(Genesis) Genesis 38 Introduction
The story of Judah's sin in Genesis 38 reveals the necessity of God's plan to lead the Israelites out of the land of Canaan and into Egypt.
In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the 38th chapter of the Bible, which reveals the son of Judah. The speaker highlights that the sons of Jacob, with the exception of Joseph and Benjamin, were problem children and Jacob did not spend enough time teaching them. This is contrasted with Abraham, who was praised for commanding his children to follow the ways of the Lord. The speaker suggests that the reason for mentioning Judah at this point is twofold: to show that Jesus came from a sinful lineage and to explain the upcoming journey to Egypt, where God intended to separate Jacob's family from the abominable Canaanites.
Full Transcript
Now, we come to this 38th chapter today, and very candidly, it reveals the sin of Judah. First of all, it leads me to say that the sons of Jacob were certainly not very much of a comfort to him. It looks as if all the sons were problem children, and I think they were with the exception of Joseph and Benjamin, and of course there was a great heartbreak connected with Joseph.
And this reveals to us that Jacob did spend too much time in Padanarum accumulating a fortune rather than teaching his children. And he was just a little bit different from Abraham. You'll remember that God said of Abraham, for I know him, that he'll command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of it.
But old Jacob didn't do that, friends. He was so busy down there contending with Uncle Laban, he didn't have much time for those boys. And that was highly tragic because each one of them seemed to have gotten involved in something that was very sinful.
But why are we told about Judah here, especially at this juncture? Well, there's a twofold reason. I suggested last time one of the reasons is that these names that are here, we'll look at them in a moment, they happen to be in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus that opens the Gospel of Matthew, very frankly reveals that he came down into the human family. It's a sinful line, but this is the way he came.
And then there's another reason for this, especially at this time, because beginning in the next chapter, we go down to the land of Egypt, and Joseph goes ahead, as he very clearly detected from the fortuitous concurrence of circumstances in his life, that God had sent him down there to prepare the way for the coming down of the children of Israel. Not so much for then famine, but to get them out actually of the land of Canaan from actually the abominable Canaanites into the seclusion of the land of Goshen down in Egypt. You see that had Jacob and his family continued on in the land of Canaan, they would have dropped down to the level of the Canaanites.
We find that these people here are an abomination and were an abomination, and even when the children of Israel came into that land, why, they had a great influence upon them. And so God is getting his people down there, and this chapter certainly reveals the necessity
Sermon Outline
- The Sin of Judah
- Jacob's failure to teach his children
- The significance of Judah's story
- In the genealogy of Jesus
- Prepares the way for the Israelites' move to Egypt
Key Quotes
“It looks as if all the sons were problem children, and I think they were with the exception of Joseph and Benjamin.” — J. Vernon McGee
“God is getting his people down there, and this chapter certainly reveals the necessity” — J. Vernon McGee
Application Points
- We must prioritize teaching our children to follow God rather than accumulating wealth.
- God's plan is not always easy to understand, but it is always necessary for our growth and development.
- We must be careful not to drop down to the level of those around us, but rather strive to follow God's ways.