Pharaoh’s Prisoned Servants Have Dreams - Genesis 40:5-8

Then the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, they both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the mourning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. And he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?” Then they said to him, “We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”

God has Joseph and the king’s cupbearer and baker all in the same prison at the same time. The text says that both the baker and the cupbearer had separate dreams on the same night. It clearly states these dreams had their own interpretation. This, in my mind, is a significant statement. Clearly some dreams do have interpretations. What we are not told from this passage is that all dreams have interpretations – they may not. Dreams can be explained but they do not necessarily predict the future. The fact that the author of Genesis indicates these two dreams did have an interpretation, further supports the idea that all dreams do not. I do not believe we are to go about seeking an interpretation of each and every dream that we have. It may have just been the overabundance of chili peppers we had for supper the night before.

In the morning Joseph, being in charge of the prisoners, personally goes to check their well-being and finds the baker and the cupbearer very depressed. The text actually says he “observed them”. Here is Joseph in jail himself and he continues to do his assigned work with great care and diligence. These men were fellow-prisoners, confined with him. Why would he bother to treat them so well? Yet he enquires of them as to the cause of their woes and finds out that it is due to having no one who could interpret their dreams. And he does not just say, “oh, I see” and then moves on. I am reminded of a dear lady at a church I attended lately. As I often saw her in the lobby, I would call out, “how are you?” and keep on going. One day she blocked my path just as I had uttered the usual question and put her hands on both my shoulders and said, “Please don’t ask me how I am unless you really care and can stop long enough to have me respond. Instead, just say ‘hello’ and keeping on going.” Wow. That stunned me and I have never since asked anyone “how are you?” on the fly. Joseph was not ‘on the fly’ with the people he was in charge of. The question remains for us, “Would we go that far when we ourselves are imprisoned in the affairs of life?”

Although I have never had this desire or curiosity, I am told most people crave to have their dreams interpreted. That’s why when you ‘google’ “dream interpreters” on the Internet these days you get thousands of hits. But Joseph, indicating his actual awareness of God and his desire to bow to His authority, tells the baker and the cupbearer that “interpretations belong to God”. Now, here is the interesting perspective that Joseph had. I believe he realized he had a special relationship with God and it is for that reason he felt comfortable acknowledging that interpretations do belong to Him and at the same time to ask the prisoners to tell him their dreams so through God’s guidance and direction, Joseph himself could interpret them.

Have you ever been in a situation like that? Have you ever felt close enough to God to honestly believe that you could speak or interpret for Him? Many of course think they are there all the time. I would, however, caution us to be careful in that regard. I would point out Joseph had done nothing special, as far as we know, to acquire that gift. He could not boast that he deserved it or earned it. It was clearly all God’s choosing. He was simply someone God wanted to use. And he himself may not have even known it. In fact, he certainly didn’t have to go around telling people “I have the gift”. I would caution against those that do just that.

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Joseph’s Success In Jail - Genesis 39:21-23

But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. And the chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper.

There is nothing better that could happen to a person either already in trouble or heading towards it than to have a “but God” inserted into his or her life as was the case with Joseph at the beginning of this portion of scripture. And often that “but” is accompanied with the very presence of God. The text says, “But the Lord was with Joseph”.

For some humanly unknown reason Joseph was treated kindly in prison by the jailers. Yet the text says it was God who did that. It was also God who actually “gave him favor” with the chief jailer. Here is a beautiful account of how God wants to be involved in the lives of His children. He wants to be with us. He wants to extend kindness to us through others. He wants to have us succeed in the long run.

As we read what the chief jailer does, putting all the prisoners in the jail under Joseph’s charge, we think, “here we go again; the kid still has his charm and skills and abilities!” Do you ever wonder why, besides the obvious fact that God was with him, Joseph rises to the top of his situation and environment again? I think it is because the gifts and strengths that God builds into us, or entrusts to us, in our character and personality and the way we operate are gifts that are lasting and transferable to wherever He places us. Also He may have trained us in one situation and now wants to use us in another.

We should also note that Joseph did not say to the chief jailer, “No thanks; been there, done that and I got burned in big way last time. Just give the responsibility to someone else, please.” No, he accepted what “God” was handing him again through the jailer. In that new position, he gained the trust of his authority and became responsible for all that was done by and through the prisoners. And the text says that the chief jailer stayed out of the way “because the Lord was with” Joseph. Trust had been lost in Potiphar’s house and had been regained in prison. When things go badly for the true child of God, some of the world may be finished with him or her, but God is not.

I recently had to deal with an issue of trust in ministry. Because of the situation, it was mutually agreed by the individual and the organization involved that there should be a parting of the ways. But I am convinced that God is not finished with that individual; He is not finished using their strengths and talents. It will be a matter of where and how and the individual’s willingness to let God interfere with a ‘but God’ and with His presence.

This section of scripture ends with “and whatever (Joseph) did, the Lord made to prosper.” It is God allowing the succeeding, not Joseph in this case, not the jailer’s wise supervision, not you or I in our own case, not because of those around us – but God. It is my prayer that each of us sees the mighty presence of God’s hand in all that we do each day and for the rest of our lives. When we notice that, we can then start asking Him to make evident His ultimate intent and purpose for our situation and life. God’s purpose for Joseph was about to be revealed. Stay tuned.

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Potiphar’s Ire and Joseph’s Imprisonment - Genesis 39:19-20

Now it came about when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me”; that his anger burned. So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail.

Do you ever get a story from a relative about another person that just makes your blood boil? That happened to Potiphar when he came home to find his wife holding on to Joseph’s garment and telling him he tried to rape her. Although it depends on who is doing the telling, we normally buy into the story right away. Potiphar did just that, but as we know, he was wrong.

When something which at first appears a little unbelievable is told to us, it would be wise for us to pause and consider what is being said; who is saying it; why are they saying it; and what we personally know concerning the person it is said about. We need to verify it against our own knowledge and understanding and to the best of our ability, against the facts. Perhaps we would be wise also to check it with the person who may be the subject of the news.

We often fail to do so. That gets us into problems with family, with friends, and if the truth be known, with those other brothers and sisters that we worship with. Making the practice of not doing this kind of verifying starts at an early age (I have seen it in my grandchildren) and unless parents take the time to help children work out and correct the reality, it will go unchecked right into adulthood.

Of course, there are always clues along the way that should cause us to think there might be another side to any bit of surprising news. In Potiphar’s case, he may have been more sensitive and tuned in to the kind of wife he had or the feelings she was experiencing at the time. Or, he may have paid more attention to the fact that her story may not have been as accurate, given that she used it as another opportunity to blame him for all her problems. But he missed both of these clues.

Behaving true to his normal pattern, he instead reacted with himself in mind. After all, to Potiphar life was all indeed about him. So he feels very betrayed by Joseph and thus the text says ‘anger burned’ inside him. He may also have realized that now he would be ridiculed by those who had opposed his decision to trust Joseph as he had. So he acts and he acts in a most definitive way. Our first lesson here is to not act hastily as Potiphar did. There is no enquiry, no cross-examination, no opportunity for Joseph to tell his story. He is once again treated, without notice, like a simple valueless slave.

But there is also a lesson for us if when we feel like Joseph, the one lied about, the one not listened to, the one discarded like a slave who no longer had any purpose. You see Potiphar throws Joseph in jail with no word as to how long his sentence would last. For all we know, he was there to die. But here’s the interesting thing – Joseph got thrown into the jail that also housed the prisoners of the king himself. We cannot fully appreciate the significance of this bit of information until we finish the story of Joseph in the Bible, but suffice it to say, God had His hand in the selection of the jail Potiphar used.

