Category: Uncategorized

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.” (Genesis 39:13–15 (ESV)

Joseph did the right thing in fleeing Potiphar’s home (2 Tim. 2:22). Dr. Don Carson writes, “Here is a most illustrious instance of virtue and resolved chastity in Joseph, who, by the grace of God, was enabled to resist and overcome this temptation; and, all things considered, his escape was, for aught I know, as great an instance of the divine power as the deliverance of the three children out of the fiery furnace.”

Joseph’s flight from evil was a response all believers in Christ would do well to imitate (1 Tim. 6:11). God promises to bless those who obey Him and resist transgression (Deut. 28:1–14; Matt. 5:10).  However, this episode in Joseph’s life reveals that the reward from God is not always immediate. As one pastor writes, “faithfulness often brings persecution.”

English playwright and poet William Congreve (1670-1729) wrote, “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” It did not take long for Potiphar’s wife to turn against Joseph. She wanted him, but he refused. Therefore, she became determined to destroy him any way she could. She called to the men of the house and falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Joseph’s rapid exit would raise many questions, and so Potiphar’s wife acts quickly to avoid any blame. She appeals to the basest instincts of the other servants and emphasizes Joseph’s foreign heritage to cast him as an outsider and as a threat to the household (Gen. 39:14). Moreover, she lies outright, accusing Joseph of her actions by saying “he left” his garment (vv. 15–18), terminology that implies he willingly disrobed instead of struggling to escape her. Potiphar’s wife shows how sinners attempt to corrupt the way others see us when they cannot entice us to follow their schemes.”

Joseph’s resistance of temptation was very brave, and his obedience to the LORD truly honorable. The almighty grace of God enabled him to overcome this assault of the enemy. May the LORD provide each of us the same almighty grace (I Cor. 10:12-13). He has promised to do so.

Soli deo Gloria!  

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.” (Genesis 39:11–12 (ESV)

It is interesting how three words can establish an ominous tone in literature. I’m certain you have heard the well-mocked expression, “It was a dark and stormy night.” This archetype, by many, for bad writing comes from the first phrase of the opening sentence of English novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton‘s 1830 novel Paul Clifford.” Just a brief bit of trivia to begin your day.

However, Moses should not be compared to Edward Butler-Lytton as an example of writing bad prose. Rather, the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) established a foreboding and sinister premonition that something sinister was about to happen to Joseph. The phrase but one day is another way of writing and it came to pass.

It occurred that one day, as Joseph was going about his normal business in his master Potiphar’s house, that none of the other men, presumably other servants, were there in the house. Joseph was alone, except for Potiphar’s wife. This was not a good situation.

Given her previous behavior of sexual advances toward Joseph (Gen. 39:6-10), the fact that the two of them were alone in the house was not a coincidence. Potiphar’s wife was seeking to fulfill her wanton desire.  The text says, “She caught him by his garment, saying, and “Lie with me.” She seized Joseph’s by his clothes and continually commanded him to be sexually intimate with her.

Joseph did the only thing he could righteously do. He fled from the scene. The interpretive principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture certainly applies. 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

The time for discussion was over. It was time to do the only right thing he could do given the particular circumstances. The text says Joseph left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.” To flee means to not only physically leave the house, but also to reject the woman’s indecent proposal.

Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph and was willing to go to great lengths to entrap him. Potiphar’s wife set the trap. Joseph refused to take the bait. He did what every leader should do in a similar situation, but often do not; he ran away. He got as far away from her as he could. Joseph did the right thing.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Joseph would have been wearing the typical garments of the day: a long-sleeved shirt and shorts that come down to the mid-calf. For him to flee and leave these behind would mean Joseph engaged in a forceful struggle with the woman to escape — since the clothes could not normally be removed so quickly (vv. 12b–13). Joseph is honorable and would rather leave a valued piece of clothing behind than to sin against the Lord. His flight from evil is a response all believers do well to imitate (1 Tim. 6:11). God promises to bless those who obey Him and resist transgression (Deut. 28:1–14; Matt. 5:10), yet this episode in Joseph’s life reveals that the reward is not always immediate. In fact, faithfulness often brings persecution.”

Puritan Matthew Henry comments: “It is better to lose a good coat than a good conscience.”

Another commentator put it this way: “Joseph would rather lose his possessions or even his reputation on account of Potiphar’s evil wife than transgress the Lord’s commandments. There are times when we may have to choose between what others might think of us and doing the right thing. Even if others lie about us now, our righteousness will be rewarded in the age to come (Matt. 5:11–12).”

Faithfulness often brings persecution. We’ll see how this occurred in Joseph’s life when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!  

