- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Jun 10, 2022 18:33:49 GMT -8
This Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Genesis 39:1-23
Haftara- Isaiah 52:3-53:12
D’rash: We now return to Yoseph’s story as he is sold into the house of Potipher:
Genesis 39:2 (ESV) The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
This is the thesis of the entire Yoseph narrative. The common belief of the time was that each land was the domain of particular gods who one worshiped in that land if you were to thrive there. The God of Yoseph was still as He was in the days of Avraham, Yitz’chaq, and still was with Ya’aqov who mourned the loss of Yoseph not knowing he was alive and being placed to save Gods’ (Ya’aqov’s) family and build His (Gods’) nation. This is a God who never abandons His own just because they cross a border; THE GOD who is over all gods and the entire world! Yoseph trusted this God even as he was sold into slavery by his own brothers and through all the trials he would face. This is the lesson the Hebrew people needed to hear at the time Torah was given and throughout their history; and it is the lesson we need to hear today. Do not focus on circumstances, focus on God. He will prosper us even in the worst of circumstances, if not in this life then in the Olam Haba.
To focus on our situation is the same as focusing on an idol. Idolatry goes beyond worshiping false gods and images. It’s a heart condition, associated with pride, self-centeredness, greed, and gluttony: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” ( Php 3:19 ); and love of possessions: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [mammon].” (Mat 6:24). It would be easy for Yoseph to become discouraged, despondent, and like most who are sold into slavery become disconsolate in his demeanor. He apparently was not, as Potiphar would have been a man who recognized excellence of character when he saw it; and he saw it in Yoseph. He saw it when he purchased Yoseph as his own and in Yoseph’s service, eventually placing him in charge of his own household:
Genesis 39:3-4 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 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.
As servants of the Most High God this is how we should appear to others. They should see this in us, in our lives and in our circumstances. How many blessings do we miss out on because we look to our circumstances or to worldly things? I can tell you I have actually refused blessings because I loathed the one who offered it, not thinking it may have been God Himself offering that through this person who was appointed over me. And of course this eventually cost me a good job as God through this persons anger towards me now withdrew the blessings I already had. But I am a bad example. Look to Yoseph who, as it will turn out is an excellent example. However rejection has its’ price, as both I and Yoseph would learn. Yoseph rejects the advances of Potipher’s wife- a thing women particularly cannot abide:
Genesis 39:6b-20 (redacted) Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said … How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not … lie beside her or to be with her. But one day … 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. … Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, … saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
According to Pastor Ed Cole nothing can be so enraging to a man as being falsely accused and punished. Yoseph could have allowed his anger to consume him. Allow me to break the story here and tell you I just asked some of the men of my congregation to pray for me as I have always struggled with anger issues, which often manifests as cursing. I even said I would be accountable to them. Now I know Pastor Cole also admonished men that we are most vulnerable to ha’satan after a victory. So being on my guard, what did I do? Get angry at someone and curse? No, I got angry at myself and called myself a derogatory name. Being on guard for frontal assaults is good, but watch your flanks, which Pastor Cole also taught but I forgot. Yoseph apparently however did not forget, so again I say use him as your example and not me:
Genesis 39:21-23 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
The jailer also saw excellance in Yoseph, and through this God blessed him. Go back to Padam-Aram and “Jacob’s Ladder.” More to the point God’s Ladder, His ziggurat in ancient thought. This was God’s picture of His communication from the heavens to us on earth. That line of communication went two ways. He responds to us as we are faithful to Him. The jailer did not know it, but this is what he saw in Yoseph. Even being sold into slavery, then finding what had to look to him as the most coveted position he could expect to find with this pagan people. Now because he refused to dishonor either his pagan master or most especially His God his situation goes from bad to worse! Yet he does not look to his circumstances but to his God. And once again his God is with him. The blessing now is not as it was before, but it is enough to sustain him through this dark time. God was saying to him and later to the Hebrew people, and now to us “I am still in control. I hold your circumstances in My hands. But whether they will be to do you good or evil is your choice. Keep your eyes on ME; keep the lines of communication open.” Keep your eyes on El Elohe Yisroel, on Yeshua Ha’Moshiach.
