Genesis 49:1-12

¹ Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

² "Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;
And listen to Israel your father.

³ "Reuben, you are my firstborn;
My might and the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
⁴ "Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,
Because you went up to your father's bed;
Then you defiled it--he went up to my couch.

⁵ "Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their swords are implements of violence.
⁶ "Let my soul not enter into their council;
Let not my glory be united with their assembly;
Because in their anger they slew men,
And in their self-will they lamed oxen.
⁷ "Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will disperse them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel.
⁸ "Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father's sons shall bow down to you.
⁹ "Judah is a lion's whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He crouches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?
¹⁰ "The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
¹Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
¹¹ "He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey's colt to the choice vine;
He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.
¹² "His eyes are ²dull from wine,
And his teeth ³white from milk.

Reuben, Levi, and Simeon all lost their position as head of the family because of their brash actions. Judah wasn't perfect, but he had apparently shown his ability to be a leader as time went on. The other brothers' actions would affect not just them, but their descendants for centuries. You might not think your actions will affect anyone else, but you can never be sure how far reaching the consequences will be. Live right, and serve God in everything you do, and that won't be a worry you have.

Genesis 48:17-22

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. ¹⁸ Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head." ¹⁹ But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." ²⁰ He blessed them that day, saying,

"By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
`May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'"
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. ²² "I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."

That was a pretty incredible blessing. Israel said that men would bless others by saying that you would be like the sons of Joseph. What will your legacy look like. Would men use your name as part of a blessing? Or would they use it as part of a curse? Or would anyone even care? The thing that really matters is that you serve God faithfully, then your legacy will live on after you.

Genesis 48:8-16

⁸ When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" ⁹ Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." So he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them." ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well." ¹² Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground.¹³ Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him. ¹⁴ But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. ¹⁵ He blessed Joseph, and said,

"The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
¹⁶ The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

It's funny that Israel (Jacob) purposefully crosses his hands to give the greater blessing to the youngest, and Joseph somehow thinks it is a mistake. He should have known better, since Israel was the younger brother in his family and received the birthright, and the greater blessing. But we often forget the past and fall back on tradition. We decide to just coast along instead of hearing (and following) God's voice. Keep your ears tuned, and don't rely on tradition to take you on the path of God's will. You may not get to the destination you hoped for otherwise.

Genesis 48:1-7

¹ Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. ² When it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. ³ Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, ⁴ and He said to me, `Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.' ⁵ "Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ "But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.⁷ "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

Even though the covenant and blessing will now belong to all of Jacob's sons, he knew he needed to pass it on to someone. And he trusted Joseph the most, so he tells him the blessing here. Don't assume your children will learn their heritage by themselves. Tell them, and tell them again. Later on, the Israelites forgot this, and there was a whole generation who didn't learn the promises or the miracles of God, and they paid the price. Don't let your children grow up that way.

Genesis 47:20-31

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh's. 21 As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt's border to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24 "At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones." 25 So they said, "You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's slaves." 26 Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh's. 27 Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous. 28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and 2faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said." 31 He said, "Swear to me." So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Jacob never lost sight of the promise of God as he grew older. It would have been easy to say, "hey, this land in Egypt is fruitful, and we are prospering. Let's just stay here." He remembered the land God had promised him, and made sure Joseph remembered it. He thus asked Joseph to take him back to the promised land for burial. Never get satisfied where you are if God has other plans.

Genesis 47:13-19

¹³ Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. ¹⁴ Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. ¹⁵ When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone." ¹⁶ Then Joseph said, "Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone." ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. ¹⁸ When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord's. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. ¹⁹"Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate."

Joseph could have just given the people food for free. After all, it came from them in the first place. However, he also knew that they would not value it as much, and perhaps squander it more easily, and then they might run out of food before the famine ended. So he made their livestock the property of Pharaoh, that they would not take it lightly and be wasteful. It's easy to take something for granted when it doesn't cost you much. Whether it just seems cheap because you're rich, or whether you just get it for free, things have little value to us if they don't cost us. Sometimes it costs someone else a great deal, and we need to be mindful of that. Our salvation is free (initially), but it cost Jesus a great deal. Don't ever take that for granted.

