Hugh Stephenson

It’s easy for me to cruise by the supernatural work of Elohim in this passage. If God was to rescue His people from the oncoming famine, how would He do it? And how would His method convey even more fully who He is, his nature and character of preservation, protection, and provision? A crazy sequence of events from Joseph’s brothers’ misdeeds to his working for Potiphar to being wrongly accused and in jail to being promoted to a place of power and honor. And Joseph was gifted, equipped, and trained by the betrayal and the enormous hardship. “Only a man like Joseph, schooled by adversity and sorrow, could meet a sudden elevation like this without pride and self-exaltation." (TCs notes) Meanwhile Judah’s own pivot point at the cunning tricks of his daughter-in-law totally change his focus to one of faithfulness and leadership. And provide a line of descendants to Jesus!

Hugh Stephenson

So, when the famine comes there is a place for the 70 or so people in the “Nation of Israel” to go for food. As we’ll see later, by the time Moses rises they are more than two million people. And the ruler of the mightiest nation in the world fears them. You could not make this up. No Hollywood studio would buy the script. But God… For me, this sequence of events conveys the total and complete sovereignty of God. Why do I ever question anything that happens?!?! The great revelation of my life is that God has a purpose, plan and a path for me. All I must do is surrender. ------------------------------------------ “Trials may be viewed from two standpoints, and it will make all the difference to our spiritual life and peace which of these two points of view we take.

Hugh Stephenson

From the human side Joseph's suffering was due to injustice on the part of Potiphar, and ingratitude on the part of the butler. From the Divine side these years were permitted for the purpose of training and preparing Joseph for the great work that lay before him. If we look only at the human side of trial we shall become discouraged, and it may be irritated and angered, but as we turn to look at it from the Divine side we shall see God in everything and all things working together for our good." (Constable) If God is good, kind and just then everything he does will be good kind and just.

Michael Sisson

Re: Gen 40:3 Gen 40:3 (NASB) 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.<<< Unjustly imprisoned, again we see Joseph as a type of the Despised Messiah. Perhaps it means nothing, but figuratively, we also now see Yosef (a type of Christ) together with bread (the baker) and wine (the cupbearer) in a “pit.” (a metaphor for the grave; (Gen 37:24, Gen 40:15) Re: Gen 40:15 Gen 40:15 (NASB) “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 >>>[*Or “pit”] *dungeon.”<<< As it had been in Gen 37:24, the pit is essentially a metaphor for the grave. This is the first time during his captivity the text records Joseph vocalizing objections to the injustice done to him. Re: Gen 40:21 See Neh 1:11. Re: Gen 41:40 Genesis 41:40 (NASB) “You shall be over my house, and according to your *command all my people shall >>>*[Lit “kiss”] *do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”<<< See “kiss” in Ps 2:12.

Chris Landry

Natanya, thank you for your Devo and I’m encouraged by your bio. I loved this line you wrote, “Joseph doesn't know that God is positioning him to save Israel—and with it the family line of Jesus—and consequently the whole world.” The WHOLE world will have the opportunity of salvation through Jesus because of Joseph’s light and momentary affliction. “Sometimes light and momentary feels heavy and unending.” How often do I forget the children’s song!? 🎶“He’s got the whole world in his hands.“🎶 🎶”He’s got you and me brother in his hands.”🎶 God IS Sovereign: ✔️ Ephesians 1:11 ✔️ Romans 8:28 ✔️ Colossians 1:16-17 ✔️ Isaiah 45:7-9 Goodness, if God’s story of Joseph and His evident sovereignty doesn’t provide me the rest my heart needs, I must root out the weeds of doubt and faithlessness. (Matthew 11:28 and 2 Timothy 2:13)

Sue Bohlin

Super devo, Natanya! I loved reading how Joseph invokes God ("Elohim") over and over, with both his fellow prisoners and then Pharaoh. What a great example of seeing God's hand at work in every part of life--and how that instructs us to think biblically, with an eternal perspective! I especially loved his statement of basically, "I can't, but God can." I recently heard the testimony of a man who was so struck by that truth he had heard in a message that he wrote it on a white board in his kitchen. Then he descended into deep sexual sin so far that he had a prostitute come to his home, and as she was leaving she read those words on his white board and asked what that meant. Her question, and the truth of the statement, pricked his seared conscience so deeply it became the turning point for him to repent and return to the Lord.

Michael Scaman

As Joseph saw the double dreams of the cup baker and chief baker fullfilled and confronted with a double dream of the Pharoah fulfilled, he says "the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God, " In his youth, Joseph had his own stange double dream. Was his double dream was firmly fixed by God? Joseph had a double dream about sheaves of the field and stars. At what point did he realize God was doing something with his life that was 'firmly fixed'. ( Did Daniel think back on double things when he looked at and interpretted the handwriting on the wall with 'mene mene' maning 'weighted weighed' )

Amy Lowther

1. I ask God how he would handle things and to help me handle things as he would. 2. Yes. It is interesting to remember growing up, the discouragement that occurred between children because they wanted to win or they wanted the best item and there was only one available. To discourage anyone in anyway and put doubt in their mind is selfish. School was a world of its own as I grew up where I struggled to go to God. 3. Some ways to fight discouragement and choose God are: attend church, read the Bible, share faith with fellow believers, and serve others. 4. I can encourage guests as I greet for Frontlines this week and fellow greeters in faith circles this week by sharing how God is faithfully at work in my life.