Reading the NAC on Genesis. I knew, we all knew, how God used what Joseph’s brothers did to him for good, but how much do we realize how God set it up from the beginning for them to do that? Maybe even before? God didn’t control their choices, but He definitely set up the situations ripe for their decisions, knowing how they would choose. God knew Jacob would love Rachel more than Leah. He set it up so Leah was forced into a loveless marriage and made it for Jacob to have to wait and work hard for Rachel, making him appreciate her more. He made Rachel barren at first in order for her two children to be the youngest, making Jacob wait even more, which put even more importance on her and her two children. Rachel died during childbirth of Benjamen, so now Joseph and Benjamen were all Jacob had left of his memory of Rachel, elevating them above the others even more. Joseph was smarter and more moral than the other children, probably because his father, Jacob, spent extra time with him, teaching him, mentoring him. He probably didn’t give the other children as much time and attention as he gave Joseph. Plus, when he was scared of meeting Esau, he sent the other children out first, before Rahel and Joseph, making it known who was more important. Then, there was the dreams God gave Joseph, knowing Joseph would blab them.
So, I wondered, was all that necessary to forward God’s plans for Israel? Did that family really have to go through all that and Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt? Couldn’t there be a better way? Israel had to be formed in Egypt because the Canaanites had to ride out their time in the land 400 years and usurp it. God was giving them a chance and a time, though knowing they’d blow it. Isreal was protected in Egypt as they grew, though they were later mistreated, they were still protected. They would have gotten in the way in Canaan, had they grown there. They were already starting to get in the way of the Canaanites even as a small family. But why couldn’t they have just moved to Egypt and stayed there until it was time? God wanted them segregated, set apart, not intermarrying too much, by setting them in Goshen. Not only that, they were protected and nourished there. When they became slaves, they couldn’t leave Egypt, which made it so when it was time to leave, they’d all travel together, making it ideal when taking over the land and also, when being inaugurated at Sinai. Why have them become slaves? To keep them from leaving on their own, to give them perspective, a grand exodus which included a show of God’s power, and to humble them, giving all the credit to God, and so they would treat others with humbleness, remembering where they came from.
So, then I wondered, does God orchestrate the rest of our lives in such a way? Or does He just leave us be and maybe step in to steer us toward the grand plan but otherwise let us choose? I believe it’s different with everybody, depending on God’s plan and our willingness to be led.
Judah’s situation was inserted in the middle of Joseph’s story for a reason. It was to compare and contrast the two brothers. Both would become prominent to Israel’s history. Both were given blessing/inheritance. Both had a symbolic and literal descent (to Egypt and to Adullam), but one was by force while the other was by choice. Ironically, the one by force was because of the one by choice. Ironically, the one who had the freedom to choose, went on to continue making bad choices and show crappy character, while the one who was forced, made good character/moral choices. Both had God’s hand playing some role, though God’s involvement was not the same amount, or so we are told. In the end, both had character growth. Judah, though always a leader, had significant character change- for the better, later on.
I wish I could know the hearts/thoughts of the people involved. Like Joseph. Did he get angry? Tempted? Irritated? Did he doubt God or his situation at times? I’m sure he did. Did he ever feel like God had left him? And Judah. How much guilt did he carry from his many bad choices? What was he thinking during these choices? What did he think about God? And Tamar. Did she crave to be loved by a man? What god did she follow? Even when raising her boys, did she crave love like many women do, like Leah? Was she lonely? Also, what did God think about the things that Judah and Tamar did? What did God think about Joseph’s behavior in the beginning? And Jacob’s favoring of Joseph? What did God think about what the other brothers did, and the massacre at Shechem?