant Keeper. May God grant us the grace and strength to also be God’s covenant keepers.

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org)              Winter 2001

Homework questions are available in the student study guide which may be downloaded from the "Related Media" box on the series home page: bible.org/series/patriarchs

Introduction

I love Broadway musicals don’t you? One of my all-time favorites is Annie, life of little orphan Annie, one of my favorite songs is it’s a “Hard Knock Life” describing the misery of growing up in an orphanage. WATCH VIDEO Without the song and dance, if we were going to describe this period in the life of Jacob, it would be his “hard knocks”

Scriptures tell us Jeremiah 18/Romans 9 that we are like clay in God the potter’s hands. He can mold us, make us, refine us as He chooses, “shaping as seemed best to him”

Last week we saw Jacob’s deception, his scheming, his manipulating to get the Blessing but even in those wrong methods God saw the potential in Jacob that never seemed to be in Esau, the potential to value the spiritual and yet God also saw in Jacob the strong will that was bent on doing things his way. It was that strong will that God took and put back on the potter’s wheel and through a series of hard knock life lessons, difficult circumstances, God is refining Jacob, God is using the 20 years of hard knocks in Laban’s household to prepare him to return home, to fulfill His purposes for this man.

Outline:

I. Jacob deceived has double wedding - Genesis 29:1-30

II. Jacob divided has children - Genesis 29:31-30:24

III. Jacob dealing bargains for wages - Genesis 30:25-43

IV. Jacob determined flees from Laban - Genesis 31:1-55

I. Wedding - Genesis 29:1-30

A. Meeting family Genesis 29:1-14

Jacob finally reaches Paddam Aram (MAP) sees a well, sheep, shepherds waiting around to water the animals. To him this is unusual, thirsty animals and a covered up well, so he starts a conversation, where you from= Haran. do you know my relatives= yes, here comes his daughter Rachel. why aren’t you watering the animals= we can’t yet, whether the well belonged to Laban or it was the custom to wait until all the herds were there we don’t know but Rachel finally gets to the well, the first thing Jacob does is roll the top off the well and water her flocks and then READ Genesis 29:11 insight into Jacob’s character, tender and affectionate man, looking at Rachel perhaps thinking this is my mother’s family, this is my cousin, here is my uncle Laban, hugs, kisses but in about a month the party over.

B. Matchmaking READ Genesis 29:15

Sounds generous of Laban but actually saying “if you’re going to stay here, you’re going to need to work” Jacob was used to hard work but it was in the position of being the wealthy son of Isaac, now he would be the servant of Laban, his hard knock life begins.

Jacob came w/nothing, says he’ll work 7 yrs for Rachel. Laban has 2 daughters Genesis 29:16,17. Oldest Leah, weak eyes=poor vision(nearsighted), pale eyes, light colored= in a culture that valued dark, fiery oriental eyes, eyes were best feature compared to her beautiful sister, Rachel had a great figure( how could you tell under all those clothes?) Willing to work 7 yrs= seems incredible in our instant gratification culture to wait, for anything that long, but he does because READ Genesis 29:18-20 this should be a foreshadowing, he has to remind Laban, time’s up, I want to get married.

C. Wedding night Jacob is going to learn a lesson in the school of hard knocks. “Reap what you sow” READ Genesis 29:22-25. Poor Jacob has the wrong wife and we’re still wondering why he didn’t figure this out until morning, maybe she was about the same size, dressed in some of Rachel’s clothes, a lot of perfume, veils, still don’t get it…my only conclusion is “we know how observant men are” ie cartilage earring. Why did you deceive me? Genesis 29:25 it’s our custom, older daughter marries first, Jacob is trapped, Laban’s new deal: wait a week marry Rachel, work another 7yrs for her.

