I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 36-38.

As I read today’s passage I cannot help but think about a curiosity.  Abraham’s father, Terah, left his family and set off on his own.  Abraham did the same.  Yes, Abraham brought his orphaned nephew Lot with him, but once Lot reached full maturity he went his own way.  Abraham sent his sons by his concubines away, leaving Isaac as the sole member of his family to take over.  Isaac’s sons, Esau and Jacob, each went their own way.  But Jacob’s sons stayed together and became a nation (as did Esau’s sons).  I can’t help but wonder what changed with Jacob’s sons that led to them staying together.  Perhaps they stayed together out of fear of reprisals for what they did in Shechem to get revenge for the rape of their sister Dinah.

In the story about Joseph being sold into slavery we have examples of two different styles of taking charge.  The way Reuben did things and the way Judah did things.  Reuben recognized that what his brothers wanted to do to Joseph was wrong, but he was unwilling to challenge them on it.  So, he used his force of personality as the eldest to get them to do something reversible, planning to seek back later and do just that.  Judah, on the other hand, recognized his brothers’ discomfort with killing Joseph (which he probably shared) and convinced them to get rid of the “problem” another way.  And in a way, Joseph was a problem for the sons of Jacob.  He was Jacob’s favorite and spoiled.  Joseph was too young to rule over his brothers in the household.  Yet, Jacob would likely have tried to make that happen.  Since God had other plans, it all worked out.