Genesis 41:1-41

I.               Pharoah’s dreams (Genesis 41:1-8)

a.      Genesis 41:1 - And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

§        Two years after the successful interpretation of the cup-bearer’s dream, more character building for Joseph, demonstrates the patience required when waiting upon the Lord.

o       Luke 21:19 – In your patience posses ye your souls.

o       Lamentations 3:26 – It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

o       Psalm 105:19 - Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

o       Habakkuk 2:3 - For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

b.      Genesis 41:2 – And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

c.      Genesis 41:3 – And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the [other] kine upon the brink of the river.

d.      Genesis 41:4 – And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

§        The end of dream one

§        Obviously unnatural, cows do not eat cows

e.      Genesis 41:5 – And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

f.       Genesis 41:6 – And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

g.      Genesis 41:7 – And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream.

§        Again, obviously unnatural, cornstalks do not devour other cornstalks

§        Isaiah 55:9 – For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

o       We do not understand the ways of God

o       Was this entre scenario devised by God to elevate Joseph? Or

o       Was it to save Israel?

o       God could have saved Israel through a variety of ways including avoiding the famine.  Why this particular method? refer back to Isaiah 55:9...

h.      Genesis 41:8 – And 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 the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

§        Proverbs 21:1 – The king's heart [is] in the hand of the LORD, [as] the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

§        1 Corinthians 2:13-14 – Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

§        Daniel 2:27 – Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;

§        Daniel 4:7 – Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

§        Daniel 5:8 – Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

§        Proverbs 25:2 - [It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.

II.            The cup-bearer remembers and recommends (Genesis 41:9-13) 

a.      Genesis 41:9 – Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

§        The butler recommended Joseph to Pharaoh to gain the favor of Pharaoh, not to honor his promise to Joseph.

§        God’s timing is perfect, had he been released earlier there would have been no purpose for him to serve and would have possibly been sent back to his father.

b.      Genesis 41:10 – Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, [both] me and the chief baker:

c.      Genesis 41:11 – And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

d.      Genesis 41:12 – And [there was] there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

III.             Joseph interprets dreams and counsels Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14-36)

a.      Genesis 41:13 – And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

b.      Genesis 41:14 – Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved [himself], and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

§        Third time his raiment is removed, this time it is restored with new raiment.  The others, he was stripped (his brothers and Potiphar’s wife)

§        Could have been an intimidating experience

c.      Genesis 41:15 – And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and [there is] none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, [that] thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

§        When we are serving the Lord others take note.  God blesses those who serve Him.

§        When we serve the Lord uncompromisingly we develop a reputation of integrity and reliability that others will turn to in times of trouble

o       Here is Pharaoh, king of all Egypt, seemingly grasping at straws in desperation to find someone to assuage his torment.  On the word of his butler, he brings a lowly slave, a prisoner no less to hear his dreams.

o       God prepared Joseph to stand before Pharaoh

a.      Proverbs 22:29 - Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean [men].

d.      Genesis 41:16 – And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, [It is] not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

§        John 8:28 – Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

§        John 12:49- For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

§        John 17:8 – For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

§        Revelation 1:1 – The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:

§        Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

o       Joseph acknowledges that the power to interpret dreams is not his own, but God’s

e.      Genesis 41:17 – And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

§        Refer to v.1

f.       Genesis 41:18 – And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

g.      Genesis 41:19 - And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

h.      Genesis 41:20 – And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

i.       Genesis 41:21 – And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they [were] still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

j.       Genesis 41:22 – And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

k.      Genesis 41:23 – And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, [and] blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

§        The “east wind”:

o       The prevailing winds in Egypt are north to south, the east wind mentioned here was considered to be evil, a westerly wind was considered good.

l.       Genesis 41:24 – And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told [this] unto the magicians; but [there was] none that could declare [it] to me.

§        Or declare it to the Pharaoh’s satisfaction; God likely had given Pharaoh discernment to know a genuine interpretation from a false interpretation so that he could recognize that Joseph’s interpretation was accurate.

m.    Genesis 41:25 – And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh [is] one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he [is] about to do.

§        Here we see the double witness, two dreams attest to the same events

o       Hebrews 6:17-18 – Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

§        The number two signifies either division or a double witness.

n.      Genesis 41:26 – The seven good kine [are] seven years; and the seven good ears [are] seven years: the dream [is] one.