Genesis 47:1-12

¹ Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen." ² He took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. ³ Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" So they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers." ⁴They said to Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen." ⁵Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. ⁶ "The land of Egypt is ¹at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock."

⁷ Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. ⁸ Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many years have you lived?" ⁹ So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning." ¹⁰ And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from his presence. ¹¹ So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. ¹² Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to their little ones.

It's interesting to note who did the blessing here. Jacob blesses Pharaoh. Why? Because Jacob served the one true God, and his blessing was the only one worth having. Pharaoh had nothing that could compare with that, and could only make small talk. But Jacob was the one who brought something of real value to the table. He ought to have known the value of a blessing also, since he tricked his own father into giving him Esau's blessing many years prior to this. So he gave Pharaoh the best thing he could: a blessing from the Lord.

Genesis 46:8-34

⁸ Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. ⁹ The sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu and Hezron and Carmi. ¹⁰ The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. ¹¹ The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹² The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah and Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ¹³ The sons of Issachar: Tola and Puvvah and Iob and Shimron. ¹⁴ The sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon and Jahleel. ¹⁵ These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three. ¹⁶ The sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi and Areli. ¹⁷ The sons of Asher: Imnah and Ishvah and Ishvi and Beriah and their sister Serah. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. ¹⁸These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons. ¹⁹ The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁰ Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. ²¹ The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard. ²²These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; there were fourteen persons in all. ²³ The sons of Dan: Hushim. ²⁴ The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni and Jezer and Shillem. ²⁵ These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Jacob; there were seven persons in all. ²⁶ All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob's sons, were sixty-six persons in all, ²⁷ and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.

²⁸ Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. ²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. ³⁰ Then Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive." ³¹ Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, `My brothers and my father's household, who werein the land of Canaan, have come to me; <sup>32</sup> and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.' <sup>33</sup> "When Pharaoh calls you and says, `What is your occupation?' ³⁴ you shall say, `Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians."

God was even able to use the occupation of Jacob's sons to provide for them. The Egyptians despised shepherds, and Goshen was apparently prime shepherd country, so they would be able to live there without resentment from the Egyptians. They would be able to live in peace, and have good pasture for their flocks in the middle of the famine. You might think of something as lowly, but God can use anything for His plans.

Genesis 46:1-7

¹ So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ² God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." ³ He 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. ⁴ "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes."

⁵ Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. ⁶ They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: ⁷his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

Jacob was still a bit apprehensive. What if the man who claimed to be Joseph was an impostor? What if his son's had been deceived? What if his family stayed there, and lost their inherited land? So God came and reassured him. When we are unsure, or nervous, or afraid, we can look to God for our confidence and our peace.

Genesis 45:16-28

¹⁶ Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. ¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, `Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, <sup>18</sup> and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.' <sup>19</sup> "Now you are ordered, `Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. ²⁰ `Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"

²¹ Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. ²² To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. ²³ To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey.

²⁴ So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the journey." ²⁵ Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. ²⁶ They told him, saying, "Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. ²⁷ When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. ²⁸ Then Israel said, "It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."

Even the Pharaoh saw the importance of family. Simply because these were the brothers of Joseph, he promised them the best of all the land, and told them to bring their families (wives and children) to Egypt, so that they could all live together with their brother. Joseph's brothers were getting repeated lessons in this subject on their second journey to Egypt.

Genesis 45:1-15

¹ Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ² He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. ³ Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ "Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ "For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. ⁸ "Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁹ "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, `Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. ¹⁰ "You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. ¹¹ "There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished."' ¹² "Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. ¹³ "Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here." ¹⁴ Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. ¹⁵ He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

Through all of this, Joseph kept his focus on God. He realized the divine plan at work in his life. He understood that the hardships he had gone through were a necessity for God's plan to be fulfilled. The plan was to save Jacob's family; to preserve his chosen lineage. This is what kept Joseph going: trust that God knew what He was doing, and would not forsake him, no matter where he might be.

