Jared Schipper – Judah – In His Family – Class 1 – A Difficult Family Situation

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Good morning and welcome.
Thank you for the invitation to

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come this weekend.
It’s a great thing.

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I’m excited.
I hope that you will learn some

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things through this weekend as
well.

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So we’re going to talk about
Judah, the son of Jacob, the

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fourth son of Jacob, the 4th
grandson of Isaac and Rebecca,

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and he’s the 4th great grandson
of none other than Abraham and

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Sarah.
That’s the family that this man

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grows up in, this young boy
grows up in.

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It’s the special family that God
chose out of all the families

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down through history.
God said Abraham’s family, you

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know, Abraham, lots of
grandchildren, lots, but he

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chose the Isaac family.
And Isaac had lots of

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grandchildren too, like Dukes
and all important grandchildren.

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And he chose the Jacob family
and Judas, the fourth boy.

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We are talking about God’s
special chosen family, but it’s

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far from ideal.
It’s far from perfect.

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There’s nothing about it that
looks good on the outside.

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And that’s where I want us to
start by thinking, what makes an

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ideal family?
Do you grow up in an ideal

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family?
It puts perspective on our

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family, our family, and I’m
assuming your family, when you

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look at this family that God
chose, he chose to work with

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them.
He chose to call them the family

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of faith.
And they’re like the backbone

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family of the Bible.
We’re part of God’s family too.

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Yeah, thousands of years down
the the generations, but we’re

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part of that same family.
And it’s reassuring because I’ll

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admit we have family problems.
I’m talking about my family I

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grew up in, not my direct family
that’s here.

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Everybody has family dramas,
right?

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It just happens when you live
that close to people and you

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grow up together.
But the problem for Judah was

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that he carried baggage, he
carried childhood baggage with

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him through into his early adult
life.

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And there was resentment, there
was regrets.

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And those things shaped his mind
and his outlook on life.

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And it meant that he made some
really dumb decisions in his

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early adult life, really
regretful decisions.

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We’re going to talk about that.
We’re going to look at that this

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morning.
Forgive me, I need to say this

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upfront.
Our first two studies are going

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to go all downhill.
All the negatives, all the bad

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things, I hope I won’t feel
leave you feeling despondent by

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the end of this morning.
But we’ve got to set the scene

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of where Judah’s life took him
before we appreciate where he

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could then turn around to
become.

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So the rest of the studies are
all upwards.

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But forgive me if you’re feeling
after this morning a little bit

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like, oh heck, that’s heavy.
Where’s the positive stuff?

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So forgive me on that.
But the exciting thing about

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Judah’s story is God never gave
up on this man.

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He kept working with him.
He kept going through the

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process of appealing to Judah’s
conscience and eventually Judas

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sinful way of life caught up
with him and we’re going to see

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how that happened.
We’re going to see that it was

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actually quite brutal in the way
he was forced to face up.

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It was an embarrassing
confrontation for him, but he

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had to face up to reality.
So he had to make a choice.

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He had to face up, be a man and
call it what it was, and deal

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with the consequences of his
choices.

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His life was one of the most
amazing examples of recovery,

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and that is what I want.
Everybody, if you please, take

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anything away is the story of
the man.

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Judah is about recovery.
It’s about turning around and

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coming back.
In the New Testament, we have an

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amazing story of recovery.
Saul became Paul the apostle.

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Saul went around killing people,
persecuting people, putting him

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into prison.
Next thing we know is he’s

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giving his life to preach the
gospel around the world.

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Well, if there’s an equivalent
in the Old Testament, it’s Judah

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may not know this story quite so
well.

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Well, I’m hoping you’ll learn a
little more this weekend by our

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time that we’ll spend on it.
And I’m going to suggest to you

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that Judah becomes greater than
Joseph.

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You probably know the storyline
of Joseph quite well.

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You probably think Joseph’s the
great one in the family.

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He’s the one that we read about
this morning.

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No, we were reading about Judah
just as much as we’re reading

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about Joseph.
And pull some of that out so we

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can look at these stories which
you’ve probably heard in San

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Esqual, you’ve probably heard
some other study weekend on

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Joseph.
You only understand half the

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man, Joseph if you don’t know
Judah.

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And you’ll never appreciate
Joseph if you don’t know Judah

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because the two men are set in
contrasts against each other.

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Interestingly, before we get
into this, just to give the

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perspective of how big and how
important Judah is in the Bible,

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I think Jesus Christ gave us a
parable based on Judah’s life.

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I think he modelled the parable
of the prodigal son on Judah.

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Remember the prodigal son who
was all bitter and twisted and

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went and asked his dad for the
inheritance, said give me what I

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can so I can go out and live
life up, go and have the good

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times with everything that the
world had to offer.

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He was looking for happiness.
He was looking for what wealth

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could buy him.
He was living it up with hearts,

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only to find that a famine
brought that prodigal son home

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to his dad.
Why?

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Because he realized that life,
even as a servant in his

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father’s house, is better than
everything that the world has to

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offer.
And that really is the story of

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Judah.
You can have everything the

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world has to offer.
You can go and try it.

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Judah did, but he chose to be a
servant to give his life for his

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brothers in his father’s house
because that was the best way to

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live.
And so Judah, like the prodigal

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son, returns home a very
different man.

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So I’m suggesting to you that
Judah is the prodigal son of

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Luke Chapter 15.
But let’s get into our story

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this morning.
As I mentioned, Joseph and Judah

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are two men who are set in
contrast to each other.

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Joseph is that perfect boy who
did everything right.

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He was just like Jesus Christ,
not a foot wrong in his whole

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life.
There’s nothing that Joseph does

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wrong.
Find it.

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It’s just not there.
And I find him such an

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incredible example that almost
feeling just he’s just up there.

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He’s untouchable.
So forgive me for this weekend

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if you love Joseph, but we’re
just going to put him on his

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pedestal over there a little bit
untouchable and we’re going to

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focus on this man Judah.
I find him a lot easy to relate

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to.
Judah was you could summarize

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him as a moral failure.
His life was flawed in so many

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ways, so many mistakes that he
made.

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But the difference is he got
over it.

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He changed, he overcame.
And that’s why he inspires us to

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change our lives, to overcome
weakness, to take responsibility

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for our actions, for our
decisions, and let that

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transform us.
And so as his own dad says,

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you’re the boy that your
brothers are going to praise.

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We can see it at the end.
He actually says, Judah, you’re

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the son that your brothers are
going to bow down to.

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Hang on, just think about that.
That was Joseph’s dream, right?

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But Judah is given that blessing
by his father Jacob at the end

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of his life.
Why?

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One very simple reason.
Because he did the same thing

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that you and I can do, the same
thing we’re called to do, face

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up to the realities and make
some changes.

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So let’s get to know the family.
You probably know the story of

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Jacob, who by Laban was tricked
into marrying Leah instead of

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Rachel.
And Jacob did that silly thing

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of marrying two women.
Not because getting married is a

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bad thing, but marrying 2
Sisters is a very dangerous

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thing to do.
Luckily Australia outlaws that.

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But not that that was all.
He then goes and also has

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children to each of those
sisters servants.

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This was a complex family.
In today’s society, we talk

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about dysfunctional families.
So that’s the PC way of saying

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it, that there’s problems,
there’s challenges, maybe

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multiple step relationships in
everything where it’s complex.

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Well, there’s already 4 mothers
in this family.

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That’s a polygamous family.
I mean, that’s enough even in

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Kenya to be awkward.
Just been to Kenya, you can see

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the challenges that that has on
people.

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And we’ve got an enormous
family.

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There’s twelve sons, all from
different mothers.

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And we’re going to pick on this
one here, Judah, this or this

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weekend.
There’s one sister that we know

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of quite well.
Her name’s Dinah.

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I’ve added that in because it’s
important.

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We’re going to talk about her,
but don’t forget, there is

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actually a lot of other
daughters of Jacob.

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We can prove that.
We just don’t often talk about

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it because the Bible doesn’t
focus on the daughters.

