The Beginning and Meaning of Everything that Matters Genesis 39:1-23 Outline: God is with Joseph in Egypt, even through his enduring unjust treatment, in order to accomplish His word and purposes. Gen. 39:1-6a God is with Joseph in slavery and enables him to succeed. Gen. 39:6b-19 Joseph is steadfast in temptation and endures unjust treatment. Gen. 39:20-23 God is with Joseph in prison and enables him to succeed. What's going on in this chapter? This chapter resumes focusing on Joseph, literarily picking up where 37:36 left off, with him sold into slavery in Egypt—“Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him (Joseph) in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard” (37:36) … “Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there” (39:1). This chapter compares Joseph (ch. 39) with Judah (ch. 38), particularly, in their conduct especially with women, and God’s involvement in their lives—Judah went down from his brothers, while Joseph was brought down to Egypt; the LORD seems very much against Judah’s family, while He is clearly with Joseph; Judah sees a Canaanite woman, while Joseph is seen by an Egyptian woman; Judah’s sons are wicked before the LORD, while Joseph refuses to do anything wicked against Him, etc. This chapter highlights the LORD being “with” Joseph (vv. 2, 3, 21, 23) even while he was involuntarily taken to Egypt and mistreated by others; it further demonstrates his virtuous character, and God’s favor on him under the authority of Potiphar and the keeper of the prison. This chapter especially prepares not just Joseph’s story but Jacob’s (Israel’s) in the coming chapters, and thus depicts God’s providence at work in and through difficult circumstances in order to accomplish His word and His purposes for His people. Joseph is forced to leave his homeland and endures unjust treatment, but God is with him through it all and continues to accomplish His purposes. Genesis 39:1-6a Genesis 39:6b-19 Genesis 39:20-23 God being with His people doesn’t necessarily mean that: we will be free from family and mistreatment; we will be free from in Egypt by foreigners; we will be free from that seem both enticing and inevitable; we will be free from slanderous and unjust treatment. God being with His people does mean that He is at work providentially in and through them and their circumstances to accomplish His word and purposes which will be for their good. Providence I need to have confidence and trust in the providence of God… that He is me no matter where I end up by the schemes of others; that He can me to flourish no matter where I end up; that I can temptations to sin against Him; that I don’t need to against unjust treatment done to me; …in order to see Him accomplish His word and purposes to me.