The Torah portion Vayeshev (“he settled”) covers Genesis 37:1-40:23.
The accounts of Yosef’s “coat of many colors” or “Technicolor Dreamcoat” and his standing strong amid adversity and oppression in Mitzraim are popular among children and adults. But a scandalous aside in this week’s Torah portion, וישב Vayeshev (“he settled,” Gen. 37:1–40:23), involving his brother Yehudah may not reach many children’s ears. Yet both Yosef and Yehudah provide important “calling cards” for Mashiakh Yeshua (Christ Jesus).
A key point in the Torah reading וַיֵּשֶׁב Vayeshev (Genesis 37–40) is the betrayal of Yosef (Joseph) by his brothers, including their debate about what to do with him and their sale of him to traders bound for Mitzraim (Egypt). This seems to parallel what happened many centuries later, when Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) was rejected by His brothers (Israel, led by descendants of Judah) and went into exile in Mitzraim.
In the Torah reading וַיֵּשֶׁב Vayeshev (Genesis 37–40), the salacious downward spiral of Yehudah (Judah) is sharply contrasted with the upward rise of Yosef (Joseph). That’s despite Yosef’s brothers’ having betrayed him.
The parallel passage to Vayeshev (Amos 2:6–3:8) reveals how morality can go down a slippery slope to depravity if nothing stops it. Yosef was a living prophecy of the ultimate Favored Son of Israel — Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) — Who would be rejected but effectively stop the moral slide of the nation and the world.
Joseph’s brothers and many in the Sanhedrin during the first arrival of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) were incensed that God had chosen someone other than the first- or best-born to lead Israel. Yet, both Yosef and Yeshua did not fear betrayal, arrest, prison or even death.
In this study of the Torah section וישב Vayeshev (“he settled,” Gen. 37:1–40:23), the “cancel culture” of their day did not deter them. Similar to the Maccabees at the time of the first Chanukah, no one could smooth-talk Yosef or Yeshua out of standing up for what is right as they refused to kowtow to the evil ways of those around them.
The accounts in Torah reading וישב Vayeshev (“he settled,” Gen. 37:1–40:23) of Judah’s hooking up with his daughter-in-law and Joseph foretelling the rise and deeper fall of his jailmates seem as unrelated as they are dismaying. But the two actually contain prophecies that reveal the transforming work of the Messiah.
From the Torah reading וישב Vayeshev (“he settled,” Genesis 37:1-40:23), we’ll be focusing this time on a comparison between Judah’s relationship with Tamar and Joseph’s relationship with Potiphar’s wife. As we look into this “intermission” in the story, we’ll take a detour into Hosea 3-4, which will give us insight into why the men in those stories were guilty of a far greater evil than the sins of Tamar and Mrs. Potiphar.
God prepared two self-centered “brats” — Yosef (Joseph) and Yehudah (Judah) — and their descendants to become the saviors of their families. Yosef was a tattle-tale and a bit of a braggart, but Yehudah was willing to throw weaker, younger people to the wolves, either figuratively or literally to obtain a higher status in his society. God really cares about how you treat other people, especially those who are weaker and less fortunate. In the Torah reading וישב Vayeshev (Genesis 37–40), we learn from Yosef and Yehudah their life lessons the hard way.