Category: Genesis

Genesis 40:1 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 

What jumps out at me about today’s verses is way down in verse 6: Joseph “saw that they were dejected.” Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and is in prison because his boss’s wife lied about his actions. Yet here he is paying attention to others, realizing that they are dejected. That says a lot about his character.

Genesis 40:2-3 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 

Not only that, but verse 7 shows that he understands the importance of listening, of compassion. I truly think that–listening, allowing people to speak and to feel heard–is a lost art. And yet here is Joseph, who has every right to be angry and sullen because of his circumstances, reaching out to others, caring, listening.

Genesis 40:4-5 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, 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.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the example of compassion You show in Joseph today. Help me, especially when I feel I’m entitled to be angry and sullen, to instead react to others with compassion, to listen, to allow them to be heard. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 40:6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.

Have a blessed day.

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. 

Sometime early in my parenting journey, when people and the internet and doctors disagreed with what to do about some little ailment affecting my newborn, someone told me, “You’ve got to decide who you trust.” Those words profoundly affected where I sought information as a new parent and who I listened to when I was concerned about my child.

Genesis 39:20-21 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. 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. 

As I’m rereading Joseph’s winding journey, that advice comes to mind again. In life, you’ve got to decide who you trust. I trust God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I may not understand a situation, may not understand why something happened or didn’t, may not understand how God can possibly act in a situation for my good or His glory, but I trust Him. Period.

Genesis 39:22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 

Precious Savior, This road to trusting You has been long and winding. Thank You that, even when I fret and worry and doubt, at my core, I know with certainty that You are in control, that You hold me securely in the palm of Your hand, that no matter what happens, no matter if I understand it or not, the victory is Yours alone. Thank You. Amen.

Genesis 39:23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 39:13-14 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 to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 

Once again, as I read today’s verses, my anger rises up. How dare she? This is so unfair. To feel the emotions in my body during that reading–it’s not good. Anger. Fear. Dismay. But as I reread yesterday’s reflection and came to the questions about why she is acting this way, the questions that show compassion for her as a human, that seek to understand, the rioting emotions calmed.

Genesis 39:15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

I wasn’t at peace, certainly, but the fight or flight emotions that took hold when I first read her actions….gentled. My thought process switched from “She is evil” to “Is she hurt? Angry? Is she trying to exert power the only way she feels she can?” Suddenly I was seeking to understand instead of railing at the unfairness of her actions.

Genesis 39:16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.

Precious Savior, I have never thought about the fact that how I seek answers as I read Your word matters. When I let my emotions lead, when I get caught up in anger and fear, I cannot seek, question, or see what is in front of me. Thank You for this lesson in how to approach Your word. Help me to remember it as I move forward so that I can draw closer to You. Always. Amen.

Genesis 39:17-18 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.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 39:9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 

We all know where this is headed, and, I’ll be honest, it makes me truly angry. How dare Potifar’s wife act this way? How dare she think she’s entitled to anything, anyone she wants? How dare she trick and trap Joseph?

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.

My follow up thought is: Why does she act this way? What is it about her life that makes her want everything, even those things, those people, whom she knows she should not? Is she trying to fill some emptiness inside herself?

Genesis 39:11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 

Precious Savior, It is so easy to pass judgment, especially when people act in mean, selfish ways. Thank You that, eventually, my compassion kicks in. I can’t control others, I can’t change others, but I can lead with love in my interactions with them. Help me to be Your hands and feet in this world, Lord. Always. Amen.

Genesis 39:12 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.

Have a blessed day.

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. 

Commentary says Joseph was 17 when he was sold into slavery and is 30 at the time of today’s scripture. He’s come a long way from that oblivious kid who gleefully shared dreams of his entire family bowing down to him.

Genesis 39:6a So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

But in his response to Potiphar’s wife, I still hear echoes of that oblivious, selfish, self-centered kid. His rationale has nothing to do with God and everything to do with himself, his position in Potiphar’s house, what’s been entrusted to him.

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!”

