TROUBLE AND DECEPTION IN THE FAMILY

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THE FLOOD OF NOAH

April 4, 2023

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

GENESIS 36-37

Lesson #53

TROUBLE AND DECEPTION IN THE FAMILY

• Memory verse: John 7:7
• Genesis 36 is the genealogy of Esau and the original inhabitants of the land of Edom where Esau settled. This chapter ends the section of Genesis that deals with Jacob. Genesis 37-50 is the story of Joseph and covers about 20 years of time.
• Genesis 36 Problems in the genealogy:
  • The names of Esau’s wives in Gen 36:2-4 vary from the names given in Gen 26:34 and 28:9

Gen 26:34	Gen 28:9	Gen 36:2-4
Judith	Mahalath	Adah
Basemath		Oholibamah
		Basemath

• • • Possible explanations:
    • Sometimes people had more than one name. For example, Esau was also known as Edom. (36:8). Reuel (36:6) is Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. (Exo 3:1 Num 20:29)
    • It is possible Esau had more than 3 wives.
      • The word “son” in a genealogy does not necessarily mean literally one’s son.
      • In some cases it can mean grandson or even more broadly, a descendant.
• Gen 36:11-14 contains names of the 12 Edomite tribes that were prophesied in Gen 17:6,16
• Gen 36:31 contains a list of the kings of Edom
  • Edom was a small territory to the east of Israel.
  • It is interesting that Edom had kings before Israel ever had a king.
• There is a Biblical principle that is relevant here.
  • Read 1Cor 15:46
  • The Bible usually lists those that are natural first. In other words, God gives man a chance to show the best that he can do on his own. It represents man’s best efforts.
  • Then the Bible lists those that are spiritual, in other words, God’s efforts. In this way God points out the contrast and how man’s efforts always fall short of God’s best. For example:
    • Adam – Christ
    • Cain – Abel
    • Cain – Seth
    • Saul – David
• Genesis 37
  • Read Gen 37:1-11 Joseph’s rejection
  • The reasons for his brother’s hatred:
    • They considered Joseph a spy for their father.
    • Joseph brought back an evil report to his father. (37:2).
    • The brothers were offended by Joseph’s 2 dreams.
    • The brothers were offended by the coat of many colors that clearly displayed favoritism.
      • We have discussed parental favoritism before in the story of Isaac for his son Esau and Rebekah for her son Jacob.
      • (Gen 25:28) This characteristic was passed on from Isaac to Jacob.
  • The significance of the coat of many colors:
    • The coat was a richly embroidered robe that went to the ground and covered the body completely.
    • The coat marked the one who would succeed his father and inherit the birthright.
    • The coat marked the one who would succeed his father as chief of the tribe.
    • The coat meant that the one who wore it was of the aristocracy and did no physical work.
      • Spiritually the coat is a type or prefigure of salvation through Jesus Christ.
      • Once we accept Christ as our savior, we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ and become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
      • We become the beloved children of God. The garment of salvation covers our sins completely with the blood of Christ. (Rom 3:22 Phi 3:9 Rom 8:16-17)
    • The significance of the 2 dreams:
      • The first dream (37:5-7) — the sheaves in the field
        • The sheaf was the harvested fruit of the grain field = descendants are the fruit of a man’s life.
        • “my sheaf” = Joseph and his descendants
        • “your sheaves” = his brothers and their descendants.
      • The second dream (37:9-10)
        • The sun, the moon, and the eleven stars:
        • Sun and moon = his father and mother.
        • Eleven stars = his brothers.
        • In the Bible, the symbol of the sun, moon and 12 stars is that of the nation of Israel. (Rev 12:1)
      • Joseph’s brothers as well as his father understood very well the meaning of the 2 dreams that spoke of the preeminence of Joseph. (37:8,10).
  • The fulfillment of these 2 prophecies:
    • The immediate physical fulfillment:
    • Read Gen 42:6.
    • The ultimate spiritual fulfillment:
      • Read Rom 14:11 Phi 2:10-11
      • Why two dreams?
        • The first is of the earth and signifies physical descendants.
        • The second is of the celestial heavens and signifies spiritual descendants.