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But it’s one big family, and
it’s a messy family.

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Things don’t go smoothly and
that’s the picture I want to

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create for us this morning is to
understand the tension that went

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on in that family.
So we need to jump all the way

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back to Genesis chapter 29 at
the end of the chapter to 30

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where we start getting
introduced to this family.

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You could look at the final
verses if you want to.

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It’s verse 32 year olds.
It’s up on the screen.

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We’re going to see that Leah,
who was the first wife for

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Jacob, was tricked into
marrying.

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She was desperate for Jacob’s
love.

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She wanted his attention.
And it comes out because in her

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first child that she has, she
named him Reuben.

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And that means look a son.
And the Bible tells us that she

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said that she felt that God had
looked on her and had pity

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because she was oppressed, She
was unappreciated.

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And her response is, surely my
husband’s going to love me now.

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So they’re the two wives that
are competing between

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themselves.
Let’s look at the next verse.

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She has another child, and this
child is called Sibian.

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That means heard.
And so because she knows that

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she’s unloved, she’s hoping that
Jacob’s going to hear that, see

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that she is giving him sons, and
we’ll love him.

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Let’s continue on in the next
story.

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Hopefully my husband will show
me some affection this time.

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And so she called him Levi.
And Levi means joined.

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You might be thinking, why am I
telling you this stuff?

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This is the way the Bible
introduces the family.

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Imagine if your parents
introduced you to say, yeah, we

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named our first child bitter.
And we named our next child

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angry.
And the next child, we called

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them resentful.
And so when poor little child

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goes up to the shop or the
school, wherever gets their name

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called out, bitterness,
resentment and anger, there you

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are.
You got to understand it that

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way because that’s what it means
in Hebrew.

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When their name is said, that’s
what it means.

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And so Leah has named her
children because of the deep

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seated emotion that she’s
feeling.

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So what I’m trying to show to
you is this is not something

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that was down there not talked
about in the family.

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Everybody knew that this is the
drama.

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Everybody knew that this is how
complex life was in this family.

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It continues on.
Well, brought tears to Leah’s

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eye.
But let’s continue on in verse

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34.
She has another child and this

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is Judah.
And notice the change.

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She says that this time I’m
going to praise God.

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So Judah was born at a time when
she was thinking differently.

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She had a different perspective,
but that perspective wasn’t

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embraced by anybody else.
Because at that time, Leah’s

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sister is looking over at her
jealous Lee with envy, with

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resentment.
You’re going to hear those words

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keep coming out in this family
because they were deep seated

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00:16:09,480 –> 00:16:12,920
feelings.
Leah’s sister is looking at

220
00:16:14,360 –> 00:16:16,400
sorry.
Leah’s sister Rachel is looking

221
00:16:16,400 –> 00:16:19,200
at Leah.
And she saw that Leah had

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00:16:19,200 –> 00:16:22,080
children, but she couldn’t give
Jacob children.

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00:16:22,560 –> 00:16:28,200
And so she became jealous.
My translation says yours might

224
00:16:28,200 –> 00:16:30,160
say envy.
Envious.

225
00:16:32,360 –> 00:16:36,200
That’s how she’s looking at the
other mum in the family.

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00:16:37,520 –> 00:16:41,160
And So what does she do?
She bails up Jacob one day and

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00:16:41,160 –> 00:16:44,040
just gives it to him.
She says give me children or

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00:16:44,040 –> 00:16:51,200
else I’m going to die.
Whoa, OK, because I’m God, I can

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00:16:51,200 –> 00:16:54,800
give you a child, sings Jacob
and listen to his response.

230
00:16:55,200 –> 00:16:58,680
He says exactly that.
Jacob’s furious at Rachel and he

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00:16:58,680 –> 00:17:03,040
says, what do you think?
I’m as good as God who kept you

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00:17:03,040 –> 00:17:06,720
from having the children?
In other words, Rachel, you’re

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00:17:07,000 –> 00:17:08,599
the one with the problem, not
me.

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00:17:08,599 –> 00:17:13,000
Because these having children
own your problems.

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00:17:13,400 –> 00:17:18,160
Can you feel that?
Can you feel how that Rachel is

236
00:17:18,720 –> 00:17:23,599
blaming Jacob?
Jacob gets furious at her.

237
00:17:23,920 –> 00:17:25,839
This is the resentment that’s
going on.

238
00:17:26,720 –> 00:17:30,760
So the response from Rachel is
go and sleep with my servant

239
00:17:30,760 –> 00:17:37,000
called Bilhar.
So Jacob does and Rachel servant

240
00:17:37,440 –> 00:17:42,800
has a child called Dan because
Rachel says God’s vindicated me.

241
00:17:44,280 –> 00:17:48,440
Do you feel the vindictiveness
in that?

242
00:17:51,000 –> 00:17:55,520
Then she has another child by
Bilhar and she says I fought a

243
00:17:55,520 –> 00:18:00,800
desperate battle or struggle
with my sister and I’ve won.

244
00:18:04,320 –> 00:18:09,640
Just imagine living in a family
where that’s the way your mums

245
00:18:10,200 –> 00:18:16,040
talk.
So Leah gives Zilpah, her

246
00:18:16,040 –> 00:18:20,640
servant, to Jacob and has a
child and goes, how fortunate

247
00:18:23,400 –> 00:18:27,000
another one.
Do you feel that that’s what

248
00:18:27,000 –> 00:18:30,520
she’s named the child?
It’s not just what she’s

249
00:18:30,520 –> 00:18:34,720
thinking.
This is what these children are

250
00:18:34,720 –> 00:18:38,520
called.
And then she has another one

251
00:18:38,520 –> 00:18:41,480
called Asher.
And she says, everyone’s going

252
00:18:41,480 –> 00:18:43,400
to call me happy because I’m
winning.

253
00:18:47,600 –> 00:18:53,440
This is the family, the family
that God chose to work with,

254
00:18:53,440 –> 00:18:59,920
remember, but this is the family
and put yourself in that that

255
00:19:00,280 –> 00:19:06,360
Judah was growing up in, far
from supportive.

256
00:19:08,160 –> 00:19:10,520
Now it’s at this same time that
Reuben went out into the field

257
00:19:10,520 –> 00:19:12,480
because he started to grow up a
little bit and he’s actually

258
00:19:12,480 –> 00:19:14,680
found some mandrakes.
Now, in case we’re wondering

259
00:19:14,680 –> 00:19:18,320
what mandrakes are, people seem
to back in that time think

260
00:19:18,320 –> 00:19:21,800
they’re an aphrodisiac which had
some sort of sexual stimulants

261
00:19:21,800 –> 00:19:23,560
of some form.
Whatever it was, that’s what

262
00:19:23,560 –> 00:19:26,880
they thought.
And Reuben brings it home to his

263
00:19:26,880 –> 00:19:31,480
mum and says here you go.
Obviously Reuben understood

264
00:19:31,480 –> 00:19:33,440
there was problems in the
family.

265
00:19:36,160 –> 00:19:40,560
Well, Rachel says, can I have
some of those mandates because

266
00:19:40,600 –> 00:19:42,200
she wants to have children
herself.

267
00:19:43,720 –> 00:19:47,920
And Lee’s response is, hey, is
it enough that you’ve stolen my

268
00:19:47,920 –> 00:19:51,480
husband away?
The King James says, are you

269
00:19:51,480 –> 00:19:53,760
going to take away my son’s
mandrakes as well?

270
00:19:54,440 –> 00:19:56,120
Rachel’s response is, oh, OK
then.

271
00:19:56,120 –> 00:19:57,960
All right.
He’ll go to bed with you

272
00:19:57,960 –> 00:20:00,560
tonight.
In exchange for your son’s

273
00:20:00,560 –> 00:20:06,760
mandrakes, they’re trading
relationships.

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00:20:08,400 –> 00:20:12,720
Do you feel that?
Jacob comes home from the field

275
00:20:12,720 –> 00:20:16,640
that evening and Leah went out
to meet him, so he didn’t even

276
00:20:16,640 –> 00:20:20,280
get in the door of the house.
And she says you have to sleep

277
00:20:20,280 –> 00:20:22,520
with me tonight because I’ve
bought you.

