Genesis Lesson 17
GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH
Genesis 37:1-41:57
Key Verse 39:2
“The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered,
and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.”
God called Abraham for his redemptive work and promised him that he would be a great nation. He said that Abraham’s descendants would be strangers in a country not their own, and they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years (Ge 15:13-16). He chose Joseph for that purpose. Joseph is called the shadow of Christ. He was almost perfect. He was the fruit of God’s labor with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Joseph believed in the sovereign will of God and in his goodness. He lived by faith in God throughout his life. He always walked with God, in good times as well as in bad times. The Lord was with Joseph and blessed him with a victorious life. The Lord used Joseph as a precious tool in his redemptive work. In today’s passage we will learn how the Lord disciplined Joseph, and who the Lord is who was with Joseph.
Joseph was a Dreamer (37:1-11)
According to Chapter 36, Jacob lived in the Promised Land, Canaan, while Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. In 37:1,2a we read that “Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. This is the account of Jacob.” From Chapter 37 on, most of the stories are about Joseph. However, these same stories might as well be considered stories of Jacob because they basically describe how Jacob’s descendants went to Egypt. The story of Joseph starts when he was seventeen. His moral and spiritual standards were far superior to those of his brothers. While he was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, he brought their father a bad report about them. This shows that Joseph hated sin and struggled to live a righteous and truthful life. Usually younger brothers are influenced by older brothers. Younger brothers are especially sensitive to negative influences. Yet Joseph hated his brothers’ sin and fought against it. For this his brothers hated him. Furthermore, Jacob had a richly ornamented robe made for Joseph because Joseph was born in Jacob’s old age from Rachel, whom he loved. His father’s love was essential for Joseph as he grew. He lost his mother at a young age and his family life was very complicated, due to his many stepmothers and stepbrothers. He could have easily become crooked and fatalistic. However, he lived under the influence of his father Jacob, who had been changed into a spiritual man, so he could grow as a healthy young man. But his brothers hated him because of their father’s special love for him.
There were more reasons for them to hate Joseph. One day Joseph had a dream and shared it with his brothers. "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it" (6,7). This dream was a wonderful one for Joseph, but it hurt his brothers’ pride and made them angry. His brothers hated him all the more because of the dream. But this was not the only dream Joseph had: "Listen, I had another dream,” he told his brothers, “and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me" (9). This dream meant that not only his brothers but also his father and mother would bow down to him. It was unwise of Joseph to share his dreams with his brothers. His father rebuked him because of the dream. The fact that Jacob rebuked Joseph implies that the brothers must have been upset about the dreams. His brothers should have loved the younger brother despite his weakness and taught him patiently, but they were filled with jealousy and vengeful thoughts. However, his father kept the matter in mind (37:11).
In this way God told Joseph in a dream that he would become a leader. He even showed it to Joseph twice, so that he would not forget it. Usually a dream is the expression of one’s inner desires or yearnings. When we are young we have many dreams and most of them do not have significant meanings. However, Joseph’s dream was different. It was basically a revelation from God. The Lord wanted to use him as a spiritual leader for his salvation work, and he revealed this to him in dreams. The dreams were also given to Joseph in order to encourage him. The revelation from God Joseph saw in his dreams was different from human ambition. Human ambition originates in man and is rarely fulfilled. However, God’s revelation is fulfilled because it comes from God. Sometimes God reveals his will in a dream, but this does not mean that all dreams reveal God’s will. We should not interpret everything through dreams. Martin Luther said, “From the time I started religious reformation I did not seek to see dreams, visions, or angels. I only prayed earnestly to understand the Bible truthfully.” Joseph had a pure and sincere heart and this was the foundation for the Lord to use him. It was on the basis of that that God planted in his heart the dreams of becoming a leader. God’s providence was upon Joseph from an early age, but he needed the Lord’s discipline in order to see his dreams fulfilled. The greater the dream is, the tougher the discipline is. Joseph needed to learn humility and patience to be a leader. In order for his excellent intelligence and political leadership to be used by God, he needed to grow. His brothers also needed repentance and spiritual maturity in order to be used by God as Israel’s tribal leaders.
