Genesis Lesson 27 Genesis 39:1-40:23

Transcription

1 Genesis Lesson 27 Genesis 39:1-40:23 In lesson 26 we took a detour into the story of Judah and the birth of his two sons. We saw how he married a Canaanite woman, but then married his oldest son Er to the daughter of one of his servants who was named Tamar. Er was wicked and did not believe in the promise of the LORD to the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but Tamar evidently did. The LORD killed Er because of his wickedness, and then when his younger brother Onan was given the privilege of raising up a seed out of Judah and showed the same wickedness and unbelief, he was killed by the LORD. Judah promised Tamar the right to raise up a seed from his young third son, but he kept reneging on his promise. Finally, Tamar tricked Judah into sleeping with her by disguising herself as a prostitute. Thus Judah himself exercised the office of "kinsman redeemer," and begot twin sons, Perez and Zerah. We saw how the birth of those twins is underlined in the Genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:3 by mentioning both the mother, Tamar, and the twin brother. Finally, we saw how their birth was a shadow of the twin advents of Jesus Christ. The second twin was looked for first, but he didn't come first. Instead, Perez, "the breach maker," came, and afterward Zerah ( "the sunrise") who came with the symbol of blood and authority on his fist. In this lesson, in chapter 39, we return to the story of Joseph. J. Vernon McGee points out that Joseph was the first of the great Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) to whom God did not appear directly, yet he demonstrated greater faith than any of them. This is a lesson to those who think supernatural phenomena in our lives are a prerequisite of great faith. Actually, if you review scripture, you will find that the generations of Israel that saw the greatest workings of miracles, the Exodus generation, and the generation that saw Jesus Christ in the flesh, were two of the worst generations in the history of Israel. Genesis 39:1a Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. 1 / 17

2 To understand this story, as the rest of the Bible, it is important to understand the context against which it was played out. In contrast to Canaan, which at that time was just a number of disorganized villages, or even the Philistines at Gerar under Abimelech which was just a petty city state, Egypt was one of the first of the great empires that arose in history. Most of the lower Nile river fell under the jurisdiction of the Egyptian Pharaoh and his court and it encompassed millions of people and one of the richest farming areas of the world. Their royal city had great palaces and great temples. Egypt established the pattern of the establishment that would dominate the world for millennia. That was the three estates of establishment, the monarchy, the aristocracy, and religion. Genesis 39:1b Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain prince of the guard s, bought him from the Ishmaelites [a] who had taken him there. The name "Potiphar" means "dedicated to Ra." Ra was the sun-god of the Egyptians and the worship of Ra was the established religion of Egypt. The Hebrew term translated "captain" is rcà' ' {sar} which is usually translated "prince." The full term in Hebrew is µyj`ib;f'h' rcà' ' {sar tab bäkh'im} which is translated in English "captain of the guard." It might better be understood as "prince of the guards." It is the same word that appears in Genesis 40:3,4 and Genesis 41:10,12. Potiphar guarded Pharaoh's security and the security of the state from internal threats. The person that holds such an office has always been one of the most important men in a state. As we will find, part of his job was to supervise the prison where political prisoners were held, which were part of his palace complex. This clearly indicates that since his palace also contained a prison, it was very secure, and probably closer to a castle than a palace. Think of something like the Tower of London, which also originally served both 2 / 17

3 purposes. Genesis 39:2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house castle [b] of his Egyptian master. Notice, that the scripture says Joseph prospered, in spite of the fact he was still a slave and owned nothing. He learned, as Paul did, in whatever state he was in to be content. [c] Genesis 39:3-4 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. The LORD had prepared Joseph for this opportunity. We must remember, that his father Jacob had kept him at his side as he administered a household which was probably larger than Potiphar's. Not only that, he had personally trained him to take over those duties. I don't doubt that in that training he had also been exposed to the Egyptian language. [d] The fact that he was a very good looking young man probably didn't hurt. Also, of course, the LORD opened the way for him. Potiphar probably paid a very good price for him as he saw him as a good choice to be his personal attendant. 3 / 17

4 In that post, he waited on Potiphar's personal needs. In that position, Joseph's wisdom and quality became quickly apparent to Potiphar. He seemed to have assigned more and more responsibility to him. Genesis 39:5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. The scripture tells us that Joseph spent 13 years in Egypt before he entered the service of Pharaoh. He spent at least two of those years in prison (Genesis 41:1), leaving eleven years in the service of Potiphar. I think we can safely speculate that Joseph's rise to the position of chief steward in Potiphar's household probably took about 9 years. During that time, Joseph not only learned a lot about the running of Potiphar's household, he also learned a lot about how the state of Egypt was run. He probably had the chance to observe every important person in Egypt from the invisible role of a servant. Genesis 39:6a So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. In the political position Potiphar had, the more time he could spend at court instead of supervising his estate, the better off he would be. He was delighted to be free of those concerns 4 / 17