278
00:20:25,200 –> 00:20:30,080
Well, I just want you to
appreciate the tension.

279
00:20:30,680 –> 00:20:33,240
I’m sorry to talk about this
stuff like the first half an

280
00:20:33,240 –> 00:20:34,920
hour or 15 minutes of event up
here.

281
00:20:34,920 –> 00:20:36,840
I’m sorry.
Apologize.

282
00:20:36,840 –> 00:20:43,160
I said it was a rough first too.
Sorry, but this is the family.

283
00:20:45,120 –> 00:20:49,240
Imagine growing up in this.
You know there’s another problem

284
00:20:49,240 –> 00:20:54,240
in this family.
In verse 43 of chapter 30, it

285
00:20:54,240 –> 00:20:57,680
says that Jacob was working hard
and achieving lots of things.

286
00:20:57,680 –> 00:21:03,240
He increased exceedingly and had
large flocks and maidservants

287
00:21:03,280 –> 00:21:07,520
and men servants.
This is one of the other

288
00:21:07,760 –> 00:21:10,880
problems that this family had,
and it might sound funny, it

289
00:21:12,840 –> 00:21:20,440
might sound weird, but having
lots of things and money doesn’t

290
00:21:20,440 –> 00:21:25,440
fix problems, and it didn’t fix
these problems in their family

291
00:21:25,440 –> 00:21:30,800
either.
Truth is, money doesn’t fix

292
00:21:30,800 –> 00:21:34,280
problems.
That makes problems that are

293
00:21:34,280 –> 00:21:38,920
different.
Oh yes, money can cover over and

294
00:21:38,920 –> 00:21:44,160
give a thin facade or gloss of
everything being good and happy,

295
00:21:45,480 –> 00:21:48,360
but it doesn’t fix the problem
of what’s underneath.

296
00:21:49,120 –> 00:21:54,720
All it does is complicate the
issues with a veneer of short

297
00:21:54,720 –> 00:21:58,360
term apparent happiness because
you’ve got something new.

298
00:21:59,240 –> 00:22:04,200
Distraction.
You know, this family got to a

299
00:22:04,200 –> 00:22:07,720
point where they actually had to
run away from the rest of their

300
00:22:07,720 –> 00:22:11,640
family because the wider family
hated them that much.

301
00:22:13,960 –> 00:22:22,200
Just grasp that they had to run
away from Laban’s family because

302
00:22:22,200 –> 00:22:24,920
things were getting so
difficult.

303
00:22:27,560 –> 00:22:30,280
Let’s look at a different story
then this.

304
00:22:30,320 –> 00:22:32,400
Remember, this is what the
Bible’s telling us.

305
00:22:32,920 –> 00:22:35,200
I’m just picking out the eyes of
what the Bible is telling us.

306
00:22:35,200 –> 00:22:38,320
I want to talk about this
family’s pecking order, all

307
00:22:38,320 –> 00:22:40,840
their priorities, who’s the most
important in this family.

308
00:22:41,000 –> 00:22:45,000
And it’s not by age, it’s not by
the parents down.

309
00:22:45,000 –> 00:22:48,800
It’s a very unique order.
You need to understand this.

310
00:22:49,480 –> 00:22:51,720
We can read this story.
We’ll read it through Genesis

311
00:22:51,720 –> 00:22:55,120
33, verse one.
Jacob looked up and he saw, he

312
00:22:55,120 –> 00:22:59,160
saw his brother, who was coming
along with 400 men towards him.

313
00:22:59,800 –> 00:23:04,080
So he divides the children among
Leah, Rachel and his two female

314
00:23:04,080 –> 00:23:07,520
servants, or the handmaids.
And here’s the order.

315
00:23:08,600 –> 00:23:11,240
He put the servants and their
children out in front.

316
00:23:12,480 –> 00:23:16,640
He put Leah and her children
behind them and Rachel and

317
00:23:16,640 –> 00:23:21,320
Joseph behind them.
Just imagine that situation.

318
00:23:21,600 –> 00:23:23,800
They’ve been talking for the
last couple of weeks that this

319
00:23:23,800 –> 00:23:28,160
is going to be a difficult
moment because Jacob has to face

320
00:23:28,160 –> 00:23:31,320
up to his brother Esau, who he’s
done The Dirty on.

321
00:23:33,000 –> 00:23:35,320
And it’s scary for Jacob,
understandably.

322
00:23:35,320 –> 00:23:41,000
It’s scary because there is 400
armed men coming to you and your

323
00:23:41,000 –> 00:23:45,720
family.
Jacob’s family is probably at

324
00:23:45,720 –> 00:23:48,880
this time not even 50 when you
include all the servants and

325
00:23:48,880 –> 00:23:52,800
everybody else and there’s 400
armed men that are coming

326
00:23:52,800 –> 00:23:54,400
towards you.
We’re told that.

327
00:23:54,400 –> 00:23:56,600
And the rest is chapter 30.
I don’t know the actual verse.

328
00:23:58,440 –> 00:24:02,120
So what does he do?
He divides up the family and he

329
00:24:02,120 –> 00:24:05,440
puts the servants and their
children out in front, and he

330
00:24:05,440 –> 00:24:09,200
puts Leah and her children next
and puts Joseph next, and he’s

331
00:24:09,200 –> 00:24:11,160
organizing all the families got
the gift.

332
00:24:11,160 –> 00:24:15,720
That’s way out in front as well,
so that Esau gets the gift and

333
00:24:15,720 –> 00:24:18,600
then he meets the servants and
their children, and then he

334
00:24:18,600 –> 00:24:25,280
meets Leah and her children.
And then at the back there’s

335
00:24:25,280 –> 00:24:31,640
Rachel and special Joseph.
Just imagine rehearsing that

336
00:24:31,640 –> 00:24:36,480
moment in the family.
Does everybody know where

337
00:24:36,480 –> 00:24:38,680
they’re meant to stand?
Does everyone know the groups

338
00:24:38,680 –> 00:24:40,640
there?
No, no, Joseph, come back here,

339
00:24:40,640 –> 00:24:47,320
Joseph, back here with your mum
at the back and your Judah and

340
00:24:47,320 –> 00:24:49,600
you know that the people that
aren’t valuable being put out

341
00:24:49,600 –> 00:24:53,960
there in front of you.
Let’s put that in modern terms.

342
00:24:54,160 –> 00:24:57,920
That’s what Hamas does with
human Shields.

343
00:24:59,600 –> 00:25:03,920
That’s what’s happening.
We’ve got the less valuable

344
00:25:03,920 –> 00:25:06,240
people being put out the front
so they can be the bullet

345
00:25:06,240 –> 00:25:11,920
pillows, right?
This is not just talked about,

346
00:25:12,360 –> 00:25:17,280
this is real.
That’s what happens in that

347
00:25:17,280 –> 00:25:21,320
family.
There’s a very clear order of

348
00:25:21,320 –> 00:25:28,240
priority and Judah’s not part of
the special family.

349
00:25:30,640 –> 00:25:40,720
Judah is part of the second rate
family of the unloved wife who

350
00:25:40,720 –> 00:25:48,320
isn’t as valued and doesn’t get
the time and attention given to

351
00:25:48,320 –> 00:25:50,040
him.
Let’s just think about how Judah

352
00:25:50,040 –> 00:25:53,200
would see this, how he would
feel about something like this.

353
00:25:53,200 –> 00:25:55,920
Imagine it in your house.
We’re not talking about who gets

354
00:25:55,920 –> 00:25:57,680
the biggest piece of chocolate
cake, right?

