Judah sells Joseph, his family ruined then redeemed by Tamar (Gen 37-38)

aim: Family rivalry leads to wickedness, sorrow, and death

A) Joseph's dreams interpreted by family as ruler over them 

1-4) Special robe, Joseph 17 - tending flocks hateful 1/2 brothers - gave bad report to Jacob

5-8) Joseph dream of binding sheaves, his arises, others bow down - hateful brothers interpret his ruling

9-11) Joseph another dream Sun, moon, eleven stars bowing to me Jacob interprets, keeps in mind

Application: positive promises are not received well by selfish, jelous people.

B) Brothers plot death but Judah sells Joseph

12-18) Jacob sends Joseph after brothers, far away they plan to kill him.

19-24) brother's plot murder and cover-up, Reuben throw in cistern instead, take the robe

25-28) Judah sells Joseph 20 shekels silver to Ishmaelites going to Egypt

29-36) Brother's bloody robe, Jacob mourns for days - Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar (Pharaoh's captain of the guard).

application: imprisonment is better than death

C) Judah's first two sons are killed by God, their widow redeemed through deceit. 

38:1-11) Judah + Shua, son Er (wife Tamar), Onan (Tamar), Shelah (young)

 - first 2 sons killed by the Lord, wicked in his sight (Gen 6:5), Judah blames Tamar

12-19) Shua dies, Jacob goes to Timnah for prostitute (Judges 14:1), Tamar deceives him get pregnant by him (seal, cord, staff)

20-23) Judah sends Adullamite to Enaim to pay the prostitute, can't find her

24-26) Tamar's pregnancy infuriates Judah until he realizes he's the father

 - You are more righteous than I (1 Samuel 24:17), stories linked together and told together in Andy Stanely's book

27-30) Tamar has twins, Perez, Zerah

application: God's plan of redemption often means the unrighteous must die (David, Jesus from line of Judah). Judah is given a second chance with Tamar and never defiles her again. Could this be a turning point in his life? Will he stay an honorable man and raise these children differently than the first two boys who grew up wicked in God's sight? 

I had the pleasure of hosting an interfaith dialog at work on Racial Reconciliation. Some ideas that I learned, Jewish writing see the significance of God creating all men from Adam - kill a life, kill a world - save a life, save a world. This idea is in other faiths as well. Another interesting note; God saw everyone being the same as a problem (tower of Babel). He wanted different ethnicities and people groups so we could learn from each other. Unity in Diversity. Wonderful.