Genesis 41:25-32

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25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. 31 So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 32 And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. ~ Genesis 41:25-32

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 41 where Joseph has been released from prison and has been called before the Pharoah. After consulting his “magicians” and “wise men” for the interpretation to no avail, the Pharaoh summoned Joseph. After acknowledging that it was not of himself to interpret his dreams Joseph let the Pharaoh know that God would give him an interpretation.

In v.25-30 of today’s passage we read, “25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.'”

Joseph’s interpretation came from God fairly quickly and once it came, there was nothing that could have been done to avert it. When the magicians and wise men of Pharaoh gave any interpretation, the purpose was to find a way to avert disaster. Their predictions were often something like, “There will be a famine unless you do such and such.” Joseph’s interpretation was different. He said that God was in control, and nothing could change the outcome. The double dream meant that God’s mind would not be changed. It will happen soon.

Not only was Joseph willing to be the bearer of bad news, but he was also willing to tell the king that he couldn't do anything to avoid the situation. That required courage. Joseph addressed the most powerful man in Egypt and he spoke the truth to him. In doing so, Joseph put God above Pharaoh. After Pharaoh brought Joseph up out of the prison, Joseph spoke the truth to Pharaoh by proclaiming the sovereignty of the God of Creation.

The word translated “one” in v.25 can mean “one comprising many.” A cluster of grapes is one, but it is made of many grapes. There were in fact two dreams, but they comprise one message. When asked what is the greatest commandment, the Lord Jesus said, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.'” The very same word translated one in today’s passage is used to describe the Lord. He is One, but one here can mean one with a plurality, just like Pharaoh’s dreams. Understanding that two dreams can be one dream is helpful for us to understand that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can also be one God.

Joseph informed the Pharaoh that a famine was on the way and God would be the cause. God would be the One who would be behind the changes in the atmosphere which would occur. And actually, there were several purposes that will be seen. There is the purpose of making Joseph ruler. There is the purpose of bringing Israel down to Egypt. There is the purpose of fulfilling Joseph’s dreams. There is the purpose of freeing Israel from future bondage. There is the purpose of bringing about the Passover. There is the purpose of showing that there is one God and that He controls both the weather and the future. There is the purpose of picturing Christ in all of these things. And in all of these, there is the ultimate purpose, one ultimate final purpose and that is that of bringing glory to God. 

God caused the famine so that God would be glorified. If you can see this idea in everything found in the Bible, then you will be able to see it in everything in your own life as well. This is one reason why we are given the Bible. It shows us the state of humans and of humanity. God created so that we could share in His glory and thus bring more glory to Him. This isn’t a conceited self-seeking glorification, but the sharing of Himself which should naturally lead us to glorify Him.

The name of God that Moses used here was Elohim. Out of 2600 times that Elohim is used in the Bible, less than 400 are used in the way Joseph does here. Joseph referenced “the God” meaning there is no other God and Elohim is the only God. 

The seven good cows represented seven years. Likewise the seven good heads represented another seven years. So, following the first seven years, there will be seven more years of famine. This is the first time that the true significance of the first seven years is noted. They aren’t just seven years, but seven years of plenty. And this won’t be an isolated boom, but it will be throughout all the land of Egypt. All of Pharaoh’s domain will be blessed as the Nile delta floods and the winds are favorable.

Following on the heels of the seven good years, there will be seven terrible years; years of famine which will be so bad that all the abundance of the preceding seven years will be utterly forgotten. Everything which had flourished will be reduced to less than a memory of a memory.

In v.31 of today’s passage we read, “So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.”

Nothing which was gained would remain. The famine would be so bad that the term Joseph used in Hebrew doesn’t have a direct equivalent in English. Literally, he said, “it will be very heavy.” The concept of heaviness was given to show that the strain of the weight of those years and the crushing burden they would bring would be too much to bear. 

In v.32 of today’s passage we read, “And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

Two more times did Joseph reference "the Elohim" or "the God." Elohim is mentioned 9 times in this chapter. Every time He is mentioned in relation to the direct interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams by Joseph. It was Elohim who had given Pharaoh a double dream to underscore the certainty of it coming to pass. Nothing prevents the will of God in the end, not even the puny will of man. We do well to bow our will to Him daily. To resist God's will has never turned out well for man. This double dream was also given as a means of His grace. Sadly, Pharoah was too committed to the self life to believe in the God of the Bible and to be defined by Him.

Genesis 41:14-24

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14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” 16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. 18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24 And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” ~ Genesis 41:14-24

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 41 where Joseph has been remembered by the butler who had been released from the very same prison just two years before. Although it took the butler two years to go before Pharaoh on the behalf of Joseph, his timing was perfect with the will of God. Sadly, as we saw in our last study, the Pharaoh wasted valuable time in consulting the "magicians" and the "wise men" of Egypt to interpret his dream to no avail.