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.” (Genesis 39:10 (ESV)

Joseph encountered an intense conflict which has destroyed many a leader: adultery. Yet Joseph stayed noble and true to the holy God he loved and the human master he served. He would not commit what he called, “this great wickedness and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9 ESV).

As it is so often the case with conflict, the temptation continued. Potiphar’s wife was relentless. She would not give up. The Bible says “she spoke to Joseph day after day” (Genesis 39:10 ESV). What she said to Joseph is intimated in the statement “that he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10 ESV). Joseph remained true to God in spite of intense conflict. He would not compromise his convictions, but neither would Potiphar’s wife alter her desires.

When the text says that Joseph would not listen to her, it does not mean he did not hear what she had to say. He heard her and understood her. However, he would not comply with her, but resisted her advances.

Desperate people often do desperate things. Or, as filmmaker and comedian Woody Allen once stated in explaining his sexual affair with his wife’s adopted daughter, “The heart wants what it wants…. There’s no logic to those things”

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Joseph could not see it at the time, but his service in Potiphar’s house was actually good training for his future vocation. The authority he held under Potiphar (Gen. 39:1–6a) would, in effect, be excellent schooling for the high position of stewardship we know he will be given under Pharaoh (41:37–57). Joseph’s life,

Puritan Matthew Henry comments: “What God intends men for he will be sure, some way or other, to qualify them for. Our Lord also prepares us spiritually, as befits our calling as His holy people (Ps. 144:1; 2 Tim. 1:8–9), and this is true in Joseph’s life as well, as today’s passage illustrates. One way our Father equips us for ministry is by allowing temptations into our lives so that in suffering under and resisting against them He can establish us all the more firmly in the truth (1 Peter 5:6–11).”

Today’s passage is an excellent example when dealing with temptation. Joseph would not wrong his master and he would not offend his God. This is the truth which strengthens the believer’s aversion to sin.

Consider this truth: “When tempted to sin, we should first remind ourselves that evil offends the Lord. Yet we should also consider how the act might hurt another person in order to motivate ourselves to refrain from sin and the harm it does to other people.”

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Two: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. Part 2.

3. Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to vow nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth.^a Neither may any man bind himself by oath to anything but what is good and just, and what he believes so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.^b Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching anything that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority.^c

a. Exod 20:7; Jer 4:2. • b. Gen 24:2-3, 5-6, 8-9. • c. Exod 22:7-11; Num 5:19, 21; Neh 5:12.

4. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation.^a It cannot oblige to sin; but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt:^b nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels.^c

a. Psa 24:4; Jer 4:2. • b. 1 Sam 25:22, 32-34; Psa 15:4. • c. Ezek 17:16, 18-19; Josh 9:18-19 with 2 Sam 21:1.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Two: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. Part 1.

1. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship,^a wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calls God to witness what he asserts or promises; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he swears.^b

a. Deut 10:20. • b. Exod 20:7; Lev 19:12; 2 Chron 6:22-23; 2 Cor 1:23.

2. The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence;^a therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred.^b Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament, as well as under the Old,^c so a lawful oath, being imposed by a lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken.^d

a. Deut 6:13. • b. Exod 20:7; Jer 5:7; Mat 5:34, 37; James 5:12. • c. Isa 65:16; 2 Cor 1:23; Heb 6:16. • d. 1 Kings 8:31; Ezra 10:5; Neh 13:25.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

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?” (Genesis 39:7–9 (ESV)

^13 “The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, ¹⁵ calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, ¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, ¹⁷“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” ¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” (Proverbs 9:13–18 (ESV)

The sin by Potiphar’s wife against Joseph began with her eyes. She began to desire Joseph in what she saw (Gen. 39:6; I John 2:15-17). She brazenly commanded him to lie with her, which is another way of saying she wanted to be physically intimate with the young Hebrew. Her demands towards him were relentless.

Dr. Don Carson writes, “Remarkable beauty, either of men or women, often proves a dangerous snare both to themselves and others, which forbids pride in it and commands constant watchfulness against the temptation that attends it. We have great need to make a covenant with our eyes (Job 31:1), lest the eye infect the heart. Joseph’s mistress had a husband that ought to have been to her for a covering of the eyes from all others (Gen. 20:16).”

However, Joseph’s integrity shone brightly. He continually and fervently refused to have anything to do with her. He even continually told her why he would not give in to her advances. “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 logically told Potiphar’s wife that he could not sin against Potiphar in light of all the good he had done on Joseph’s behalf. However, the ultimate reason was he saw her sin in contrast to God’s holiness. What she wanted to do was great wickedness and sin against the LORD. It was depraved and it was wrong.