Truth: You reap what you sow Galatians 6:7-10

Deceiver Jacob was deceived. Tragic that this repeated family sin hangs on with different family members. Biblical truth shows up in so many stories: Pharaoh (Exodus 1:22) has every Hebrew male child drowned, in the end his men were drowned in the Red Sea. Evil King Ahab caused innocent Naboth’s death and “dogs licked up his blood” (I Kings 21:19) when Ahab died in battle, his chariot was brought back to Samaria, when they washed it in the pool “the dogs licked his blood” (I Kings 22:38) Haman prepared gallows for Mordecai was hanged upon them himself (Esther 7:10). Not always do we see the close connection between doing something wrong and its consequences, but God says we will reap what we sow, eventually. Application: What are you sowing right now in your life? What are you reaping from what you sowed earlier? What will 5, 10 years from now look like because of your current behavior? In your family, at work, are you sowing trust, love, encouragement, support, honesty, justice, understanding, peace? Or something else?

II. Children - Genesis 29:31-30:24

This section records the births of 12 children, should be a time of great happiness, but as we read we’re disappointed w/all the domestic fighting, envying, jealousy. See Leah, wife not loved, does bear children but she frustrated longs for Jacob to love her. Rachel, beautiful, favored wife, barren, jealous of her sister’s ability to have children, complainer. Just like today, all this family infighting left its mark on these children.

A. Leah Genesis 29:31 “not loved”, this is really all the commentary we have about the relationship between Jacob/Leah. Counterpart today=neglected wife, one who is in a “less than perfect” marriage, marriage seems like no marriage at all, going separate ways. In a culture where divorce was not an option, no getting away, Leah’s marriage seemed to drive her to depend on the Lord.

NLT© Psalms 27:10 Even if my father and mother (HUSBAND) abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.

We see her dependence on the Lord in the names she gives her sons, look @progression

Reuben “see a son” Genesis 29:32 Covenant name Yahweh, for Lord has seen, husband will love

Simeon “hearing” Genesis 29:33 Lord heard, how did he hear, thru her prayers,

Levi “attached” Genesis 29:34 not what happens

Judah “praise” Genesis 29:35 possible that Leah has stopped seeing the births as a means to get Jacob’s love, praised God for his gift of her children

Leah had a bad situation, one that God didn’t change, but instead he gave her the grace to live in that situation, her joy came from the Lord and the gifts He gave her. He gave her sons that would become the fathers of the Jewish Tribes of Israel, through her son Levi, priests would come. Judah her son of praise would be the tribe that Messiah Jesus Christ would come. She was definitely a Covenant mother, Covenant Keeper.

B. Rachel-she seems every bit as miserable as Leah, more, couldn’t get pregnant in a society that demanded that of her. Maybe she wondered “would she lose Jacob’s love because she couldn’t give him a child? Would he begin to love Leah more? Her worries led her to acts of despair:

1. Genesis 30:1 demanded children from Jacob: Jacob doesn’t seem to have a problem making babies. Jacob’s response= sees her irrational behavior gets angry READ Genesis 30:2. Comment to all unmarried, engaged getting ready to marry: in every marriage, even the love story of Jacob/Rachel, point when the honeymoon is OVER. Glimpse here of marital fighting.

2. Rachel gives her maid Bilhah. Hard to imagine she didn’t know about Hagar/Ishmael, Jacob did, he should have warned her, wait let’s do it God’s way, let’s pray like my dad did. Jacob goes along, Dan is born “judged” v6; that worked so let’s try it again, Naphtali Genesis 30:8 “my struggle”

C. Leah plays same game Genesis 30:9-13 her maid Zilpah, Gad Genesis 30:11=“good fortune” Asher=Happy.

D. Mandrakes Genesis 30:14-21 story of the mandrakes, seems a strange insert. Reuben, small boy found them=Mandrakes are the fruit of the Mandragora officinarum, a member of the Solanaceae or potato order, closely allied to the Atropa belladonna. It is a common plant all over Israel, flourishing particularly in the spring and ripening about the time of the wheat harvest (Genesis 30:14). The plant has a rosette of handsome dark leaves, dark purple flowers and orange, tomato-like fruit.

