Genesis 37-40.

Joseph, as favorite, must have felt pretty secure to relay his dreams to his family. Surely he realized it would make everyone upset! His dreams served as both a prediction and an impetus, since they bring his brothers antagonism to the boiling point.

Genesis 38 seems very foreign to our ears. It has to do with property and inheritance. The concept we read about here becomes the idea of the kinsman- redeemer that plays such an important role in the book of Ruth. The point to take from the passage is that Judah neglected his obligations as the patriarch, and was tricked into fulfilling then, albeit in a way he didn’t expect! How are we doing with our own family obligations?