Dr. Carson adds, “She was daring and shameless in the sin. With an impudent face, and a harlot’s forehead, she said, Lie with me, having already, by her wanton looks and unchaste desires, committed adultery with him in her heart. Note, where the unclean spirit gets possession and dominion in a soul, it is as with the possessed of the devils (Luke 8:27, 29), the clothes of modesty are thrown off and the bands and fetters of shame are broken in pieces. When lust has got a head, it will stick at nothing, blush at nothing; decency, and reputation, and conscience, are all sacrificed to that Baal-peor.”

May each of us resolve to not sacrifice decency, reputation and conscience for the fleeting and deceptive desire of sin.

Soli deo Gloria!

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. ⁶ 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. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” (Genesis 39:5–6 (ESV)

Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers (37:12–36), is now a servant in Potiphar’s Egyptian house (39:1). However, we have thus far seen that that the LORD was with Joseph (Gen. 39:1-4) in all his circumstances.

One commentator explains it this way: “Joseph’s situation is not as bad as it seems. At first, Jacob’s son is only a menial slave for Pharaoh’s captain of the guard, but soon he is given a more respectable status as an indoor servant (v. 2), before becoming Potiphar’s personal attendant (v. 4). This is a position of great honor and indicates a close, personal relationship between the two men.”

The Hebrew root (sharat) used for Joseph’s position is the same one used for Joshua’s relationship to Moses (Ex. 24:13). Joseph is so beloved and trustworthy that he is left in charge of all of Potiphar’s financial matters so that the captain need only worry himself with his personal affairs (Gen. 39:6a). 

The Hebrew word for blessed (barek) means to be filled with divine favor. It is to be in a condition of favorable circumstances. This was the status of Potiphar’s household because of God’s blessing through Joseph.

Dr. R. C. Sproul states, “So great is Joseph’s success that even his pagan master can see the blessing on his life (Gen. 39:3). Indeed, God has been good to Joseph in his travails.”

John Chrysostom writes: “Grace from on high stood by him [Joseph]…and smoothed over all his difficulties.”

John Calvin explains, “We see how abundantly the grace of God is poured out on the faithful, since a portion of His kindness flows from them even to the reprobate. We are also taught what an advantage it is to receive the elect children of God to our hospitality, or to join ourselves to those whom divine favor thus accompanies, that it may diffuse its fragrance to those who are near them.”

Soli deo Gloria!

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.” (Genesis 39:3–4 (ESV)

Proverbs 16:1-9 is an instructive portion of wisdom literature. Solomon achieves a delicate balance between the providential sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Consider what Solomon considers by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. ² All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. ³ Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. ⁴ The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. ⁵ Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. ⁶  By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. ⁷ When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. ⁸ Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.⁹ The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

The wisdom of Solomon applies in the life of his ancestor Joseph. It is interesting to note that even the Egyptian Potiphar saw that Yahweh was with Joseph and that it was the LORD who caused all which Joseph did to succeed. Joseph was actively serving the LORD as the LORD was actively working in and through Joseph (Phil.2:12-13).

Puritan Matthew Henry writes, “Joseph’s brethren had stripped him of his coat of many colours, but they could not strip him of his virtue and prudence. Those that can separate us from all our friends, yet cannot deprive us of the gracious presence of our God. When Joseph had none of all his relations with him, he had his God with him, even in the house of the Egyptian. Joseph was separated from his brethren, but not from his God; banished from his father’s house, but the Lord was with him, and this comforted him. It is God’s presence with us that makes all we do prosperous.”

Have a blessed day in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Soli deo Gloria!

“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.” (Genesis 39:1–2 (ESV)

“All things are ordained of God and are settled by Him, according to His wise and holy predestination. Whatever happens here happens not by chance, but according to the counsel of the Most High.”  Charles Spurgeon

It is interesting to note the tenor of today’s text by Moses in describing the events occurring in Joseph’s life. Two times Moses uses the word “brought.” Joseph had been brought down to Egypt by the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. It was from the Ishmaelites that Potiphar bought the Hebrew slave.

On the surface, it would seem that Joseph was nothing more than a victim of circumstances. Nothing could be further from the truth. Moses emphatically refutes this notion by his use of five words: The Lord was with Joseph.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Any and all ideas that Joseph, twice a victim of injustice, had been abandoned by the Lord are summarily banished by the employment of phrases highlighting God’s oversight of his circumstances, e.g. “with him” (Gen. 39: 3, 21), “caused all that he did to succeed” (vv. 3, 23), “found/gave him favor” (vv. 4, 21), “blessed/blessing” (v. 5), and “showed him steadfast love” (v. 21). Neither being unjustly sold into slavery and forcibly removed from the land (Gen. 37:28), nor being unjustly accused of sexual harassment and imprisoned (Gen. 39:13–18) were events signaling even a temporary loss of divine superintendence of Joseph’s life and God’s purpose for his people, Israel.“

The biblical record of Joseph’s life is one of the clearest examples of how God providentially works out His plan in history. For centuries, the idea that the universe is a closed, mechanical system has dominated Western thought and behavior. Both science and popular culture largely assume the universe exists “in a box” and is not subject to influence from something or someone outside of this box. As astronomer Carl Sagan once erroneously remarked, “The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.”