§        Unless God reveals the meaning, symbols are useless, who would associate cattle or ears of corn with years? 

§        God doesn’t reveal his secrets to those who have attained merit, but those He has chosen to accomplish His purposes.

§        Once the meaning is revealed it often seems so simple and we ask ourselves “how did I not see that?”

§        Sometimes things happen in our own lives that we don’t understand, but when we look back we can see God’s hand involved

o.      Genesis 41:27 – And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them [are] seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

p.      Genesis 41:28 – This [is] the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God [is] about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

§        Colossians 2:2-3 – That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

§        Isaiah 28:29 – This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, [which] is wonderful in counsel, [and] excellent in working. 

q.      Genesis 41:29 – Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

r.       Genesis 41:30 – And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

§        Ecclesiastes 7:14 - In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him

§        How often do we hear stories where someone won the lottery and they ended up having less than they did before?  This seems illogical when we here it, but there is a certain discipline that is required to remain prosperous.  Squandering what we have been given, rather than being prudent can allow our poverty to erase the memory of our prosperity.

§        This principle can be applied both spiritually and physically.

o       God gives us a passion to study his Word, if we fail to be disciplined and honor God by diligently studying in this time of “spiritual fatness” we will lack the foundation of His Word when we encounter “spiritual famine”.

o       We need to allow the Holy Spirit to bring balance into our lives

s.      Genesis 41:31 – And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it [shall be] very grievous.

§        John 6:27 - Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

§        Egypt does not receive a lot of precipitation, but their dependence is on the Nile river.  Depending on how high the river would overflow in the springtime would determine how plentiful the year would be.

o       The Nile runs north, an east wind would be perpendicular to the Nile and may effect the flow of the tributaries into the Nile

t.       Genesis 41:32 – And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; [it is] because the thing [is] established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

§        We see here that Joseph confirms the principle of a double witness.

u.      Genesis 41:33 – Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

§        Proverbs 6:6-8 - Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.

§        Notice how Joseph transitions from interpreting the dream to providing counsel to Pharaoh, without being asked and Pharaoh is listening!  Talk about seizing an opportunity, Joseph demonstrates that not only is he gifted in wisdom, but gifted in the interpretation of social settings, when he should provide opinion and when he should remain silent.

v.      Genesis 41:34 – Let Pharaoh do [this], and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

§        Why a 5^th? If they are only going to store 1/5 that means they are using 4/5 each year.  After 7 years the stockpiles would only be enough grain for a little less than 2 years, when they need provision for 7.

w.    Genesis 41:35 – And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

§        “Let them keep food in the cities” seems to put some responsibility back onto the Egyptians.

x.      Genesis 41:36 – And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

IV.          Pharoah promotes Joseph (Genesis 41:37-45)

a.      Genesis 41:37 - And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

b.      Genesis 41:38 – And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find [such a one] as this [is], a man in whom the Spirit of God [is]?

§        Matthew 7:28-29 – And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as [one] having authority, and not as the scribes.

§        Matthew 13:54 – And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this [man] this wisdom, and [these] mighty works?

§        John 7:46 – The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.      

c.      Genesis 41:39 – And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, [there is] none so discreet and wise as thou [art]:

d.      Genesis 41:40 – Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

§        Psalm 37:11 – But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

§        1 Peter 3:22 – Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

e.      Genesis 41:41 – And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

§        Hebrews 2:9 – But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Genesis 39

I.                 Joseph as Servant to Potiphar

a.      Genesis 39:1 – And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

·        Potiphar 3 offices named in descending order of importance:

o       Officer of Pharoah – access to the throne

o       Captain of the guard – position of authority

o       Egyptian – citizen of the country

·        Potiphar himself was to be used by God, not everyone has the ability to recognize a good servant or has the means to elevate them to a position suitable for their talents. Potiphar was a man of means and by his position as captain of the guard had the ability to recognize and reward excellence. 

b.      Genesis 39:2 – And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

·        With the LORD, you can be prosperous even if you are a slave

o       Prosperous - צלח tsalach, to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable

o       Not necessarily wealth, for Joseph was a slave and had no possessions, yet he was prosperous

o       Prosperity comes from the Lord, our definition of prosperity is not the same as His definition

·        Think about the things that Joseph (with the help of God) had to overcome in order to be prosperous:

o       He was a slave with no credibility and likely had to earn it through hard physical labor

o       He likely did not know the Egyptian language and had to learn it with no access to schools (speaks volumes of his intelligence)

o       He had nothing of value, no possessions, though he was very rich God stripped away all of those distractions

§        Unlike the rich young ruler

§        Matthew 19:21-22 - Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me.  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

                                                                                                                i.     Sometimes God has to remove the distractions of this world be it possessions, positions or culture in order to change you into a vessel suitable for His purposes

                                                                                                               ii.     Romans 9:20-21 - Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

o       He looked different than the Egyptians

o       He had the feeling of rejection by his brothers

§        They took everything from him, his coat, his family, his inheritance, but they could not take away his virtue, the gifts of God are not gifts of materiality, but gifts that are useful in both the material and the spiritual realms.

o       He was separated from his father at age 17.

§        Though he was separated from his earthly father, nothing can separate us from our Heavenly Father.  Not even death.

                                                                                                                i.     Romans 8:38-39 - For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

o       He was a foreigner with no understanding of the culture and customs of the Egyptians

c.      Genesis 39:3 – And his master saw that the LORD [was] with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

·        When the Lord is with you it becomes obvious to others, you don’t even have to speak the same language

·        Proverbs 28:20 - A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

·        We have another example in Daniel:

o       Daniel 6:25-26 - Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.  I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end.  He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.  So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

·        When others look at us can they see that the Lord is with us? Bosses, co-workers, extended family, children, friends, check-out clerk at the grocery store?  How do we show this, should it be forced or natural?

o       Acts 2:46-47 - And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

d.      Genesis 39:4 – And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all [that] he had he put into his hand.

·        What does it mean to be a good witness?

o       Diligence – Joseph was a hard worker

o       Integrity – Joseph demonstrated his integrity and was rewarded with promotion to overseer

o       Servant spirit – Joseph served his master

o       Submissive to God’s Will

§        Psalm 27:13 - [I had fainted], unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

§        Matthew 25:21 - His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

·        Potiphar was a pagan Egyptian, yet even he could see the blessing of God on Jospeph’s life, Joseph had every excuse in the book to wallow in self-pity and get mired down but he remained steadfast in his faith.

o       Proverbs 22:24 - Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean [men].

o       Psalm 22:27 - All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

e.      Genesis 39:5 – And it came to pass from the time [that] he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

·        Laban was blessed on the account of the favor God had upon Jacob; likewise, Potiphar was blessed on account of Joseph

o       Genesis 30:27 - And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, [tarry: for] I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.

f.      Genesis 39:6 – And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was [a] goodly [person], and well favoured.

II.               Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

a.      Genesis 39:7 – And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

·        Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, the same methods of temptation employed

·        In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce.  With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh.  All at once a secret, smouldering fire is kindled.  The flesh burns and is in flames.  It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money, or, finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world, of nature.  Joy in God is in course of being extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature.  At this moment God is quite unreal to us, He loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; the only reality is the devil.  Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God…The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in deepest darkness.  The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us…It is here that everything within me rises up against the Word of God.  Dietrich Bonhoffer, Temptaion, taken from Chuck Swindoll, Joseph p.21-22

·        Bonhoffer was executed by hanging by the Nazis on April 9, 1945 two weeks before the US Infantry liberated the Flosberg concentration camp where he was held.  He was 39 years old

·        Temptation is common to all of humanity, including Jesus Christ

b.      Genesis 39:8 – But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what [is] with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

·        Joseph demonstrates amazing maturity and restraint for someone so young

·        Unlike Reuben who lost his birthright through sexual sin, Joseph preserves it through his chastity

·        Joseph, by acting righteously, created a powerful enemy in Potiphar’s wife

·        Sometimes choosing righteously may not be enough due to the motives and power of those affected by the decision (yet God is sovereign over it all and rewards those who are righteous)

c.      Genesis 39:9 – [There is] none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou [art] his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

·        Note how Joseph argues his point; he acknowledges the goodness of his master, but then asks the rhetorical question how can I sin against God?  Thus acknowledging that it was not Potiphar who has put him in the position he is in but God Himself.

o       Stating this also communicates that even if Potiphar had not been a just master and rewarded him accordingly, he still could not sin against his God.