Pharaoh consulted every but God. Nothing exists without a cause. Nothing changes without a cause. There wouldn’t be a debate about God if He did not exist. We can choose to ignore God but we do it to our own peril. Since God has proved His existence through His creation, our conscience and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, it certainly is worth paying attention to what He has to say. And what He has to say is found in only one place, the Bible. We do well to look to the God of the Bible for daily aid in how to live our lives.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.'"

Upon hearing about Joseph’s abilities to interpret dreams by the butler, Pharaoh consulted him. Joseph was called and brought out of his dungeon. Once out, he was shaved, had his clothes changed, and he was brought before the Pharaoh whose name means “Great House.” 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'"

When Joseph said, "It is not in me,” he was saying that the interpretation of his dreams would have to come from God and not from him. In essence, he would speak and it would be God who spoke through him. The word peace appears 237 times in the Old Testament. Peace means completeness, soundness, and welfare. It comes from the root word which means making amends or making whole or complete. This most valuable concept is often used in terms of making restitution.

It was the Lord Jesus who said in John 3:17-18, "17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

The Lord Jesus came to grant us peace as a result of finding our confidence in Him and His finished work on the cross to overcome the effects of our sin. In 2 Corinthians 5:19, we read, "God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And he gave us this message of peace." There is no evidence in the scriptures that God sends man to hell. Man has chosen hell by rejecting the only ransom that will get him into heaven. Condemnation is the unforgiven person's state right now. The wrath of God is the absence of His love, and the wrath of God abides on those who have not believed and received the Lord Jesus' free gift. If we do not choose to leave condemnation, we remain in it. 

Repenting from being our own savior and believing in the Lord Jesus as our Savior is the answer. This means that what the Lord Jesus did on that cross satisfied the righteous demands of God. “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Believing means embracing something as true, it means to trust in Him. Believing is receiving. Our receiving isn’t based on another person’s faith; it’s based on our faith, and our believing is evidenced by our receiving. Receiving is the application of intimacy with God. And, when we receive the very presence of God we are equipped to see Him, to recognize Him, with our hearts. This intimacy is made possible through the abiding Holy Spirit.

In v.17-24 of today's passage we read, "17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: 'Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. 18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24 And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.'"

Pharaoh’s recounting of the dream is essentially the same as what he said to his wise men and magicians, but there are a couple small differences. One was he told Joseph that the cows were so ugly that he had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. A second was after the bad cows ate up the good ones, no one would have known that they had eaten them and that they were just as ugly as at the beginning.

Although this was an unrealistic dream it symbolized real things. The cows and the stalks symbolize years of abundance and years of famine. Pharaoh used an extra term here to describe the thin heads on the stalks, he called them withered, meaning they were barren or their fruit was dry. By telling the story a little bit differently the second time, it shows that what we’re reading isn’t just a fable, but an actual account.

In the end, the message is where do we go for truth. The Lord Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Unlike all of the other "leaders" of "religions," the Lord Jesus Christ did not say, "I will show you the way." No, He said, "I am the way." To follow Him is to be defined by Him. To be defined by Him is to obey Him. 

Genesis 41:9-13

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9 Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, 11 we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.” ~ Genesis 41:9-13

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 41 where we find Joseph still in prison but he is about to get his promotion to freedom. In Galatians 5:1 we read, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  It is only the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that truly frees us from sin to live life the way we were intended, being defined by the God of the Bible. And, this freedom results in the ability to love God, ourselves and others. We show that we are steeped the most in slavery when we desperately try to prove ourselves to others, trying to make our lives look a certain way so that they will accept us. We do this also with God. Well, Christ has remedied this problem for us. And, if we are diligent to allow Him to define us, this is evidence that we have been truly set free.

In v.9 of today’s passage we read, “Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: ‘I remember my faults this day.’”

Only after seeing that the magicians and the wise men couldn’t resolve the matter of the king’s dreams did the butler speak. He obviously felt this would put him in a better light with Pharaoh and so he began with the statement, “I remember my faults this day.” The butler confessed his sin first. In order to have a hearing before the King, we must begin with the confession that we have sinned and that we need His help. Our being made  “right with God” is not based on our imperfect confession of our sins, but on the riches of God’s grace and the perfect sacrifice of His Son on the cross. 

The concept of confession means “to say the same thing as” or “to agree with.” To confess our sins to God, therefore, is to say the same things about our sins as He does: that it is sin. When we have sinned and we realize we have sinned, true confession is agreeing with God that it was rebellion against Him. Once we have confessed the wrongness of our sin and received the payment the Lord Jesus made for said sin, it is then that we have entered into a personal relationship with God. 

In v.10-11 of today’s passage we read, “When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, 11 we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.”

The butler also known as the cupbearer finally remembered the circumstances that introduced both he and the baker to Joseph and it was at that point that he began to tactfully share the details of those circumstances. God is always at work especially when the circumstances appear to be at their worst. God was always working behind the scenes, getting Joseph ready to meet a disgraced cupbearer in prison. At other times, He, more subtly, confused the experienced dream interpreters so that they suddenly found themselves mute when faced with a pretty simple task of interpreting the king's dream. At other times God’s work is really obvious, as when Joseph was given the  interpretation of the king's dream and was as a result promoted to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt. Interestingly, the butler was clueless as to how much he was involved in a story which would eventually not only free Joseph but also up to as many as two million Hebrews from slavery in Egypt many years later.