355
00:25:57,880 –> 00:26:03,440
We’re talking seriously when
there’s a risk of death, who

356
00:26:03,440 –> 00:26:06,840
gets put out in the front line.
That’s the way this family was

357
00:26:06,840 –> 00:26:11,840
behaving.
Understand that when Jacob had

358
00:26:11,840 –> 00:26:16,160
some spare time, he didn’t spend
it with Reuben, Simeon and

359
00:26:16,440 –> 00:26:21,120
Judah.
He’s over in any Rachel’s tents

360
00:26:22,200 –> 00:26:27,760
spending time with.
We can work off this one

361
00:26:29,200 –> 00:26:33,240
spending time with special
Joseph.

362
00:26:34,480 –> 00:26:36,920
So this would create resentment.
Do you understand that?

363
00:26:37,800 –> 00:26:43,200
Can you see how Jacob would be
always or just simply not

364
00:26:43,200 –> 00:26:46,320
spending the time to give Judah
the opportunity?

365
00:26:46,920 –> 00:26:48,680
So where would you to learn
things?

366
00:26:49,040 –> 00:26:54,240
Imagine how Judah would learn to
light a fire to.

367
00:26:54,240 –> 00:26:58,000
I didn’t ride a bike and say
maybe he rode a sheep or horse

368
00:26:58,000 –> 00:27:00,960
or something.
Who taught him to do that?

369
00:27:01,320 –> 00:27:03,960
That’s meant to be the father’s
job, teaching the son, right?

370
00:27:05,840 –> 00:27:07,120
Where did you to learn those
things?

371
00:27:07,160 –> 00:27:10,400
He learned it from his older
brothers.

372
00:27:11,000 –> 00:27:13,280
They’d be the ones that would
show him Reuben, Simeon, and

373
00:27:13,280 –> 00:27:18,200
Levi.
You know, Jacob would be talking

374
00:27:18,200 –> 00:27:19,920
about.
I meant to put this slide up

375
00:27:19,920 –> 00:27:21,200
before.
Sorry I got distracted.

376
00:27:21,440 –> 00:27:25,160
Judah observes all these things
in his life, and he’d spend his

377
00:27:25,160 –> 00:27:28,440
time learning from these
brothers, Reuben, Simeon, Levi,

378
00:27:28,440 –> 00:27:30,160
whoever they were.
I just want you to picture the

379
00:27:30,160 –> 00:27:34,560
scene that that’s how Judah
would grow up and he wouldn’t

380
00:27:34,560 –> 00:27:39,000
just hear about it, He would
feel it and that would shape his

381
00:27:39,000 –> 00:27:41,840
perspective and define his
position in the family.

382
00:27:42,840 –> 00:27:45,040
But I want you to think about
the fact that Jacob would

383
00:27:45,040 –> 00:27:49,880
equally keep talking about these
promises God’s given.

384
00:27:49,880 –> 00:27:53,240
Our family promises.
God’s blessed our family.

385
00:27:53,440 –> 00:27:59,800
We are a blessed special family
is what Judah would regularly

386
00:27:59,800 –> 00:28:04,600
hear Jacob saying.
I want you to think about how

387
00:28:05,120 –> 00:28:10,360
Judah would feel because he
wouldn’t be feeling like he’s

388
00:28:10,360 –> 00:28:13,880
chosen, He wouldn’t be feeling
special.

389
00:28:14,880 –> 00:28:19,680
He wouldn’t be feeling like the
blessed child in the family.

390
00:28:20,480 –> 00:28:24,280
He knows his position.
He knows his pecking order.

391
00:28:26,000 –> 00:28:29,360
And that’s what Judah
experienced.

392
00:28:29,600 –> 00:28:33,320
And I keep saying that because
to talk about it’s one thing to

393
00:28:33,320 –> 00:28:36,000
grow up with that is very
different.

394
00:28:37,400 –> 00:28:40,280
Let’s be blunt for a second.
And I’m a parent.

395
00:28:41,400 –> 00:28:45,640
Jacob’s wrong.
Bluntly wrong.

396
00:28:46,960 –> 00:28:52,280
He created that problem.
And guys, your parents aren’t

397
00:28:52,280 –> 00:28:56,040
perfect.
They’re learning how to parent.

398
00:28:57,760 –> 00:29:00,120
They’re learning how to do
parenting.

399
00:29:01,680 –> 00:29:09,560
Parents make mistakes.
Jacob was making a mistake, and

400
00:29:09,560 –> 00:29:12,240
Lear and Rachel were making some
dumb mistakes too.

401
00:29:14,760 –> 00:29:18,480
But that had consequences and
that flowed through into the

402
00:29:18,480 –> 00:29:22,280
family.
And if you feel some of that

403
00:29:22,280 –> 00:29:29,280
emotion in whatever way in your
family, make a choice this

404
00:29:29,280 –> 00:29:35,560
weekend.
Stop it going to the next

405
00:29:35,840 –> 00:29:42,840
generation because Abraham did
that to Isaac, Isaac did that to

406
00:29:42,840 –> 00:29:46,120
Jacob, and Jacob’s doing that to
his boys.

407
00:29:46,120 –> 00:29:54,760
Now we learn these things from
my parents and her parents.

408
00:29:54,760 –> 00:29:59,320
Mistakes have impacts on us, and
we make the choice whether we’re

409
00:29:59,320 –> 00:30:07,120
going to overreact and go to the
opposite extreme and do even

410
00:30:07,120 –> 00:30:12,640
more silly things just to be
different, or we don’t even

411
00:30:12,640 –> 00:30:16,880
realize that we’re doing the
same thing.

412
00:30:18,720 –> 00:30:22,480
And we repeat that now.
Next study, we’re going to see

413
00:30:22,480 –> 00:30:28,240
the Judah repeats what his dad
did to him in the way he was

414
00:30:28,240 –> 00:30:31,920
brought up.
We had those choices.

415
00:30:32,440 –> 00:30:34,160
You’ve got to think carefully
about that, and I want you to

416
00:30:34,160 –> 00:30:35,760
understand that life is not
fair.

417
00:30:35,760 –> 00:30:39,520
God never promised that it would
be fair, but God said I’m in

418
00:30:39,520 –> 00:30:43,600
control on its rights, and
that’s the way God’s family is.

419
00:30:43,920 –> 00:30:47,640
We’ve got to suck it up
sometimes and accept that that

420
00:30:47,640 –> 00:30:51,480
for a while things might not go
to plan, but you’re going to see

421
00:30:51,480 –> 00:30:55,960
that for Judah’s life.
It does in the end, but he had a

422
00:30:55,960 –> 00:31:01,920
choice initially.
He chose to carry the bag of

423
00:31:01,920 –> 00:31:05,200
resentment and make dumb
choices.

424
00:31:06,880 –> 00:31:08,720
He realized that that didn’t
work.

425
00:31:10,080 –> 00:31:14,440
And that’s the choice we have to
make is we can complain about

426
00:31:14,440 –> 00:31:17,720
our upbringing, about what our
parents did wrong and all those

427
00:31:17,720 –> 00:31:25,520
sort of things, or we can learn
from it and do better, talk

428
00:31:25,520 –> 00:31:29,440
about it.
It’s a really important lesson.

429
00:31:29,440 –> 00:31:31,040
You’re going to see that come
out quite a bit.

430
00:31:31,720 –> 00:31:35,240
Sadly though, Judah chose to
play the victim card.

431
00:31:35,240 –> 00:31:41,840
It’s like of all of the cards,
he chose to play that one.

432
00:31:43,440 –> 00:31:44,600
Let’s continue the story,
though.

433
00:31:44,920 –> 00:31:47,720
Next story in their family life,
there’s the story of Dinah,

434
00:31:47,720 –> 00:31:49,920
their daughter.
Now, if you remember, Dinah was

435
00:31:49,920 –> 00:31:54,920
the daughter of Leah, that’s
Judah’s family, and she went out

436
00:31:54,920 –> 00:31:58,080
to check out the local girls.
And while she was out having an

437
00:31:58,080 –> 00:32:00,400
afternoon with the local girls,
she met a guy.

438
00:32:00,400 –> 00:32:03,240
And you know where the story
ends?

