Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

We start possibly by going back in time up to ten years – this is considered because of the ages of Judah’s grandchildren in a few chapters (Either they were very young or they were older. If older, this was before Joseph was sold.). In any case, Judah was a ringleader in throwing Joseph into a pit, ignoring him, and then selling him into slavery. Judah was not an upstanding man (neither was Reuben who committed incest with his stepmother or Simeon and Levi who murdered hundreds of men in Shechem (and hamstrung the animals) or the other brothers of Joseph, all of whom looted the town and took slaves). These were not godly people.

Judah went on his own, moved to a different town, and hung out with Hirah who was an Adullamite. Then Judah SAW (he looked before he tasted, just like Eve) a Canaanite woman and took her as a wife. Judah would have known from family history how important it was not to mix bloodlines, but he did – and all evidence says he did it without consulting his father. She had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. When they grew up, Judah got Er a wife named Tamar (Jewish tradition says she was the daughter of Shem, so not a Canaanite). However, Er was wicked and God killed him for it. That’s got to be a lot of wicked if you look at Judah and his brothers who were NOT killed for what they did.

There was a custom (later given as part of the Law – Deuteronomy 25:5-10) that the brother(s) of a dead man were obligated to marry his wife and get a son for her to be the brother’s heir. First, it gave security to the lineage. Second, it prevented inheritance from being transferred out of the family (or to foreigners) if she remarried. Onan had the obligation and married Tamar. But if Er had offspring, that offspring would get the double-portion birthright. He didn’t like that. He spurned his brother’s memory, used Tamar for selfish pleasure, spurned his father’s wishes, and spurned the custom – which we can only assume by verse 10 and it being included in the Law as being God’s desire, so he spurned God too. Onan had sex with Tamar, but whenever he did he pulled out so he didn’t impregnate her. This refusal to be obedient and right standing displeased God and he got killed. The nature of God as being Merciful to us (shown by SO MUCH scripture) shows that Onan probably had several chances to do the right thing AND was VERY hard hearted about this.

Judah decided that although it was the right thing to do, he would NOT be giving his last son to Tamar. So he took the stance that Shelah was too young – not too young to marry, but too young and maybe impetuous like his brothers and too foolish to do the right thing. He told Tamar to wait and sent her back to her parents to live as a widower. This was WRONG. First, he had a responsibility to care for her. Second, she was betrothed to Shelah so ahe couldn’t do anything but sit on her hands and wait. This action prevented her from being useful and prevented her from finding a new life after the death of two husbands.

Judah’s wife passed on after a while and he mourned her . We don’t know how long it was before she died or how long he mourned her. But eventually he went to shear his sheep with his friend Hirah. Tamar heard he was going. Maybe she thought Shelah would be with them. Maybe she was just tired of her life being hamstrung by Judah. In any case, she veiled her face, dressed like a prostitute, and went ahead of them to an open place near Timnah where the sheep were sheared. Judah SAW her (again letting his actions be led by what was in his eyes) and decided he wanted sex. He offered a goat from his flock once he got home and gave his seal (legal authority), his bracelets or cord (dedication), and his staff (discipline). They did the deed and she left, going back to her life of waiting. Judah tried to send the goat (through his friend), but he couldn’t find her and the townspeople said they had never had a prostitute in the area. Judah decided the shame of looking again/more would be too much and told Hirah to forget it.

Fast forward a few months. Tamar was pregnant. People saw it, knew she had to have played around, and told Judah about it. He condemned her for being immoral and called for her to be burned. Some scholars think this was branding, but the Hebrew word means ‘burn completely’ so it seems more of at the stake. Tamar calmly sends the seal, cord, and staff to Judah – who is condemned. He sees the situation clearly and says Tamar (who prostituted herself) was more righteous than himself (who took a prostitute and committed incest with his daughter-in-law) because he hadn’t done the right thing in the first place and given her Shelah for a husband. He lets her be free and never sleeps with her again.

