Genesis 37-42
January 12, 1997
Introduction
The book of Genesis is the book of beginnings.
That's what the name "genesis" is all about.
It's the beginning of creation.
It's the beginning of man, civilization, and sin.
It's the beginning of redemption and faith.
We've been looking at the life of a man named Jacob, who was a trickster and conniver (his name means "heal-catcher")
He's just spent the last twenty years with his match, his uncle Laban, who switched wives on him, and made life very difficult.
He's just made a shakey kind of deal with Laban, kind of a "may God watch my back and protect me as I walk away from you" deal.
Genesis 37
:1 in the land wherein his father was a stranger,
As we mentioned this morning, we are in the world, but not to be "of the world".
There's a sense where we are to be strangers in the world.
(1 Pet 2:11-12 KJV) Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; {12} Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
:2 Joseph, being seventeen years old,
For those of you trying to track down the chronology through Genesis, this is a key verse.
:2 the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah,
The sons of the concubines.
These were the ones who were mad at Joseph
I wonder if it was the sons of the concubines who were the chief conspirators later on, the ones who wanted to kill Joseph.
:2 their evil report.
He was letting his dad know what was going on, and it wasn't good.
:3 a coat of many colours.
The words have been understood as meaning a varicolored coat (tunic), a long-sleeved coat, or an ornamented coat.
Whatever it was, it was a special present to Joseph because he was loved so much, and it made him stand out from his brothers.
:4 his brethren saw that their father loved him more
Parents, you get into trouble if you consistently favor one child above the others.
That's the lesson from this entire story.
It all stems from unnecessary jealousy.
:8 Shalt thou indeed reign over us?
Note that the brothers understand the interpretation of the dream without someone having to give it.
I wonder if somewhere along the way, Israel had taught his children about dreams and their meanings.
Note: Joseph will indeed reign over them.
:9 the sun and the moon and the eleven stars
As we're going to see, Israel himself is going to understand this as the entire family bowing down to Joseph.
The sun, moon, and stars represented the entire family, all of Israel.
This dream is kind of important, because it gives us an interpretation to another place in Scripture.
(Rev 12:1 KJV) And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Using Israel's own interpretation, who would this woman be?
The nation of Israel.
:11 his father observed the saying
Jacob stores it away.
Lesson:
Keeping track of prophecy.
From time to time you will hear someone give a word of prophecy concerning something in the future.
We shouldn't just say, "Praise the Lord", and then forget about it.
We should keep track of these things, so when it comes about, if it does, we can give God the praise and the credit.
:19 this dreamer cometh.
It's interesting to note that dreams got Joseph into trouble, and dreams are going to get him out of trouble.
:21 Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands;
Reuben is the first born, the one most responsible, the one that's going to have to stand up to Dad.
He is also a son of Leah, not one from the concubines.
:22 that he might rid him out of their hands,
Reuben planned to come back later and let Joseph go when nobody was watching.
:26 Judah
Also a son of Leah.
We can look at this as a terrible thing from Judah, but on the other hand, he is keeping Joseph from being killed by the other brothers.
:28 twenty pieces of silver:
The price for a mature male slave would later be set at 30 pieces of silver. (Ex. 21:32)
A male slave from 5 to 20 years old was set at 20 pieces of silver (Lev. 27:5)
:30 whither shall I go?
As the firstborn, Reuben feels the responsibility.
Genesis 38
:7 was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
We aren't told what he did, only that he was wicked.
:8 raise up seed to thy brother.
This was known as the Levirate law.
"levir" is a Latin word for "brother".
Moses wrote:
(Deu 25:5 KJV) If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.
The son of the new marriage would then be considered the descendant of the first brother, and inherit the first brother's property.
:10 the thing which he did displeased the LORD:
Some have used this to say that birth control is wrong.
After all, Onan performed a type of "birth control".
But it wasn't the birth control the Lord was displeased with, it was the fact that Onan didn't fulfill his obligation to his brother, Er.
:11 till Shelah my son be grown:
Apparently Shelah was still young enough that this argument convinced Tamar.
:11 Lest peradventure he die also,
The real reason Judah had was that he was afraid he'd lose another son.
After all, who knows if his sons died because of this woman's cooking!
:16 he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee;
Judah is going to go to someone he thinks is a harlot.
Is the Bible saying it's okay to go to a prostitute?
No.
It's just showing us just how carnal and rotten some of these Bible characters were.
:24 Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
Isn't this the ultimate in hypocrisy?
He has the gaul to condemn her, when he himself was the man who slept with her, thinking she was a harlot!
Lesson:
My sins always look worse on you.
It's kind of funny, but sometimes the people we can be the harshest critics of, are those guilty of the very things we struggle with.
I've often heard certain brothers rail on men who are trapped in pornography, only to find that they are hooked on it too.
Jesus said,
(Mat 7:1-5 KJV) Judge not, that ye be not judged. {2} For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. {3} And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? {4} Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? {5} Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
:26 She hath been more righteous than I;
Judah was wrong on two counts: refusing to give Tamar his son for her husband, and committing adultery with her.
:29 Pharez.
Or, Perez = "breakthrough"
He had broken through, getting past his brother to become the firstborn son.
:30 Zarah
Or, Zerah = "rising"
Perhaps because his hand was drawn back inside his mother, rising?
Why is this chapter here?
Because it's going to be from Judah, and from Perez, that the line of the Messiah is going to come from.
Jesus was descended from real people, even sinful people.
Genesis 39
:1 Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian,
officer
. Lit., eunuch, though not so here, where the term signifies a prominent court official.Though the reigning Pharaoh is not named, probably he was Sesostris III, who reigned 1878-1843 B.C.