‘love apples’ thousands of years regarded as an aphrodisiac. Rachel begs Leah. Insight into these sister wives relationship Genesis 30:15 whatever else was happening Rachel had nothing to do with that, in fact the opposite happened, Leah took Rachel’s husband, but we see how desperate Rachel is to get pregnant, she barters sleeping with Jacob for the mandrake hoping they would solve her problem. Instead ironically Leah gets pregnant with #5 son Issachar Genesis 30:18 “reward”, Zebulun Genesis 30:20 “honor” Leah gives all the credit to God for sons, daughter named Dinah “judgment”

E. light in this darkness for Rachel Genesis 30:22-24. God listened to her prayers, He answered. This birth had nothing to do with mandrakes, nothing to do with manipulation, nothing to do with demands, everything to do with God’s timing, God’s will. Rachel had to stop trying to control her life and turn it over to God.

Truth= God wants us to come to the end of our own efforts to get our own desires and trust Him to dispense His blessings wisely, justly, and compassionately (Constable’s notes NET)

Whether you marry or don’t marry, have children or don’t have children, get that job or don’t, move or stay, STOP striving in your own strength to get your way, give it up holding so tightly and open your hands to receive the good things God has planned.

Application: Basically both Leah and Rachel had to learn the same lesson. Their sufficiency, their happiness could not come from their husband or even their children. Their jealousy, sibling rivalry, bitterness, envy over what they did not have, did not lead to happiness. Only when they saw, at times, that their source of true fulfillment was in Yahweh, the Lord and his blessings did they find peace.

III. Wages - Genesis 30:25-43

A. 14 yrs pass. Jacob wants to be released from contract and permitted to go home. In this culture, it was necessary to get the father’s permission to release his wives/children because they were still technically part of his household. Jacob talks with Laban, stay, I’ll pay you, work out a deal, more lessons in this hard knock life for Jacob.

B. Jacob really needed to think about this. Been there 14yrs working hard, nothing to show for it except 2 wives/2 maids/12 kids. Ie Troy at rehearsal dinner, wife, 3 kids, mortgage

Jacob had a family but didn’t have any money, no flocks, herds of his own, no capital, if he left how could he support them? Negotiates w/Laban, they decide his wages will be the abnormal colored animals that are bred, deviant colored ones. Today as back then, the dominant color of Bedouin sheep is solid white, dominant color of goats is dark brown/black. Spotted, striped are the minority. This agreement seems to favor Laban but Jacob has the blessings of God promised to him. Life lessons to learn:

Protect your integrity. At this point Jacob had been working for 14 yrs to pay off the dowry, no doubt he had opportunity to put away something for himself, didn’t. conscientiously worked as Laban’s servant, no complaining, quietly working hard, honestly, so that he could say Genesis 30:32,33 my integrity will testify for me. No matter who you work for, even if it’s Laban, protect your integrity.

Mature your work ethic. If Jacob had not wanted to work hard he could have found many excuses: Laban cheated me, now he owes me or God promised to bless me so I don’t have to put in too many hours. That wasn’t his attitude READ Genesis 31:38-41.

See your success as from God. Jacob is going to acquire great wealth in these few years, yes he works hard, yes uses unusual to us breeding techniques, but in the end Jacob knows his prosperity is from God. Genesis 31:10-13 I had this dream God told me I see what Laban has been doing to you, remember I’m the God you met at Bethel, remember the promises I made to you, to be with you, to bless you.

Prosperity can have one of two effects on people. Some view their success as a trust from God and put it to good use for him. Others, however see it as a personal accomplishment and the means to personal power. Such an independent, self-sufficient attitude is harmful to the faith, for it robs God of his honor by attributing the prosperity to human ingenuity.

Allen P Ross ¹

Finally it’s time to go home

IV. Going Home - Genesis 31

With his prosperity comes conflict, increasing animosity between households of Laban/Jacob.

God comes in a dream, “leave, time to go” Jacob decides to have a family meeting, calls his wives out the field- no wiretaps, no one can listen, secret meeting. Shared his intentions of leaving, reviewed details of his long service to their father, dream, God’s instructions to leave. You can see the estranged relationship these sisters have w/father, no hope of inheritance, they were treated as slaves, felt no love for him, ready to go.

