BROUGHT DOWN (GENESIS 39)

James 1:13–15 ESV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

DON’T BE TEMPTED TO LET YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES DEFINE YOUR FAITH/ACTIONS.

Genesis 39:1–6a (ESV)

1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.

3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.

6a So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

First, he was promoted to work indoors, “in the house of his Egyptian master” (v 2), instead of being sent into the fields to work. Next, “he pleased his master” and became his personal attendant. And ultimately, he was put in charge of his household and was entrusted with all his possessions (vv 4–5).

[i] Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis 16–50 (Vol. 2, p. 373). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

“He left everything in Joseph’s care,” lit. “in Joseph’s hand.” This seems a stronger expression than “entrusted all that he had” (v 4); it implies that Potiphar abandoned his interest in what Joseph was doing because he was so convinced that Joseph was doing the best for him. The phrase is used in a more literal sense in vv 12–13, when Joseph “left his garment in her hand,”[ii]

[ii] Wenham, G. J. (1994). Genesis 16–50 (Vol. 2, p. 374). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

Genesis 39:6b–9 (ESV)

6b Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”

8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge.

9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

Joseph’s mother, Rachel, is also described as having a lovely figure and a beautiful face (29:17).

Two years elapse before Pharaoh has the dream that he calls upon Joseph to interpret (41:1). Joseph is 30 years old when Pharaoh elevates him to high office (41:46), which immediately follows his successful dream interpretation. As a result, Joseph was probably 28 years old when he entered prison. This means he served Potiphar for roughly 11 years.[i]

[i] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ge 40:1). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Come to bed with me! (šiḵbâ ʿimmî). This is a mere two words in Hebrew, an expression never used of marriage (see note at 34:2). Her clipped proposition portrays brutish lust.[ii]

[ii] Waltke, B. K., & Fredricks, C. J. (2001). Genesis: a commentary (p. 520). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Sarna also captures the dramatic irony: “She, the mistress of the house, is a slave to her lust for her husband’s slave!”[iii]

[iii] Waltke, B. K., & Fredricks, C. J. (2001). Genesis: a commentary (p. 520). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Genesis 39:10–18 ESV

10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

The verb תפשׂ “grab” implies violence.

Genesis 39:19–20 ESV

19 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. 20 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.

he burned with anger. Against whom? The statement is deliberately ambiguous, not asserting whether his anger is directed at Joseph or his wife. Is he also angry at losing Joseph’s good services so that he has to take responsibility of his house again?[i]

[i] Waltke, B. K., & Fredricks, C. J. (2001). Genesis: a commentary (p. 521). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

“prison,” בית סהר lit. “house of roundness,”

Since Potiphar is referred to as the “captain of the guard” (39:1) and later Joseph meets Pharaoh’s other officials in the house of the captain of the guard (40:3), it appears that Joseph is detained under Potiphar’s supervision and is there again given authority. In other words, he is transferred to another part of Potiphar’s house. That does not mean that his imprisonment is a farce, but it suggests that Potiphar’s anger may well have been directed toward his wife and that after an adequate show of indignation, Joseph is gradually again moved into a position of authority.[ii]

[ii] Walton, J. H. (2009). Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (Vol. 1, p. 127). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Genesis 39:21–23 ESV

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 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. 23 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.

GOD MADE MAN AS HIS IMAGERS. HE WOULD BE WITH THEM AND HE WOULD BLESS THEM.

MANKIND REJECTED GOD AND THEIR ROLE AS IMAGERS.

GOD GAVE THE NATIONS OVER TO THE DIVINE COUNCIL.

GOD CALLED ABRAM AND HIS FAMILY TO BE HIS NEW IMAGERS. HE WOULD BE WITH THEM AND BLESS THEM AND THROUGH THEM ALL THE PEOPLES WOULD BE BLESSED.

A PATTERN EMERGES: EXALTATION -> BROUGHT DOWN -> EXALTATION

THIS PATTERN IS FULFILLED IN CHRIST!

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

James 5:7–11a (ESV)

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.

8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast.