Day 25. Reading in Genesis 38 – 40. 

I invite you to read the scripture for the day and meditate on it. What stood out to you?

Genesis 38.

What a chapter. It shows that God can use the vilest of us for His glory when He changes our hearts. 

Judah, Jacob’s fourth son to his wife Leah, is the next in line for inheritance. (We’ll learn that Rueben, Simeon, and Levi were all disqualified through their actions. See Genesis 49:3-8) 

Judah takes a wife and has three sons. When they grow up, he gets a wife for the eldest, but Er is wicked, and God kills him before he can father children.  As customary in those days, Judah gives his second son to Tamar to fulfill his duty and make an inheritance for his dead brother. Onan is wicked as well and does NOT do his duty, so God kills him. Judah’s third son is still a boy. (And besides, Judah doesn’t want HIM to die too.)

Widow Tamar goes back home to wait for Shelah to grow up.  He does, but no word is sent. So she takes things into her own hands, plays a prostitute, and lures Judah into her tent (his own wife has died). He leaves his signet with the cord, and his staff for surety for the goat he promises to send her. But she disappears back home, keeping the three items. 

When it’s discovered, and Judah is told that she’s pregnant, he is outraged and says she should be burned. (Seriously, Judah?? Who’s at fault here?) Anyway, when she produces HIS three identifying items, he gulps, admits she is “more righteous than he,” rescinds the death sentence, and never touches her again.  But, his seed line, through the youngest of their twin sons, later produces King David and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 39.

This chapter contrasts sharply with the previous one. Against Judah and his family’s immorality, we see Joseph’s righteousness. 

He has become a man of importance in Potiphar’s household. The Captain has given Joseph control of his entire estate. He trusts his Hebrew slave completely, and Joseph honors God by being trustworthy. However, Potiphar’s wife is NOT so inclined. Spoiled and bored, she lusts after the handsome Hebrew slave. While her husband is away, she tries to seduce him, but Joseph wants no part of it.

One day, when no one is around, she grabs him and demands he sleep with her.  Joseph does what we all should do when tempted. He flees the scene as quick as lightning.  The problem is the shunned woman keeps hold of his garment. A woman scorned is a horrible thing, and soon the whole household hears her screams, “Rape! He tried to rape me!”

When Potiphar comes home, looking forward to his pipe and a chair by the fire, he’s confronted by his wife’s accusations. “This is what YOUR Hebrew slave tried to do to me … and here’s the proof.”

Of course, Potiphar had to act. He sent Joseph to the prison where the king’s prisoners were kept.  But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him His steadfast love and mercy.  He gave Joseph favor in the eyes of the keeper.  Soon, Joseph was in charge of all the prisoners. Like Potiphar had been, the keeper now laid back and let Joseph do his managing thing. 

Meanwhile, Potiphar had to go back to running his own estate.  Grrrr.

Genesis 40.

Joseph the young dreamer becomes a more mature interpreter of dreams. God gives him this gift, much like He will give to His man, Daniel one day in Babylon. 

The cupbearer and the baker in the king of Egypt’s palace both came into disfavor and were cast into “Joseph’s prison.”  Of the two, the cupbearer (butler) had the more crucial job. He tasted whatever was served in the king’s cup FIRST, to make sure it held no poison. Every time the king drank something, this cupbearer put his life on the line.

Anyway, there they sat in a jail cell.  Joseph comes by on his rounds, sees these important men and “attends to them.”  After a while he sees they are very troubled. He asks and discovers that they both have had very scary dreams. They are sure they mean something, but don’t know what.

Joseph pulls up a stool and asks that they tell him the dreams.  They do, and God gives Joseph understanding.  One is good news, the other foretells very bad news.  The cupbearer will be soon reinstated to his former position, but the baker will be soon executed.  And it happens as God showed Joseph. As the cupbearer is leaving the prison, Joseph pleads with the man to mention him when he goes back to the king, to get him out of prison.

The baker dies, and the cupbearer forgets Joseph … for two whole years.

• God is faithful to His Word and to His own servants. There is no shadow of turning with Him. As I live my life day by day, His eye and hand are on me, whether I feel it or not. He sees my sin and hears my confession. He sees both mistreatment and honor and how I deal with each. He has a plan for me – maybe a far, far reaching plan – and nothing changes it. Thank You, Lord.