I love the last phrase of verse 20. It simply reads, “and he was there in jail” period. The story could have ended there – “starry-eyed Israelite dreamer boy ends up as a big shot in Egypt but left to die in the king’s prison. Next story please.” But no, because the very next word, the first word of the very next verse, verse 20, is, once again, my favorite word in Scripture – “But”!

Where are you today? Were you a person with big dreams that somehow just got the bad breaks of life or had other people take advantage of you? Have you somehow ended up in a spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, or social prison? You need not be alone. You need to know that God has indeed reserved one or more of my favorite words just for your life. You need to know that He is willing and able to change things starting right now if you let Him, if you recognize that your only hope is “But God!” I pray you will be able to do that today.

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A Scorned Woman Takes Revenge - Genesis 39:13-18

When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled outside, she called to the men of her household, and said to them, “See, he has bought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed. And it came about when he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, that he left his garment beside me and fled, and went outside.” So she left his garment beside her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with these words, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; and it happened as I raised my voice and screamed, that he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

Joseph flees the seductive wife of Potiphar who forcibly pursued him, but in so doing he has left his garment in her hands. She immediately calls the menservants who had been outside and gives them an interesting account of what had just transpired. But she blames her husband for placing a Hebrew in such a high position. Then she blames the Hebrew for wanting to simply do whatever he wants with the entire household, including now her. She lies about who was the aggressor in this assault, saying she screamed when he wanted to make love to her, causing Joseph to flee and leave his garment.

The garment becomes the treasured piece of evidence that she holds on to and awaits Potiphar’s return. When her husband does come home, she repeats the lies, continuing to blame him for the situation – “the Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us” – and then falsely emphasizes her own innocence. Here was a woman spurned by someone she wanted as a lover, probably ignored by her husband, bored to death with her life, and now on top of all that, her dignity had been damaged severely.

What is the lesson here for you and me? If you live long enough and sometimes, but not always, uprightly enough, there will come a time when you are falsely accused. Life is like that; people are like that. You may have done all the right things in dealing with a situation. You, like Joseph, may have said, “no” to sin repeatedly. But the ‘enemy’ does not let go; he does not give up. He keeps working things just so that it seems you will pay even more for not giving in to the ‘sin’. That is what happened to Joseph in these verses.

First, at the sexual fancy and then on the mental whim of one person, in this case Potiphar’s dissatisfied wife, a man’s reputation and his career are wiped out in one brief and on his part, innocent, encounter with her. What a bummer. Has that ever happened to you? Perhaps not with respect to sex or adultery, but perhaps involving some action you took or did not take at work, something you said or did not say in a relationship, a misunderstanding of a position taken at church, or the like.

Here was Joseph, alone in a strange land. All the friends he had gained were likely Egyptians and now with this turn of events, none of them would stand with him. And I am sure matters would just get worse.

But here is the consolation. Back in the second verse of this chapter, we read the following words, “And the Lord was with Joseph”. Was this still not the case? I believe it was. Joseph had done nothing to cause the Lord to depart from him. He was still with him. Why then all this trouble for our hero? Why all this trouble for you if you have been in similar situations? Those of us, who know the outcome of this story, may know the reason. For the rest, here’s a clue. Potiphar, whom Joseph worked for, was a pretty important officer in Pharoah’s regiment, but he was not the “main man”. Somehow, God wanted to bring Joseph to the attention of the Pharoah in order to accomplish His purpose. And the Lord was still with Joseph. And He is still with you and me, because He has something He wants to accomplish through you and me.

Stay tuned as we continue with the story of Joseph in Egypt.

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Potiphar’s Wife Makes One Last Effort - Genesis 39:11-12

Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

These two verses are packed with images and lessons. To begin with Joseph is alone in the house with another man’s wife who we know has strong desires for him. And there are no other men around. This is problematic. While I personally am not of the belief that a man must never be alone with another woman who is not his wife, daughter, or other close relative, I am convinced that he should not be alone with another woman if there is or ever has been any evidence of his desiring her or her desiring him, or if one of them knows that the other makes a habit of pursuing adulterous affairs, or if one of them knows his or her own weakness in this regard. Certainly if any of these feelings arise even momentarily during their private, yet legitimate, encounter, one or both of them must immediately put a halt to it and take steps not to repeat the circumstance.

