Joseph is sold to Midianite traders in chapter 37 and carted off to Egypt. There he will eventually become the 2nd in Command of the entire Nation. In Ch 38, we return to Canaan to read about the immoral pursuits of Judah. Judah picks up a bad companion named Hirah. Everytime he’s with Hirah he does something wrong. He marries a Canaanite woman the first time and then with Hirah he propositions a prostitute. The children of Israel who sold Joseph and remained in Canaan kept wrong company and sinned against God. This story reminds me of the New Testament verse: Don’t be decieved, bad company corrupts good morals.” IN chapter 34, Dinah’s visitation of the “women of the land” got her in an association that ended with her rape and kidnapping. She should have stayed home.
In chapter 39f we read that Joseph, being sold into Egypt, had no companions; but God. He stayed close to God in his enslavement and thus was able to resist the propositions of Potiphar’s wife. While Judah, representative of those who hated Joseph and sold him, was out propositioning for sex. While Dinah got herself into sexual trouble when she sought out bad companay, Joseph was in a foreign land resisting propositions by his master’s wife.
Who are you keeping company with?