J is for Judah

This week, Tim read the account of Genesis 38, the story of Judah and his children.  This account comes between the brothers sending Joseph to Egypt and Joseph resisting temptation with Potiphar's wife. 

Judah and Joseph are compared from this time forward.  Judah forgets to let his daughter-in-law marry his son when he is of age, so she tricks him into thinking that she's a prostitute and he goes into her.  She conceives, and when he hears he says she should be stoned.  Then she lets him know that two play at this game.  He's the father.

Then there's Joseph who resists temptation and lives a godly life.  I think the best hour of your life will be spend listening to Voddie Baucham's sermon on these two guys on Ligonier's website.  Or you can read the transcript, too, but it is reward to listen to him speak.

You notice that though Joseph succeeds and remains faithful to God, he is in the worst possible situation.  He's in a pagan culture, married to a pagan wife, and living in the lap of luxury with the pagans liking him.  This is not a situation we would want for our kids.  Judah, however, remains in God's country, but slowly becomes the leader of his family, a position Reuben would have had had he not slept with Jacob's concubine Bilhah.  Eventually, Judah leads his brothers to Egypt to get food from Joseph, and the family reunites.  Joseph rescued Judah, and now Judah leads his family, willing to risk his life for them.  This only points to his descendant, Jesus Christ who redeemed us all and needed no rescuing.  But don't read this.  Listen to Voddie.