After the information we have in verse 10 of this chapter, Joseph should have known that going alone into Potiphar’s house when only his master’s wife and perhaps her private servants were there, would not be a good idea. Perhaps there is something in a man (and I am sure some women) that causes them to think, “I am above becoming a victim; I can protect myself”. How wrong can one be? And yes, even if you can ‘run away’ as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife insisted he sleep with her, he still left himself open to becoming the victim he may have thought he would never be.

After being refused, Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph’s garment, leaving him no choice but to push her away and flee. In the process he left behind his garment in her hands. Men, I am sure that at some point in your life you have discovered the spurning ability of women, I am sure you will admit that some women cannot be stopped when they have been rejected. In fact, for those of you who are Hollywood movie fans, you will note that millions have been made from movies like Fatal Attraction and other similar ones that play on just that. What we have here in verse 12 is a perfect setup for revenge. Joseph has indeed become the victim and the consequence is about to be felt.

What is the lesson for us? Well perhaps more than one. First, know yourself. Second, know those you work with or for. Third, if you are indeed the innocent victim, know you are not alone. In today’s world, there are more and more charges of sexual assault all the time. Often they are legitimate, but there are also occasions when they are not. I remember once having a sexual harassment complaint made against me by a woman working for me. It turned out, once the company started investigating, that I was indeed her third victim. She had had a record of planning such charges (with her husband’s knowledge) and then settling for considerable sums of money and moving on to the next employer. Fortunately, we exposed her practices and let her go. I was not alone. God was with me through the ordeal. Had I been alone or tried to solve this on my own, I could have lost everything.

As you face temptation today, know yourself, know those you deal with, and know God is with you. And with that knowledge do the right thing.

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Fighting The Persistence of Evil - Genesis 39:10

And it came about as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her to lie beside her, or be with her.

There are some things in life that are “one-time” events. Birth is one; death is another. In between those two, one may be able to think of a small number of other “you only do it once” milestones in life. Certainly for the believer in Jesus, receiving the free gift of salvation is indeed one such event.

But for the most part, life is a journey of repeated opportunities and experiences – some that we welcome; others that we wish would just go away. Those events that most would say “I never want to go through that again” about them represent the latter. A real serious illness for a loved one or us is one such example. Another might be being unemployed for a long time. Still another may be the feeling of being violated when someone has broken into your home and literally trashed everything in sight to get to what they were looking for. And so on.

And then there are the pesky things in life. The power keeps going out. The kids keep losing their mittens. The car always needs repairs. My clothes no longer fit. I have the “nothing to wear again” blues. And so on.

Somewhere between these and the ‘never again’ events lies ‘temptation’. According to Wikipedia, “a temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological (including feeling guilt), health, economic, etc.”

Wikipedia continues with respect to the word’s derivation: “Though at present used in many non-religious connotations, the term has implications deeply rooted in Judaism and the Old Testament, starting with the story of Adam and Eve and the original sin.” Finally it goes on to give this observation: “‘Temptation’ is usually used in a loose sense to describe actions which indicate a lack of self control.”

I am sure there are entire sermons that can be written and given on the very concepts included in the above write-up. The Bible does deal extensively with ‘temptation’. Today’s verse is an early example.

Potiphar’s wife was indeed Joseph’s temptation. She persisted “day after day”. Temptation is like that, once it gets the whiff of your presence that it craves, it hunts you down until either it captures you or you kill it. You can only fight it or even run away from it for so long. At some point, you will need to give in to it, utterly destroy it, or ‘get out of Dodge’. Those are your choices. Giving in usually wins hands down, but it does not need to. Removing yourself from the circumstances (changing jobs, or neighborhoods, changing churches, etc.) can help tremendously but inherently there are two problems with that. First, it is not always practical. Second, you may just be running into the next bad town, scene, church or workplace. Somehow, your best choice is to determine how you can utterly destroy it.