Joseph’s Suffering (37:12-40:23)
First, Joseph was sold as a slave (37:12-39:6a). Joseph was given an errand from his father. It was to go and see how his brothers and their flocks were doing near Shechem. It was about 44 miles from Hebron to Shechem, so it was not easy to get there. However, Joseph obeyed his father, saying, “very well.” But he could not find his brothers in Shechem. Because he knew that his brothers hated him, he could have returned home after searching for them for a little while. Yet, he went to Dothan, which was 15 miles farther, in order to find them. He was faithful even for a small errand. He had a sense of responsibility and faithfulness. Usually people think that they should do very well if they are entrusted with a major responsibility, but they think that it is not important for them to be faithful in small matters. However, a person who can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and a person who is dishonest in a small matter will also be dishonest in a great matter (Lk 16:10). In order to become a great shepherd, one should become a shepherd over one person. The same faithfulness is required for big matters.
When his brothers saw him in the distance they plotted to kill him. They said, "Here comes that dreamer! Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams" (19,20). The word “dreamer” means that they thought that Joseph was not good at anything except dreaming. Their jealousy turned into a murderous conspiracy. Reuben wanted to save Joseph, out of his responsibility as the oldest brother, so, rather than killing him, they stripped him of his robe and threw him into the cistern. Under the leadership of Judah they sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt as a slave. Then the brothers deceived their father by showing him the bloodied robe. Because of this, Jacob grieved for a long time. When his brothers tried to sell him as a slave, Joseph was greatly distressed and pleaded with them, but they had no mercy, did not listen and sinned as a group. Because of this they had to suffer from a guilty conscience for the rest of their lives (Ge 42:21; Ro 2:8).
Suddenly Joseph was a slave in a foreign land. It was unbearable suffering for him. However, there was God’s will underlying this situation: if Joseph had stayed at his father’s house under the loving eyes of his father, his dreams would have come to nothing. The Lord gave him a dream of becoming a leader, and then he began to discipline him in the wilderness in order to prepare him to fulfill his dreams. He took Joseph out of his father’s house, which was like a greenhouse, and began training him as eagles are trained. Eagles train their young ones by taking them from their nest, flying high in the sky and dropping them down without mercy. The young ones must try to fly to save their lives. Just before they hit the ground and die, their mothers save them with their wings. Through this kind of repeated training, the young eagles build wing muscles and go on to live as kings of the birds. In order to become a good soldier, one must receive tough discipline. In order to become excellent doctors, medical school students are trained for more than ten years. How much more training is needed to make a spiritual leader!
Chapter 38 shows how Judah bore Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Judah is an important person because he would belong to the line of Christ, but before he was transformed he was a very selfish, flesh-oriented and unfaithful man, like his brothers. He was a man who did not keep his promise. Yet when he repented he received the blessing of becoming a forefather of the Messiah. Tamar had a strong sense of mission she received from her dead husband although her methods were not good. Tamar could have married another man and lived her own life happily. But she must have learned about God’s promises from Judah and wanted to participate in God’s plan. When we consider the culture of Canaan, where sexual immorality was a part of life, we should not judge Tamar too harshly. At that time people even respected prostitutes. It was a custom of the times for all women to offer themselves to their idol gods or goddesses through sexual immorality. Tamar disguised herself, not as an ordinary prostitute but as a shrine prostitute. The Bible does not condemn Tamar. Judah also acknowledged that she was more righteous than he (26). Judah accepted as his successors children from Tamar over his own son Shelah. According to Matthew 1:3, Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. This shows that God’s work is not based on man’s deeds but based on God’s grace.
Now Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard (39:1). Suddenly, from being the loving son of a loving father, Joseph became a slave in a foreign land. He was sold by none other than his own brothers. He could not free himself no matter how hard he struggled. He could have lost his mind or committed suicide because of his longing for his father and his home, his loneliness, sorrow, despair, frustration, unbearable fear and anxiety for his future. In the movie entitled “The Last Emperor,” the emperor tries to commit suicide when he is imprisoned. This is because he cannot bear the reality of his situation. Joseph must have been in the same or a worse situation. The most difficult thing for Joseph to overcome was his hatred and desire for revenge against his own brothers. He could have burned with vengeful thoughts and he might have thought only about how to escape Potiphar’s house and get back at them.
But what did Joseph do? In 39:2a we read that: “The Lord was with Joseph.” If we look at this expression from Joseph’s point of view, it means that Joseph walked with God. He could overcome his hopeless situation because he had personal faith in the Lord. If a man does not have personal faith in God he breaks down in a time of crisis. But if he has personal faith in God he grows all the more through his troubles and hardships. This is because at such times he seeks the will of God and gives thanks to God and knows the love of God all the more. Joseph held on to God at his critical time. He walked with God and he could overcome his tragedy.
