Genesis 37: 36; 39: 1-6
We've seen how Jacob's sons hated Joseph for being Dad's favorite, so they were going to kill him, but they sold him instead, to the caravan that just happened to be passing by. And the Ishmaelites who were from Midian put him on the slave-block in Egypt.
(36) the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, the captain of the bodyguard.
This is the last verse in chapter 37, which sets up resuming this story in Chapter 39 after talking about Judah in chapter 38.
(1) Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there.
The man, Potiphar, who bought the slave, Joseph, worked for Pharaoh; he was the commander of the military bodyguard for Pharaoh himself.
(2) The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
So Potiphar bought Joseph to be a house servant.
(3) Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Right away his master saw that whatever he did worked out really well, and it looks like he recognized that it was the Lord God that Joseph worshiped who was causing him to be successful.
(4) So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.
This success had Potiphar promote him to being his personal assistant, and he even had him decide matters concerning everything he owned, both in the house and even in the fields he owned.
(5) It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord's blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.
Potiphar noticed that since Joseph was advising him in whatever matters he asked him about, whenever he did what Joseph said, it turned out profitable, no matter what area the expertise was in.
(6) So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. ...
So Potiphar let Joseph directly manage everything he owned, and he didn't even need to hear about anything, because he knew it would go well with Joseph in charge. The only thing he decided for himself was what to tell the cook to make for dinner!
It looks like Joseph made life a lot easier for Potiphar, taking care of everything for him. This is the attitude that every successful employee has toward their employer, to make them look good, to prosper them, not thinking of themselves.
I think this bode well for Joseph when trouble occurred.
O my Father, You love us so much, and You want us to love You back and to love one another as You have loved us. Please help us to love our employers and serve them as Joseph served Potiphar. He is such a good example to follow in our work careers.
My Father, teach us how to love one another in all of our relationships with one another, to learn what would be actually loving compared with what would only be co-dependent. We are so susceptible to the lie that helping someone when they are capable of helping themself is loving, when it is actually only serving our own self-image as someone who "helps."
O Father, send out Your children to share with the whole world how much You love us. You love us so much that You will hurt us, though You will never harm us. And You sent Your own beloved Son to hurt on our behalf, to die in our place, so that we could live. Please bring all Your embryos to the birth into Your family, and fill Your great house with Your uncountable children.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation, to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
