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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 300

"He sent a man before them - Joseph - who was sold as a slave." Psalm 105: 17

Text: Genesis 38:1-30

ALL IN GOD’S WILL

Israel grieved deeply that his favourite son had died! He too wished for death, for his heart was inconsolable. But nothing had happened outside God’s will! The Psalmist in his theological perspective wrote of how God Himself had sent Joseph, “sold as a slave” ahead. He would fulfil God’s plan that would be unveiled in the process of time.

“Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar,
an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.”
GENESIS 37:36

Without a thought, the Midianites (Ishmaelites) sold Joseph, as they sold their spices in Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, bought him as his slave.


LIFE GOES ON – WITHOUT JOSEPH

Life went on! Israel learned to live with his grief. The brothers returned to their occupation of looking after the flocks and herds of their father Israel. Genesis 38 details another sad chapter in the history of the sons of Jacob.


JUDAH CHOOSES A WIFE

Abraham did all in his power to ensure that his son Isaac would not marry a Canaanite woman! Isaac also did his part in ensuring that Jacob went away to seek a wife from the family of Laban, who lived in Padan Aram.

Judah obviously did not consult with his parents with reference to the matter of choosing a wife. His story was probably inserted as an example of how the sons of Jacob turned out.

“It came to pass at that time that Judah departed
from his brothers,
and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite
whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her.”
GENESIS 38:1-2

1. Out on his own

It was unusual for Judah to just take a break from his family duties and to go out on his own, without any apparent reason.

2. A dysfunctional family

On this short break, Judah saw a woman he liked, and married her! His family was apparently not there to celebrate his marriage with him! Marriage was such a serious community affair. But in Judah’s case, he just got married without any regard or reference to the rest of his family.

The description of Judah’s life was a sad indication of how dysfunctional Israel’s family had become. Each son went about doing what was right in his own eyes. There was little semblance of a great family life!