• We saw the same designation made by God in the Abrahamic Covenant. (the sands of the seashore and stars of heaven. Gen 22:17)
• Therefore, Joseph is a prefigure of Jesus Christ and his robe is a picture of salvation. We will fully examine this aspect later.
• Read Gen 37:12-19 Joseph’s task
  • Jacob (Israel) sent Joseph to check up on his brothers and the flocks supposedly at Shechem.
  • Remember that Shechem is the city where Dinah was raped and where Jacob was out of God’s perfect will.
    • To be far outside of God’s perfect will is the spiritual condition of Joseph’s brothers, for they are not at Shechem as his father thought, but they have moved farther north.
    • Joseph finds his brothers at Dothan.
• Read Gen 37:20-28 The plot
  • The conspiracy was to kill Joseph and throw him in a dry cistern.
  • However, Reuben, the eldest brother, persuades them not to kill him, but only put him in the pit. Ruben plans to return later to free him from the pit.
    • Reuben, being the eldest, was responsible to his father for the safety of his brothers.
    • However, later while Reuben was not present, the conversation evidently returns to killing him. Judah persuades his brothers to sell Joseph to traders instead.
  • The Ishmaelite and Midianite problem (28)
    • Verse 25 says they saw a group of Ishmaelite traders on their way to Egypt.
    • Verse 28 says he was sold to Midianites and then calls them Ishmaelites.
      • Why the dual designation?
        • They are evidently one and the same people. However, spiritually speaking they represent 2 groups of people:
        • When we studied Ishmael, we saw that Ishmael represented those descendants of Abraham who were not spiritually minded. (See Gen 17 notes)
        • The Midianites represent Gentiles, who also are not spiritually minded toward God.
      • The 20 shekels of silver:
        • Silver is the spiritual symbol in scripture of a redemption payment.
        • The amount was the monetary value of a male servant of Joseph’s age up until the time of Moses. (Lev 27:5)
• Read Gen 37:29-36 The ultimate deception
  • Notice that Reuben returns later to discover Joseph gone.
  • He was not a party to the selling of Joseph.
    • However, when he discovers what the other brothers did, he evidently agrees to the coverup.
      • Joseph’s coat is dipped in blood.
      • This deception by Jacob’s sons is the end result of Jacob’s own life of deception beginning with his own father, Isaac. The consequences have come full circle.
    • Jacob used a slaughtered goat to deceive his father and steal the birthright. He is now deceived by the blood of a slaughtered goat.
    • Jacob mourns his beloved son and is comforted by his sons and daughters. Previously, Dinah was the only mentioned daughter. He probably had other daughters, but these could also be daughters-in-law.
  • “sheol” = the realm of death (35)
    • In Old Testament times, when a person died he went to sheol and waited for the resurrection and judgment.
    • If he was a believer, he went to the part of sheol called Abraham’s Bosom. If he was a non-believer, he went to a part of sheol called Torment. (Luk 16:20-31)
  • Joseph in Egypt: Potiphar, who was he?
    • He was a very high official in the Egyptian government.
    • He is called the captain of the guard. This position meant that he was chief of the executioners.
• The many prefigures in Genesis:
  • We have seen many prefigures of Jesus Christ in the various patriarchs of Genesis.
  • For example:
    • Adam represented the headship of Christ.
    • Abel represented the death of Christ.
    • Noah represented the work of Christ to provide a refuge.
    • Melchizedek represented the priesthood of Christ.
    • There are many more in the Old Testament. For example:
      • Moses represents Christ as a prophet.
      • David represents Christ as a king.
    • However, Joseph represents Christ more fully than any other prefigure. (There are at least 100 points of analogy).

Homework

Genesis 37 Review

• Application of Gen 36 -37
  • What have you learned about your family relationships from Joseph and his brothers?
• Preparation for Gen 37 review
  • In many ways Joseph and his story are a prefigure of Jesus cChrist.
  • Using only chapter 37, list as many incidents about Joseph and his life that prefigures the person and the life of Christ.
• Memory verse: Psalms 81:5a “This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt;”