Genesis 44:14-34

¹⁴ When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. ¹⁵ Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?" ¹⁶ So Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found." ¹⁷ But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

¹⁸ Then Judah approached him, and said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. ¹⁹ "My lord asked his servants, saying, `Have you a father or a brother?' <sup>20</sup> "We said to my lord, `We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.' ²¹ "Then you said to your servants, `Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.' <sup>22</sup> "But we said to my lord, `The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' ²³ "You said to your servants, however, `Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' <sup>24</sup> "Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. <sup>25</sup> "Our father said, `Go back, buy us a little food.' ²⁶ "But we said, `We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' <sup>27</sup> "Your servant my father said to us, `You know that my wife bore me two sons; ²⁸ and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces," and I have not seen him since. ²⁹ `If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.' <sup>30</sup> "Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, <sup>31</sup> when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. <sup>32</sup> "For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, `If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.' ³³ "Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. ³⁴ "For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me--for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?"

When they had sold Joseph into slavery, and saw their father's reaction, it changed their lives forever. They would have taken it all back if they could. But Joseph had never seen that, and so he tested them. Finally, he gets the reaction he was hoping for. To see that his brothers had changed and be glad, maybe overjoyed, to see him again, was what he desired. Judah and his brothers realized by the reaction of their father when Joseph was sold what was most important. It was family that mattered most. With all the things they hated Joseph for, their bond of family should have been more important than that.

Genesis 44:1-13



¹ Then he commanded his house steward, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. ² "Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph had told him. ³ As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. ⁴ They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, "Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, `Why have you repaid evil for good? <sup>5</sup> `Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.'"

⁶ So he overtook them and spoke these words to them. ⁷ They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. ⁸ "Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? ⁹ "With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves." ¹⁰ So he said, "Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent." ¹¹ Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. ¹² He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. ¹³ Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.

So Joseph arranges the final test for his brothers, and their reaction shows how much they have changed. They know Benjamin is Jacob's favorite (remaining) son. They also know that losing him could send Jacob to his grave. They care deeply for their father (and Benjamin), and thus they tear their clothes in despair. But, they still need to show this change to Joseph, and their chance is still coming. They spoke rashly at first, thinking there was no way that Joseph's silver cup would be in their possession, but that rashness would be their undoing. Fortunately for them, this is only a test, or they would be in deeper trouble than they could imagine.

Genesis 43:16-34

¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon." ¹⁷ So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house. ¹⁸ Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys." ¹⁹So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, ²⁰ and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, ²¹ and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. ²² "We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks." ²³ He said, "¹Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. ²⁴ Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. ²⁵ So they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.

²⁶ When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. ²⁷ Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" ²⁸ They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage. ²⁹ As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son." ³⁰ Joseph hurried outfor he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. ³¹ Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal." ³² So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians. ³³ Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. ³⁴ He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

Joseph's love for his family (and especially for his brother Benjamin) made it very difficult for him to carry out his plan. He still needed to test his brother's to see if their hearts had changed. We've already seen interactions with their father that show this change, but Joseph needed proof before he could reveal himself to them.  The brothers, however, were filled with fear. They knew what the hearts of men could devise. They had once sold their own brother into slavery, and so they feared the worst, that they would become slaves themselves. Even with a changed heart, it is difficult to escape the consequences of the actions of your past. At the very least, those actions haunt you for a very long time. Make the right decisions when you are young, and when you get older you'll have no regrets (or needless fears).

Genesis 43:11-15

¹¹ Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. ¹² "Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. ¹³ "Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; ¹⁴ and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."¹⁵ So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

It is likely that Jacob is here thinking of a familiar story with his father and grandfather. Abraham was once asked to sacrifice his only child, and here Jacob was with a decision. He could let his youngest son go. This was the last son of his wife Rachel,  for whom he had labored fourteen years. Benjamin had likely been his only comfort after Joseph had "died". Finally, he puts it in God's hands, and releases Benjamin from his control. All he can do now is trust God. Sometimes we need to let go of what is most valuable to us, and trust God with it. You never know what He might have in store.

Genesis 43:1-10

¹ Now the famine was severe in the land. ² So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food." ³ Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, `You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.' <sup>4</sup> "If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. <sup>5</sup> "But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, `You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'" ⁶ Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?" ⁷ But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, `Is your father still alive? Have you anotherbrother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, `Bring your brother down'?"⁸ Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. ⁹ "I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. ¹⁰ "For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice."

It was no huge surprise to see Reuben trying to help his family at his own expense. He was the one who originally tried to save Joseph from slavery. But now Judah shows how his heart has changed by offering his own life in exchange for Benjamin's. He was showing the change that Joseph was looking for, and that was necessary to convince Jacob to send his youngest son into harm's way. Your integrity does not show so much in the good times, but usually only when times get tough.

