BRAGADAYJAH 127

Imagine the grief that Israel suffered when he was shown the remnant of Joseph’s coat. “Surely,” he said, “This is my son’s coat; an evil beast,” he lamented, “has devoured him; my son Joseph is surely dead.” One can only imagine how he wept and mourned the loss of his beloved son. As was the custom in times of grief, Israel rent, tore, his own clothes and mourned for months on end, and would not be comforted; even the very beasts that murdered his son, their brother tried to comfort him. “I will go down to my grave unto my son in mourning.” Israel wept and grieved and lamented. In the meantime, Joseph was taken down to Egypt and sold into the household of one Potiphar who was a captain of the guard of the Pharaoh of Egypt. In the meantime, Joseph remained an indentured servant in Egypt; and his brother Judah started making children with a Canaanite woman. They had a first born whose name was Er. In fact that woman bore him two more sons, Onan and Chezib. And Judah chose a wife for his son Er, and the wife’s name was Tamar. And Er, was so wicked in the sight of the Lord that the Lord slew him. Judah, then encouraged his son Onan to go in unto Tamar, his deceased brothers wife. but to his credit Onan felt it wasa wrong thing to do; and though he did go in unto Tamar, he spilled his seed on the ground in order that she would not conceive. However, what Onan did displeased the Lord, and He slew Onan also; so Judah, lost his two oldest sons; and not wanting to provoke the Lord further suggested to Tamar that she should return to her father’s house and remain there a widow. Tamar’s story is included here, because it is important to the overall story, especially as it relates to Judah. We shall see tomorrow how it is so. more