A. Preparations to leave are made, while Laban is away spring sheep shearing, pack up/

Rachel stole father’s idols, Genesis 31:19 easy to do with Laban gone, why? 1. Word “teraphim”=to inquire, w/o them, father couldn’t inquire where they had gone 2. She believed in them 3. Custom of the day=possession of family gods carried w/then inheritance rights, she wanted them for Jacob.

B. Laban heard, raced home, organized search party, that’s when he saw the gods gone. Jacob had children/flocks to slow him down, Laban traveled faster, caught up w/them. Swaggers into camp, Genesis 31:26-29a switch in his speech, perhaps he saw Jacob/his daughter standing staring at him, boasted of his strength, ability to harm Jacob, but God warned him in a dream, leave him alone, so you left, why did you take my idols?

C. must have hit a nerve Genesis 31:31 but we don’t have your idols go ahead and search us, tense scene, we know Rachel did it, but Jacob doesn’t it, when she heard “death penalty” really scared her, needed a plan, amazing kept her composure, at least long enough to hide them under her clothes, so Laban never found them. Now Jacob is really

D. Angry Genesis 31:36-42 accuses his father-in-law of treachery in all their business dealings for the last 20 years, gives all the credit to God for intervening on his behalf Genesis 31:42.

E. Laban is speechless, almost. Knew he was beaten, one last hurrah Genesis 31:43, what can I do? Offers to make a covenant Genesis 31:44-45, nonaggression pact-Laban’s main purpose= keep Jacob from any retaliation in the future, if Jacob would become so powerful, so rich that he would want to return and reclaim Laban’s estate. Jacob didn’t want to return, but he also didn’t want Laban to follow him. Gathered stones, made a pile, as a testimony to their pact. Laban used the Aramaic =Jegar; Jacob used Hebrew= Galeed. They swore by names of God. Laban Genesis 31:53 Jacob=Fear of father Isaac=his designation for Yahweh. Last we hear of Laban.

It’s been a hard knock life for Jacob for 20 years, living with Laban, learning life lessons, learning to depend and trust on the God of Abraham, Isaac. God was preparing him to return home, return and live as heir of the promise. Return and live following God. These 20 years were hard knocks- there was deception, dishonesty, fear, distrust, jealousy, through it all, God was with him, God kept his promises, God was bringing him home, a different man, a man who through adversity was learning to be a Covenant Keeper.

Application: God uses hard knocks in our lives too for similar purpose= Covenant Keeper

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org)              Winter 2001

---

¹ Allen P. Ross, Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI:Baker Books, 1988) p. 517.

Homework questions are available in the student study guide which may be downloaded from the "Related Media" box on the series home page: bible.org/series/patriarchs

Introduction

Are you a MAC or are you a PC? Both computers, both can take you to the internet but there are differences, and loyal owners can tell you every detailed one of them. Interesting that in advertising MAC has boldly represented a MAC owner compared to a PC and just let that visible comparison of the two men sell the product. When you look at the two which one do you want to be?

Scripture writers use that technique too, they position a chapter, a story right next to another story or they sandwich in a story between bookends that they want the reader notice, to compare and contrast and see the difference.

We see that comparison in our lesson today with Genesis 37 and Genesis 38, really includes Genesis 39 which we’ll study next week. Two sons of Jacob, two different stories of separation.

We’re introduced to young man Joseph in Genesis 37 and it’s interesting that God gives more details about his life than any other biblical character. Barnhouse says “in Joseph’s life we find one of the few characters in the Bible about whom nothing bad is reported. He had an Adamic nature, but there is no record of it. In the life of Joseph we find incidents that remind us of Christ, of whom he is a type.” ¹ Joseph faces separation from his family/temptation. In contrast, in Chapter 38 we meet Judah, 3rd son of Leah. He too becomes separated from his family and after a time he faces temptation, but his responses are radically different from his brother. God is at work in both their lives:

Outline:

I. Joseph is hated by his brothers - Genesis 37:1-11

II. Joseph is sold into slavery - Genesis 37:12-36

III. Judah is married to a Canaanite - Genesis 38:1-11

IV. Tamar gives birth to twins - Genesis 38:12-30

I. Joseph is hated - Genesis 37:1-11

A. Hebron. Genesis 37:14. Family is now settled in Hebron. MAP. Where his father Isaac had lived, where Abraham had lived with Sarah, where the family cemetery is. Settled in Hebron, but “settled” is hardly the right word to describe this family. There is confusion, disorder, sibling rivalry, hatred and amazingly Jacob seems unaware of the tension brewing. 10 against one. Why did the brothers have so much hatred for Joseph?