439
00:32:04,240 –> 00:32:06,640
Messy.
I call the rest of the stories

440
00:32:06,640 –> 00:32:10,120
in this family.
We’re not going to go into the

441
00:32:10,120 –> 00:32:13,720
details of how and the why, but
what I want you to appreciate

442
00:32:13,720 –> 00:32:17,640
that this is Judah’s family.
This is his blood sister and his

443
00:32:17,640 –> 00:32:19,920
Blood Brothers.
We’re told we don’t have time to

444
00:32:19,920 –> 00:32:22,280
go to Genesis chapter 34 in
detail.

445
00:32:23,680 –> 00:32:24,640
We’re just going to skip through
it.

446
00:32:26,640 –> 00:32:30,560
Judah heard or sorry, Jacob
heard what happened, that Dinah

447
00:32:30,560 –> 00:32:33,600
had been defiled.
So the message came out of the

448
00:32:33,600 –> 00:32:37,400
city in those first 4 verses
that Dinah has been taken

449
00:32:37,400 –> 00:32:39,960
advantage of by the local
Prince.

450
00:32:42,360 –> 00:32:48,880
And Jacob did nothing about that
until his sons.

451
00:32:48,880 –> 00:32:51,280
So if you look at your little
chart, we’re grown men Now

452
00:32:52,040 –> 00:32:53,320
they’re out in the field doing
the work.

453
00:32:53,320 –> 00:32:55,680
He did nothing about it until
they came home.

454
00:32:56,920 –> 00:33:00,840
This little child with all the
time frames, what you’ll see is

455
00:33:00,840 –> 00:33:05,880
that Jutter is now a grown man.
He’s well into his 20s by this

456
00:33:05,880 –> 00:33:09,400
phase, this stage.
Now Shekin’s father, the

457
00:33:09,400 –> 00:33:11,720
prince’s father, comes out to
speak to Jacob about the

458
00:33:11,720 –> 00:33:14,720
situation.
And Jacob’s sons, they come in

459
00:33:14,720 –> 00:33:18,680
from the hill field when they
heard the news, and they’re

460
00:33:18,680 –> 00:33:21,680
offended.
And they’re angry because

461
00:33:21,680 –> 00:33:25,080
Shechem has disgraced their
sister.

462
00:33:25,080 –> 00:33:30,680
And that’s what matters.
They think that Dinah was raped

463
00:33:31,800 –> 00:33:35,960
and they’re angry and they want
revenge.

464
00:33:37,240 –> 00:33:41,480
But what’s Dad doing?
Nothing.

465
00:33:44,520 –> 00:33:49,600
Nothing.
So they come home and they push

466
00:33:49,600 –> 00:33:52,280
for some action and there’s an
agreement.

467
00:33:52,280 –> 00:33:54,720
There’s a whole deal and won’t
go into all the story about it,

468
00:33:54,960 –> 00:33:58,320
but basically end result is
Simeon and Levi are the two

469
00:33:58,320 –> 00:34:00,840
older brothers of Dinah, Judah’s
older brother.

470
00:34:01,040 –> 00:34:02,920
And they go and they kill the
whole city.

471
00:34:02,920 –> 00:34:11,960
Do you know what Jacob does?
He gets angry at Simeon and

472
00:34:11,960 –> 00:34:13,880
Levi.
Why?

473
00:34:14,600 –> 00:34:17,440
Because you’ve embarrassed me,
is what Jacob says.

474
00:34:19,239 –> 00:34:20,480
I don’t have the verse.
Sorry.

475
00:34:20,480 –> 00:34:23,080
I thought it was up there.
Jacob gets angry at Simeon and

476
00:34:23,080 –> 00:34:28,239
Levi because they embarrassed
Jacob in front of the locals.

477
00:34:29,639 –> 00:34:34,440
What’s the issue, dad?
She in verse 31, Reuben and

478
00:34:34,920 –> 00:34:40,239
Simeon and Levi say, dad, they
can’t treat our sister like a

479
00:34:40,239 –> 00:34:44,320
prostitute.
That’s their attitude and Judas

480
00:34:44,320 –> 00:34:47,719
watching this, and they’re
right.

481
00:34:49,440 –> 00:34:59,160
Jacob’s wrong and Judah watches
the way dad is treating his

482
00:34:59,160 –> 00:35:03,760
blood sister and his Blood
Brothers that he looks up to.

483
00:35:06,080 –> 00:35:10,680
And all Jacob’s interested in is
special little Joseph.

484
00:35:12,640 –> 00:35:15,960
Not saying that Judah is correct
or balanced in his perspective,

485
00:35:15,960 –> 00:35:20,760
the way he looks at this, but
understandably, he’s a bit

486
00:35:20,760 –> 00:35:24,160
difficult about it.
There’s another problem in this

487
00:35:24,160 –> 00:35:27,800
family.
Reuben also gets involved in a

488
00:35:27,800 –> 00:35:31,880
relationship with Bill Ha, who’s
one of Jacob’s servant wives,

489
00:35:31,880 –> 00:35:35,720
through Leah.
In case we didn’t have enough

490
00:35:35,720 –> 00:35:39,520
awkwardness in this subject of
this nature in our topic, I’m

491
00:35:39,520 –> 00:35:43,840
sorry that happens at the same
time.

492
00:35:44,600 –> 00:35:49,400
And then we come to this story,
and that’s the background to the

493
00:35:49,400 –> 00:35:51,160
story that you read this
morning.

494
00:35:52,040 –> 00:35:57,880
That’s the family dynamics.
Let’s now think about that

495
00:35:57,880 –> 00:36:00,440
story.
You probably know the story of

496
00:36:00,440 –> 00:36:02,720
Joseph quite well.
I’m assuming that you’ve heard

497
00:36:02,720 –> 00:36:04,680
it in Sunday school.
I’m assuming that you’ve heard

498
00:36:04,680 –> 00:36:07,360
it in the youth group somewhere.
You know the story of what

499
00:36:07,360 –> 00:36:10,520
Chapter 37 says.
But I want you to just bluntly

500
00:36:10,760 –> 00:36:15,000
listen and look at how clearly
the Bible tells us about the

501
00:36:15,000 –> 00:36:18,200
issues in this family.
Yes, there was inferiority that

502
00:36:18,200 –> 00:36:21,640
had been filled for years.
There was resentment that had

503
00:36:21,640 –> 00:36:26,400
been growing for years.
But chapter 37, verse 4 says

504
00:36:26,400 –> 00:36:32,800
they hated Joseph and could not
speak a nice thing to him about

505
00:36:32,800 –> 00:36:37,360
him or anything.
They couldn’t say a nice thing

506
00:36:37,960 –> 00:36:41,160
to Joseph.
That’s the way it started at the

507
00:36:41,160 –> 00:36:45,600
beginning of chapter 37.
Just imagine that.

508
00:36:46,240 –> 00:36:48,720
I hope there’s no one in your
family that you can’t say

509
00:36:48,720 –> 00:36:51,240
something nice to at some point,
like hopefully on their

510
00:36:51,240 –> 00:36:56,120
birthday, something that’s not
where these families are.

511
00:36:57,840 –> 00:37:01,520
In verse 5, the Bible then tells
us they hated Joseph.

512
00:37:01,560 –> 00:37:06,560
Yet the more that’s not just
repeating it, it’s yet the more

513
00:37:07,360 –> 00:37:11,120
so there isn’t enough hating
that they can’t speak to him.

514
00:37:11,760 –> 00:37:13,720
They hate him even more than
that.

515
00:37:14,400 –> 00:37:16,040
And then in verse 8, we’re told
it again.

516
00:37:16,200 –> 00:37:18,640
They hate him even more than
not, more than that, more than

517
00:37:18,640 –> 00:37:22,680
that.
And then in verse 11, we’re told

518
00:37:22,680 –> 00:37:25,520
the real motive of what was
causing this, and it was envy.

519
00:37:26,120 –> 00:37:29,240
Your Bible might say jealousy.
That’s the motive.

520
00:37:29,280 –> 00:37:33,440
That’s what’s driving them.
You don’t understand that envy

521
00:37:33,440 –> 00:37:36,520
is a dangerous thing, how it
grows.

