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Now, the Bible begins to give the narrative of the 12 sons of Israel beginning with the story of how Joseph, the son who Jacob loved the most, is betrayed by his jealous brethren.
Genesis 37:3-5 (KJV)
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. [4] And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
[5] And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Genesis 37:9-28 (KJV)
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. [10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? [11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
[12] And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. [13] And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. [14] And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
[15] And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? [16] And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. [17] And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. [18] And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. [19] And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. [20] Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. [21] And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. [22] And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
[23] And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; [24] And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. [25] And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. [26] And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? [27] Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. [28] Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
So Joseph was taken into Egypt.
The next Bible story deals solely with Judah
This portion of the Holy Bible tells about Judah and his descendants, and how Judah did evil before YHWH and Judah's children did as well. Judah took a wife of the Canaanites and had a few children that did not live long.
Genesis 38:1-11 (KJV)
And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. [2] And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. [3] And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. [4] And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. [5] And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. [6] And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. [7] And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of YHWH; and YHWH slew him. [8] And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. [9] And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. [10] And the thing which he did displeased YHWH: wherefore he slew him also. [11] Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
After Judah's Canaanite wife dies Judah pursues a harlot. However the woman Judah thinks is an ordinary harlot is actually his own daughter-in law, who deceitfully tricks him into sleeping with her in order to bear a son.
Genesis 38:12-23 (KJV)
And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. [13] And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. [14] And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. [15] When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. [16] And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? [17] And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? [18] And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. [19] And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. [20] And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. [21] Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. [22] And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. [23] And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
The result of this harlotry by Judah with his daughter in-law Tamar are two twin children of Judah.
Genesis 38:24-30 (KJV)
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. [25] When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. [26] And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
[27] And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. [28] And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first, [29] And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. [30] And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
These two children are often over looked by most Bible scholars, but in fact they form two extremely important royal lines of the tribe of Judah, the line of Pharaz; and the line of Zarah.
The Two Branches of JUDAH
Pharaz this is the Line Israel's Savior will arise from.
Pharaz, is the more dominant line of Judah most mentioned in the Bible.
(The exalted branch of Judah)
Zarah "of the scarlet thread"
Zarah, is the lesser mentioned line.
(The low branch of Judah)
Before Israel (Jacob) dies, Jacob gives a prophecy to his 12 sons that Judah is said to hold "the sceptre" of the 12 tribes.
Either of these two royal lines of JUDAH can rightfully rule with "the sceptre"
The next part of the Holy Bible narrative takes us to Joseph who is in Egypt.
The main point of the Genesis story of Joseph is to show how eventually all of the 12 sons are reunited in Egypt and thus all 12 tribes— the children of Israel— live in Egypt and multiply.
But before we look at the story of the Exodus, the tribe of Joseph, much like the tribe of Judah, has a very amazing extremely important story to tell.
The next Bible Scriptures refer to the two sons of Joseph.
Genesis 48:1-22 (KJV)
And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. [2] And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. [3] And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, [4] And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
[5] And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. [6] And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. [7] And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem. [8] And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? [9] And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. [10] Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. [11] And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. [12] And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. [13] And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. [14] And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
[15] And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, [16] The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. [17] And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. [18] And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. [19] And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. [20] And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. [21] And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. [22] Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Rueben was the first born, but he forfeited his birthright when he defiled his father's bed. The birthright was then to be passed on to the next of kin, Joseph and his line.
This event, depicted above tells how Ephraim becomes the birthright holder of the 12 tribes of Israel.
This is a very important fact and one often overlooked key to understanding the greater part of God's ultimate plan in the prophecies.
The double portion of Joseph
Ephraim Younger (Received the birthright of Israel)
Blessing—his seed shall become a multitude of nations
Manasseh First born (would have received the birthright)
Blessing —a people, and he shall be great
Remember: "The younger shall serve the elder." or "the first shall be last"
"and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
Next, you will look at the prophesies by the mouth of Israel, and the holy Spirit of God, for his 12 sons according to each tribe, to see what happens to each in the end days.
