Jesus has just finished his sermon to the great astonishment of the crowds. As soon as he comes of the mountain, Jesus heals a leper by stretching out his hand to touch him.
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Jacob gives a “blessing suitable” to each son. Each blessing reveals something of the experience of the son. The “blessings” are not all positive, in fact, some feel like prophetic curses.
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Joseph has been faithful to his father, even to his deathbed. Joseph was made something of a son to Pharaoh, given the authorities and the privileges of a royal son, but he still honors his true father. And Jacob honors Joseph.
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Jacob’s brothers do as he instructed them in telling Pharaoh that they are shepherds and require land for their flocks. Pharaoh gives them the fertile land of Goshen and even commands that their “able men” should take care of Pharaoh’s flocks.
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Before Jacob takes his sons into Egypt, he stops at Beersheba and offers sacrifices to “the God of his father Isaac.” Beersheba was the place Isaac and Abimelech made a covenant (Gen. 26:33). Jacob is honoring the God of his fathers who gave a promise of land of Canaan. But they would temporarily leave that land in search of refuge. What would happen?
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Joseph states his identity a second time: “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.” The brothers’ guilt regarding their brother has grown, but Joseph assures them he will not retaliate. He will not enslave his brothers.
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Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Now in a position of power over his brothers, he could have sold them into slavery. Joseph, however, uses his position of authority not to enslave but to bring reconciliation. This reconciliation unfolds through a dramatic process and test.
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The sons have still not returned to Egypt. We’re told they could’ve made the trip there and back again twice! This time, Judah pleads with his father to let him take Benjamin with him. Jacob yields and sends them back with “double the money” to return what had been put in their saddles.
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“All the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain...” (Gen. 41:57). Joseph is God’s servant who will feed the world. That includes feeding his own family.
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In Genesis 37:24, Joseph’s brothers throw him into a pit. They raise him up out of the pit and sell him to the Midianites. In Genesis 41, Pharaoh raises Joseph up from another pit—the pit of prison where he has been for two years.
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Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and baker are sent to prison and put in Joseph's charge and these two new inmates have dreams that Joseph interpreted. Joseph tells them that interpretation of dreams below to God.
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The narrative picks back up with Joseph who is now in Egypt. Potiphar, Pharaoh's chief general, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelite band. “The Lord was with Joseph” and he immediately prospered in Potiphar’s house.
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In Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the brother of the deceased husband is to take his brother’s wife to raise offspring with her. The law was taken seriously within the immediate family, and the brother who refuses to perform the levirate marriage is shamed.
When we come to Genesis 38, this later law provides some perspective on what’s happening. The placement of this chapter might seem odd, an interruption to the story of Joseph. But it's a hinge chapter that connects with the previous and the following chapter.
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Joseph brings a “bad report” to his father about his brothers, sons of Bilpah and Zilhah. The text distinguishes Joseph from his brothers rather than presenting Joseph as a tattletale.
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Genesis 36 is another “these are the generations” section, this time the generations of Esau.
Esau takes wives from Canaan (Gen. 36:6). Such intermarriage is a problem in Genesis. Marriage outside of the covenant is forbidden.
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In Genesis 35, we see a continual breakdown with Jacob’s household. Simeon and Levi have just meted out personal vengeance in a way that brings disgrace and further insecurity to Jacob’s position in the land. Now, we read that foreign gods have accumulated in Jacob’s household.
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In Genesis, there is a war on women, which was announced as a result of the curse in Genesis 3:15. The woman and her seed are locked in a battle with Satan and his seed.
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Esau comes out to meet Jacob. Jacob goes out in front of him family and falls before his brother weeping. Jacob has tricked Esau out of his blessing from their father, but now seeks to make amends and peace. He’s already sent him many gifts (Gen. 32:13-21). Now he takes a position humility before his brother. And Esau runs, not to attack, but greets his brother in a tender moment: “[Esau] fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept” (Gen. 33:4).
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Jacob has just escaped from one enemy in Laban. As he comes back to Canaan, he must once again face his rival from birth: Esau. Jacob sends messengers ahead to Esau who return with the news that Esau is coming out to meet Jacob with 400 men.
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We learn more about Laban’s unrighteous dealings with Jacob. He has changed Jacob’s wages ten times (Gen. 31:7) and now Laban, after making a deal with Jacob, turns even more on him. Laban’s livestock has decreased and Jacob’s has increased.
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