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.

My first thought when I read this is that I do not know why the descendants of Esau are listed here.  Every year I read over it hoping that something will come to me, but so far nothing has.  I believe that it is here for a reason, I just do not know what that reason is.

The hostility which Joseph’s brothers had for him seems to me to be an extension of the bickering between Rachel and Leah which preceded his birth.  I also believe that Joseph told his brothers about his dreams as a way to get some back against them.  I am also struck by the fact that Reuben and Judah each sought to prevent their brothers from killing Joseph.  Reuben convinced them to throw him in a cistern, intending to rescue him later.  Judah, on the other hand, convinced his brothers to sell Joseph to slavers in order to prevent Joseph from dying in the cistern.  I find it interesting that Reuben was the oldest and Judah the fourth son, while the two in between were the ones who avenged Dinah’s rape.  Finally, with the story of Judah and Tamar we see that Jacob’s sons were starting to assimilate into the culture of the people of the land of Canaan.  Which explains why God had them move to Egypt where they became slaves.

I am all over the place today.