(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV]) Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I
command you.
(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV]) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
All of the studies, book or topical, found here, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history, archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, lexicons, concordances or commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, but they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief. We do not need them. That Word of God written and preserved for us in our own language is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and the New Testament for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc. There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:
(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!
(Genesis 37:28 [AKJV/PCE])
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
(Genesis 37:36 [AKJV/PCE])
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
(Psalms 105:15 [AKJV/PCE])
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
(Acts 7:9 [AKJV/PCE])
And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
(Matthew 24:45-47 [AKJV/PCE])
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
(Luke 12:42-44 [AKJV/PCE])
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
These verses do not necessarily apply to Joseph as they do to us, because we will not always get the same treatment from an overseer, a boss, for doing good work and lots of it. That is not our promise. We get blessed by God, either way, persecuted, blessed, whatever by man. Joseph was blessed of God, not a bad word was ever spoken by God or any other person in Scripture (as was the same treatment of Daniel the prophet) and God used Joseph to get Israel into Egypt, into captivity, into Goshen, into a position of then growing into the millions in size to threaten the Egyptians to the point where they felt the need for this now huge workforce and did not want to let them leave, so again, God did that also. This was long after Joseph and Jacob and the twelve sons were dead, to another generation. Joseph was blameless in all of his work, as we should be, no matter the outcome. We work for the LORD, not man. To that end, the way to glorify God is to work for man as though we work for the LORD, because we do, whether recognized, acknowledged, reward or not. That is being that good and faithful steward.
Genesis Chapter 39: LET MY PEOPLE IN!
(Genesis 39:1 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
Most likely the purchase price was not very much for an Israelite slave
Was it....................thirty pieces of silver? Just twenty
That price was enough for Joseph's brethren to satisfy their desire to rid themselves of the one they hated
The word "Pharaoh" literally means "great house," referring to the great palace where Pharaoh lived.
POTIPHAR
The name is of uncertain origin, but may be from "Potiphera"; perhaps translated as "He whom Ra (Egypt's sun god) gave."
(Genesis 39:2 [AKJV/PCE])
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Notice The LORD, The LORD, The LORD
This is the reason anyone prospers, even the unbelievers, the heathens
When God wants to do something, the world notices, takes notice of how He is blessing
With the wicked it is thought, "WELL, he is blessed because I decided to bless him as a reward for hard work"
Except that, many people worldwide, work hard, even harder, and are still poor, so it is up to God who He blesses, not just our work. he EXPECTS us to work hard, but the riches and blessings come from Him, as He owns it all
(Matthew 5:45 [AKJV/PCE])
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
(Psalms 50:10 [AKJV/PCE])
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
(Genesis 39:4 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
This is a principle, not a promise; God was planning to do things with Joseph and Israel
Grace is unmerited (unearned) favor, not a reward for good work-which Joseph obviously did.
(Genesis 39:5 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
Notice again The LORD, The LORD doing the blessing, because God had a plan, so He blessed the unbelievers, and made them notice Who it was blessing Joseph
Again, whether thy know it, see it, acknowledge it or not, God blesses those around us through us, because of His grace, mercy
God does not need us for He Himself to bless anyone; He merely decides to use us to do so.
(Genesis 39:6 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
When one leaves all in the hands of another to the point that they trust them enough not to even keep track of what they have, that is a large amount of trust!
This is a large amount of responsibility and stewardship to be trusted over, not just a few duffle bags, a storage shed, a closet ,a garage full of things. THis ia a palace, a kingdom, all livestock, all gardens, all people, all homes, military, prison system, everything in the entire empire
(Genesis 39:7 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
While it is not specifically stated as to which Potiphar this was, it is probable that Potiphar was either under Pharaoh Sesostris I (ca. 1681 BC), Sesostris II (1897-1878 BC), or Sesostris III (1878-1843 BC). Probably the first one
In any case, these pharaohs had power, money and therefore beautiful, young wives, as many do today
This lady is not doing any enticing like the one that God warns us about in Proverbs below necessarily, but a young man who is not called of God, walking with God and simple in mind will fall into this trap easily
She is not just enticing Joseph, she is literally commanding him
The solution for us is to stay in the Word, memorize it, (Psalm 119:9-11) pray for strength to live by it, and follow God more closely, daily
The enemy is, as is always the case, now there to try to thwart God's sovereign plan, and it will ultimately fail, as always
The death penalty would probably or maybe have been the result, if not just imprisonment, but God was not done with Joseph, so it was imprisonment for this innocent young man
Potiphar gave Joseph charge of everything because he trusted him, simply said. He had plenty of men to choose from, and chose Joseph, a Hebrew, not an Egyptian
Joseph was a forerunner for the Old Testament Jews and those in the Gospels, to learn from, and now us
Jesus after him and many others tempted is the forerunner in every way, and here being tempted, for us as an example to follow
WHOSE SLAVE WILL WE BE?