The good news is that like Joseph, you do not have to do it alone. God is willing to fight temptation with you. He’s an expert at that. When faced with temptation, we often fail to avail ourselves of the greatest resource given to us to contend against all evil and that is Jesus Christ. God has given us everything in Him (Ephesians 1:3). With Him, all things are indeed possible. The scripture says Joseph “did not listen” to his temptation. He did not sleep with Potiphar’s wife. In fact, he avoided her.

There is no better advice we can give each other. Stand firm and fight temptation. Do not give in. Count on God’s help. Then avoid the circumstances that allow temptation to think it still has a chance. That is my desire for each of us today as we battle the temptations we will all face, even this day.

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Potiphar’s Wife Desires Joseph - Genesis 39:7-9

And it came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me around, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house that I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”

Joseph is in charge of everything in Potiphar’s house except Potiphar’s wife. And she has a mind of her own. There was nothing shy about her. She was attracted to Joseph’s handsome form and appearance (Genesis 39:6), desired him physically, and boldly asked him to sleep with her.

Joseph not only refuses but also he rebukes her for what she is asking. He recognizes his position of authority and responsibility. But more importantly he recognizes both the sanctity of marriage (“because you are his [Potiphar’s] wife”) as well his moral obligation to God (“How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”).

Today we need to stop and think not only of others we know that may have fallen in adultery, but also whether or not we are able to prevent such a fall. These two verses seem to offer four excellent points in dealing with the situation:
1. Understand our position of authority and realize that there are inherent dangers that go along with it. The opportunities to fall into temptation and commit sin are great. We cannot conquer these snares alone; we need the protection and guidance of God at all times.
2. Understand the responsibilities we have to others in our role. These include responsibilities to our employer, our colleagues, our own family, and to those who trust us outside the position. In the case of pastors or leaders, this includes those that rely on us to be, among other things, a strong moral example.
3. Understand and be committed to the sanctity of marriage. For a Christian, the argument of “mutual consent” does not apply when sleeping with another person’s spouse. It did not matter that Joseph was single; his master’s wife was not. Neither Potiphar nor God would have granted such permission and for the Christian, every marriage is a tri-fold bond between husband, wife, and God. In fact, for the Christian, lest I be misunderstood, all adultery is wrong – even when both parties are single.
4. Understand committing adultery is not only “a great evil” but also a “sin against God”. Can He deal with it? Yes, of course He can and He has throughout the Old and New Testament and right through to today when His own children fall, but it does not make Him happy. It breaks His heart. There is a way back, but there are also most often some very real concrete and difficult consequences.

It is my prayer that each of us understands fully the implications of adultery in our lives and is able, with God’s help, to overcome the attractiveness of its fleeting pleasures that last only for a season. Let us do all we can to avoid the nightmares that often last for a lifetime. I pray God will make that a reality in your life and in mine.

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The Marketing of Evil -- Part VIII - The Truth About Abortion and Our Last Hope

Last in a series. I thought I knew a lot about abortion. I was mistaken. David Kupelian's chapter "Blood Confessions" on the topic in his book "The Marketing of Evil" made me mad. It also made me more committed than ever to play some role in addressing this modern day Holocaust. Here then are some of my notes/thoughts on reading that chapter as well as his concluding chapter entitled "Last, Best Hope". And by the way, I recommend you skip this synopsis -- just make sure you read the whole book!

Blood Confessions

* How did we ever get from "killing the unborn" to "choice"? Kupelian explains how the liberals and pro-abortionists get involved in "issue formulation".

* He quotes the original planners of the abortion movement of publicly lying about facts and publishing phony polls because they knew that would drive public opinion.

