The Grace of God In the Life of Judah

From Genesis 37 to the end of the book we see the story of Joesph. The story of Joesph is one of the most well known stories in the old testament and one that many young children learn about in Sunday School curriculum. The story of Joesph is a story. about family favoritism, jealousy, and ultimately forgiveness. Although theses chapters are about Joesph in Egypt, there’s. an interesting side narrative mentioned and it has to do with his brother Judah.

Judah, in the context of the grand narrative of scripture is the royal line of David and Jesus. In Genesis 49 Jacob blesses Judah saying “Your brothers shall praise you” and. “the scepter shall not depart you.” Again we see his name in the line of Jesus in Matthew 1.

The Jealous One

We see , starting in Genesis 37, that Judah is not that type of person. It is Reuben (v. 21) that rescues Joesph from being killed and plans to return and draw him out of the pit. In Contrast, it is Judah who speaks up and plans to sell him to the Midianites. and then come up with a lie to tell Jacob, his father, that he has been killed. This is who Judah was, profiting for himself and his brothers at the expense of his own brother Joesph and. deceiving his father.

The Rebellious One

It doesn’t stop there for Judah. He then goes off away from his family and his brothers to live among the Canaanites. In Genesis 38 we see Judah go further away from God and his promise, and lived his own life.