In v. 12-13 of today’s passage we read, “12 Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”

The butler took it on assumption that the Pharaoh would have known what a Hebrew was since it had been about 200 years earlier that the very first Hebrew crossed over from the land of divination to the pathway that led him to the true God. Having come originally from the area of Babylon, Abraham would have been learned in arithmetic and astronomy. To introduce to Pharaoh Joseph as a Hebrew then added credibility to the discernment of such important matters, even the interpretation of dreams.

The butler gave a few details of what had happened when Joseph interpreted his dreams and those of the baker. Then he highlighted the fact that Joseph’s interpretation of his dream brought about his deliverance. The butler then concluded that perhaps Joseph could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. God used an unnamed cupbearer to the Pharaoh as a part of His plan to save the entire world of fallen man! This means He can do the same with us as well. In fact, this is the point of our walk with the Lord, that others might see the work of the Lord in and through our lives and desire a personal relationship with God for themselves. But, God must always do His work in us before He chooses to speak through us. I close with a great quote from A.W. Tozer who once said, “It is doubtful that God can use anyone greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”  For sure, we see this truth born out in the life of Joseph and may it be born out in our lives as well.

Genesis 41:1-8

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1 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. 2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7 And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. 8 Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh. ~ Genesis 41:1-8

Today, we transition into our study of Genesis 41. In the book of Genesis, God revealed a lot of truth through dreams. Through many of them, He revealed pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ for this is God’s ultimate goal in our lives, to reveal His Son in, to and through our yielded lives. In the approximately 2500 years of time which Genesis records, only 6 people had dreams; Abimelech the king of Gerar during Isaac’s time; Jacob when he dreamed of the ladder reaching to heaven; Joseph in his two dreams about the sheaves and the stars; the cupbearer and the baker who were in prison with Joseph; and Pharaoh’s two dreams in today’s chapter. Interestingly, there are 12 God-directed dreams in the Bible which are specifically noted as dreams.

In v.1 of today’s passage we read, “Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.”

In the previous chapter the butler forgot to tell Pharaoh about Joseph, but God never forgot about Joseph. At this point in the narrative God had to leave Joseph in that prison to accomplish other work in and through Joseph. Getting to the place that we no longer complain and we rest in the providential plan of God in our lives is hard and arduous but it is necessary for us to walk with the Lord. And so, now two years will go by until Joseph will be released from the prison. Again, the God of eternity is not bound by time like we are. He is not myopic, He knows all things and we can rest assured that we can trust Him with everything.

In v. 2 of today’s passage we read, “Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow.”

In this next dream, Pharaoh stood by the Nile river. Suddenly seven cows come up out of the river. The heifer cow was regarded by ancient Egyptians as divine. The fact that they rose out of the Nile shows that the cause of their fatness was derived from the Nile which they also considered divine. After arising from the Nile, Pharaoh saw them feeding on the marsh grass which was abundant along the Nile.

In v.3 of today’s passage we read, “Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river.”

The next set of seven cows came out of the river as evil looking and thin. They stood by the cows on the bank of the Nile. Instead of eating like the first seven cows, they just stood there. These cows were miserable bags of bones with their skin hanging loosely off them.

In v.4 of today’s passage we read, “And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.”

In what is contrary to nature on several levels, the thin cows ate the healthy ones. It is contrary that a skinny animal would be able to eat another fat one of the same kind. It is contrary that the weaker should overcome the stronger. And it is contrary that a herbivore would eat another of its own kind as if it were a carnivore. Nothing in the dream seems to fit with reason, and so for the dream there must be a reason. Due to the disturbing nature of the dream, Pharaoh was awakened.

In v.5 of today’s passage we read, “He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good.”

As surely as Joseph had two dreams, and as was seen in the two dreams revealed to Joseph in prison, Pharaoh now has a second dream. This one, following the biblical pattern of the number two, will contrast the first and yet confirm the message. In this dream, healthy wheat grain that bears seven ears on one stalk appeared.

In v.6 of today’s passage we read, “Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them.”

Then, there where the Nile River had run dry, appeared seven thin stalks sprang up from the ground. The southeast wind which usually comes to Egypt in March and April is the one of the longest duration and of the greatest harm to the land.

In v.7 of today’s passage we read, “And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.”

Just like the previous dream which is contrary to sound reason occurs. Stalks of grain don’t normally go around eating other stalks of grain. And even if they did, which they don’t, skinny ones couldn’t eat fat ones. Again, this caused Pharaoh to be awakened.

In v.8 of today’s passage we read, “Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.”

Troubled by his double dream, Pharaoh sent the next morning for all the scribes and wise men of Egypt, to have it interpreted. But not one of them could interpret it, although the clue to the interpretation was to be found in the religious symbols of Egypt. For the cow was the symbol of Isis, the goddess of the all-sustaining earth, and in the hieroglyphics it represented the earth, agriculture, and food; and the Nile, by its overflowing, was the source of the fertility of the land. But however simple the explanation of the fat and lean cows ascending out of the Nile appeared to be, not one of Pharaoh's interpreters could interpret it.