(John 8:32 [AKJV/PCE])
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ¶ They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
(1 Corinthians 10:11 [AKJV/PCE])
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
(Matthew 4:3-11 [AKJV/PCE])
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
(1 Peter 5:8 [AKJV/PCE])
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
(Hebrews 4:15 [AKJV/PCE])
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
(Proverbs 7:1 [AKJV/PCE])
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
(2 Corinthians 12:7 [AKJV/PCE])
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
(Genesis 39:8 [AKJV/PCE])
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;
This is true trust, earned for sure, by God's Providence, as most world leaders, then and now, do not like to trust, because they can be quickly dispatched and replaced by aggressive and ambitious ones who want that top spot, and this was true with the Caesar, on to today
Even more trust is leaving so much, you forget how much you actually left in his hand to take care of for you!
(Genesis 39:9 [AKJV/PCE])
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?
Joseph is not even mentioning sinning against Potiphar, against this woman Potiphar's wife, or anyone else, just sinning against God
When we think like this, we show we understand the ultimate reason Jesus had to die-because of our transgressions, sins against God which took His Blood to restore us to fellowship with the Father
(Genesis 39:10-11 [AKJV/PCE])
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. 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.
When we are at our most vulnerable, the enemy strikes like a serpent
Like the serpent behind her actions, she waited for another season, patiently, for the opportune time
Alone is often vulnerable
Adam was alone, so God made Eve. She was deceived by the serpent, ass this woman was, so she tried to deceive Joseph
(Genesis 2:18-20 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
(Luke 4:13 [AKJV/PCE])
And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
(Genesis 39:12-13 [AKJV/PCE])
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. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
Plan A failed, on to Plan B
It takes a lot of pulling by a stubborn woman to get Joseph to remove his garment-was this his coat of many colors Jacob gave him?
Joseph did the absolute right thing, being placed into a vulnerable space, running away
We are commanded to do the same, every time, as many times as it takes
Plans A and B failing, on to Plan C: The court of false accusations
She tried first to MAKE Joseph a criminal; now she tries to paint Joseph as one
Joseph's only actual "crime" was being virtuous, upholding Potiphar's honor in not sleeping with his wife
(1 Corinthians 6:18 [AKJV/PCE])
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
(Genesis 39:14-15 [AKJV/PCE])
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: 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.
The obvious purpose of the cry was to give "evidence" that she was raped by Joseph
Often, those who scream loudest lie the best
This would have been "an Hebrew mocking us" if it were true
For the opportune moment, she "loved" Joseph. Now, like all evil people, she suddenly hates Joseph, because he refused to do her evil bidding
We can (nor should we ever) be surprised when this happens to us as believers, as it has happened through out history, is happening today, and will continue until the serpent and sin is completely removed from mankind, forever
(Genesis 39:16 [AKJV/PCE])
And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
She does not say their lord (the men of her house), nor our lord (her husband, her lord and theirs), nor my lord (her own husband), but HIS (Joseph's) lord
I guess God is saying that this is Joseph's lord, not hers, as she obviously disrespected him
This would have been to emphasize to the men and the lord her husband the severity of Joseph's "crime", her false accusation
(Genesis 39:17 [AKJV/PCE])
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:
Hmmmm... intereresting. The Hebrew servant "which thou hast brought unto us", sounds like an irresponsible, unaccountable woman who now even blames her husband, her lord, for this fiasco she caused
Those who play the victim often behave this way
(Genesis 39:18 [AKJV/PCE])
And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
Yes, Joseph did that. Which was the right thing to do.
Yes, because she was screaming.
No, not because he had lain with her, because he had not lain with her
(Genesis 39:19 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
If one will notice, was Joseph here to testify on his own behalf? No.
Were there any other 'witnesses" against Joseph? No.
So on the word of a woman, who was the sole "witness", Joseph is convicted of a "crime" he never committed
Maybe this was because he wanted to keep her honor in her husband's eyes, or because he knew that he would not be believed, no matter what, even though he had a good reputation, was known to be virtuous
(Genesis 39:20 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
God had a future, and joseph was now given a chance to participate in that by simply being Joseph and continuing to do the right thing.
(Genesis 39:21 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Again, it is always up to God to give grace, mercy, rain, sunshine on any and all of us, especially His own, especially when He has a future plan
Outside of God's grace and mercy, Joseph would have never even lived through much of all of this that had happened to him
(Genesis 39:22-23 [AKJV/PCE])
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. 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.
In verses twenty one through twenty three, the LORD is again mentioned three times, as being the reason, the One behind the entire life of Joseph
Either Joseph did what they did literally, or God is saying that Joseph got the credit, because he oversaw it
Genesis Chapter 40
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Genesis Chapter 40