5 and not have to spend any time at home. While this was good for his ambitions, it wasn't good for his marriage. Genesis 39:6b-7 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" The neglected wife took a fancy to Joseph, who was after all her slave, and commanded him to come to bed with her. Genesis 39:8 But 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. Joseph refused. Although theoretically, he couldn't be held responsible for doing what he was commanded by his mistress, he also knew that Potiphar would be dishonored by his obedience. 5 / 17

6 Genesis 39:9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, [e] because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" He pleaded his loyalty to Potiphar to the wife. She was not likely to take the complaint to her husband. Again, we n otice that 400 plus years before the Mosaic Law, this was recognized as a sin against God. Genesis 39:10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. This evidently went on for some time. Potiphar's wife was neglected, Potiphar was seldom home, Joseph was very good looking, and around the house all the time. Considering the people and the situation, I suppose the outcome was predictable. Genesis 39:11-12 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!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 6 / 17

7 Normally, other servants were present, so Potiphar's wife had to be discreet. On this occasion Joseph was caught alone with her, and she determined to force the issue. When Joseph still refused she seems to have threatened to scream (verse 15) if he didn't comply. The scream would mean that Joseph was at the mercy of her version of events. When she screamed, he fled without his cloak instead of giving in to her demand. Genesis 39:13-15 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, " this Hebrew has been brought to us he has brought in a Hebrew to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." Because Joseph had run out of the house without his garment, it meant that the servants would have seen something that demanded an explanation (other than that she had screamed at a mouse). At that point she had no option but to accuse Joseph of molesting her. Any other version would have accused her instead. I have substituted the literal translation " he has brought in a Hebrew" for the NIV. It agrees with nearly every other version. The importance of the correct translation is that Potiphar's wife was blaming him for putting a Hebrew in charge of the household. She was thus tapping into what she has perceived as a resentment by the Egyptian servants of being put under the charge of a foreigner. Thus she was hoping that they would be glad to be rid of Joseph, and none of them would tell Potiphar about her obvious attraction to Joseph. 7 / 17

8 Genesis 39:16-18 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." Potiphar's wife obviously felt that she needed physical evidence. She must have felt that if it came to just her word against Joseph's, Potiphar would have been likely to have believed Joseph. Genesis 39:19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger. It says Potiphar burned with anger. But it doesn't say against whom. Genesis 39:20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. 8 / 17

9 The thing that strikes me about this punishment is the mildness of it. By his wife's account, Joseph either tried to rape her, or seduce her. By Egyptian standards, Joseph was only a slave, who was not entitled to the protection of their law. Even under the Law of Moses, this was a death penalty offense (Deuteronomy 22:22,25). Yet Potiphar only sentenced Joseph to a prison term, and that in a prison for aristocrats. To me this indicates that Potiphar may not have really believed his wife's accusation, but he could not find a way to ignore it and save face. Genesis 39:21 But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden prince of the roundhouse. It is almost certain that the prison was under the jurisdiction of Potiphar and was part of his palace complex as we have noted. Potiphar's title is translated here by the NIV as "prison warden" although it is actually the Hebrew words rh'sâoh'atybe rcà' ' {sar ha så' har} which means "prince of the roundhouse (prison)." Potiphar's name is not mentioned again, although his position "prince of the guards" is mentioned in the next verse as having authority over the prison. It is possible, that the "prince of the guards" mentioned there was Potiphar, and he was showing what mercy he could to a man he knew was innocent. Although this verse alone allows the possibility that Potiphar had lost his position and was replace by another, Genesis 40:7 indicates that he was still master of the house. Genesis 39:22-23 So the warden prince of the roundhouse put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden 9 / 17

10 paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. The man in charge of the prison (whether this is speaking of Potiphar or a lieutenant of his) would have been closely acquainted with Joseph and decided to use his talents in the prison. Notice the principal stated at the end of the verse. Although Joseph was in prison, God was with him, and that put him on top of his circumstances, not his circumstances on top of him. Genesis 40:1 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. We must understand that these were not household servants. A cupbearer in a monarchy, from ancient times until the nineteenth century, was a person of very great importance in the kingdom. In the Bible, Nehemiah, was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 11:1) and it was considered a big step down for him to take the governorship of the province of Judea. Basically, the cupbearer had a large responsibility for the security of a monarch, because he made sure the monarch was not poisoned. He was more closely associated with him than anyone else and thus had his ear. Because of that he had great influence and power. The baker of the king was also a high office with great responsibility for the security of the Pharaoh. In medieval France, the responsibility for both the bread and wine of the King of France was reposed in one officer, the High Stewart of the Household. This office was usually held by a Prince or a Duke from the Royal family. 10 / 17

