Read the Passage: Genesis 39–40

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Genesis 39-40

Serving Potiphar (39:1–10)

Recall that prior to the Judah-Interlude recorded in Genesis 38, Joseph had been sold by his brothers to a band of Midianite (or Ishmaelite) slave traders (cf. Acts 7:9). Both Gen. 37:36 and Gen. 39:1 report that Joseph had been sold to Potiphar, a high-ranking official in Egypt who was captain of the royal guard. It is unclear if Potiphar is a proper name or if it is an official title. After recording Joseph being sold into slavery, it is surprising to read, “The Lord was with Joseph” (Gen. 39:2, 3, 21, 23). Observe that we are told that God was with Joseph four times in this chapter, as well as the fact that God blessed him (cf. Gen. 39:5), and gave him success (cf. Gen. 39:2), prosperity (cf. Gen. 39:3, 23), favor (Gen. 39:21b), and mercy (Gen. 39:21a). Despite Joseph’s unjust imprisonment, God was still in control of Joseph’s life, and God was providentially superintending matters for Joseph’s good.

While Joseph was a slave in Potiphar’s house, God blessed Joseph with prosperity and favor, which resulted in Potiphar making Joseph a steward of all that he owned. The blessing and favor that Joseph experienced, even as a slave, was a result of him being under the Abrahamic Covenant, which entailed God’s promise, “I will bless you . . . and you shall be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2). It is remarkable that Joseph was so competent and so trustworthy that Potiphar “did not [even] know what he had except for the bread which he ate” (Gen. 39:6). Yet, it is ominous when Gen. 39:6 reports, “Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” The fact that Joseph was both talented and handsome moved Potiphar’s wife to “cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me’” (Gen. 39:7). Joseph, however, declined the sinful, daily, adulterous advances of Potiphar’s wife.

Resisting Temptation (39:11–23)

While Joseph certainly made the right decision to resist the advances of Potiphar’s wife, it is up for debate whether he could have taken further steps to distance himself from her, or at least to ensure that he would not be in her presence alone. Indeed, Joseph embodies the teaching of 2 Tim. 2:22, “Flee youthful lusts . . . pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Yet, in both the earlier dream narrative involving his family and in his interaction with Potiphar’s wife in this passage, Joseph’s actions may be somewhat naïve. Recall that Jesus taught his followers, “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16). Whether it was due, then, to personal naivety or to unavoidable circumstances, Joseph was accosted by Potiphar’s wife in the house. Consequently, Joseph was forced to flee her seductive advances, which left him open and vulnerable to false charges and a false narrative.

Observe that when Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife’s advances, as she spoke to her other servants, Potiphar’s wife implicitly implicated her husband, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us” (Gen. 39:14). Both the righteousness of Joseph and the duplicity of Potiphar’s wife, invites the questions of whether or not Potiphar was aware of his wife’s shallow character, and whether he believed her contrived account. Even so, Potiphar’s anger was aroused by these events, and he was forced to place Joseph in the royal prison. In keeping with the earlier pattern, Gen. 30:21–23 records that God was with Joseph, as He showed him mercy and gave him favor and prosperity. Indeed, just as Potiphar had put his entire household under Joseph’s care (cf. Gen. 39:6), so “the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison” (Gen. 39:22).

Interpreting Dreams (40:1–23)

Just as Genesis 39 records that Joseph’s dreams about his family played a role in his exile to Egypt, so Genesis 40 reports that Joseph’s interpretation of dreams will play a role in his release from prison. In this chapter Joseph encounters two of Pharaoh’s servants in prison: the king’s chief butler (or cup-bearer) and his chief baker. Each of these men had a dream on the same evening over which they were struggling. Joseph then volunteered to help interpret their dreams. Observe that Joseph was careful to rhetorically ask, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Gen. 40:8; cf. Dan. 2:28). Upon hearing the details of their dreams Joseph correctly explained that the chief butler would be restored to his position of service within three days, and that the chief baker would be executed within three days. Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him once he was released; however, the butler quickly forgot Joseph.

Application Questions:

1. Like Joseph, have you ever experienced a trial, tragedy, or suffering that God used for spiritual maturity and kingdom growth?
2. When our external circumstances are unfavorable, how can we be certain of God’s providential control?
3. What practical steps can believers take to avoid temptations and to escape compromising situations?
4. How can we explain the favor, from both God and man, that Joseph repeatedly experienced amid trying circumstances?
5. Is the interpretation of dreams a legitimate practice today? Ought Christians to expect to receive dreams from God?