Daily Bible Devotionals

“Then Pharaoh asked his brothers, ‘What is your occupation?’  And they said to Pharaoh, ‘Your servants, both we and our fathers, are shepherds.’ Then they said to Pharaoh, ‘We have to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Now that your father and brothers have come to you, the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” Genesis 47:3-6 (HCSB)

Today’s passage doesn’t seem to pack much of a punch. It’s more of a formal conversation between a few of Joseph’s brothers and Pharaoh. It’s like the “handshake” that concludes a business deal. There isn’t much drama here, but when placed with its preceding verses in chapter 46, the conversation takes on more of a clever sense:

“Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; indeed they raise livestock. They have brought their sheep and cattle and all that they have. When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, “What is your occupation?” you are to say, “Your servants, both we and our fathers, have raised livestock from our youth until now.”  Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians.’”  Genesis 46:31-34 (HCSB)

Joseph knew his brothers. These were the men who beat him and sold him into slavery. He knew that for Israel to prosper long term, they needed to be separate from Egypt! That is a good lesson for us. Seriously, we all know how our proximity to the World negatively affects our spiritual walk. That is why we are commanded not to be “of” the World, even though we are in it. Not only did God lead Israel into Egypt, but He also led them to a place where they could be separate from the Egyptians!!

Joseph also knew the Egyptians. Funny, by this time, Joseph was literally “shepherding” Egypt. He was the most powerful man in Egypt. Pharaoh told him that, aside from the title “pharaoh,” Joseph was in charge of Egypt. Still, the Egyptians could not make the abstract connection between “sheepherder” and “shepherd/overseer.”  They despised people who herded sheep, but they did not see themselves as “sheep.”  Isn’t that interesting? Because God honors shepherds. David was a shepherd. Moses was shepherding when God called him. Shepherds were the first to worship the Messiah. Jesus called Himself “the Good Shepherd.”

Bottom line: The Egyptians were more interested in image than goodness. They wanted to be considered “somebody” but didn’t care about anybody. No, Joseph didn’t want that attitude saturating the mindset of Israel. So, with one handshake, Joseph ensured Israel would be separate from Egypt, and Egypt would not want to be close to Israel. Have you determined to live your life “in but not of” the World?

“Israel set out with all he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: ‘Jacob! Jacob!’ He said. And Jacob replied, ‘Here I am.’ God said, ‘I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will bring you back. Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.’” Genesis 46:1-4 (HCSB)

I always liked this verbal exchange between Jacob and the Lord. First off, Jacob seems to be learning his lessons. Having set out on his journey, Jacob realized the gravity of his travel and offered a sacrifice to “the God of his father Isaac.” He had experienced significant moments of Divine deliverance, but given his recent family history, Jacob must have been wondering if the Lord had abandoned him. The “heel catcher” (That was the meaning of his name, Jacob) was wondering if he was setting himself up for another fall.

It’s interesting how God called him by his former name, “Jacob,” and not the name He had bestowed upon him earlier: Israel. As long as Jacob perceived a distance from himself and the Lord, he would most likely fall back into his old ways. I believe God reminded him of where he had been before assuring him where he was going.

God’s reference to His association with Isaac was a sober reminder that God’s PROMISE is the sustaining factor in Israel’s blessing…not Jacob’s righteousness.

Once that is established, God articulates His grace toward Jacob and all of Israel. His blessing is not “I’ll be here holding down the fort in Canaan. Hope you write often….” No, God promised to accompany Israel personally. God’s promise is enough, but His presence is even better!! God would make Israel a great nation during their stay in Egypt. Notice that “great” does not mean “righteous” but simply “large.” Righteousness would come much later, during the children of Israel’s time in the desert. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was quick. It took 40 years to purge “Egypt” from Israel.

It is remarkable how God told all of this to Abraham everything, even down to the 400 years of Egyptian slavery. And it all came true. Now, God was making promises to Jacob. In a few days, we will read of the fulfillment of some of those promises. Here is a sneak peek:        

“So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.” Genesis 50:12-14 (HCSB)

God keeps His promises. He can be trusted, and He has the power to accomplish His will despite even His own children’s sinful ignorance. So, what promises of His are you trusting in?

“God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over the land of Egypt.”  Genesis 45:7-8 (HCSB)

With incredible generosity, Joseph reassures his brothers by pointing out God’s purpose and plan, which has overruled their crime. This event foreshadows Jesus’ first statement from the cross:

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 (HCSB)

Was it a crime for Jacob’s brothers to abuse and sell him into slavery? Yes. Did they suffer the consequences of their sin? Of course, they did. But was their consequence as great as it “should” have been had it been reviewed by an impartial judge? No.  

Here, we see, perhaps, the most significant similarity between Joseph and Jesus. Biblically, this combination of Grace and Mercy was completely without precedence until Joseph revealed his intentions to his brothers. Here was a man who had undergone severe physical, social, emotional, and financial hardships…completely undeserved. Yet, Joseph’s response was based solely on his belief in God’s promise.  

Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done!”  Jesus had faith that the grave could not hold down those to whom the Lord would summon, “Arise!”  His faith in God’s Word and character allowed Messiah to endure the cross, free of any entanglements this World might otherwise hold. Jesus held no malice to compel Him to keep “souvenirs of hate” towards those who crucified Him.

Who could be offended by so great a love shown towards us? I can identify with Joseph’s brothers in that I once had difficulty coping with the reality that I was REALLY forgiven!

As God told Abraham to leave his father’s house and go to the place He would show him, Joseph also told his brothers to leave everything in Canaan to quickly receive the fullness of their deliverance.

Likewise, Jesus charges all who would follow Him: “Leave everything and follow me.”  Have you partially followed Jesus? That is, have you enjoyed proximity to Him without actually committing to know Him in a saving way? Until you do so, you are not “fully delivered.”  And nobody wants to be left outside of salvation: Matthew 7:21-29 If you haven’t already, I urge you to fully receive Jesus today!

“Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.'  Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers.”  Genesis 44:32-33 (HCSB)

After all the talk of Joseph being a “type” of Messiah, maybe we should give Judah a closer look.

The spirit of self-sacrifice, which Judah’s speech reveals, holds parallels to the life story of Moses. Judah offered to remain as a slave in Benjamin’s place, while Moses sought God to blot out his name from the Book of Life unless his people, Israel, were saved along with him.

The same spirit was displayed in the Apostle Paul, who called himself a voluntary “slave of Messiah.”  He made himself a slave (servant) to all so that by all means, he might win some for Messiah. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) Paul also said he wished that he could be cut off from the Lord so that others could take his place in the kingdom. (Romans 9:3)

Of course, the greatest display of self-sacrifice was Jesus upon the cross. He gave himself completely so our sin debt would be laid upon Him, that His righteousness could then be imputed to us. As Judah voluntarily offered himself completely accountable for the life of his brother, Jesus held Himself accountable for the disciples the Lord had given to Him.  

Jesus prayed to the Lord before His crucifixion: “I have lost NONE of all that You have given to me” John 18:9 (HCSB)

For those who have accepted the Grace of God through faithful belief in the resurrected Messiah, our names have been added to the Book of Life. We become sons and daughters of God, hence, brothers and sisters of Jesus as co-inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.  

Lastly, the Bible even calls Jesus the “Lion of Judah.”  

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.’”  Revelation 5:5 (HCSB)

How much more significant than Judah is Jesus, author of creation, who stands in your place of punishment just to save you?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Genesis 43. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then they said to each other, ‘Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.’ But Reuben replied: ‘Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!’”  Genesis 42:21-22

Drawing again from the “Messiah imagery” in the Joseph story, there are two hauntingly familiar statements in the gospels.

The first words are those of Pilate recorded by the apostle Matthew, “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!”  Matthew 27:24 (HCSB)

Reuben, as firstborn, had the birthright to spiritually lead his brothers. Just as Pilate caved into the pressure of the religious leaders, Reuben caved into the pressure of his brothers. Instead of protecting Joseph, based on what was right before the Lord, Reuben chose to stop defending Joseph…perhaps believing his defense would jeopardize his own life.  

The second haunting image is the Jewish leaders responding to Pilate’s plea to set Jesus free. “All the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!”  In the heat of the moment, Israel’s sons’ viciously envious attitudes (towards Joseph) foretold the attitude their descendants would have towards Messiah Jesus.

Blinded by hatred, both groups (Joseph’s and Jesus’ “brothers”) sought to kill the one/One whom God had anointed to save them. Sadly, as was the case with Joseph’s brothers, so it will be for all whose sinful actions against Messiah meet their logical end…both Jew and Gentile. (In essence, all our sins have played a role in Jesus’ suffering.)  They must eventually take ownership of and bear great shame for their attitudes and actions against Him.  

We will all face the Lord someday, and we must recognize just how much Jesus’ suffering provided our way out. The Bible states that “every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus, Messiah, is Lord.”  Like Joseph’s brothers in Egypt, we are given a choice to accept the grace and forgiveness offered by the Messiah and follow His leading. But first, we must acknowledge our sin and humble ourselves before Him.

Now that the greatness of our sin (and the certainty of our judgment) has been brought to light, who could reject so gracious a gift of salvation? (Hebrews 2:2-3)

“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.’ ‘I am not able to,’ Joseph answered Pharaoh. ‘It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.’” Genesis 41:15-16 (HCSB)

I believe some clarification may be needed to help us appreciate the dynamics of this verbal exchange between Joseph and Pharaoh. First, in Egyptian culture, Pharaoh was considered to be a god. Not only was he thought to be a god among gods, but it was also assumed he was the central deity, the “God of gods,” so to speak.

It was uncommon for a prisoner/slave to exchange words with this “man/deity” yet notice Joseph’s casual banter. He is essentially schooling Pharaoh. Joseph’s message that God would provide the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream indirectly exposed something maybe only Pharaoh himself knew: Pharaoh was no god. If Pharaoh was “God above all gods,” why couldn’t he interpret his own dreams? Furthermore, wouldn’t any other “god” whom Pharaoh consulted immediately assume authority over him…proving he wasn’t the “God of gods”?

