As we are finishing our second reading today and tomorrow, I want you to do me a favor. As you read through the Joseph story starting in chapter 37, track what is going on between Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. I want to know what you all think is at stake with these characters. The story seems intent on contrasting them. What is the reason for such a contrast?
There are no wrong answers; speculate freely.
What seems to be at stake is who is the brother/son who gets to take the lead and get the best blessing from their father Israel.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Reuben tried to save Joseph from his brothers and return him to Jacob, maybe to make up for sleeping with his dads concubine Blihah (35:22). When Reuben went back to get Joseph and he was gone he torn his cloths but still didn't tell Jacob the truth.
It seems that Simeon and Levi don't play a major role in the Jacob narrative, although Simeon is held in prison in the place of Benjamin. This could be because SImeon and Levi already ticked off Jacob when, in Chapter 34, they killed all the recently circumcised males with their swords.
Judah seems to really change as the story unfolds. At first he seems to be interested in himself and how things will affect him. Judah was confronted by Tamar with his own unrighteousness in chapter 38. So when Judah ends up to really plead that he be kept in the place of Benjamin it seems he is for real.
Judah gets, what seems to me, the best blessing from his father in chapter 49. Maybe Jacob didn't read chapter 38 (or didn't care because it didn't affect him).
I'm not really all that familiar with how and why certain people get blessed, but it seems that a father's blessing was really important back in the day.
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