·        So often the question is asked after the offense is committed, How could I have done this? How could I sin against God? But Joseph, being righteous and a type of Christ, rightly asks the question BEFORE.  Discipline is being able to ask this question before sinning, not after.

o       He makes it about himself and not about her

o       Joseph, being a slave, remained faithful to his master

o       We, being bondservants to Christ should follow this example

·        Note that Potiphar’s wife has no answer to the question that Joseph posed.  Jospeh did not judge or condemn her, just rebuked her through his question hoping that her conscience would be seared by his words.

o       Its important that we proceed cautiously when confronting temptation and sin, its not necessary to accuse

o       Jude 1:9 - Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

§        Not even Michael made accusations against Satan, but rebuked him in the name of the Lord.  We ought to follow this example when confronting evil.  It is not our place to bring accusation.

o       Who does bring accusation?

§        Revelation 12:9-10 - And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

d.      Genesis 39:10 – And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, [or] to be with her.

·        This was not a one time temptation; Joseph faced this temptress daily, and every day his convictions and faithfulness to God prevents him from falling victim to sin.

·        Its not enough to resist just once, but we have to be vigilant in our dedication to God.  We often weaken in the face of a reoccurring temptation and eventually fall.  The tempter is relentless, notice that Joseph made a very compelling rebuke against the adulteress’s requests, being denied the lust of her flesh only intensified her advances.

o       Note that if Joseph would have given in to the temptation just once, the adulteress could have blackmailed Joseph as often as she wished going forward.

·        Joseph was very intelligent, he had to know that by not giving in to the mistresses requests he was risking everything he had gained, yet he trusted in God.

o       Psalm 4:3-5 - But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.  Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

o       Psalm 118:8-9 - [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.  [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

·        Romans 6:16 - Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

·        1 Corinthians 7:20-23 - Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.  Art thou called [being] a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use [it] rather.  For he that is called in the Lord, [being] a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, [being] free, is Christ's servant.  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

e.      Genesis 39:11 – And it came to pass about this time, that [Joseph] went into the house to do his business; and [there was] none of the men of the house there within.

·        his business - מלאכה mĕla'kah, feminine noun, occupation, work, business (not using the restroom)

f.       Genesis 39:12 – And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

·        The second time Joseph had his garment removed by force, (1^st time by brothers)

·        Both instances are followed by a period of tribulation

·        The third comes in 41:14 (not by force) before he is promoted to governor

g.      Genesis 39:13 – And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

h.     Genesis 39:14 – That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

·        Frustrated by Joseph’s continuous rebuttals, she accuses him of the very thing she has been doing to him, forcing himself upon her.

·        Therefore the perpetrator accuses the victim, she is the criminal, he is innocent.

·        She couldn’t make him the criminal so she falsely accused him in her frustration

i.       Genesis 39:15 – And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

·        Innocence alone cannot secure reputation

j.       Genesis 39:16 – And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

·        His lord? Why not her husband?

k.      Genesis 39:17 – And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

l.       Genesis 39:18 – And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

·        Second time his garments were used to bear false witness about Joseph (the first time his coat of many colors was used to deceive Jacob)

m.    Genesis 39:19 – And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

III.             Joseph in Prison

a.      Genesis 39:20 – And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners [were] bound: and he was there in the prison.

·        Put him in prison? This was the Captain of the Guard, and Officer of Pharaoh and could have had Joseph executed on the spot.  Why would Potiphar only throw him in prison?

o       Proverbs 21:1 - The king's heart [is] in the hand of the LORD, [as] the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

·        The fact that Joseph had such a stellar reputation may have led Potiphar to doubt the accusations of his wife.

·        Our behavior today may influence others years in the future

b.      Genesis 39:21 – But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

c.      Genesis 39:22 – And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that [were] in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer [of it].

d.      Genesis 39:23 – The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing [that was] under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and [that] which he did, the LORD made [it] to prosper.

·        We see this repetitive theme where Joseph is enjoying the blessings of God, he is stripped of those blessings, he endures tribulation, he is elevated to a position of trust and authority, his masters have complete confidence in his abilities.

·        We see the hand of God allowing Joseph to endure these trials and temptations as he is being prepared to be the deliverer of Israel.

·        Joshua 1:9 - Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.