Mankind's problem is that we have been separated from God by our sin. This problem is solved when we repent from trusting ourselves and then turn to God for His help. Once we have received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, He ushers us into a right relationship with God. This is when our disposition on life changes and we begin to be taught by Him on how to live our lives. This doesn't mean that all of our problems will be over, it does mean that we will have a point of reference with regard to the inner issues that still plagues us, such as anger, jealousy, resentment, worry, and feelings of worthlessness. 

In Galatians 2:20 the Apostle reminds us that we are free to enjoy the life of Christ lived in and through us. It reads, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The Christian life is the realization of the life of Christ come to bear on the believer in Christ. This is the answer and this is why we do not get life right or arrive at the right interpretation of life because apart from having a personal relationship with our Creator, we are nothing and we will not get life right.

Genesis 40:16-23

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16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.” 18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. ~ Genesis 40:16-23

Today, we complete our study of Genesis 40 where we find Joseph still in Pharaoh's prison with his two newfound friends the butler and the baker of the Pharaoh. Both of these men had dreams on the same night and Joseph accurately interpreted their dreams from their beginning to their end. Having considered the first dream, the dream of the butler, today, we will consider the second dream, the dream of the baker.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, 'I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.’”

In the dream of the baker there were three white baskets which were filled with baked goods. The baskets were wicker and so one would have been able to see the baked goods through them. The Jewish historian Josephus said they were loaves in two of the baskets and in the third were other tasty baked goods. The birds swooped down and ate the bread. What should have been for Pharaoh were eaten by the birds.

In v.18-22 of today’s passage we read, “18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.”

As was the case with the dream of the butler, there was a three-day fulfillment of the baker's dream. As we see so many times in the Bible when two things are placed side by side, there is a contrast and yet there is a confirmation. This is no different. The confirmation is the three days. With over four hundred occurrences of the number 3 in the Bible, a careful study reveals the number 3 is always associated with God. When God created man in His image, He made us with a body, a soul, and a spirit. On the Mount of Transfiguration there were three people Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. The body of the Lord Jesus was in the grave for three days. We could go on and on but I think you get the idea.

Then Pharaoh put the baker to death. Some say the baker’s head was taken off by decapitation and then his body was nailed to a tree. Some say he died either by hanging or crucifixion. The Jewish historian Josephus said that he was crucified. However he died, he hung on a tree and the birds ate his flesh three days later. 

We are forgiven of our sin because we have placed our trust in Christ or we are still in our sin awaiting the judgment of God. We either have a curse upon us or we have the blessing of God upon us. These two dreams mentioned in today’s chapter likewise contrast and confirm. They contrast the choice of every human on this earth: Will we go with God or will we try to make it on our own?

Only two birthday parties are mentioned in the Bible, Pharaoh’s and Herod’s. These birthdays are mentioned because these men were rulers and the celebration affected the outcome of the decisions they made. In the case of Pharaoh, it was the time to reassert his rule and reaffirm his nobles. His rule and authority was established through decisions he made concerning life and death, specifically, that of his butler and baker. And so he lifted up their heads. The meaning of this comes from the surrounding context. It means something like “to hold a trial.” Imagine a group of people entering into the presence of the king. They would have their heads down and their eyes averted from his as a sign of respect. To lift up one’s head then would be to meet the gaze of the king. For those who are in the king’s favor, they would be looked on with approval. For those who were out of his favor, their meeting his eyes would be with a note of disapproval. His gaze would then be their sentence.

Whatever made Pharaoh angry with the cupbearer, it was forgiven. He lifted up his head with a favorable gaze and his status was restored. In acknowledgement of that he “placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” In the Hebrew, it says he “set the cup upon Pharaoh’s palm.” The picture was of Pharaoh opening his hand palm up, and the cupbearer gently placing it into his palm. Exactly as Joseph interpreted, so it came to pass. Sadly, the chief baker went to his death, and the word used here for his hanging pictures for us crucifixion.

In v.23 of today’s passage we read, “Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

The last verse for today's passage closes with the fact that the cupbearer didn’t remember Joseph even though Joseph helped him so. It is one thing to be forgotten by a human but another to be forgotten by God. Obviously, the Lord had more work for Joseph to do in that prison and this explains why the butler didn’t do as he had promised. If the cupbearer had remembered Joseph right after he was restored to his position, then Pharaoh wouldn’t have come to know Joseph in the way he needed to, and therefore, wouldn’t have ever promoted Joseph to the place God wanted Joseph to be promoted as the second most important person in the world. Thank the Lord that He knows the perfect time to bring such to fruition. This is why we must trust Him and walk with Him daily for He only knows the end from the beginning.

