Joseph Sold into Slavery

Text: Genesis 37:1-36, Genesis 38:1-30

Jealousy and adultery, prostitution and slavery, strife and broken promises. Are these the words you’d expect to be associated with a family of faith? If the stories from Genesis chapters 37 and 38 were part of my family heritage, they’d be the tales rarely, if ever, mentioned; and even then it would be with downturned eyes and hushed voices.

But nothing is wasted with our God—even those dark, secret stories we’d like to keep tucked away. He uses everything for His glory and our gain (Romans 8:28). So it doesn’t matter how dark a pit we find ourselves in because even darkness isn’t dark to Him (Psalm 139:12). Our God, in His infinite wisdom, uses our circumstances to highlight His own unending love and unstoppable power to save His broken and wayward people.

Joseph had his fair share of family secrets. His father Jacob favored him, which ignited the jealousy of his older brothers (Genesis 37:11). What did it mean for their position within the family if their father clearly loved their little brother best (Genesis 37:3)? When Joseph shared his dream with them, I imagine it didn’t seem too farfetched. Fearful of losing their identity and worth, they plotted to kill him.

Joseph’s circumstances were not unlike those Jesus would endure: a promised rescuer, a jealous people, and a murder plot. But unlike Joseph, Jesus gave His life freely, willingly, intentionally—not just to save a handful of brothers, but as a ransom for all mankind (Mark 10:45).

Our Father plots and plans and prepares the way for redemption—even in our darkest moments, deepest pits, and the most uncertain situations. This will become evident in Joseph’s unfolding story, and it is evident in the story of Judah and Tamar as well.

The story of Judah, one of Joseph’s brothers, and a woman named Tamar is hardly one for the Sunday school flannelgraph. Tamar, once married to Judah’s firstborn son, became a widow with no offspring of her own. As her father-in-law, Judah vowed to provide her with a new husband, but then failed to keep his word. Desperate, Tamar took matters into her own hands, pretending to be a prostitute and seducing her father-in-law Judah in the hope of becoming pregnant. It was a last-ditch effort for a fearful Tamar, whose future as a childless widow must’ve seemed too great to bear. Judah’s broken promise left her very identity and position as a woman in question.

Speaking of identity, there are only five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, and one of them is Tamar. Yes, this Tamar, the one who seduced her father-in-law.

But this is a story about two broken people: Tamar and Judah. Their story was quite a scandal, yet here it is in our Holy Book. But what’s truly scandalous is that God used these broken people to bring about the Promised Messiah. And because of the Messiah’s work, God looks at all our sin and declares us righteous (Romans 4:24).

We can trust God in the darkest, most unknowable, scandalous pits of our lives. For every time we’ve traded a piece of ourselves to feel loved and accepted, we’ve been forgiven. The work of Christ Jesus on the cross is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), covering the shame of both the sinner and the sinned against. The stories of Joseph, Judah, and Tamar remind us of this.

Beloved, there is no sin, no circumstance, no family situation that will separate us from God’s providential care. The Bible isn’t a book about moral people who lead perfect lives. It’s about Jesus, our Savior, who came to live the perfect life for us.

“When Jesus heard this, He told them, ‘Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”
-Mark 2:17

Jessica Thompson has a heart to see women and their families freed from the bondage of moralism, finding joyful freedom in the truth of the gospel. Jess has a B.A. in theology and is a writer and frequent conference speaker. She’s authored several books, including Give Them Grace and Answering Your Kids’ Toughest Questions (both co-authored with her mother, Elyse Fitzpatrick), Exploring Grace Together and Everyday Grace: Infusing All Your Relationships With the Love of Jesus. She’s been married to her high school sweetheart since 1995. Together, they have three teenage children.

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