522
00:37:36,720 –> 00:37:39,280
Jealousy that someone’s got
something that you don’t have

523
00:37:39,520 –> 00:37:44,840
grows because it sits deep down
there in US and it clouds our

524
00:37:44,840 –> 00:37:48,960
judgement of that person.
We can’t see anything good that

525
00:37:48,960 –> 00:37:53,360
they could do.
All we see is the negatives and

526
00:37:53,360 –> 00:37:59,040
we dwell on that and we make it
worse than what it actually is.

527
00:38:00,960 –> 00:38:04,560
You know that envy got so bad,
they actually started planning

528
00:38:04,560 –> 00:38:07,480
how they’d kill him, and they
actually agreed.

529
00:38:08,000 –> 00:38:09,920
It’s one thing to dream about
that.

530
00:38:10,080 –> 00:38:12,800
I have vivid dreams.
I have crazy dreams, so that’s

531
00:38:12,800 –> 00:38:14,520
one thing to dream.
I don’t think I dream about

532
00:38:14,520 –> 00:38:19,800
murdering people, just in case
you’re wondering, but it’s one

533
00:38:19,800 –> 00:38:24,120
thing to think that yourself.
Just imagine telling your

534
00:38:24,120 –> 00:38:26,720
brother or sister that that’s
what you’re going to do to your

535
00:38:26,720 –> 00:38:32,240
other brother, and then to talk
about it to 12 of them, or sorry

536
00:38:32,240 –> 00:38:34,720
to 10 of them, to agree to kill
him.

537
00:38:37,000 –> 00:38:38,640
That’s where the bitterness is
at.

538
00:38:38,640 –> 00:38:42,400
That’s how bitter and angry and
twisted they are.

539
00:38:43,320 –> 00:38:47,280
Is Joseph worthy of that?
Absolutely not.

540
00:38:47,720 –> 00:38:49,240
Well, sorry, little detail in
there.

541
00:38:49,760 –> 00:38:54,280
It’s exactly the same as Jesus.
Same motivation is what killed

542
00:38:54,280 –> 00:38:59,560
Jesus was jealousy, envy to him
by the Pharisees?

543
00:39:01,760 –> 00:39:03,480
What was Joseph’s response to
that?

544
00:39:03,680 –> 00:39:08,720
Was Joseph egging you on?
But Joseph always spoke to his

545
00:39:08,720 –> 00:39:13,120
brothers in a peaceful way.
He was always kind to them.

546
00:39:14,000 –> 00:39:20,000
In chapter 37, verse 4, Jacob
actually sent Joseph off to go

547
00:39:20,000 –> 00:39:24,760
and see if it was well or
peaceable with his brethren and

548
00:39:24,760 –> 00:39:28,240
the flocks.
And that’s what Joseph went to

549
00:39:28,240 –> 00:39:31,600
do.
He was going for their good.

550
00:39:32,200 –> 00:39:34,880
He was going to check out the
situation to make sure that

551
00:39:34,880 –> 00:39:41,400
everything was OK and bring back
a report of anything they

552
00:39:41,400 –> 00:39:45,240
needed.
And what are the brothers

553
00:39:45,240 –> 00:39:48,480
thinking?
They’re thinking how to kill

554
00:39:48,480 –> 00:39:51,640
him.
Just grasp that it’s important

555
00:39:51,640 –> 00:39:53,360
because we’re going to see this
pop up again later.

556
00:39:53,680 –> 00:39:56,560
Even later in Joseph’s life,
after everything’s happened, all

557
00:39:56,560 –> 00:40:00,400
he can ever do is speak
peaceably to them and ask about

558
00:40:00,400 –> 00:40:02,720
their welfare or what’s good for
them.

559
00:40:03,280 –> 00:40:07,960
It’s important quality.
Try to let your words be sweet,

560
00:40:08,480 –> 00:40:13,280
the things you say about people
be things you’re happy to have

561
00:40:13,280 –> 00:40:18,000
come back on you because that’s
what Judah in particular does

562
00:40:18,200 –> 00:40:19,960
and he gets it.
Come back on him.

563
00:40:21,120 –> 00:40:23,960
But I want you to consider verse
18 and just understand what this

564
00:40:23,960 –> 00:40:26,320
means.
Grab a Bible marking pen,

565
00:40:26,320 –> 00:40:29,960
pencil, something, and just
carefully look at this verse.

566
00:40:30,240 –> 00:40:34,840
This verse says that Joseph’s
brothers saw him from a distance

567
00:40:35,120 –> 00:40:41,760
and before he reached them, they
plan to kill him.

568
00:40:43,760 –> 00:40:46,600
It’s one thing to get angry with
a person because you’ve been

569
00:40:46,600 –> 00:40:49,920
camping with them for two nights
at a study weekend, a night done

570
00:40:49,920 –> 00:40:52,680
with the fact they make a mess
of the room and they’re annoying

571
00:40:52,880 –> 00:40:55,280
and they just won’t sleep and
they keep talking and you’re

572
00:40:55,280 –> 00:40:56,880
starting to get annoyed at them,
right?

573
00:40:57,240 –> 00:41:01,720
That’s one thing.
You know this carefully.

574
00:41:02,480 –> 00:41:06,640
Joseph’s brothers saw him from a
distance.

575
00:41:07,640 –> 00:41:09,760
Joseph didn’t have a chance to
say a word.

576
00:41:10,480 –> 00:41:14,480
He didn’t have a chance to say a
thing, and they were planning to

577
00:41:14,480 –> 00:41:16,600
kill him.
That’s because they hated him so

578
00:41:16,600 –> 00:41:20,080
much from what he did last time
they saw him, which has to be a

579
00:41:20,080 –> 00:41:25,000
while ago because Jacob has sent
Joseph down to see how they’re

580
00:41:25,000 –> 00:41:29,880
going.
That’s the level of resentment

581
00:41:29,880 –> 00:41:34,600
that’s growing in this family
that they just, the very sight

582
00:41:34,600 –> 00:41:38,920
of him is enough to make them
want to kill their brother.

583
00:41:39,760 –> 00:41:41,720
That’s strong emotions.
I want you to picture that

584
00:41:41,720 –> 00:41:42,960
scene.
Here they are.

585
00:41:42,960 –> 00:41:45,440
They’re, they’re doing whatever
they do while they’re meant to

586
00:41:45,440 –> 00:41:48,480
be looking after their flocks
and they look out there in the

587
00:41:48,480 –> 00:41:52,080
distance and they see this guy
walking over the hill with a

588
00:41:52,080 –> 00:41:54,200
colorful coat.
If it was colorful, who cares?

589
00:41:54,200 –> 00:41:56,160
Whatever.
It actually was something that

590
00:41:56,160 –> 00:41:59,000
identified Joseph because of his
coat.

591
00:41:59,600 –> 00:42:01,320
So they knew that it was Joseph,
right?

592
00:42:03,480 –> 00:42:07,160
They see him from a distance.
And so they start planning, not

593
00:42:07,880 –> 00:42:11,400
how they give him a rough time,
but it’s rough.

594
00:42:11,400 –> 00:42:14,920
He’s rocks at him as he comes.
They plan how to kill him.

595
00:42:16,120 –> 00:42:19,320
That’s intense.
That’s like zero to 100 in like

596
00:42:19,320 –> 00:42:22,640
30 seconds without a word or
thing done or said.

597
00:42:25,560 –> 00:42:29,160
I just want you to appreciate
what that was like for Joseph as

598
00:42:29,160 –> 00:42:33,680
he walked up closer to his
brothers.

599
00:42:34,200 –> 00:42:39,520
And he’s like, well, well, like,
feel the tension.

600
00:42:40,480 –> 00:42:44,200
Could you feel that as you’d
walk up and they’re angry enough

601
00:42:44,200 –> 00:42:47,120
to kill him?
Do you think Joseph felt that?

602
00:42:48,920 –> 00:42:50,240
He did.
We’re told that later.