Genesis 40:5-15

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5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. 6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8 And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” 9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11 Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 12 And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. 13 Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.” ~ Genesis‬ ‭40:‭5‬-‭15‬ ‭

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 40 where Joseph had been sold into slavery and then he was thrown into prison due to the false accusations of Potiphar’s wife. While in prison God was with Joseph and He gave him favor in the eyes of all who were there. In addition, it was at that time that two key men were put under Joseph’s perview, these were the king’s butler and the king’s baker. Both of these men had dreams on the same night and Joseph accurately interpreted their dreams. Today, we will only consider the first dream, the dream of the butler.

In v.5 of today’s passage we read, “Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation.”

The dreams of the butler and the baker weren’t ordinary dreams, they were also prophetic. The butler and the baker both has his own individual dream which each had its individual interpretation. Of all of the people that there were in that prison, only these two were given memorable dreams. For Joseph, these dreams pointed everyone involved towards God for that was what had happened to him earlier in his teenaged years. Due to this, Joseph had been conditioned by God by dreams and their interpretations.

In v.6-8 of today’s passage we read, “6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, 'Why do you look so sad today?' 8 And they said to him, 'We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.' So Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.'"

Joseph wasn’t bound in the prison, he had freedom to move around. In the morning, he came to the butler and the baker and he saw their faces. The Hebrew word here translated “sad”  indicates being enraged. They had these dreams and they were angry because they had no way of knowing what the dreams meant. These dreams were very important to these two men for they believed the dreams could have aided them in getting out of the prison. After Joseph asked why they looked so sad, they told him that together they had dreams. Their answer showed that they believed that God had given them a dream and that He would provide an interpretation for them. They believed it made no sense otherwise. 

To that, Joseph said that God was the interpreter. He didn’t say “the Lord” he said “God.” As pagans, they would have no knowledge of YHWH, the Lord, but they were aware of who God or Elohim was, whether they admitted it or not. Including Joseph, they believed that if someone had a dream from God, then there must be a God who gave the dream.

Like these desperate men, when we are thrown into prison, we get serious about seeking God. Sadly, most stop seeking Him once they have been delivered out of their troubles. I remember when I was fourteen years old, I accidentally took something prescribed to someone else. That prescription sent me into a tailspin for a solid day. When I awakened from that drug induced tailspin, I cried out to God. I said to Him, “If you will let me live, I will never do this again.” It was God’s desire that I would have invited Him into my life as my Savior and my God, but at that point in my life, I didn’t do that. In fact, I really continued to run from Him until three days before my dad died in October of 1981. Having run from Him for almost 18 years, I stopped running and He swiftly began to teach me His ways. Once this butler was delivered from his troubles, he no longer sought God.

In v.9-11 of today’s passage we read, “9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, 'Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11 Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.'"

The butler who had been the chief cupbearer to the Pharaoh at that time shared his dream with Joseph first. It doesn’t say why, but when we get to the baker, it will say that he spoke when he saw that the first interpretation was good. I’d suggest that he was scared of speaking up first as his dream disturbed him. When we see what this is pointing to, we will understand why he was afraid. Like the butler, we all struggle with fear. We fear a variety of things, but there is a way to be freed from our fears. In his dream, the butler saw a vine. This was an obvious connection to his work as the butler. As the butler he was the cupbearer and there was a vine. The Hebrew word used for vine reveals an unused root which was meant to bend, just as a vine bends as it grows.

In John 15:5-6 the Lord Jesus said, “5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

The symbolism was given to point everyone to the Lord Jesus.
Right before the cupbearer’s eyes, the vine showed three branches which budded, blossomed and produced clusters of ripe grapes. It was as if he were looking at a time-lapse scene in a movie. No sooner had the vine budded, blossomed, and put out grapes that the cupbearer was pressing them into Pharaoh’s cup and the cup was being handed to him. When the cupbearer saw all of this, he should have known the obvious connotation. This was his job and he was in charge of the process. His dream spoke of the process of supplying the king with the fruit of the vine. This is the point of our lives, to produce fruit for THE KING.

In v.12-15 of today’s passage we read, "12 And Joseph said to him, 'This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. 13 Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.'"

In three days the butler would be restored to his position before the king. The phrase “within three days” meant before the third day was over, this would come to pass. Each year the Pharaoh would make a new list of his high officials. On or after the previous birthday they were removed from the list and now the list was being updated. This would be similar then to the president appointing cabinet officers each term and it would make sense as to why this came about on his birthday. All in all, it was good news for the cupbearer.

The butler , like most, only thought in the temporary, but God’s message always goes beyond this world. It was on the third day that the Lord Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Within three days the cupbearer would be brought back into favor with the Pharaoh. The word for “dungeon” in v.15 is the same word used to describe the pit Joseph’s brothers had thrown him into. The symbolism is that of the tomb of the Lord Jesus who was laid in the tomb, having done nothing deserving of death. The butler’s dream speaks more deeply of the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The grape vine was a symbol of the Lord Jesus who in John 15 said, “I am the vine.” The vine produced grapes and in his dream, the chief butler took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup. This was a picture of Christ suffering and shedding His blood for our sins. According to Isaiah 53:5, He was crushed for our iniquities. He willingly went to the cross for us, for He said in John 10:15, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” He died our death so that we might as a result of believing that His death, burial, and resurrection experience His salvation. He did this so that we might live with Him in eternity.