We live in an era where image is everything. The basic celebrity promotions game is summed up like this: Spotlight the good and conceal the bad. Joseph deflected praise that would have elevated his image in the eyes of the Egyptians. Perhaps he learned a lesson from his brother’s response to the coat of many colors. Joseph understood that image only gets you so far. But the Lord can exalt and sustain a man beyond human circumstances.  

Eventually, all men must produce results to back up their images, and it is possible for a man’s charisma to garner them access to places where his character cannot keep him. Put another way: talk is cheap. Joseph knew that men were unable to interpret prophetic dreams. Only God can explain the prophecy because only God gives true prophetic messages.

What can we learn from Joseph today? 1) God has a plan for you, which may involve unjust opposition and suffering. 2) Despite our circumstances, we are still required to act with humility, wisdom, and integrity. 3) Never assume that God will respond to your requests in any particular way, even when you entreat Him wholeheartedly.

We can only assume the facts:  God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and His character never changes. When we commit to putting that knowledge into our operational theology, only then will we learn the secret of contentment.

“I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13 (HCSB)

“Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined.”  Genesis 40:2-3 (HCSB)

At the beginning of Genesis 39, Joseph rose to the head of Potiphar’s household. Potiphar was the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. The middle of chapter 39 details a false sexual harassment accusation, landing Joseph in prison. But by the end of chapter 39, Joseph rises again to a position of leadership. He is still in prison but a leader, nonetheless.

Having said all that, the beginning of chapter 40 indicates that the prison where Joseph was held was Potiphar’s own home…“the house of the captain of the guard.”

If somebody made a pass at my wife, the last thing I would want is to keep him in my basement at home! Compound that with the knowledge that Joseph’s former boss was the captain of the guard! It would have been nothing for Potiphar to kill Joseph, yet he allowed Joseph to stay. Why?

There are many answers. The obvious answer is that God’s providence protected, preserved, and prospered Joseph. But what would Potiphar’s logic have been? Maybe Potiphar needed a sharp man running his prison, no matter how soiled his character may have been. Perhaps Potiphar knew his wife was unfaithful but didn’t want to publicly accuse Joseph or his wife. That would cause a scandal that might damage his reputation. It could have been that Joseph had charisma and an indispensable way with money!

God probably used a myriad of factors to get Joseph to Potiphar’s home and keep him there. Why? For the simple reason that God had redemption plans for His people, Israel. Obviously, Joseph was a leadership triple threat: Great looks, shrewd stewardship skills, and the gifts of prophecy & interpretation. They were all gifts from God, which, in some circumstances, led Joseph into trouble. Joseph may have even cursed them all at specific points in his life. But since they were gifts from the Lord, they ultimately had a Kingdom purpose, and Joseph discovered that he NEEDED them all.

Joseph needed to be a slave to prove himself a good steward in Potiphar’s home. He needed to be attractive so that he could be accused and imprisoned. He needed to be imprisoned to interpret dreams… and the list goes. Our directive is not to figure out God’s plan but to honor His Name in all circumstances He places us in, trusting His leading. (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

Every step of our journeys is a destination of sorts, yet God leads us onward. Wherever God led, Joseph glorified Him.  Don’t waste your time focusing on “arriving.”  Find joy in the journey of trusting God. He is with you, knows everything you are going through, has the power to affect change, and has the wisdom to know when & how. And He has an unchanging character. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 Romans 8:28)

“Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, ‘Sleep with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such an evil and sin against God?’” Genesis 39:6b-9 (HCSB)

Like the “tree of Knowledge” was to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, so was Potiphar’s wife to Joseph in Potifer’s house. (If Joseph can be considered a “Type of Messiah,” his response to temptation surely passed the test!

Joseph had everything going for him. He was handsome and brilliant. Despite difficult circumstances, he (again) rose to a position of authority. If it seemed unnatural for a 17-year-old to supervise his ten elder shepherd brothers, imagine the same youth running the household of the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt. Some guys seem destined for success, but success can have unforeseen downsides. Joseph knew this all too well.

I have been around many successful people in my career, and I generally sort them into two piles:  Humble and self-absorbed. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground, and sadly, the humble variety is in very short supply. Joseph was humble, while Potiphar’s wife was utterly self-absorbed.  

If there were ever a “stud,” it would have been Joseph. Perhaps his experience with his brothers taught him to restrain his tongue. Perhaps those early days in slavery taught him to be thankful for even the lowliest position of authority. I believe his faith in God (and his response to God’s faithfulness) gave Joseph his resolve.

Perhaps that is the lesson of today’s passage. Joseph faithfully served Potiphar because Joseph served God. He worked as unto the Lord. On the other hand, Potiphar’s wife did not have the Lord’s moral compass. Potiphar’s wife could not honor her husband because she had no relationship with the Lord. She simply lived to serve herself. And the types of gods she served were, most likely, those whose only reason for existence was to serve her.

But we cannot escape the reality that there is only one true God and only one salvation, found exclusively in Jesus.  

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6 (HCSB)

If we reject Jesus, the only “god” we are left to serve is the one we see looking back at us in the mirror.