Genesis 37:1-38:10 - Part C

Welcome to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We're glad you've joined us for today's program. Connect with Skip Heitzig exists to connect you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times through verse-by-verse teaching of His Word. That's why we make messages like this one today available to you and others on air and online. Before we kick off today's teaching, we want to let you know that you can stay in the know about what's happening at Connect with Skiff Heitzig when you sign up for email updates.

When you do, you'll also receive Skiff's weekly devotional email to inspire you with God's word each week.

So sign up today at connectwithskiff.com. That's connectwithskip.com.

Now, let's get into today's teaching from Pastor Skip Heitzig. Because they didn't have an abundance of water in that land, like in places where there are great rivers. They had to collect rainwater.

So every time it would rain, they would build diversion channels and the channels would empty into these holes or cisterns. Once they would dig them out, Then a plasterer would come in and lay a nice layer of sealant plaster around that cistern. In Israel, In uh the garden tomb. The place where some people believe Jesus was buried and then rose from the dead. There's one cistern they've discovered.

That could hold 250. thousand gallons of water.

Now you have an idea of this huge hole. Yeah. And this is the background for some very important scriptures. Like in Jeremiah, where the Lord said in chapter 2, My people have committed two evils. Number one, They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters.

Number two, they have dug out cisterns, broken cisterns. that can hold no water. You can imagine how frustrating it would be if you spent months and months and months digging out of solid rock, your cistern, only to discover that there's a fissure in the rock. And that maybe even by a little bit of seismic activity, it was made worse, so you put water in it, it all empties out. My people have left me a fountain of living water in Artesian well, and they're drinking out of broken cisterns that can't hold water.

So many of our experiences can't hold water. And yet we try to drink from them and be refreshed by them.

So that's the cistern. There was this big empty pit, and it was empty because it wasn't the rainy season. It hadn't rained.

So there's no water in it. And it's a great place to store a prisoner, so they put him in the cistern. Because it says there was no water. In it. And they sat down to eat a meal.

They lifted up their eyes and looked. There was a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels bearing spices, balm, myrrh on the way to carry them down to Egypt. That's the caravan route I was telling you about.

So Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there if we kill our brothers and conceal his blood? Let's make some money off of this. Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites. And let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother. And our flesh And his brothers listened.

Then Midianite traders passed by, so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites. for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph. to Egypt.

Okay, so Which group was it? The God Joseph, was it the Ishmaelites or the Midianites? I mean, it's a bit confusing. You read it, it says, well, these Ishmaelites were coming out, so they.

Sold them to the Midianites. And then the Ishmaelites took him. It's like, well, so so which one? Answer. Both.

Here's how it worked.

Okay. If you remember, Ishmael was the son of Abraham through Hagar, the Egyptian handmaiden of Sarah. Midian was also the son of Abraham through his second wife, Keturah. Both children of Abraham both became sizable nomadic nations. But in the early stages, which is now in their nascent stages.

They're just small groups of people. And typically, when caravans would travel down to do Commerce, business with any notable empire like Egypt, they would travel together in bands. They would form alliances together. It would add to the strength of bargaining.

So both were together. The Ishmaelites and the Midianites, and they took Joseph down to Egypt. That's just to clarify that, if you're wondering, they sold him for 20 pieces of silver.

Now, that's the price of a handicapped slave. That's what he was worth to them. They were making this statement about how they did not value him. Then Reuben returned to the pit. And indeed, Joseph was not in the pit, and he tore his clothes, and he returned to his brothers and said, The lad is no more.

And I, where shall I go?

So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats and dipped the tunic. In blood. Do you remember a few weeks ago when we skipped ahead to Genesis 49 and That's the scene when Jacob is on his deathbed and he's prophesying over all his kids. Remember what he says about his son Reuben? He says, Reuben is unstable as water.

Sort of like what it says in the book of James: a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. That was Reuben. He hates his brother. He wants him out of the picture. He doesn't really want to kill him.

He then leaves for a while, then he comes back. Here's the point. This guy was so vacillating in his life. He now lacks the ability to exert any meaningful influence. on people around him.

And here's the principle. Half parted Godliness can never withstand action. active wickedness. If a person is not filled with conviction and lays down what he believes in and how he'll behave and what's important to him, if it's just sort of, yeah, kinda, When he's around other people like the brothers. They'll sway him.

He won't be able to influence them. They'll influence him, in fact.

So, half-hearted godliness can never withstand active wickedness. That sort of sums up this man's life. Oh, but there'll be more of him before we. are done.

Something in verse thirty one. They took Joseph's tunic. and killed a kid of the goats and dip the tunic. In blood. Hmm.

How did they deceive their dad? By killing a goat. Ring a bell? How did their dad deceive his dad? By killing a goat.

Remember, Rebecca said, Quick, go get a goat, kill it, and put the skins around your arm because you're such a smooth kid, and your brother's so hairy.

So he came in with these. Goat skins on. And he would feel rougher like he has a lot of hair. and he would smell horrible like his brother.

So when Dad, who didn't see very well, he said, That's the smell of Esau, the smell of a field. He smells like, you know. A goat field. Anyway, The point here is that you reap what you sow. And they sent the tunic of many colors and brought it into their father and said, We have found this.

Do you know whether this is your son's tunic or not? And he recognized it. He said, It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him, without doubt, Joseph. is torn To pieces.

Now he's going to believe that. For twenty years. Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist. and mourned for his son for many days. And all his sons All his daughters rose to comfort him.

There's a couple lessons before we Finish out these verses in the chapter. Number one. Be very careful about envying other people. who they are, what they have, what their status is, what their position is, how your parents or the boss treats that one or those individuals. Because envy which turns to jealousy.

It's like a time bomb. Just stays there, but it's waiting to detonate. It was James who said in chapter three of his little book, He said, where envy and self-seeking exist, There will be confusion in every evil way. Work. They were envious.

And it exploded into a very rash decision. to do away with their brother. And then the second lesson is Romans 8.28. All things work together for good to those that love God.

Now, we're going to follow that principle in the life of Joseph. Uh We typically see that from um An analytical viewpoint. Here we are analyzing Joseph's life thousands of years later. It's so easy for us to look at his life and say, oh, yes, that's so marvelous how Romans 8:28 works.

Now think of it from Joseph's. Vantage point. Right here. Everything he had known is gone. He's now on the way to a place he's never been.

He has no idea what's going to happen to him. At this point, he doesn't know Romans 8:28. He didn't have a New Testament.

Now, he does trust the Lord, and God providentially will work, and it's amazing how he clings to the Lord. But that's the second principle. All things work together for good.

So all of his sons, all of his daughters arose to comfort him. but he refused to be comforted. And he said, For I shall go down into the grave to my son. In mourning. and thus his father wept for him.

Now the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and a captain of the guard. The pharaoh that is mentioned in that verse is probably Amenemes II, who reigned in the 12th dynasty of Egypt. From Nineteen twenty nine BC to eighteen ninety five BC. The capital of Egypt at that point was Memphis. Not Tennessee.

Memphis, Egypt, twelve miles out of Cairo. This wasn't like The um Pharaoh Elvis, that's not that Memphis. We're talking about a whole different deal.

Now potiphar is the term potifera. And potaphara can be translated that means He whom was given by Ra the sun god. or given by Ra, pot of Farah. Josephus tells us that Potiphar was the chief baker. In the house of Pharaoh.

Whether that's true or not, we don't know, but he gives them that title as well. Or the chief cook, not the chief baker, that'll come in chapter 39, the chief cook. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we return to Skip's teaching, in his powerful book, Beyond the Summer of Love, Pastor Skip Heitzig helps you understand God's plan and his rules for relationships that flourish and reflect his own love. And when you give a gift of $25 or more this month to support the Worldwide Ministry of Connectviskip-Heitzig, we'll send you Beyond the Summer of Love.

This resource is for anyone interested in having a successful relationship. Whether you're single, searching for love, planning to get married, or already married, this book is a helpful guide to help your relationships flourish as God intends. Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your copy when you give $25 or more.

Now, let's get back to Skip for more of today's teaching. Chapter 38, it came to pass. Let's see how far we get. before we have to close. Came to pass at this time that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adulamite whose name was Hirah.

Now I'm going to warn you that this chapter seems very out of place. Because we're starting with the life of Joseph, and then it's sort of like this long. Weird. Bad. Story Like this parenthesis.

in the middle of Joseph's story. Then we get back to Joseph in chapter 39. Why is it here? For two reasons. Number one, to show us a contrast between Joseph and his brothers, between light and darkness, between good and bad.

Number two, to provide for us the genealogical background. of the most important person in the Bible who is Jesus Christ. from the lineage of Judah. And what you discover about this tribe of Judah that we put such mystique around is that. Once you find out Judah and the descendants of Judah.

If you were picking a lineage for your Messiah, you would stay away from Judah. It's surprising. That Jesus has this lineage, and that Matthew includes some of those names in his genealogical record in Matthew chapter 1.

So all of this happens. Chapter 38 covers a period of about 20 years while Joseph is in Egypt. Simultaneously, these are some of the events happening back home. And since it's really a story of Jacob's family, part of Jacob's family is. Judah.

It says, Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went into her.

So you can see Judah has problems already. He's marrying a Canaanite. He knew The wishes of his father and grandfather and great-grandfather. Stay away from the people of this land. They have worshiped different gods, they have different value systems.

Nonetheless, he doesn't care. He sees a chick, she's beautiful, good enough for me, I'll marry her.

So she conceived and bore a son. and call his name Ur.

Well, that's his name. What's your name, Er? Easy to spell. She conceived again and bore a son and called his name Onan. She conceived again and Bore a son and called his name.

Shaila, you could pronounce it Sheila, but that just wouldn't be right for a guy, so. I'll use the Hebraic Amphasus And say Shellah. Because that's how it would be probably be pronounced. He was in Kesib when she bore him. That's about eight miles outside of Hebron.

And Judah took a wife for Ur's firstborn. and named her T. Hamar. But Ur, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the LORD killed him.

Now, this is interesting because this is the very first time. The Bible indicates Or comes right out and says. That God Kills someone, takes an active measure to do away with somebody's life because they were wicked. It's not the last. But it's the first.

Now, we're not told what his wickedness was. We can suppose, but it'll only be a supposition. We don't know.

Now it's the first, but I mentioned it won't be the last. One of the notable ones in the New Testament is in Acts chapter 5, a couple by the name of Ananias and Sapphira. who claimed that they were giving all that they had to the Lord. And they were really lying about it. And so The husband comes in and says, we're pledging so much to God's work.

And He didn't have to pledge anything. The amount wasn't the issue. Just the fact that he lied was the issue.

So the Bible says he just killed over dead and they drug them out and buried him. His wife comes in later and says, Hey, you know, um My husband and I were dedicating so much money to the Lord for his work. And Peter says, Now, why is it that you and your husband have both conspired to lie to the Holy Spirit? You haven't lied to man, you've lied to God. Behold, the hands of those who have taken your husband out to bury him.

They're going to wait for you to kick the bucket and they're going to take you out and bury you.

So she dies and they take her out and bury her. Another notable time is at the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, when Paul the Apostle indicates that people in the church actually died because they abused the Lord's Supper. And in that chapter, 1 Corinthians 11, he said, For this reason, many are weak. have become sick and have died. As a direct judgment.

Now it seems in all of these cases If I may try to interpret why, it seems in all of these cases, something new was beginning, God was doing a new work. There was a new dimension operating, a new thing happening, and like the early church, it was so pure up to that moment. And the first Time, hypocrisy entered into the church. It was so grave an offense to the Holy Spirit that that is the divine response, and they just kill over dead. It obviously doesn't still happen.

You imagine. If it did happen. Can you imagine if God was as severe with us as He was with Ananias and Sapphira? You know what that would mean? That would mean if we're in a worship service and we come to the song, I surrender all, that some people would go, Because if they said they were surrendering all, but they weren't surrendering all, then, like Ananias and Sapphiris.

We'd be doing a whole lot more funerals.

So Ur dies. Which leaves his wife with the problem she has no offspring.

Now, I can just tell you, we won't be able to make it through this chapter, but we can make it through a couple verses.

So It says proceed. Judah said to Onan, this is number two, son. Go into your brother's wife and marry her. and raise up an heir to your brother. This was a common practice.

Even before the law of Moses, as you can see, way before, this is a common practice in Asia and Africa, but it originated in Mesopotamia where Abraham was from. It became known as the Leveret Law of Marriage. If you want to find out how God treats it, Through Moses, just go ahead and read Deuteronomy 25. Not right now, but later on. Deuteronomy 25 outlines it.

And so here's the deal. You got brothers. And one brother gets married. And that means that his son will have the right of inheritance, the name goes on, and everything the father owns will go on from family to family. But if they're married and he has no son, Then That patriarchal authority cannot pass on.

And so the brother. of that one who died, would take his wife and have physical relations with her and produce a son. Name it after his brother's son. It would assume all the rights of his brother, not his. and thus his name would live on.

That means the land, the property, the name would stay. And that again is outlined the parameters in Deuteronomy chapter 25. If you want to find out the practical outworkings of how that worked practically, read the book of Ruth. Ruth is all about that. Because Elimelech And Naomi.

and their two boys, Melon and Chilean, which means sickly and pining, Left Bethlehem and went over across the Dead Sea to Moab because there was a famine in Bethlehem. Yeah. Elimelech died. Malon died, Chilian died. leaving Naomi with two Moabite Girls.

They go back to Bethlehem. The land that was there was left. But there's a chance to redeem the land, but to redeem the land. A kinsman. Since there were no brothers, there was only a relative of Naomi named Boaz.

To take the land for himself would also have to marry. Ruth produce offspring. Fast forward. Matthew 22, this is the very law the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with when discussing the resurrection. You remember the Sadducees in the New Testament did not believe in resurrection.

Only the Pharisees did. The Sadducees were liberals. They didn't believe in that heaven, hocus, pocus, or literal bodily resurrection.

So trying to trap Jesus one day because they knew he believed in physical resurrection. They said, you know, Master, the law says that if a man marries a woman and then he dies, that his brother has to marry her and raise up offspring.

Well, there were seven brothers, they said, And uh the first one married a gal and then he died. And so the second brother Took her and he died, and then the third brother took her and he died, and the fourth died, and the fifth did it and died. The sixth married her and died the seventh died At that point you're wondering, what is she putting in the eggs? Stay away from that chick. It was a hypothetical case.

It was crazy. It didn't really happen, but it was a hypothesis. And then they said, okay, so if you believe in resurrection, Jesus. In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? Which of those seven?

And Jesus' response was classic. He said, You're ignorant. Not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection, they're not male and female. They're like the angels.

They don't marry. They're not given in marriage. You're in a whole different dimension. But they try to use this to trap Jesus.

Well, here's the beginning of that whole law and practice in Israel, even before the codification of the law under Moses.

So brother number two, Onan. has to step in. But O'Nan knew that the air would not be his. And it came to pass When he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground lest he should give an heir to his brother, And the thing which he did displeased the LORD, therefore he killed him. Also And because The time's up.

We're gonna have to wait for Next week too. Unravel that one. Convenient place to end. We're glad you joined us today. Before you go, remember that when you give $25 or more to help reach more people with the gospel through Connect with Skiff-Heitzig, we'll send you Beyond the Summer of Love, Relationships in the Real World by Pastor Skiff-Heitzig, to help you build biblically healthy relationships or repair ones that have been damaged by sin.

To request your copy of Beyond the Summer of Love, call 800-922-1888. That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. For more from Skip, be sure to check out the many resources available at connectwithskip.com slash store. Come back next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's Word here on Connect with Skip Heitzig.

Make a connection! Make a connection never before. Of the crossing cast your burdens on his Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of connection communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.