1. Bad reports. READ Genesis 37:2. Phrase “bad report” =when out in fields w/brothers he brought back to his dad reports that revealed their evil deeds, wrong doings. Not sure what they were, perhaps the brothers had mistreated the animals, or they disobeyed their father’s instructions, whatever he reported reflected poorly on his brothers. No doubt they were true but this had to add to their negative feelings toward him.

2. Favorite son. READ Genesis 37:3a. First born to the favored wife. He was younger than most of the brothers, Jacob loved him most, everyone knew it. Favortism is a reoccurring theme in this family. We’ve seen its devastating effects between Isaac and Rebekah, Esau and Jacob, here its repeated again, evidenced by READ Genesis 37:3b.

3. Richly ornamented robe we don’t know exactly what it looked like, Hebrew= kethoneth=tunic followed by passim=ankles or wrists Jewish Study Bible translates it as “ornamental robe” or “a coat of many colors” I personally like the idea of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

Whatever it was it looked like a sign of nobility and it spoke volumes to the other brothers. Perhaps the kind of coat worn by those who don’t do physical labor, a coat worn by the heir, the one who was marked as inheriting the birthright, the power. When the brothers saw the coat it screamed to them Joseph was loved more, valued more and hated him. Ie. TIME magazine Oct 3, 2011 READ

We wonder why did Jacob do this? Didn’t he remember what favoritism had cost him in his childhood relationship with his brother? Or in the tension between his wives?

Why was Joseph hated? Not only did he bring his father bad reports, wear a gorgeous robe, he also had a couple of dreams that were clearly understood by everyone.

4. Symbolic dreams =predictions of his destiny

1. First dream. READ Genesis 37:6-8. No doubt Joseph cemented the brothers feelings toward him by sharing this dream. In this dream Joseph saw the harvest field and all the bundles of grain, suddenly his bundle stood up, erect, and all the brothers’ bundles bowed down to his. Meaning is obvious. This was a dream of Joseph’s power, position, dominance over them.

2. Second dream. READ Genesis 37:9, 10. This time not only the brothers but his mother (probably speaking of stepmother Leah) and father would bow down, Joseph would rule over the whole family of Israel. Little did they know how literally these dreams would come true, but the predictable results of sharing these dreams were: Genesis 37:8 they hated him even more Genesis 37:11 jealous of him. Ask: Should he have told them? Should he have shared these dreams with him? There’s no evidence that he bragged or boasted, he just told them, perhaps he was naïve in sharing with brothers who already hated him but these dreams reveal a destiny of greatness ahead for Joe. Already the scriptures present him as a very unusual young man, with strong moral character and faithfulness to his father

When we see him bring back a “bad report” it’s because he sees evil and tells, he’s honest. Whistleblower. The only people who hate whistleblowers are those who are guilty, the rest of us are really glad when someone blows the whistle on people/companies like Enron’s and Bernie Madoff’s. When someone stands up and reports wrong. We live in a society where we are trying hard to teach the children that truth-telling is not being a snitch or a tattletale, but truth-telling is about stopping the wrong. There’s no evidence that Joseph’s motivation for the bad reports was revenge or any kind of payback, he told because he saw wrong and couldn’t keep silent.

Ie At the beach, kids hitting birds, told the parents. There were no retaliatory consequences for me but for Joseph, his truth-telling resulted in his brother’s hatred.

Truth: Be ready to pay the price because sometimes truth-telling is painfully costly.

Application: is there a truth you need to tell but you’re holding back because you’re afraid of the consequences? Is there a situation you need to confront because it’s wrong?

