Genesis

The transition between the generations of Jacob (v2) as the people of God, becoming the nation of Israel (v3) beloved of the Father, is identified in the symbolic type for Christ shown in Joseph, whose story is introduced in this chapter. As Christ Himself would have been very familiar with these passages, He would have seen the lesson for how He would be despised among His own. The scheming of the Jewish leaders in John chapter 7 of the New Testament parallels the scheming of Joseph's brothers (vv19-20) and reveals Jesus' knowledge of the poorly shared dream Joseph had of his brothers bowing to him (v7,9). We can even see the roles of Reuben and Judah from Joseph's story, in Nicodemus from John 7. Compare these to what we know of Christ's own life: Joseph is sent from the place of his father's sojourn and searches for his brothers in the place of their betrayal of his father (v14). His people plot his death (v18). They conspire to say false things about how he will have died (v20). There are few among them who speak up for him (vv21-22, 26). He is stripped and abused to die without water (v24). After this, some appear bearing aromatic gum, balm, and myrrh (v25). He is raised from the pit (v28). When the Father hears of this, he tears his clothes (v34). Do not mistake that God has always known His plan for man, and has been revealing it to us from the beginning.

Judah knew his father had married a bride from among their people (Gen 28:1), while his uncle Esau had not (Gen 26:34-35) and displeased their father (his grandfather Isaac). Judah's choice to take a Canaanite bride follows his separation from his brothers and befriending a man of another faith (v21 cult prostitute reference), Hirah the Adullamite (v1). After Judah's marriage produces sons, he finds a bride for his oldest son, a woman named Tamar (v6). But the first two sons are put to death by Yahweh because they are evil (v7) and displease Him (v10). Judah mistakes the blame for their death to be a curse from Tamar and fails to honor the Leveritic Marital obligation to give her in marriage to his youngest son (v11). This is an unrighteous response, yet Judah displays righteousness in his own marital fidelity (v12). After the death of his wife, Judah's friendship with Hirah again leads him to an unrighteous act that converges with the consequences of his previous dismissal of Tamar (vv13-25). Judah recognizes his sin and repents saying, "She is more righteous than I" (v26). The result is that the seed of his union with the bride of Canaan does not carry the covenant line of prophecy. But through Tamar and the offspring of their union, Perez becomes next in the line leading to King David and the Messiah. Just as God has demonstrated His plans throughout Scripture for us to see in the coming history, this story is played out again with a daughter by the exact same name in 2 Samuel 13. There, King David neglects to address the sin of his sons, and his daughter Tamar suffers as part of the revelation.

For the first time in the history of the Hebrews, the יָרַד yarad - (descent, the same word used for descending to Sheol) of a Patriarch to Egypt in 1898 B.C. is involuntary. Whether Potiphar paid the same 20 shekels of silver (37:28) the Ishmaelites paid for Joseph is not stated. Still, the Biblical record for inflation is impossible to account for if not delivered by the Hand of God. By Exodus 21:32 (1446 B.C.), the price for a slave is 30 pieces of silver. And by Zechariah 11:13 (520 B.C.), the prophetic 30 shekels wage thrown to the potter for Christ is mocked as a "considerable sum." Having been "sold into slavery" is given to us beautifully here as another of the first images of the Gospel. As you read vv2-5, consider the understanding of slavery that Paul presents in Romans 6:20–23 "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then having from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit, leading to sanctification, and the end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Just as Potiphar had concerned himself only with the food of his household when Joseph's lord placed him in charge of all (other) things (39:6), Pharaoh had become offended by the two men responsible for the food of their lord's house (v1). Whether Pharaoh was concerned with other things is unknown, but he was furious here to the point of imprisoning the chief cupbearer and the chief baker (v3). Potiphar's anger (39:19) that landed Joseph in jail may have even been at his wife, who didn't even accuse Joseph to her husband, of the same offense she stated to the other men of her household (39:14) - that he had attempted to "lie with (her)." The accusation she made to her husband was more believable of a slave he trusted with everything he owned, "(he) came in to me to laugh at me" (39:17). Unsurprisingly then, Joseph arrives at prison with "favor in the sight of the chief jailer" (39:20). Yet it is Yahweh who extends חֶסֶד hesed, lovingkindness, (39:21). Both Potiphar and the chief jailer had the opportunity to see Joseph's good works "and favor" with Yahweh, and give glory to his God, (Mt 5:16). Joseph's response is not to only honor those who show him favor, but as these other prisoners arrive, he shows them compassion (vv6-8). After interpreting the cupbearer's dream, Joseph makes a request. He asks the cupbearer to show the same חֶסֶד hesed, lovingkindness, that Yahweh extended (v14). Joseph had already done so toward both of his fellow prisoners. It is within man's ability to demonstrate God's lovingkindness towards others. It is important to remember to do so. "Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him." (v23) *for two years.