Joseph and Judah, Rachel and Leah
In preparing for a Bible study series on the life of Joseph, I have been fascinated by two particular pairs of siblings, Joseph and his older half-brother, Judah and their mothers, Rachel and Leah.
Joseph was the favorite son of the favorite wife of Jacob, and he was given privileges his brothers not shared with his brothers. This favored treatment landed him first in a pit and then handed over to a wandering band of slavers who carried him off to Egypt. He quickly rose out of servile slavery but then was thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit. Throughout all these experiences, he continued to use his abilities to help others, ultimately providing the leadership necessary to save the people of Egypt--and his own family--from famine.
Though there is no indication of a direct revelation to him from God (other than those symbolic dreams), he clearly recognized the role of God in his life. Anyone who has read his story cannot help but remember the dramatic scene after his father's death. Joseph's brothers were afraid he might now feel free to kill them so they threw themselves at his feet, declaring themselves his slaves. His response, however, was totally unexpected.
Judah? The central figure in one of the tawdriest chapters in all the Bible, Genesis 38? Judah, who "saved" his brother from the pit, only to sell him to slave traders? Judah, who with his brothers allowed their father to mourn for his lost son for years afterward? This is the one that God singled out? There is another part of Judah's life of course; we see his real repentance in Genesis 44, when he admits to what he believes to be the murder of his brother, along with his willingness to give his own life to save the life of Benjamin.
Still, why is Judah singled out and not the faithful, obedient Joseph? We have no other answer than God's grace.
What a picture of grace, repentance, and forgiveness we are given by God's choice. There is great hope in this story for all of us. For those of us who faithfully serve, as Joseph did, even in the most trying circumstances, we can know that God can and does use all for his glory and for the ultimate good of all. For those of us who fall and fall again, like Judah, we can also know that God has not forgotten us and that we too can be used in his service.
But Joseph and Judah were not the only two siblings whose immediate and long term fortunes seemed to be completely reversed. The story of Leah and Rachel is also familiar to many, the plain older sister whose father is so desperate to marry her off that he engages in subterfuge to fool Jacob who is so smitten by the beautiful Rachel that he agrees to work seven long years before marrying her.
Chapter by chapter, jealousy and conflict continue between these two women, exacerbated by the failure of the most beloved wife to provide a child even as the less favored Leah gives birth to one son after another. Even to her death, however, Rachel holds Jacob's affections. But look at the long term results: it is Leah whose son is the one from whom the Messiah will arise. Leah the unloved, the plain, the forgotten one. Once again, God's grace is given to the most unlovely among us, and we can rejoice in knowing of his care.
Joseph was the favorite son of the favorite wife of Jacob, and he was given privileges his brothers not shared with his brothers. This favored treatment landed him first in a pit and then handed over to a wandering band of slavers who carried him off to Egypt. He quickly rose out of servile slavery but then was thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit. Throughout all these experiences, he continued to use his abilities to help others, ultimately providing the leadership necessary to save the people of Egypt--and his own family--from famine.
Though there is no indication of a direct revelation to him from God (other than those symbolic dreams), he clearly recognized the role of God in his life. Anyone who has read his story cannot help but remember the dramatic scene after his father's death. Joseph's brothers were afraid he might now feel free to kill them so they threw themselves at his feet, declaring themselves his slaves. His response, however, was totally unexpected.
Gen. 50:19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (NIV)A wonderful ending to the narrative about a great man. However, when Jacob gave his final blessing to his twelve sons, it was not Joseph but Judah who was singled out for the greatest honor of all. It was from the tribe of Judah that first David and then Jesus would be born; from here would come the Messiah himself.
Judah? The central figure in one of the tawdriest chapters in all the Bible, Genesis 38? Judah, who "saved" his brother from the pit, only to sell him to slave traders? Judah, who with his brothers allowed their father to mourn for his lost son for years afterward? This is the one that God singled out? There is another part of Judah's life of course; we see his real repentance in Genesis 44, when he admits to what he believes to be the murder of his brother, along with his willingness to give his own life to save the life of Benjamin.
Still, why is Judah singled out and not the faithful, obedient Joseph? We have no other answer than God's grace.
What a picture of grace, repentance, and forgiveness we are given by God's choice. There is great hope in this story for all of us. For those of us who faithfully serve, as Joseph did, even in the most trying circumstances, we can know that God can and does use all for his glory and for the ultimate good of all. For those of us who fall and fall again, like Judah, we can also know that God has not forgotten us and that we too can be used in his service.
But Joseph and Judah were not the only two siblings whose immediate and long term fortunes seemed to be completely reversed. The story of Leah and Rachel is also familiar to many, the plain older sister whose father is so desperate to marry her off that he engages in subterfuge to fool Jacob who is so smitten by the beautiful Rachel that he agrees to work seven long years before marrying her.
Chapter by chapter, jealousy and conflict continue between these two women, exacerbated by the failure of the most beloved wife to provide a child even as the less favored Leah gives birth to one son after another. Even to her death, however, Rachel holds Jacob's affections. But look at the long term results: it is Leah whose son is the one from whom the Messiah will arise. Leah the unloved, the plain, the forgotten one. Once again, God's grace is given to the most unlovely among us, and we can rejoice in knowing of his care.
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