II. Joseph is sold into slavery Genesis 37:12-36

A. Sent by father. READ Genesis 37:12-17. Probably the sons had traveled back north toward Shechem for better grazing lands (do you remember Genesis 35 what happened in this city) this was familiar land to them, lived in this area, Jacob owned land in this area. But they were gone so long Jacob became concerned for them, so he sent Joseph to check on their safety. Jacob should have known the emotional temperature of this family, should have known that if he sent out the boy to his brothers they might try to harm him, teach him a lesson. Joseph is instructed to go and he obeys. Not only does he go to Shechem he goes 20 miles north to Dothan in search of them MAP He is faithful to his father’s desires, this is an obedient son, does what his father has asked him to do.

B. Seen by his brothers. READ Genesis 37:18-23. At a distance the brothers see him, perhaps long before they see his face they see his coat “Guess who’s coming? Daddy’s favorite little boy, the dreamer, I just can’t stand him” full of envy and hatred toward him, plan to kill him. No surprise, we’ve seen these brothers kill and plunder now it’s directed toward their own brother. At this point Reuben steps up and suggests let’s not kill him but let’s sell him. We want to admire him for this, but he’s the eldest he knew the whole plan was wrong (Genesis 37:22) planning to rescue Joseph. Why didn’t he stand up to the rest of them, forget it, it’s our brother, why did he try instead to compromise? They go along with him; strip Joseph of his coat and throw him into a pit and…

C. Sit down to eat. READ Genesis 37:25. Can you believe their callous attitude? Eating when their brother is crying out to them (Genesis 42:21) for his life, save me, get me out of here, please help me. The cistern was empty of water, but it was deep, dark, impossible to climb out without help. Perhaps Joseph had visions of a slow, tortuous death, keeps crying. While they’re eating lunch, caravan in the distance. Judah now takes charge tries to save his life

D. Sell him as a slave. READ Genesis 37:26-27. In Dothan they were on one of the main trade routes to Egypt. The terms Ishamelites and Midianites refer to the members of the caravan, two people groups who were both sons of Abraham. Judah says look really we only want this boy out of our lives, if we sell him we can make some money, they receive 20 shekels of silver, price of a young boy. We see how envy and jealousy can lead to selling a brother, selling their own flesh and blood.

F. Reuben returns Genesis 37:29 and looks in the pit and is surprised/ horrified to find Joseph gone “rent, tore his clothes” literal tearing is a way of showing grief or sadness, what am I supposed to do now? Likely they said something like “shut up Reuben, you wanted him gone just like the rest of us, here take this money, your share, we sold him, that’s better than killing him right? He’s on his way to Egypt and we’ll never see him again, so let’s think up a plan to tell dad”

G. Showed the coat to Jacob READ Genesis 37:31-35

They deceived him with the blood of a goat, ironic that Jacob years before had deceived his father Isaac with the skins of a goat. Repeated family sin of deception cycles again Can you imagine the guilt they must have felt when they heard Jacob crying, totally given over to grief and sadness, sobbing days on end and no one could comfort him. This guilt would be suppressed and carried for the next 20 years, covered up the truth

H. Meanwhile Genesis 37:36 Joseph arrives in Egypt and is sold to a prominent Egyptian official named Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers. Interesting how he is placed in a prominent household, he is not out in the fields, but he is no longer the favored son, he is a slave in a foreign land. At this point Joseph has to make a choice. He’s at the crossroads where most of us have been or will be someday. Crossroads of response to unfair treatment. One road leads to bitterness, anger, frustration with God and with whoever has hurt you. The other road looks beyond your suffering to God’s purposes, says I don’t understand but God you have allowed it for my good, I trust you God, show me how can I grow through this pain? How can I learn to trust you more? We know this is the road Joseph took when we read the rest of the story. Again, as we look at Joseph, his character, his choices, if we want to handle injustice like Joseph we need to learn that..