She had twins. Perez (from whom David and Jesus are descended) and Zerah (whose descendant was Achan of the Jericho incident – Joshua 7). Interestingly, while it doesn’t mention who the wife was, Shelah had children and his firstborn was named Er. So it seems Shelah had a son/heir for his dead brother – probably with Tamar as she was his betrothed.

Back to Joseph. He was sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah (some scholars think this means he was a eunuch because many close officials were in order to prevent conspiracies after the throne), who was captain of the guard – maybe chief executioner and/or head of the penal system.

“And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man.” (Genesis 39:2a

Everything Joseph did prospered and he was put in charge of Potiphar’s personal household and business. This shows Joseph doing his best for his master. Not moping. Not bitter. Doing his best and considering it a service to God (Ephesians 6:5–6). He was an upright man. Enter the wife – remembering her husband, Potiphar, was possibly a eunuch.

Joseph is called handsome and well-built. The words for well-built mean ‘beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance’ which is never again used to describe male and almost exactly how Rachel is described in Genesis 29:17. He was his Mama’s boy. After a time (could have been years), his master’s wife noticed him She SAW him and let that seeing lead her actions. Eve, Judah, Potiphar’s wife (Jewish tradition calls her Zuleika). They put before their eyes what shouldn’t have been there. It led them to sin. We CANNOT be tempted by what we haven’t considered. That’s one major reason God admonishes us to keep His Word before us day and night – when we do, we don’t consider sinful things!

She pursues him, but he consistently rejects her. First, because he CANNOT – he had values and refused to deviate. Second, her husband had given him place, position, and responsibility and Joseph wouldn’t betray that trust. Third, it would be a sin against God. Sin in God’s eyes. Joseph factored in God’s point of view – we all should do the same.

She finally attacked him and he IMMEDIATELY fled, but she didn’t let go and his outer garment was left behind. Running away naked or in undies was preferable to sin. She raised the alarm, claimed Joseph had tried to rape her, and demanded justice from her husband. Egypt had strict rules of behaviour. Adultery was a capital offense. Joseph should have been executed ESPECIALLY because Potiphar was chief executioner and a judge (most of the judging was done by priests seeking their gods will at this point in Egyptian history, so Potiphar was most likely a priest). Potiphar was angry (doesn’t say at who), but did not kill Joseph. He did throw him in prison.

In prison, the warden promoted him as he saw Joseph again prospering in everything he did and the care with which Joseph did it. No matter what station of life, Joseph did everything as if he was working directly for Yahweh. Joseph’s life is marked by two things. Dedicated service to God and God’s favour. A good lesson to us. God first and look what loving obedience brings: God’s favour no matter WHERE we are situationally. His Blessing is better than stuff or things.

Time passes and two servants of Pharaoh are tossed into Potiphar’s prison system and Potiphar himself puts them in Joseph’s charge. Says a lot about Potiphar and Joseph and their relationship. Potiphar can’t go back on the verdict (since it was supposed to be the will of his gods), but there seems to be an acknowledgement of Joseph’s character and a restitution of relationship.

These men woke up one day and were sad. Being in prison and having ‘being sad’ as an anomaly (Joseph commented on it) tells a bundle about how Joseph ministered to prisoners and how prosperous his activities were. They had dreams and didn’t understand them. They were upset by the vivid images they didn’t understand. Joseph declares that dreams belong to God, and he believes God can give interpretation to anyone, so he asks them to spill the beans. They do and he interprets them. One favourable, one not. And a time limit: 3 days. All he asks is that the favourable one remembers him because Joseph says he is innocent (he maligns no one, he only states his innocence).

In three days the dreams come true. One guy dies and one guy is restored to the Pharaoh’s side. However, he does NOT remember Joseph or Joseph’s role regarding the dream or Joseph’s declaration of innocence. Joseph remains in prison. For two more years.

Summary

Key Players: Judah, Tamar, Joseph, Potiphar, Potiphar’s Wife

Key Themes: Blessing, Sin, Temptation, Right Behaviour

Key Verse(s): Genesis 38:1-3, 8-11, 15, 18, 26; 39:1-2, 7-8, 12, 20, 22; 40:4, 6-8, 14-15, 21, 23