“As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.”   –Genesis 39:19-23

Transitioning from the mini-narrative of Judah and Tamar, Genesis chapter 39 picks up where Genesis 37 left off, with Joseph being taken to Egypt. In Gen. 39:2 we are told that “the Lord was with Joseph.” This is the primary theme that will dominate the rest of the Genesis narrative, demonstrating that God is the Lord of all creation and leads and cares for His people even when they find themselves in the most desperate of situations.

Having been purchased by Potiphar, Joseph set about serving in the place in which he found himself rather than sulking and complaining about his lot in life. Instead of rejecting the Lord, Joseph honored God by serving his master well, rising to a position of prominence in the home of one of Egypt’s most important officials. Though he had been sold away from his father’s home and taken from the land promised to his ancestors, the Lord’s blessing of Joseph demonstrated that His sovereign grace would not be thwarted by the schemes of men. It was through Joseph that God had chosen to care for and deliver His people and God’s blessing was therefore extended to him (39:4-5, 21).

Though Joseph had recovered from the tragedy that had befallen him at the hands of his brothers, his life was once again to be thrown into chaos, this time because of the wife of his master. Potiphar’s wife set her sights upon Joseph and pursued him with unwanted sexual advances. Joseph refused to sleep with her, declaring that what she desired would be sin against his earthly master as well as against God. Her response to this rejection was to accuse him of attempted rape and to have him thrown in prison.

Having experienced yet another dramatic change in fortune, Joseph did not yield to despair and instead served faithfully within the prison, rising once again to a position of prominence. Sometime later the Pharaoh had both his baker and cupbearer imprisoned in the same prison where Joseph was being kept. After each of the men had disturbing dreams, Joseph interpreted them, asking the cupbearer to remember him before Pharaoh upon being restored to his position. This he did, but only after two more years had passed and the Pharaoh himself had a dream which troubled him. Joseph was released from prison and was able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream because the Lord was with him. The Pharaoh’s response was to raise Joseph to a position of leadership over all of Egypt in preparation for the difficult times which lay ahead.

More than any other figure in Genesis, Joseph stands apart as an example of what God intended mankind to be. Joseph functioned as a prophet in the sense that he spoke God’s Word to others, interpreting their dreams while giving all credit and glory to God (40:8, 41:16,25). Joseph also served faithfully as a priest, guarding his own purity and refusing to sin against God when faced with continual temptation (39:9-10). Finally, Joseph functioned in a kingly role as he stewarded all of Egypt in order that both God’s people and others might be delivered from the famine.  Though mankind as a whole had failed in each of these offices, the life of Joseph demonstrates that God’s people were still to worship and serve Him faithfully in these ways. Joseph faithfulness contrasts sharply with the rest of his family, but even his success as in his prophetic, priestly, and kingly roles was limited and temporal, pointing forward ultimately to Christ who would come to fulfill these roles.

Join us this Sunday as we examine Joseph’s life and how it points us to Christ, our Savior, example, and the source of our very lives!

Soli Deo Gloria.

-Thomas