Genesis 40:1-4

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1 It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while. ~ Genesis 40:1-4

Today, we transition into our study of Genesis 40 where Joseph is in prison. This whole chapter is a single story and though being long, it must be considered in its context. Today’s passage gives us a glimpse of how Joseph’s release from prison came about, but it won’t be realized in today's study. At this point in his life, Joseph was holding onto the promises that God had given him. The events of this story though came together to ensure that his release would happen in the near future. God works in all places but His best work is most often done in the most woeful of places.

In v.1 of today’s passage we read, “It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.”

The words, “It came to pass” follows after the previous chapter without interruption. The previous chapter always leads to the  next. The false accusations of Potiphar’s wife led to Joseph’s imprisonment and that led to what is about to happen. The sovereign hand of God is seen in the guidance and direction of each step. Joseph saw one event after another without knowing why they were happening to him. He had to trust that the Lord allows and causes all things to happen in our lives for His sovereign purposes and for our ultimate good. Joseph had been in prison for some time, in fact, we do not know exactly how long he was there, it was at least a few years. And, while he was there, two very important people joined him.

Into this unfolding tapestry arrived the butler and the baker of the king. The butler was the king’s cupbearer; the baker was his personal chef. These guys were people of very high rank and they were considered extremely important officials. The king’s cupbearer would have been responsible for tasting Pharaoh’s wine to make sure it wasn’t poisoned before giving it to him. The baker would be responsible for the king’s food, making sure it was good before giving it to his boss. 

In ancient times, a king was always vulnerable to assassination or to being overthrown. This explains the need for both the cupbearer and the baker who were two of the closest servants to the king. They had to be trusted. Any failure or betrayal would have proven deadly to them. They had direct access to the royal presence and they had been selected from the most respected of all of the nobles of the land. These two guys were placed in prison with Joseph because they “offended their lord, the King of Egypt.” The exact offenses we were not told.

In v.2 of today’s passage we read, “And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker.”

These two offended the king and he, in turn, was angry with them. For the king to be angry with such high-ranking people meant that they had done something which was pretty grave. If the king got sick from his meal, that would have been enough for their incarceration. And, in a few verses, we’ll see that his anger will end in a bad way for one of them. These men obviously lacked the wisdom and patience that God was working into Joseph's life. 

In v.3 of today’s passage we read, “So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.”

Nothing is coincidental with God involved. These two high officials were put into the same place with Joseph who was confined, but he could move about a bit. Joseph was not literally bound but he was unknowingly being confined to the patience and to the wisdom of God. In Proverbs 19:11 we read, "A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." In just a few short years this verse would be born out in the life of Joseph.

In v.4 of today’s passage we read, “And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.”

From Potiphar to servants of the king, Joseph always seemed to find himself in the vicinity of power. This was the setting of Joseph’s waiting and if he had not been committed to being defined by God, Joseph would have missed out on a lot of really important things. Everything that happens to us is part of the setting for God to unfold His story in our lives. All of the good and all of the bad is always found in our amazing adventures with Him. God wastes nothing, in fact, He always uses all of the good and all of the bad to bring about His best for us. And, since we are followers of the Lord Jesus, we are wise to be defined by Him no matter what.

While everything in our lives is part of the unfolding of God’s story for us, the pain we suffer is of most use to Him and to us. Pain is a universal language which transcends borders and cultures, reminding us of our shared vulnerability with and capacity for the God of all creation. Like Joseph, when we find ourselves in an undeserved hard spot, due to the inculcation of His patience and wisdom, we can rest assured that God is preparing us for something beyond our imagination. That was certainly true for Joseph. And, if we walk with God long enough, it will certainly be true for us as well.

Genesis 39:19-23

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19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper. ~ Genesis 39:19-23

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 39 where we find Joseph in the fight of his life over temptation and accusation. The key to Joseph's success was that the Lord was with him. In addition, Joseph had to be careful to access the presence of the Lord in and through his life by practicing God's presence. As a result, he was defined by the Lord which is what enabled him to recognize the sin that called out to him for what it was and to say "no" to its invitation to give safe haven in his life to death and destruction.

In v.19 of today's passage we read,"So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, 'Your servant did to me after this manner,' that his anger was aroused."

Potiphar’s anger was aroused when his wife told him that Joseph tried to rape her. As a result Potiphar placed Joseph into jail. Similar to Potiphar's anger, God’s anger was aroused at the sin that had occurred, but it was aroused in a unique way in Christ who became the Substitute for our sin. What all of sinful man had done was, in fact, judged in the Lord Jesus. This is why the Lord Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, said, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

The cup of God’s wrath was handed to the Lord Jesus, and He drank it down in our place despite being innocent of any wrongdoing. Potiphar’s anger was aroused as well and he took it out on an innocent man. We can see this more clearly in the very next verse.