Note: Potiphar's job is the "captain of the guard".
:2 the LORD was with Joseph,
As we mentioned this morning, the Lord doesn't promise to take away your problems.
But He does promise to be with you through your problems.
:5 the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake;
For some of you, I think the Lord is blessing your secular boss, for YOUR sake.
:6 he left all that he had in Joseph's hand;
Joseph was promoted to the point where he ran the household of Potiphar.
He had gone about as far as he could in his current company, but that wasn't high enough for the Lord.
He's about to get a job transfer.
:6 goodly person, and well favoured.
A handsome guy.
:9 how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
This is where we find our greatest victory over sin, when we recognize that we aren't just hurting ourselves or the other person, but we are sinning against God.
David wrote:
(Psa 51:4 KJV) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
:12 he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
There are times when we just can't avoid the temptation.
And that's when it's time to run.
(2 Tim 2:22 KJV) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
(1 Cor 6:18 KJV) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Illustration:
During the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands between England and Argentina, the Royal Navy's 3,500-ton destroyer HMS Sheffield was sunk by a single missile fired from an Argentine fighter jet. It caused some people to wonder if modern surface warships were obsolete, sitting ducks for today's sophisticated missiles. But a later check revealed that the Sheffield's defenses did pick up the incoming missile, and the ship's computer correctly identified it as a French- made Exocet. But the computer was programmed to ignore Exocets as "friendly." The Sheffield was sunk by a missile it saw coming and could have evaded.
Something similar happens when we linger too long with a temptation and are lustfully drawn into sin.
:19 his wrath was kindled.
We tend to think that he was angry at Joseph.
But I wonder ...
If he really felt Joseph was guilty of adultery, the penalty was death, not imprisonment.
I wonder if he had an idea that his wife was causing trouble, and that he was going to lose a good servant over this.
:20 put him into the prison,
This wasn't that great of a place:
(Psa 105:18 KJV) Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
:21 But the LORD was with Joseph,
Joseph has gone from favorite son to slave, and now from slave to prisoner.
Yet God never leaves him.
Lesson:
Don't look at your circumstances to judge God's nearness.
He may be nearer than you think.
(Isa 57:15 KJV) For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Genesis 40
:1 the butler
Better, a cupbearer.
One who tasted the wine for the king, one who was a close counselor.
:3 in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison,
Who is the "captain of the guard"?
Isn't it Potiphar?
I wonder if Potiphar is over the prison as well?
:4 he served them:
You may think, "of course, he's a slave".
But there's no better training for leadership, than being a servant.
Jesus said:
(Mark 9:35 KJV) And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
:5 each man according to the interpretation of his dream,
The other translations make it just sound that each dream had it's own interpretation.
But I like the concept in the King James, it sounds as if each man was to receive a message, and so God gave each man a dream that would fit the message.
It's not the dream that's important, it's getting the message.
Does God still speak through dreams?
Yes, He can.
(Joel 2:28 KJV) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Just be careful it isn't the pepperoni pizza from last night.
:8 Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
The message is from God.
God is the one who can give the interpretation.
Daniel says much the same thing to Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 2.
:14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee,
Joseph is thinking that perhaps he can get a good word in with the Pharaoh.
:20 the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday,
This was the common thread in both dreams, this special day, which happened to be the Pharaoh's birthday.
:23 but forgat him.
But God hasn't forgotten.
Genesis 41
:1 at the end of two full years,
For many of us, there are special things in our lives we're waiting for.
It could be for that wife or husband you've been looking for.
It could be for that ministry you've always felt called to.
And we can get close to receiving it at times, when it all slips away.
I remember when we almost started Calvary Chapel of Placentia about eleven years ago.
We had a small Bible study going at our home, and it looked as if we were going to start a church.
At the last minute, it all fell through.
Later I came on staff as an assistant at Anaheim, but it still wasn't what I felt called to.
But God just had a different time than I did.
Hang in there.
:1 Pharaoh dreamed:
Oh no, not another dream!
:2 kine
kine = cows
:4 the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine.
Yuck! It must have been a nightmare!
The attack of the killer canibal cows!
:14 he shaved himself, and changed his raiment,
After all, he's just spent a few years in prison.
Egyptians were clean-shaven, so it was important that Joseph appear that way in the presence of Pharaoh.
:16 It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer
Joseph is a man who continually gives God the credit.
:17-24 Summarize
Pharaoh simply retells the dreams to Joseph.
:25 The dream of Pharaoh is one:
The two dreams are about the same thing.
:32 the dream was doubled
When testimony was to be received against someone, it had to be by at least two witnesses:
(Deu 19:15 KJV) One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
With Pharaoh, the dream follows the same pattern, being doubled, to show that this is something that's a certainty.
Lesson:
Look for the confirmations.
When we're looking for God's direction in our lives, there are times when we need to wait until we get confirmations.
(2 Cor 13:1 KJV) This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
:34 Let Pharaoh do this,
Joseph is getting kind of bold, not only interpreted the meaning of the dreams but also advising Pharaoh how to plan for the years of famine.
:41 I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
It's incredible to think that within one day, Joseph is taken from being a slave in a prison, to being the second most powerful man in Egypt, even in the whole world.
When God brings about the answers we're looking for, it can happen fast!
:46 Joseph was thirty years old
He's been in Egypt for thirteen years, as a slave and a prisoner.
This is another one of those chronological milestones to keep in mind.
:51 the name of the firstborn Manasseh:
"causing to forget"
The firstborn issue.
:52 Ephraim
"double fruit" (not double mint?)