Genesis 42:29-38

²⁹ When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, ³⁰ "The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. ³¹ "But we said to him, `We are honest men; we are not spies. <sup>32</sup> `We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.' ³³ "The man, the lord of the land, said to us, `By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. <sup>34</sup> `But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'"

³⁵ Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed. ³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me." ³⁷ Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you." ³⁸ But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow."

We find among Joseph's brothers that there is one here with real integrity, who wants to look out for his brothers. When Jacob refuses to send Benjamin, which means certain death by famine for all of them, Reuben steps forward. He offers that which is most precious to him, his children, as collateral against the life of Benjamin. Jacob is still not persuaded, but it was a noble offer on the part of Reuben none the less. In our lives, we are called to give that which is precious to us (not our children typically) to the cause of Christ. The value of the gift is not in how grand or large it is, but in how precious it is to the one who is giving it. Don't give from your sock drawer, give from your treasure chest, and you will reap the benefits in the end.

Genesis 42:18-28

¹⁸ Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: ¹⁹ if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, ²⁰ and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so. ²¹ Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us."²² Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, `Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood." ²³ They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. ²⁴ He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. ²⁵ Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

²⁶ So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. ²⁷ As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. ²⁸Then he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack." And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"

"Be sure your sins will find you out," is surely the truest saying there ever was. Joseph's brothers thought that their sin had finally caught up with them and that God was punishing them. Instead, it was God trying to watch out for them now, and preserve the line of Jacob. He knew they would send their brother into slavery, just as much as He knew the famine would come. Even now, though Joseph tested them, God was ensuring that they would be reunited with their brother, and that they would be well cared for. We may not always understand what God is doing, but trust that He is doing it for your good.

Genesis 42:8-17

⁸ But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. ⁹ Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land." ¹⁰ Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ "We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies." ¹² Yet he said to them, "No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!" ¹³ But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive." ¹⁴ Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies; ¹⁵ by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! ¹⁶ "Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." ¹⁷ So he put them all together in prison for three days.

At this point, it isn't quite clear what Joseph is trying to accomplish, but it is likely that he wanted to see if their hearts had changed. By putting them in a dire situation, he wanted to see how they would react. God often allows us to be put into the fire to test and purify our hearts. How will you stand up to the testing?

Genesis 42:1-7

¹ Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you staring at one another?" ² He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die." ³ Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm may befall him." ⁵ So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

⁶ Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. ⁷ When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, "Where have you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."

Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery because they were tired of his dreams, and the preferred treatment he received from their father, Jacob. The very thing they were trying to avoid was bowing before their younger brother. But by selling him into slavery, they enabled the plan of God to continue right along. Quite ironic. Don't try and throw road blocks into God's plan. He'll make it happen whether you are willing or not.

Genesis 41:50-57

⁵⁰ Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of ³On, bore to him. ⁵¹ Joseph named the firstborn ⁴Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." ⁵² He named the second ⁵Ephraim, "For," he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

⁵³ When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. ⁵⁵ So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do." ⁵⁶ When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

Even in the naming of his children, Joseph gives glory to God. He doesn't think for a second that his success is of his own doing. He knows the source of his success, and so he gives God the thanks, and God continues to reward him.

Genesis 41:38-49

³⁸ Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?" ³⁹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. ⁴⁰"You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you." ⁴¹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." ⁴² Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. ⁴³ He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."⁴⁵ Then Pharaoh named Joseph ¹Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶ Now Joseph was thirty years old when he ²stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. ⁴⁸ So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. ⁴⁹ Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.

After Joseph gave the interpretation, even Pharaoh realized there was no way to compete with the knowledge and wisdom of God. Simply because God had revealed the interpretation to Joseph, Pharaoh made him ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Even in our lives, there is no substitute for the guidance of wisdom of God. Never take it for granted.

Genesis 41:25-36

²⁵ Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁶ "The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same. ²⁷ "The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. ²⁸ "It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁹ "Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; ³⁰ and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. ³¹ "So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. ³² "Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice,it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. ³³ "Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ "Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. ³⁵ "Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard it. ³⁶ "Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine."

³⁷ Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.