Then the Lord was pleased with Joseph and was with him. The expression, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered” reveals that Joseph could overcome his situation and be prosperous not because of his strength or integrity but because of the Lord’s presence with him. The Lord was with him and became a father and a mother and a friend to him and comforted and strengthened him. The Lord was with Joseph all the time and Joseph found favor in the eyes of his master Potiphar and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time Potiphar put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of Potiphar because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in his house and in his field. Joseph became a source of blessing to Potiphar. The Lord was pleased to be the God of Joseph. The Lord and Joseph were united. As God said to Eli, “Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained” (1 Sa 2:30b). When Joseph loved the Lord and honored him, the Lord also loved Joseph and honored him. Joseph’s master, Potiphar, saw that the Lord was with Joseph and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did. When the Lord is with us we can be successful in everything we do.
Second, Joseph was put in prison (39:6b-40:23). Egypt was very civilized at the time, but it was full of idols and sexual immorality. The word “officials” in the expression “who was one of Pharaoh’s officials” comes the word “syrIs,” which means “eunuch.” It was a custom of Egypt in those times for officials who worked close to the palace or in the empire of Sumer to be eunuchs. This practice may have originated in the belief that it guaranteed their full devotion and reduced the possibility of military treason. Potiphar was an official and thus a eunuch. He had a wife. This may mean that he became a eunuch after he married. Or his wife may have married him for political or economic reasons. In any case, she could easily have desired other men and committed sexually immoral acts. Adultery was severely punished in Egypt at the time, but sometimes they closed their eyes to it. Particularly in houses where husbands were eunuchs, adultery of their wives was unofficially allowed. From what the wife of Potiphar said and did, we can surmise that it was not the first time she seduced men for sex. Joseph was morally honest and diligent. Honesty, sincerity, faithfulness and self control are merits that move the heart of any employers, and they are the fruit of a Christian’s faith and obedience.
When Joseph was in charge of Potiphar’s household and his situation had improved, just such a terrible temptation befell him. Joseph was well-built and handsome. Potiphar’s wife must have flirted with him and then tempted him, saying, "Come to bed with me!" She tempted him day in and day out. To a young man in his twenties and full of hormones it must have been an unbearable temptation. But Joseph did not listen to her or even spend time near her. One day, he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" At that time Joseph could have justified himself in sleeping with her, thinking that he was serving her. This was because he knew that her marriage life was not satisfactory and that the custom of the time allowed such behavior. In such an environment it seemed very natural to accept her suggestion. There was no one in the house, and so Joseph could have enjoyed sin just that once. He could have enjoyed the pleasures of sex and perhaps then he could have used her to help him free himself from slavery. However, if Joseph had given in to temptation once he would have lost his purity and fallen into a bottomless pit. Then the Spirit of God could not have been with him. He could not have been used by God for his redemptive work. In order to be used by God we must triumph against worldly temptations (2Ti 2:19-22). Joseph was in a position where he could either have fallen into lustful temptation or won victory over it. It was a powerful trial for Joseph.
How did Joseph overcome such a powerful temptation? In 39:8,9 we read that “He refused. ‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’" Joseph first remembers his master’s grace to him and does not want to betray his trust. He knows that the Lord is looking at all of his thoughts and actions. Proverbs 15:3 reads, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” Joseph said, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" He feared God and lived in the sight of God. He fought against sin with all of his strength. He left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. In one word, he refused sin with his whole body. The desire of our sinful nature is like fire. If we hold fire and approach oil, the fire will break out and catch us (Pro 6:27-28). When we are young we have unlimited possibility to grow. At the same time, we have an enormous potential for sin, because the desires of our sinful nature are very strong. There are many young people who want to become great men but fail to do because they fall into temptation. Such temptation cannot be overcome by will power or strength. A psalmist agonized over the topic, “how can a young man keep his way pure?” Then he found the answer: “By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands” (Ps 119:9,10). Only when we live according to God’s word can we be filled with the Spirit, overcome the temptation of sin and live a pure life. When we live a pure life we can be precious resources for God’s use.