In v.20-21 of today’s passage we read, “20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

Joseph was Potiphar’s property, and Potiphar was the captain of the executioners. If he believed that Joseph was truly guilty, it was certain he would have had him executed. But because of the accusations of his wife, which couldn’t be substantiated, he took a course of action that pictures for us the substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus. He sent Joseph to the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. In the Hebrew, Moses employed a very unusual term which is only used eight times in the Bible and all eight are in this particular story and nowhere else. This place was made under ground, and at the top of it was a hole which let in light, and at which they went into it. It pictures for us the tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ; a round area cut out of stone with an entrance which could be covered.

We are not told of the conditions Joseph faced in that prison, but we do find a description of how he was treated in Psalm 105. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron. Once again, Joseph did the right thing. He should have been honored for his virtue, and Potiphar’s wife shamed for her immoral pursuits. Instead, it was innocent Joseph who was the one who got hammered with a false sentence.

For the second time in Joseph’s life, he had followed the Lord’s will and got a raw deal for it. His chains no doubt were made heavier by the utter injustice of it all. In such times, the mind screams at the unfairness involved. But there is yet one more incident in Joseph’s life that will pound the abuse in deeper. Joseph was never abandoned by the Lord, even though he suffered for a crime he didn’t commit. Joseph will be in prison, but he won’t be abandoned. Instead, he will be brought out and made ruler over all of Pharaoh’s kingdom.

In v.22-23 of today’s passage we read, “22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.”

This was the beginning of God exalting Joseph. As in Joseph’s life, everything in our lives and service for the Lord depends upon His blessing. But, the meeting of the need is not dependent on the supply in hand, but on the blessing of the Lord resting on the supply. As John Piper once said, “God wants us to find that He is sufficient in the midst of trouble rather than just demanding that he deliver us from it.”

God’s blessing is the working of God and it is not based on anything we do. True success is when we have discovered to trust the Lord especially when life gets worse to only realize that during those gravest of moments God is preparing us for something much better. We just simply have to trust in Him.

Genesis 39:11-18

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11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” 16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” ~ Genesis 39:11-18

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 39 where we find Joseph whom his brothers hated so much they sold him to Ishmaelite traders from Midian. After being sold in Egypt, we now see Joseph living in the house of Potiphar an officer in Pharaoh’s army. Like Joseph’s, our lives have a bunch of peaks and valleys. As the Lord was with Joseph through the good and bad, so He is with us. This is why we must practice His presence every day, especially on the most dark of days. It was Jim Eliot who once said, "God always gives His best to the one who leaves the choice to Him."

So, Joseph was a slave away from his family, in Egypt. But God was with him and caused him to succeed at his workplace as he worked for Potiphar. However, he gained the unwanted attention of Potiphar's wife, who repeatedly demanded that he lie with her. This was a daily temptation. As a slave, Joseph had no prospect of marriage and no freedom. To a young man in the prime of his life, this naturally meant a lifetime of celibacy. This was a real temptation that Joseph had to fight daily. This fight had to be extra hard since he was yet a teenager.

In v.11-12 of today’s passage we read, “11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.”

If nothing else, Potiphar’s gorgeous wife was persistent. Her persistent advances teach us that the more we feed the flesh, the harder it will be to not be defined by it. This is why we must not avail ourselves to those things that we know will cause us to be unfaithful to our commitment to our God. 

In the Middle East at that time and even now, the people wore garments that were loose around the body. It was hot and having something like this would have been cool and yet fashionable. Slave garments would probably have been of different material, style, and/or color to identify them, but they would follow the general motif of the day. In Joseph’s case, Potiphar’s wife grasped Joseph’s outer garment. It was then that he ran away from her. 

In v.13-15 of today’s passage we read, “13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, ‘See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.’”

Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to be defined by her passion. When this didn’t work, she then referenced Joseph as a “Hebrew” which is a descriptor that hasn’t been used in the book of Genesis since chapter 14 when it was first introduced into the pages of the Bible. Hebrew is synonymous with Israel and yet it provides something deeper. It is the calling of the national group. Just as our national identity is American, we are first and foremost “Christians.” This is the force and the effect of the term Hebrew here which is derived from Abraham’s great-great-great-great grandfather named Eber. Eber means “he who crossed over” and it signifies that he and his family are the ones who crossed over the Euphrates and away from Babel, the land of apostasy. This was more than just a physical crossing of a river, but a spiritual crossing over, hence a title being used first of Abraham. So, recognizing that it was only Joseph and her in the house, Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of trying to rape her.

In v.16-18 of today’s passage we read, "16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, 'The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.'"

Potiphar's wife reported her story to two groups of people -- the men of the household and her husband, Potiphar. There are slight differences in emphasis in her stories. To the men of the household, she highlighted Joseph's ethnicity and played on the ethnic divide between Egyptian and Hebrew. To her husband, she carefully chose her words to kindle anger through appealing to a hurt pride. In both these cases, however, she carefully arranged the burden of guilt away from her. She set herself up as a poor, helpless victim.