603
00:42:51,960 –> 00:42:54,240
Imagine what it was like when
your brothers then jump on you,

604
00:42:56,160 –> 00:43:01,120
grab you, and they throw Joseph
into a dry pit.

605
00:43:01,160 –> 00:43:04,600
We’re told that specifically in
the Bible it was dry.

606
00:43:05,360 –> 00:43:08,840
So what does that tell us?
It’s not just muddy, gross at

607
00:43:08,840 –> 00:43:12,200
the bottom.
A dry pit typically means it was

608
00:43:12,200 –> 00:43:17,920
a rubbish tip.
Dead animal bodies, lots of

609
00:43:17,920 –> 00:43:21,680
other mess won’t go into too
much maybe, but let’s be

610
00:43:21,680 –> 00:43:25,360
specific about some things.
They say it’s quite normal to

611
00:43:25,360 –> 00:43:29,400
have snakes and other dangerous
things that have fallen down

612
00:43:29,400 –> 00:43:32,480
inside there and that’s what
they throw Joseph into.

613
00:43:33,000 –> 00:43:37,520
They treat him as a piece of
rubbish with the intention to

614
00:43:37,520 –> 00:43:41,280
kill him.
That’s where they’re at, and

615
00:43:41,280 –> 00:43:44,920
that’s where we get you to start
speaking out, and that’s where

616
00:43:44,920 –> 00:43:48,400
we start hearing what Judah
really thinks.

617
00:43:48,720 –> 00:43:52,640
They throw him into that pit and
they sit down, we’re told in

618
00:43:52,640 –> 00:43:59,600
verse 30 or sorry, verse 25, and
they ate their lunch.

619
00:44:00,360 –> 00:44:06,640
Just imagine that they sit down
to have a feed while they’re

620
00:44:06,640 –> 00:44:10,040
hearing Joseph’s cries coming
out from the pits.

621
00:44:10,840 –> 00:44:14,240
Brothers, why?
What are you doing this for?

622
00:44:15,160 –> 00:44:17,360
I didn’t do anything wrong.
I’m just here to help you.

623
00:44:18,560 –> 00:44:25,000
Don’t kill me.
And they eat their lunch and

624
00:44:25,000 –> 00:44:27,480
imagine the scene.
They’re looking over those same

625
00:44:27,480 –> 00:44:29,640
hills and they see some traders
coming.

626
00:44:31,520 –> 00:44:35,840
And Judy goes, hey guys, what’s
the point of killing our

627
00:44:35,840 –> 00:44:40,120
brother?
That means we’ve got to do all

628
00:44:40,120 –> 00:44:43,240
the hard work and we’ll get our
hands dirty.

629
00:44:45,120 –> 00:44:48,120
We could get paid to have him
killed.

630
00:44:49,520 –> 00:44:54,400
Wouldn’t that be better?
That’s Judah’s logic.

631
00:44:56,720 –> 00:45:02,360
That’s the way Judah thinks.
Yeah.

632
00:45:02,360 –> 00:45:04,560
There’s probably a bit of
reservation with actually

633
00:45:04,560 –> 00:45:07,760
killing his brother.
And I think deep down, Judah has

634
00:45:07,800 –> 00:45:10,560
a bit of that conscience and it
holds him back.

635
00:45:12,240 –> 00:45:14,560
So he says to his brothers, come
on, let’s sell him to the

636
00:45:14,560 –> 00:45:20,680
Ishmaelites, who actually
distant family relatives, and

637
00:45:20,680 –> 00:45:22,440
let’s not let our hand be upon
him.

638
00:45:23,880 –> 00:45:30,160
He’s our brother.
He’s our blood brother.

639
00:45:30,960 –> 00:45:34,680
And it’s hard to kill somebody
that is your blood brother.

640
00:45:36,720 –> 00:45:40,520
And no doubt they talked about
it and they’re content with the

641
00:45:40,520 –> 00:45:43,400
idea.
It saves us doing the awkward

642
00:45:43,400 –> 00:45:46,840
moment, and we can say we didn’t
do it.

643
00:45:53,750 –> 00:45:58,830
And so the Midianites, as they
came a little bit closer, were

644
00:45:58,830 –> 00:46:05,590
called over and Judah, Reuben or
not Reuben, sorry, Simeon and

645
00:46:05,590 –> 00:46:09,550
Levi, no doubt, because Reuben
walks away, draw Joseph up out

646
00:46:09,550 –> 00:46:13,230
of the pits, but lift him up.
And they sold him to the

647
00:46:13,270 –> 00:46:15,640
Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of
silver.

648
00:46:17,080 –> 00:46:20,800
And Joseph went to Egypt.
So easy to read that story.

649
00:46:21,400 –> 00:46:25,280
Just imagine that.
Just grasp that what that would

650
00:46:25,280 –> 00:46:28,520
have been like.
You’ve lifted your brother out

651
00:46:30,760 –> 00:46:35,240
and he knows what’s happening.
And you’re standing there

652
00:46:35,240 –> 00:46:36,760
trading.
What’s he worth?

653
00:46:37,040 –> 00:46:40,240
Come on, give us 30 now.
He’s worth 15.

654
00:46:42,080 –> 00:46:44,640
Who did that?
Who did that deal?

655
00:46:47,160 –> 00:46:49,480
Surely that was due to it was
his idea.

656
00:46:52,200 –> 00:46:53,440
He was the one that came up with
it.

657
00:46:53,440 –> 00:46:54,760
He’s got to take the lead on
that.

658
00:46:56,640 –> 00:46:58,400
Imagine talking over your
brother doing that.

659
00:46:59,640 –> 00:47:03,880
Imagine when he is then stood up
and he looks you in the eye,

660
00:47:03,880 –> 00:47:06,680
having heard what you just did
about him.

661
00:47:10,440 –> 00:47:13,240
And then they tie him up and
they start walking away.

662
00:47:13,240 –> 00:47:17,400
And you know, that moment
scarred Judah for the rest of

663
00:47:17,400 –> 00:47:20,000
his life.
We’re told that later we’ll look

664
00:47:20,000 –> 00:47:25,680
at that minute or later study.
That moment of Joseph being

665
00:47:25,680 –> 00:47:32,000
taken away scarred Judah’s mind.
He couldn’t forget it. 20

666
00:47:32,000 –> 00:47:34,240
something years later, it still
haunted him.

667
00:47:35,880 –> 00:47:38,440
And your conscience, young
people, is a wonderful thing.

668
00:47:39,600 –> 00:47:41,960
It’s a wonderful thing because
it stops us.

669
00:47:41,960 –> 00:47:45,920
It makes us think about the
decisions, the choices and the

670
00:47:45,920 –> 00:47:49,640
actions we’ve made.
And that moment scarred Judah.

671
00:47:50,800 –> 00:47:53,520
Oh, I’m sure that Judah danced
around and tried to make some

672
00:47:53,520 –> 00:47:56,640
event out of it and distract
himself from the pain of the

673
00:47:56,640 –> 00:47:58,760
reality of what he had just
done.

674
00:48:01,760 –> 00:48:05,600
We can continue the story on.
Ruben comes back saying what’s

675
00:48:05,600 –> 00:48:07,000
going on?
They had to explain it.

676
00:48:07,800 –> 00:48:10,280
They’re then having to concoct
some story as they’re walking

677
00:48:10,280 –> 00:48:12,720
all the way back home to their
dad.

678
00:48:12,920 –> 00:48:15,240
How are we going to tell dad?
The problem is Reuben doesn’t

679
00:48:15,240 –> 00:48:16,720
agree with us.
Reuben’s not happy.

680
00:48:16,960 –> 00:48:20,520
There’s a problem between the
brothers, not only about what

681
00:48:20,520 –> 00:48:24,160
they’ve done, but how they’re
going to lie to their dad.

682
00:48:24,160 –> 00:48:27,560
Can you imagine that moment?
That’s where it starts getting

683
00:48:27,560 –> 00:48:31,000
difficult.
And then imagine getting some

684
00:48:31,000 –> 00:48:35,080
blood, putting it on that coat
going.