11 Genesis 40:2-3 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief prince [f] cupbearer and the chief prince baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain prince of the guard s, in the same prison place [g] where Joseph was confined. As in all kingdoms, to be a close adviser of the King was a position of great influence and wealth, but also a position of great personal danger. To hold it meant that you had many jealous enemies who were trying to bring you down by undermining you and accusing you of disloyalty or corruption. In the history of the Kings of England, a high percentage of those who were the King's closest advisers usually wound up in prison or on the chopping block. In the Bible, we have the example of Daniel, whose rivals conspired against him to have him thrown to the lions because he was too honest and good at his job. Genesis 40:4-5 The captain prince of the guards [h] assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time days, [i] each of the two men--the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison--had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 11 / 17

12 This term in English "captain of the guard" and in Hebrew µyj`ib;f' h'rcà' ' {sar tab bäkh'im}, which is the same word that appears in Genesis 39:1 to describe Potiphar's office. It also appeared in verse 3. Potiphar was evidently in charge of Pharaoh's security and had in his palace the dungeons where state prisoners were held. Since these two men were of great importance, they needed to be handled with utmost tact. If they were not, and then were returned to their offices, as one of them was, they could prove a fatal enemy. Genesis 40:6-7 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, [j] "Why are your faces so sad today?" Remember, Joseph's job was to keep them as happy as possible, so when he saw their dejection, he inquired about it. Genesis 40:8 "We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." 12 / 17

13 Normally, in their religion they would have had a priest of Ra interpret them. They did not have one available. Joseph pointed out that the interpretation of dreams were not the province of priests, but the province of God. Joseph pointed out that it was just as likely that God would provide him with the interpretation as a priest. Since they had no other choice, they revealed the dreams to Joseph. Genesis 40:9-11 So the chief prince cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand." First, the cupbearer revealed his dream. Genesis 40:12-13 "This is what it means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. Within three days In three days more, [k] Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. There a lot of details here that we would like to know. For instance how did God reveal this to him? Was this revelation immediate, or was Joseph's response after a period of prayer? We 13 / 17

14 aren't told. The dream meant that in three days, the cupbearer would be restored to his old position at the right hand of the sovereign of Egypt. This certainly echoes the story of Jesus Christ, who after he was crucified, was raised after three days to resume His position at the right hand of the Father. We also have the image of the wine, which was later used in the tabernacle and our communion. Genesis 40:14-15 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon." Having been given the interpretation by God, Joseph figured he just knew that God's plan was to deliver him through the gratitude of the cupbearer. He was wrong. Here he also brings up the argument that he must have brought up to Potiphar before. He argued that he had been kidnapped, and shouldn't be in slavery at all. This was probably a contention that was made by most slaves whether it was true or not. Potiphar probably hadn't cared. Joseph was too valuable to him. Genesis 40:16-17 When the chief prince baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." 14 / 17

15 So the prince baker revealed his dream. Genesis 40:18-19 "This is what it means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat away your flesh." The dream meant that in three days, the prince baker would be killed and hung on a tree. This also, certainly echoes the story of Jesus Christ, who three days after He entered Jerusalem and was acclaimed by the people was raised up on a cross (a tree) and killed. We also have here the image of the bread, which was later used in the tabernacle and our communion. Genesis 40:20-22 Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. The interpretations of the dreams came to pass just as Joseph had said. We cannot escape the definite shadow of Christ in these two dreams. The dreamers were the cupbearer and the baker for the King. The cup and bread are related to the work of Jesus Christ and stand for his 15 / 17

16 death and his righteous life (his body). He was lifted up to the right hand of the King after he spent three days in the grave. He was also hung on a tree (the cross). That took place three days after he entered Jerusalem. Another possibility is that the two dreams stood for the two advents of Jesus. In the first advent he came as the bread (Bethlehem) and had to die on the cross. In the second he will come bearing the cup (day of Atonement) and will begin His kingdom. Genesis 40:23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. God was not through testing and refining Joseph. Joseph had been sure God was going to deliver him at that time. Why else had he given him the interpretations of the dreams? However, he had to stay in prison and wait another two full years before God was ready to move. We all tend to forget that God works on a timetable that is quite different from ours. He always knows the perfect schedule and it is usually different from ours. [a] See Genesis 37:28. [b] Palace or castle is an acceptable alternate translation. [c] Philippians 4:11. [d] You may remember, that in Abraham's household there was at least one Egyptian servant, Hagar. [e] This indicates that Joseph would have had ultimate authority over any of Potiphar's slaves (male and female). 16 / 17

17 [f] The words here twice translated "chief" is the Hebrew rc' {sar} which is more accurately translated "prince." [g] The Hebrew here is µ/qm; {mä kåm'} which means "place" or "location." [h] Notice, it was Potiphar (the prince of the guards) not the warden who assigned these prisoners to Joseph. [i] The Hebrew word here is µ/y {yåm} in the plural which is usually translated "days" instead of "time" (2008 times to 64 times). [j] Another evidence that the prison was in Potiphar's house. This seems to indicate that Potiphar was still in office. [k] This is the more literal translation. 17 / 17