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “In its most basic sense, God’s providence refers to His seeing something beforehand. This is not just a reference to time, although our Creator does indeed see the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:8–10). The Almighty’s seeing of something before it happens does not result simply from Him looking “down the corridors of time.” He knows the future because He has ordained it, even the precise number of our days (Ps. 139:4). The Lord’s providence also refers to space. Everything is before God’s eyes at all times. Nothing can escape His vision (Ps.139:7–12). This truth is a great comfort for the believer. Jesus tells us we are of more value than the sparrow, which never escapes the Lord’s sight (Matt. 10:28–31). Ultimately, divine providence reminds us that there is a God in heaven who not only knows our sins, He also knows and cares about all of our joys, tears, aches, and fears.”

How good it is to not only remember God’s providence in the life of Joseph, but also to reflect on His providence in our own lives. It is in the LORD that each of us lives, moves and has being (Acts 17:24-28).

Take time today to thank the LORD for His providence in your life. May each of us rest and take comfort in this truth.

Soli deo Gloria!

^29 “When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes ³⁰ and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” ³¹ Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. ³² And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” ³³ And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵ All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. ³⁶ Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.” (Genesis 37:29–36 (ESV)

Today’s text does not reveal to us exactly where Rueben was when Joseph’s other brothers sold him into slavery to the Midianites (Gen. 37:25-28). Reuben had intended to rescue his younger brother from the pit (Gen. 37:22). When Reuben realized that Joseph was no longer in the pit, he was genuinely grieved. He tore his clothes, a sign of mourning, and asked his brothers, ““The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” Reuben did not know what to do or where to go in order to rescue his younger brother.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Although he (Reuben) was absent at the time of the sale, he would be held responsible for the treachery, and so joined in the cover-up (vv. 30–35). His grief manifested how much he had actually wanted to rescue Joseph (see Gen. 42:22).”

Whatever genuine grief Reuben may have had gave way to the conspiracy of lies he and his brothers conspired to tell to their father Jacob. Jacob the deceiver of his own father Isaac now becomes the deceived at the hands of his own sons.  The deceiver of his own father Isaac (27:18–29) was now deceived by his own sons’ lie. What goes around comes around. Sin’s punishment is often long delayed but ultimately delivered (Gal. 6:6-8).

Jacob was inconsolable. He expressed no hope beyond the reality of physical death (I Thess.4:13-18). Moses’ usage of the word Sheol is the first OT use of this term for the abode of the dead (in Gen. 35:20 the “tomb” is used to refer to an earthly burial plot). It is a general Hebrew word meaning the place of the dead (used 65 times in the OT), referring to either the body in its decaying form or the soul in its conscious afterlife.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Finding Joseph absent, Reuben rends his clothes, a sign of mourning and a prediction of his father’s reaction to this news. Many commentators say this shows Reuben loved Jacob and was concerned for his emotional state. His brothers, on the other hand, hide their crime by slaughtering a goat and dipping Joseph’s treasured coat in its blood (v. 31). As typical, one misdeed leads to another. Matthew Henry comments: “When the devil has taught men to commit one sin, he then teaches them to conceal it with another…but he who covers his sin shall not prosper long.” Indeed, the sin of Joseph’s brothers will one day find them out (Gen. 44; Num. 32:23). Jacob is inconsolable at the loss of his favorite son, and he believes that he will not see Joseph again before his death (Gen. 37:33–36). Ironically, Jacob’s sons use a goat to deceive him about Joseph’s fate just as he, as a son, once tricked his father Isaac with a goat as well (27:1–29). Most likely, this is another instance of divine, talionic (eye-for-an-eye) justice where Jacob reaps what he has sown (Gal. 6:7). God turns away His eternal wrath from all who repent; nevertheless, sin has its consequences in the here and now.”

Today’s text concludes with these words: “Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.”  

Jacob was in inconsolable grief, but the LORD was in providential and sovereign control. An earthly father was beyond hope, but Joseph’s eternal Father was confidently leading (Acts 7:9-10), as He continues to do so today.

Soli deo Gloria!