Joseph keep giving credit to where credit is due. He doesn't let Pharaoh think the dream was some happy accident of pizza and Mountain Dew (or whatever crazy-dream-inducing foods they had back then). Joseph keeps reminding Pharaoh that the dream is God's revelation of what He is about to do in the land. Again, remember to give God credit for your successes. I must be needing to hear this one twice, just like the message to Pharaoh was repeated twice (the cows, and corn).

Genesis 41:14-24

¹⁴ Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. ¹⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." ¹⁶ Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." ¹⁷ So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; ¹⁸ and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. ¹⁹ "Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; ²⁰ and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. ²¹ "Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.²² "I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; ²³ and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; ²⁴ and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."

I love Joseph's focus in verse sixteen. He gives all the glory to God, and trusts that God will give the answer, before he even knows the dream. He's not worried about God not knowing something. He knows that God is faithful, and that nothing is too difficult for God. Here he has gone from a lowly slave in prison to being called upon to advise the mighty Pharaoh. With God, nothing is impossible. And remember, never forget the source of your talents.

Genesis 41:1-13

¹ Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. ² And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. ³Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the othercows on the bank of the Nile. ⁴ The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. ⁵ He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. ⁶ Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. ⁷ The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. ⁸ Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

⁹ Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I would make mention today of my own offenses. ¹⁰"Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. ¹¹ "We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. ¹² "Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. ¹³ "And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him."

It's funny that the cupbearer has forgotten the true source of the interpretation. Just verses earlier, we see how the dream stumps every magician and wise man in the country, and yet somehow the cupbearer still says it was Joseph that interpreted the dream. Perhaps it was so that Pharoah wouldn't think he was crazy, but either way, he had his facts a little messed up. And this is just the type of situation that God uses to show His glory. When human knowledge and wisdom and might are insufficient to the task, just wait. God is about to show up.

Genesis 40:9-20

⁹ So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me; ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. ¹¹ "Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh's hand." ¹² Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; ¹³ within three more days Pharaoh will ¹lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴ "Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. ¹⁵ "For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon."

¹⁶ When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, "I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; ¹⁷ and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." ¹⁸ Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; ¹⁹ within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you."

²⁰ Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. ²¹ He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh's hand; ²² but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. ²³ Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

We could go on and talk about the dreams here, but the important part is that Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him when he was restored. However, the cupbearer forgot Joseph, only three days later. Now, we could also talk about putting our trust in God, instead of people, because they will let us down. We won't, because God had other plans here. The cupbearer would remember Joseph when God needed him too, and that was all that mattered in God's plan. We may get impatient, and think everyone (including God) has forsaken us. But God has perfect timing, and if we will wait on Him, it will all work out for the best.

Genesis 40:1-8

¹ Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. ² Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. ³ So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. ⁴ The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time. ⁵ Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. ⁶ When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. ⁷He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in confinement in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" ⁸ 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."

As smart as we may be, we have to remember where all that knowledge comes from in the first place. Joseph knew that he could interpret the dreams for the cupbearer and baker, but he also knew where that knowledge came from. We should remember to give God credit when people try to praise us for our skills. We didn't get them on our own, they came from Him.

Genesis 39:19-23

¹⁹ Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "This is what your slave did to me," his anger burned. ²⁰ 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. ²¹ But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. ²² 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. ²³ 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.

Obviously, this prison was very different from what we are used to seeing. At any rate, it still was not a nice place to be. But God was with Joseph even in prison, and blessed him and prospered everything he did. Even in prison, Joseph kept his focus on God, and God rewarded him for it. No matter where we are, God can use us, if we will only keep our eyes set on Him.

Genesis 39:7-18

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. ⁷ It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." ⁸ But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. ⁹ "There is no one greater in this house than 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?" ¹⁰ As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. ¹¹ 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. ¹² She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. ¹³When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, ¹⁴ she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed. ¹⁵ "When he heard that I raised my voice and ¹screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside." ¹⁶ So she left his garment beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷Then she spoke to him with these words, "The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; ¹⁸ and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside."

Life wasn't all roses for Joseph in Potiphar's house though. In fact, Joseph would have to go through more trials yet before he would be the man God wanted him to be. Joseph showed amazing character here, where many other men would not have. It is likely that Potiphar's wife was highly attractive, yet Joseph made his stand. Having high standards isn't an easy road to walk, but in the end it will be worth it.