Joseph could overcome this severe trial, but his situation worsened. After Joseph rejected Potiphar’s wife, she claimed that he had tried to rape her. When Joseph ran away leaving his clothes she was enraged. She was transformed from a woman filled with lust into a woman filled with rage. She thought that Joseph had insulted her. She knew that his clothes would be used as evidence against her if she did not accuse him first. She appealed to Potiphar and to the other slaves’ potential jealousy. When Potiphar heard her story he burned with anger. If the story was true, Joseph should be severely punished. It might have been a capital crime. But Potiphar did not kill Joseph. He did not even put him in a prison for common criminals, but in a prison where the king's prisoners were confined. When we see that Potiphar put Joseph in the prison that Potiphar was in charge of, we think that he might have wanted to have the power to release Joseph at the proper time. Now Joseph had to go through another, more severe trial. Psalm 105:18 shows Joseph’s situation: “They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons.” He was put in prison on the charge of rape. Joseph knew that he was absolutely innocent and that Potiphar’s wife was in the wrong, but he was silent. His silence reminds us of Christ, who did not open his mouth, like a sheep before a shearer. The world was so wicked that it trampled Joseph, who had struggled so hard to live pure life. Joseph wanted to be a leader, but he sank to the bottom of society, prison. The hand of God, however, was in everything.
During Joseph’s time in prison, the most painful thing must have been people’s misunderstanding and condemnation. He may even have doubted the love of God; his relationship with God could have been damaged. “Why should my situation become worse when I try to live before God so earnestly?” “Is the Lord truly with me and does he truly love me?” He could have had such doubts, and he might have fallen if he had allowed such doubts to creep into his mind. If that had happened, it would have been a major crisis in his life as a believer. But he did not falter because he walked with God. The world could bind his body in chains but it could not bind his faith. When he walked with God even the prison was heaven. The Lord was with Joseph and helped him. See 39:21: “The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” The Lord’s grace given to Joseph was not to release him from the prison immediately but to give him strength to overcome a very difficult situation. The Lord was with Joseph and strengthened him inwardly, so Joseph could overcome his challenging environment. He was faithful even in prison, through the Lord’s help. Then Joseph found favor in the eyes of the prison warden and he was put in charge of all that was done in the prison. Even in prison Joseph revealed the Lord. He revealed God’s presence wherever he was, and the Lord confirmed it with his help. Joseph’s experiences in Potiphar’s house and later in the prison were crucial for him when he later served as prime minister in Egypt.
Some time after Joseph was put in charge of the prison the cupbearer and the baker to the king of Egypt offended their master and were put in prison. The cupbearer was responsible for Pharaoh’s winery, where wine is produced, and wine cellars. He was responsible for all kinds of drinks and their sanitary status and quality. The baker was responsible for all foods except drinks. Both of them were eunuchs. According to tradition, they both had to be imprisoned when poison was found in the food and drink of Pharaoh. When they both denied poisoning the food and drink, they were imprisoned until the truth could be discovered. Joseph took care of them, and he did not attend them superficially, but wholeheartedly. One day he saw that both of them were dejected. They each had had a dream, did not know the meaning of them, and were anxious about them. Then Joseph told them, “"Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams" (8b). Joseph heard the story of cupbearer and interpreted it. It was a dream that he would be restored to his position in three days. Joseph asked him to remember him, Joseph, when all was well with him again and helped him to be released from the prison. When the baker saw it he also shared his dream, but this dream was a bad one. Without compromise Joseph interpreted its meaning and said that the baker would be executed in three days. After three days everything was fulfilled just as Joseph had predicted, but the cupbearer forgot Joseph completely. Perhaps he drank too much out of joy. Only Joseph had to remain in prison without any hope of release.
His prison life seems to have been meaningless and nothing but painful, but it was God’s amazing will. Joseph’s dream was to become a leader, but in order to become a leader he first and foremost had to be humble. He also had to have the inner ability to embrace any kind of people and to serve them. And he had to learn to be patient rather than acting according to his emotions and passion. Joseph received humility training by falling to the bottom of society. He also learned how to serve all kinds of reeking sinners in prison. In addition, he learned how to be patient by waiting for God’s time. There is a saying, “gold is refined in a refinery and man is purified by means of trials.” The Lord put him in a fiery furnace and disciplined him to become a true man of faith, like pure gold. Joseph’s faith invisibly deepened by means of his trials and his inner character became mature.
Joseph lived as a slave and prisoner for thirteen years. Thirteen years is too much for a young man to waste as a slave and prisoner. However, in God’s plan it was not a waste at all; it was a necessary process for him to undergo in order become a great man. Joseph thought that he was already qualified to be a leader at the age of seventeen, but the Lord put him in a fiery furnace for thirteen years to temper him until he was thirty years old. We know the difference between Saul and David. Saul was raised as a leader without discipline, and David was trained severely for ten years after he was anointed as king. Moses received forty years of discipline in the desert, and the twelve disciples of Jesus also received three years of training from Jesus. When Joseph’s faith had deepened and his inner person could embrace the whole world, God raised him up and began to use him as a precious tool.