685
00:48:35,080 –> 00:48:36,960
How do we fake it?
Like, how much blood should we

686
00:48:36,960 –> 00:48:39,080
put on?
How do you make that look real?

687
00:48:40,240 –> 00:48:44,520
They’re awkward conversations,
really awkward conversations.

688
00:48:45,560 –> 00:48:48,840
But that shows the hearts of
Judah.

689
00:48:50,200 –> 00:48:58,560
Cold indifference because
bitter, envious emotions.

690
00:49:02,080 –> 00:49:04,720
And then I just want you to
think about who was it that

691
00:49:04,720 –> 00:49:10,320
bowed up their dad and said, is
this your son’s coat?

692
00:49:12,760 –> 00:49:17,160
Can you imagine looking in those
eyes of your dad and passing

693
00:49:17,160 –> 00:49:22,240
over a piece of clothing and
saying, can you figure out who

694
00:49:22,280 –> 00:49:28,600
that is, if that’s your special
son’s coat or not, when you

695
00:49:28,600 –> 00:49:33,400
clearly don’t care about that
brother, but you know your dad

696
00:49:33,400 –> 00:49:38,160
does and you know what you did
to him and you’re pulling the

697
00:49:38,160 –> 00:49:43,720
wool over your dad’s eyes.
Just think about that emotion

698
00:49:45,200 –> 00:49:48,520
because you dwell on it, or
Judah had to dwell on it for

699
00:49:48,520 –> 00:49:52,520
days.
The way Jacob behaved and

700
00:49:52,520 –> 00:49:56,000
responded to it was he tore his
clothes and he started mourning.

701
00:49:56,560 –> 00:49:57,960
But let’s read the Bible
carefully.

702
00:49:57,960 –> 00:50:00,320
What does it tell us?
The Bible’s very specific in

703
00:50:00,320 –> 00:50:04,240
what it says.
Jacob tore his clothes, he put

704
00:50:04,240 –> 00:50:08,160
sackcloth on himself, and he
mourned for his son for many

705
00:50:08,880 –> 00:50:14,160
days, many days.
It was quite normal to mourn for

706
00:50:14,160 –> 00:50:18,960
30 days.
They mourn for Jacob when he

707
00:50:18,960 –> 00:50:23,960
died for 40 days.
So we can only assume that

708
00:50:23,960 –> 00:50:28,360
that’s more than the normal.
OK, that’s a long time to start

709
00:50:28,360 –> 00:50:31,440
feeling awkward.
Now I want you to appreciate how

710
00:50:31,440 –> 00:50:38,120
awkward all his sons and
daughters, and that includes

711
00:50:38,120 –> 00:50:43,680
Judah, stood beside him,
consoling him.

712
00:50:46,560 –> 00:50:51,080
Can you imagine standing beside
your dad trying to say it’s OK,

713
00:50:51,080 –> 00:50:54,960
dad, it’ll be OK.
Yeah.

714
00:50:54,960 –> 00:50:56,120
I don’t know what happened to
him.

715
00:50:57,240 –> 00:50:58,440
Yeah, we don’t.
Yeah.

716
00:50:58,720 –> 00:51:01,000
Yeah, it could have.
He could have been a wild base.

717
00:51:01,880 –> 00:51:10,880
Yeah, it’ll be OK, Dad.
Trying to console your dad for a

718
00:51:10,880 –> 00:51:16,800
month.
Jacob’s totally overreacting.

719
00:51:16,800 –> 00:51:20,040
I’m not denying that.
Because this is his special

720
00:51:20,040 –> 00:51:25,240
child, he refused to be
consoled.

721
00:51:25,240 –> 00:51:28,640
He kept pushing them away.
But just grasp the lies that

722
00:51:28,640 –> 00:51:32,560
were being told for that many
days to their dad, just to his

723
00:51:32,560 –> 00:51:35,840
face at a time when he’s
mourning.

724
00:51:38,120 –> 00:51:40,960
And Jacob says I’m going to go
to the grave mourning for my

725
00:51:40,960 –> 00:51:46,640
son.
And that’s how Joseph’s dad wept

726
00:51:46,640 –> 00:51:55,640
for him while bitter Judah in
his resentment to Joseph faked

727
00:51:55,640 –> 00:52:00,720
it that he cared and kept
telling lies for days.

728
00:52:03,280 –> 00:52:06,080
And by day 10, the novelty
starts wearing off.

729
00:52:08,000 –> 00:52:12,880
And how does Judah start
feeling, Come on, dad, get over

730
00:52:12,880 –> 00:52:18,680
it.
And he starts getting resentful

731
00:52:18,680 –> 00:52:23,760
to his dad because of the way
his dad’s behaving.

732
00:52:26,080 –> 00:52:27,960
That’s the tension in this
family.

733
00:52:29,200 –> 00:52:33,080
Can you feel that?
If there’s nothing that’s going

734
00:52:33,080 –> 00:52:36,800
to come out of our story this
weekend, it’s being truthful.

735
00:52:37,640 –> 00:52:42,200
It’s being honest.
And that was an utter lie.

736
00:52:43,080 –> 00:52:46,840
Just grasp that.
One lie after another lie after

737
00:52:46,840 –> 00:52:49,600
another lie.
Slept on, woke up in the morning

738
00:52:49,600 –> 00:52:54,800
to the same emotions.
And Judah lived with that for 20

739
00:52:54,800 –> 00:52:59,280
years, and it played his
conscience.

740
00:53:01,360 –> 00:53:05,720
And conscience is the way God
works in our lives.

741
00:53:06,560 –> 00:53:12,840
He lets that little voice warn
us in the back of our minds that

742
00:53:12,840 –> 00:53:15,640
the decision we are making is
not good.

743
00:53:16,400 –> 00:53:18,400
It’s a beautiful little phrase
and it goes like this.

744
00:53:18,400 –> 00:53:24,880
It says conscience warns you
like a friend before events

745
00:53:24,920 –> 00:53:30,800
punish you like an enemy.
Your conscience is that voice

746
00:53:30,800 –> 00:53:34,040
that’s warning you.
It’s saying don’t go there, do

747
00:53:34,040 –> 00:53:38,160
something different.
Don’t do that before the

748
00:53:38,160 –> 00:53:43,600
consequences of your dumb
decisions come home for the rest

749
00:53:43,600 –> 00:53:48,120
of your life.
You know, that moment was so

750
00:53:48,120 –> 00:53:54,080
intense that the Bible then
gives us an incredible contrast.

751
00:53:54,080 –> 00:53:55,760
I love the Bible the way it does
this.

752
00:53:56,960 –> 00:54:01,400
The next chapter that we’re
about to be open with in chapter

753
00:54:01,400 –> 00:54:04,800
38 opens by saying, And it came
to pass at that time that Judah

754
00:54:04,800 –> 00:54:07,760
went down from his brethren.
Oh, OK.

755
00:54:08,120 –> 00:54:14,560
He just went down.
No, his conscience drove him

756
00:54:14,560 –> 00:54:19,040
away because it was too hard in
that family.

757
00:54:21,640 –> 00:54:28,640
Judah made the choice to leave
his family and chapter 39 opens

758
00:54:28,640 –> 00:54:36,320
with and Joseph was brought
against his will down to Egypt.

759
00:54:38,040 –> 00:54:45,400
Judah chose to leave his family,
to leave the ecclesia, his youth

760
00:54:45,400 –> 00:54:47,840
group, and he chose to go his
own way.

761
00:54:49,480 –> 00:54:55,440
Dumb decision.
Joseph was forced to do that and

762
00:54:55,880 –> 00:55:00,360
broke his heart.
And that’s how polar opposite

763
00:55:00,360 –> 00:55:04,040
these two boys are.
They’re so extreme opposites.

764
00:55:05,440 –> 00:55:08,680
And that’s why we appreciate
Joseph when we understand Judah,

765
00:55:09,400 –> 00:55:12,480
and we understand Judah when we
appreciate Joseph.

766
00:55:13,480 –> 00:55:15,680
We’ll pick up in Chapter 38
after a break.