Through all of this the Lord was developing Joseph's faith. Joseph had faith, he trusted in the Lord. But, his faith in the God of the Bible needed to grow. And the way the Lord most often develops our faith is through the trials that He allows into our lives. The most effective way to resist the temptations to be defined something other than God is to be diligent to hide God’s Word away deeply in our hearts.

Faith is the hearts ability to recognize God in a given situation in our lives. Adrian Rogers says, “The devil tempts us to do evil, to cause us to stumble. God tests us to do good, to cause us to stand, to make our faith strong and pure.” It is a really good thing that Joseph passed the tests during those many days that Potiphar’s wife pursued him because it was through the tempering and the strengthening of his faith that he was able to endure the even harder trials that were about to come his way. As we will see Joseph waited by faith, he waited by faith in Potiphar’s house, he waited by faith in a jail cell and he waited by faith in a palace. In today’s world, many would consider Joseph a victim but he wasn’t. Joseph was a victor because he was deliberate at being defined by God. For 13 years God tested and refined Joseph’s faith, making of him a leader who would be able to handle the incredible stresses of leadership. When Joseph had proven himself to God, it was God who exalted him to be the blessing the world needed at that time in history.

Genesis 39:7-10

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7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. ~ Genesis 39:7-10

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 39 where Joseph has been sold into slavery in Egypt and is now the overseer of the house of the Egyptian Potiphar. In our last study we ended with the idea that Joseph was quite attractive. This is why his walk with the Lord was so important as we will see. And, since Joseph was so diligent to maintain a consistent walk with the Lord, Potiphar grew in his trust in him, so much so that he trusted him with everything in his life including his gorgeous wife.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, 'Lie with me.'"

Potiphar’s wife “cast longing eyes on Joseph” before she made her proposition to him. Her eyes were like torches set aflame by the lust of her wicked heart. She didn’t care to guard her eyes from leading her into the den of wickedness because she loved her sin so. For those who have seen the light, we must feel for her because she was blind to the truth. Due to that, she didn’t understand that all of her earthly desires were mere echoes of that ultimate desire that we all have which finds its only fulfillment in an intimate relationship with our Creator. Couple this together with what we read in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. It then asks, “Who can know it?,” and we discover our desperate need to be delivered by and to the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we avail ourselves to someone who is under the influence of someone other than the Lord, we run the risk of being cornered by them and defined wrongly. Satan always waits for the optimum time to tempt us. He waits until just the right moment and then he casts his lure in our direction. In Joseph’s case, the timing was perfect because Joseph was far away from home, he was a slave, and he was probably most lonely. In addition, he was experiencing great success. Somebody has wisely said, “The temptations that accompany prosperity are far greater than those that accompany adversity.” Satan strategically timed the temptation for the period of greatest impact.

In v.8 of today’s passage we read, “But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.”

No doubt that Potiphar’s wife was very beautiful. This, I am sure, made it most difficult for Joseph to say “no” to her advances. But he did refuse. Joseph understood that the wife of a man belongs to that man. And he had no intention to violate the sanctity of the bond that was there between Potiphar and his wife despite her beauty or his position. Regardless of what had been entrusted to him in all of Potiphar’s house, without any record of it being spoken, Joseph knew that his authority didn’t reach to the wife, nor could it. In his response to Potiphar’s wife, Joseph elevated the authority that he enjoyed beyond himself, starting with his master and then demonstrating that she was responsible to him as well.

In v.9 of today’s passage we read, “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife.”

Joseph understood that his sin against his master in this case was sin against God. It isn’t true that we can only sin against God, the Bible bears out that we can sin against one another. And not all sins against one another are sins against God, but more often than not the two overlap. This is one of those times. After impregnating Bathsheba and having Uriah killed to cover it up in Psalm 51:4 David wrote, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.”

It was at least two hundred years before the giving of the law of Moses and yet it was an understood precept, not only to Joseph but also to Potiphar’s wife. And so Joseph invoked God as his defense against her advances. In this exchange, Joseph used the name Elohim for God instead of YHWH. Instead of the God of the covenant, of whom she was excluded, Joseph mentioned the God of creation to whom she was accountable. God had long instilled such knowledge in the heart of man and Joseph hoped that Potiphar’s wife would reflect on it hoping that she would repent.

In v.10 of today’s passage we read, “So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.”

It’s one thing to have someone enticing you to do something you shouldn’t do when you can avoid them. It’s another thing to be near them without the ability to get away. For all of us, there is only one true refuge from it and that is to walk closely with God and to be defined by Him in the moment. It is in these moments that we must be careful to be guided by the conscience given to us by God, understanding that it is, in fact, from God. To ascribe a conscience to anything other than God will eventually lead to a violation of that conscience. For those who know that God holds us accountable, there is the continued source of strength to endure even the most belligerent foes. 

Joseph was such a person. He had his conscience in tune with God and his eyes fixed on Him. Joseph understood that the answer was the Lord Himself. In Romans 13:14 we read, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” This is what Joseph did in order to resist the onslaught of the enemy who desired to wreck the incredible plans the Lord had in mind for His people. I can’t help but wonder, how many times have my poor decisions given the enemy the upper hand in a given situation.