* He tells the story of one doctor who got fired when he started to question his involvement in abortions. That man went on to produce a film in 1985 entitled "The Silent Scream" which put the pro-life people on the offensive and the pro-abortion people on the defensive. In 1987, he produced another film called "The Eclipse of Reason" which was introduced by the late Charleston Heston. It showed exactly what happens in abortion at just 12 weeks from conception. It shows how piece by piece of the fetus is suctioned out and then re-assembled on a cold table to be sure they got it all. Contrary to popular opinion, the decision in the famous Roe vs. Wade case actually allows abortion anytime during the full nine-month term.

* As the title of the chapter suggests, person after person who no longer supports abortion but was intimately involved in thousands of them, confesses what was going on. He shares the lies they admitted telling to pregnant women. Lies like there is no pain involved for the mother or fetus; or that it is not a baby, but only a blood clot; or that there are no alternatives to an abortion.

* As I read this chapter I realized that being pro-choice is not being morally-neutral while being pro-life is just plain being moral.

* Kupelian shares what he learned and was told about concerning all the cash deals with no records so that there could be no lawsuits or any need for expensive insurance. And of course, that cuts down on any taxes to be paid. After all, the government doesn't really need "blood money". He shares how ultrasound was used to determine how far along the baby was because the further along it was, the more they could charge for the abortion.

* Mothers were not allowed to see/watch their ultrasound in case they heard the heartbeat and changed their mind.

* Finally, aborted baby after aborted baby was thrown down a garbage disposal shute. All of this evidence is documented.

* And then Kupelian makes this statement: "The question of how doctors could tear apart a virtually full-grown baby is painful, perplexing, mystifying." Amen. But he tries to explain as best he can (through the testimony of doctors) exactly how they come to do that starting when at medical school. It's frightening. Doctors actually talk about getting callous and some make statements like, "my God, that's a person!"

* He can only conclude that indeed while the Holocaust that Jews lived through was terrible and words cannot describe, today we are witnessing North America's Abortion Holocaust and we are being silent about it for the most part. Many who were for abortion and performed them in the past and have since become pro-life are madly trying to put the genie back in the bottle but it is very difficult. He has an excellent section on the relationship between hypnosis and abortion -- you'll want to check that out. He says many believe that being legal makes something moral. He shares the whole story of the "utter fraud of Planned Parenthood, the world's largest abortion provider, founded by the racist eugenicist Margaret Sanger, who preached the inferiority of nonwhite races and had close ties to Hitler's director of genetic sterilization, Ernst Rudin." And finally, he shares the full story of Norma McCurvey, the real person who was the "Jane Roe" in the Roe vs. Wade case. She shares how that whole case was a fraud and how she was used by abortion rights attorneys in their quest to legalize the procedure. You'll want to read that for yourself. She is doing all she can to reverse the decision but much is falling on deaf ears.

Last, Best Hope

In his final chapter of the book, David Kupelian talks about the silence of the institutional church and the failure of some churches to deal with the homosexual issues they are confronted with and the other issues he has identified and addressed in his book. But he also talks about the evangelical churches and how they have embraced "abandonment theology" -- that is, the thinking that says "with the end so near, why fight?" (I must admit up to about a year or two ago I was like that, but no longer.) He explains how evangelicals have become the "invisible Christians" and the consequences of us being that.

Kupelian describes the results of our "Christian mimicry of a thoroughly unchristian popular culture" and he does that very well and in great detail. Finally he calls each of us to compare what we mean by a follower of Jesus Christ, by being born-again, by being a believer if you like, against what Jesus Himself or the Apostle Paul meant by those concepts. He concludes by suggesting that the last, best hope may well be for each of us to pursue a "love of truth". It's a fascinating and well-constructed conclusion.

I give the book five stars. Please give it your time -- for the sake of those that come after you. -- Ken Godevenos, Consultant to Corporations and Non-Profits.

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