Precious Savior, It is easy to pass judgment on Joseph, to shake my head and shake my finger at his selfish, self-centered behavior after all that You have done for him. However, I know that I am just as guilty of such behavior in my life. Forgive me. Help me. Draw me closer. Amen.

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.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 39:1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He is not a free man, cannot come and go as he pleases, and yet the Lord is with him. Did Joseph realize that? Did it make a difference in his attitude, his demeanor?

Genesis 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 

I know for a fact that a person’s attitude is paramount to a situation. You can have everything you’ve ever wanted, but if you are in a bad headspace, if your attitude is negative, nothing will be right, and that attitude bleeds out over everything.

Genesis 39:3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 

Precious Savior, You have promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Thank You that You are always with us, just like You were with Joseph. In the good times and the difficult times, help me to remember You are there. Help me to lean on You, to trust You, to praise You. Always. Amen.

Genesis 39:4 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.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 38:27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 

God can use all things. GOD can use ALL things. God CAN use ALL things. God can and will and does use all things for our good and His glory. He’s done it before. He’ll do it again.

Genesis 38:28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”

Today’s scripture shows the time when He used a grieving, selfish father and a Canaanite woman to establish the messianic line of Jesus. God can use ALL things for our good and His glory.

Genesis 38:29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that You will never leave us, never forsake us, that You can use ALL things for our good and Your glory. As we are walking through life’s valleys, help us to remember that You are making a way in our wilderness, even if we cannot yet perceive it, even if we can’t fathom how You will use the situation for our good and Your glory. Help us to trust You. Always. Thank You for this hope that can only come from You. Amen.

Genesis 38:30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 38:24a About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Commentary says of Judah, “He found it easy to pass judgment on someone who sinned just as he sinned, without passing the same judgment on himself.” Ouch! But isn’t that usually the case? We will call others to task immediately for things we sweep under the rug for ourselves.

Genesis 38:24b Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”

I know I’m guilty of it. I know people I love are guilty of it. So what is God calling us to do here? Not judge? Judge ourselves instead of just judging others? God’s Word is pretty clear on this point, The words “Judge not” and “Do not judge” are repeated more than once.

Genesis 38:25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”

Precious Savior, I am just as guilty as Judah of judging others while ignoring my own sins. Forgive me. Thank You for bringing this matter to my attention. Help me to know how to proceed from here. Draw me closer to You. Always. Amen.

Genesis 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 38:20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 

Essentially, what happened with Tamar and her husbands has happened again here. Tamar married Er, “But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. (v7)” As was custom, Judah had the secondborn marry Tamar to beget children for Er, but he was also put to death by the Lord.

Genesis 38:21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

Judah did not want to lose his lastborn, so he told Tamar to live as a widow and he’d send the last son when he matured, but then he never did. In the same way, he sent the goat with a friend, but when he couldn’t find the shrine prostitute, he felt like his duty was done. “Let her keep what she has…” Essentially, “Well, I tried…”

Genesis 38:22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’ ”

Precious Savior, I, too, am guilty of “trying” to do without being fully committed to following through. When a half-hearted try is involved, it’s easy to give excuses to let myself off the hook. Forgive me. Help me to know and to do Your kingdom work without excuse. Amen.

Genesis 38:23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 38:15-16 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.

I must admit that I absolutely understand why Tamar did what she did here. Women had zero rights in this time. Her husband, Judah’s son, died. The second brother took her as a wife, as was custom, but also died before giving her an heir. Judah promised the third son, but he didn’t follow through. What choice did Tamar have?

Genesis 38:17 “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.

I’m not saying what she did was right. I’m saying I understand her desperation. And I find it interesting that she is a Canaanite, and yet God seems to bless this plan/union because the child that is conceived is the direct ancestor to King David, who is the direct ancestor to Jesus.

Genesis 38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 

Precious Savior, It is safe to say that I do not always understand Your ways. Thank You for the deep and abiding trust that even if I don’t understand, even if I can’t see the ending, even if I have no idea how good can come from a situation, I know You. I trust You. I understand You are  making a way that will be for my good and Your glory. You are making a way even if I cannot yet perceive it or understand it. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 38:19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again.

Have a blessed day.