Joseph became a Prime Minister (41:1-57)
Many people easily give up and complain against God, even in far less severe trials than those of Joseph. However, Joseph trusted in the Lord, even in a terribly hopeless situation. Then, finally, the Lord’s sovereign will appeared in a dream. After two years, Pharaoh had a dream. Pharaoh was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there rose seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. The cow was a symbol of the goddess Isis, who was worshipped in Egypt as a fertility goddess. Pharaoh woke, fell asleep again, and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted -- thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then he woke up. In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. Then the cupbearer remembered Joseph and introduced him. Joseph was quickly brought up from the prison to Pharaoh.
When the poor foreign prisoner stood before the mighty Pharaoh, one would expect him to have trembled violently, but Joseph was not fearful at all because he stood there because of the Lord and the Lord he served was the Creator God who ruled and controlled everything in the world. He could have used standing before Pharaoh as an opportunity to show that he had a special talent and to ask for his release and for a handsome reward for interpreting the dreams. But he testified that he had no such ability. If he had it, it was because the Lord revealed it to him. In the past he had incurred the jealousy of his family members by implying that he was superior, by sharing his dreams. Now he denied his own ability and glorified the Lord for all things and thereby gained trust and respect from Pharaoh and all of his officials. He had learned humility and patience through slave and prison life. Instead of pointing out the inability of the other magicians and wise men of Egypt and boasting of his ability to interpret, he acted in humility and self control, giving all glory to the Lord. Joseph testified four times that everything came from the Lord. His interpretation was so clear and had so much authority that no one could doubt what he had said. The Lord gave him his wisdom. He said that seven years of great abundance were coming to the land of Egypt, but that seven years of famine would follow, when all the abundance in Egypt would be forgotten, and famine would ravage the land. He even suggested an idea for overcoming famine: Egyptians were used to living in abundance and they were not prepared to anticipate famine. In order to solve the problem, a national plan was necessary. Joseph’s first suggestion was to look for a discerning and wise man and to put him in charge of the land of Egypt. His second suggestion was to appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of Egypt’s harvest during the seven years of abundance. The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and his officials. Then Pharaoh said, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?" and appointed Joseph prime minister right then and there.
Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. The word “Zaphenath-Paneah” can be interpreted as “Abundant life”, “The Lord of the world”, “Revealer of Secret”, “The word of life from God”, and “Provider of living”. Most scholars note that Joseph’s story happened during the Hyksos dynasty (1750-1550 B.C.). The people, during this dynasty, were foreign invaders and Semites. They honored Joseph and his brothers, probably because they were also Semites. In any case, Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt overnight. Joseph was a foreigner and a prisoner. He held no high position and had no special education for such a high position. He was only 30 years old. But, amazingly, he became the second man in command in Egypt. Now the reason why Joseph had had to undergo such painful discipline as a slave and prisoner becomes obvious. When a man attains such a high position so very suddenly, pride can destroy his life. But Joseph was well-disciplined. He realized that it had been the Lord who had disciplined him and the reason why he had disciplined him. The Lord had given Joseph dreams but had fulfilled them thirteen years later, after long and severe discipline. Here, as we see, the Lord exalts and he humbles (1 Sa 2:6-8).
Joseph could have been endlessly proud when he went from being a prisoner to prime minister. He could have killed all of his enemies using his power. He could have forgotten about the Lord and done what he wanted to do in his time of blessings. But he served the Lord by walking with the Lord, whether in his times of troubles or in his times of blessings. This was revealed clearly in how he named his sons. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." He remembered the Lord in his time of his glory and honored God. In all things he said, “God has made me….” God was the center of his thoughts and life. “The Lord” was the subject and “he” the object. He acknowledged the Lord’s sovereign will over his life and he gave thanks to God in all circumstances. He loved the Lord and walked with him. His life of faith was completely God-centered. In this way he overcame his pride and successfully performed the duties of prime minister. Joseph might have wanted to go to Canaan and meet his family members after he became prime minister, but he could not find the time to do so because he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to discharging his responsibilities.
In conclusion, the Lord was with Joseph when he was in his father’s house, when he was in Potiphar’s house as a slave and when he was in a prison as a prisoner. When the Lord was with him, anywhere was heaven. We pray that we may overcome our environment and weakness and pride and live a victorious life by walking with the Lord in any situation.