Truth: Trusting God’s power and purposes enable us to endure suffering while refusing bitterness and anger. ( I Peter 2:20-23)

Application: Has something happened to you that has broken your heart? Have you been unjustly picked on? What’s your attitude? What are you doing about it? In times of suffering it’s hard to hear God loves you because what you’re going through doesn’t feel like love, feels hard, difficult. God is Sovereign, He has allowed it for your good, wonder in times like this would you be willing to pray: God use this in my life for good, show me Your presence, help me to find my strength, my sufficiency in You alone

III. Judah is married to a Canaanite - Genesis 38:1-11

A. Purposes for including this account. We’ve just begun the Joseph stories and we’re interrupted by a story in the life of Judah. Why is it here? Already said this story will be in Contrast to Joseph’s story in Genesis 37,39 but are perhaps other reasons.

1. It accounts for the three families of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 26:20; Shelah, Perez, Zereh)

2. It contributes to our knowledge of the ancestry of David and ultimately Jesus Christ who came through Perez. Judah’s prophesied messianic lineage continues through this relationship w/Tamar (Matthew 1:3)

3. It reveals the established practice of the levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)

A man was to marry a deceased brother’s widow to preserve his line.

4. It shows the likelihood of future Hebrew marriages with Canaanite women, other pagan people groups, possibility of assimilation of the Hebrews into other cultures, other faiths if they remained in Palestine. Ultimately the Abrahamic covenant was threatened by his intermarriage. God knew this might happen and prophesied in Gen 15:13-16 a temporary 400 year move from Canaan to Egypt, where we’ll see the Hebrews live very separate lives in Goshen with very little intermarriage, there the tribes stay intact. So perhaps we see in this story the need to go to Egypt.

B. Marriage READ Genesis 38:1. Remember Joseph sold into slavery, father is miserable, perhaps Judah just thought he had to get away. He “left” his brothers and went to stay in Addullum pagan city 13 SW of Bethlehem.He married a local girl:three sons, Er/ Onan Shelah.

C. Sons grow up and Judah finds a wife, Tamar, for the eldest. Bible is not clear here, but Er is evil and God kills him. Second son Onan refused to father a child by Tamar knowing the child would become his brother’s heir, killed by God, not so much for the sexual act of spilling his seed on the ground, but the evil in his heart. This left Shelah, last boy. Judah feared somehow Tamar was jinxed and if she married Shelah, he would die too, leave Judah w/o an heir. Sends her back to her father, until he says Shelah grows up. Perhaps hoping she’ll get tired of waiting and want to marry someone else,

IV. Tamar gives birth to twins - Genesis 38:12-30

..not so

A. Years roll by, Shelah is older, he is not given to Tamar, Judah does not keep his promise. Judah’s wife dies, after a period of mourning, old friend shows up and says what you need is to get out of the house, let’s go sheep shearing, word gets out that Judah is going to Timnah, Tamar finds out. She knows her father in law has no intention of keeping his promise to her, so she dresses up as a prostitute to deceive Judah sleep with him so that she could conceive his child. She positions herself to be right in his path, I still don’t get it, why didn’t he recognize her, maybe the veil, all the clothes, drinking champagne at the sheep shearing party. Sex, to pay her, isn’t it interesting he promises her a goat, goats are involved in all the deceptive scenes, gives her his seal and staff as a pledge. When he finds out she’s pregnant and he orders her to be burned to death she proves he’s the father by producing the pledge. To his credit he doesn’t try to cover up his sin, he admits it and says READ Genesis 38:26 she’s more righteous than I. I have a hard time calling her righteous but one commentator said Judah is at least saying Tamar was more in the right than he because he did not fulfill his responsibilities to her.² Babies were born, Perez and Zerah, Don’t condone his sin, do admire his response.

Truth: Repentance is revealed when we are quick to acknowledge our sin and to take full responsibility for its consequences.

It would seem that because Judah humbled himself, God blessed him and raised him to be the head of the house of Israel and blessed his children. God loves a repentant heart. ENDING: 2stories 2 brothers, one God working His plan, His purposes in their lives.

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org)              Winter 2001

---

¹ Donald Grey Barnhouse, “Genesis” (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1970) 155.

² Allen P. Ross, “Creation and Blessing” (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1996) 618.

Homework questions are available in the student study guide which may be downloaded from the "Related Media" box on the series home page: bible.org/series/patriarchs