In our haftara we read “For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” … Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.” (Isaiah 52:3,6). Yoseph is repeatedly and severely punished for obeying his God. Yet he understands it is his God who always says “here I am.” “I am with you always” (cf. Mat 28:20). I won’t copy all of it here, But Matthew 14:22-32 tells of Yeshua sending His disciples before Him in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. We’ve probably all heard the story, how the boat made little headway in a sudden storm; how He came to them walking across the water. The story ends “And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
He doubted because he took his eyes off Yeshua and looked at his circumstances- he was walking on water, and in a storm no less! That just is not how the world works! Let us keep our minds on God. That is how He works.
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; JPS Study TNK; Drs. Eli and Schaser of the IBC; Pastor Ed Cole; my father and others
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Gen 40:1-23
Haftara- Is 49:1-23
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
Parashah- Genesis 39:1-23
Haftara- Isaiah 52:3-53:12
D’rash: We now return to Yoseph’s story as he is sold into the house of Potipher:
Genesis 39:2 (ESV) The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
This is the thesis of the entire Yoseph narrative. The common belief of the time was that each land was the domain of particular gods who one worshiped in that land if you were to thrive there. The God of Yoseph was still as He was in the days of Avraham, Yitz’chaq, and still was with Ya’aqov who mourned the loss of Yoseph not knowing he was alive and being placed to save Gods’ (Ya’aqov’s) family and build His (Gods’) nation. This is a God who never abandons His own just because they cross a border; THE GOD who is over all gods and the entire world! Yoseph trusted this God even as he was sold into slavery by his own brothers and through all the trials he would face. This is the lesson the Hebrew people needed to hear at the time Torah was given and throughout their history; and it is the lesson we need to hear today. Do not focus on circumstances, focus on God. He will prosper us even in the worst of circumstances, if not in this life then in the Olam Haba.
To focus on our situation is the same as focusing on an idol. Idolatry goes beyond worshiping false gods and images. It’s a heart condition, associated with pride, self-centeredness, greed, and gluttony: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” ( Php 3:19 ); and love of possessions: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [mammon].” (Mat 6:24). It would be easy for Yoseph to become discouraged, despondent, and like most who are sold into slavery become disconsolate in his demeanor. He apparently was not, as Potiphar would have been a man who recognized excellence of character when he saw it; and he saw it in Yoseph. He saw it when he purchased Yoseph as his own and in Yoseph’s service, eventually placing him in charge of his own household:
Genesis 39:3-4 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 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.
As servants of the Most High God this is how we should appear to others. They should see this in us, in our lives and in our circumstances. How many blessings do we miss out on because we look to our circumstances or to worldly things? I can tell you I have actually refused blessings because I loathed the one who offered it, not thinking it may have been God Himself offering that through this person who was appointed over me. And of course this eventually cost me a good job as God through this persons anger towards me now withdrew the blessings I already had. But I am a bad example. Look to Yoseph who, as it will turn out is an excellent example. However rejection has its’ price, as both I and Yoseph would learn. Yoseph rejects the advances of Potipher’s wife- a thing women particularly cannot abide:
Genesis 39:6b-20 (redacted) Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said … How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not … lie beside her or to be with her. But one day … 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. … Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, … saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
According to Pastor Ed Cole nothing can be so enraging to a man as being falsely accused and punished. Yoseph could have allowed his anger to consume him. Allow me to break the story here and tell you I just asked some of the men of my congregation to pray for me as I have always struggled with anger issues, which often manifests as cursing. I even said I would be accountable to them. Now I know Pastor Cole also admonished men that we are most vulnerable to ha’satan after a victory. So being on my guard, what did I do? Get angry at someone and curse? No, I got angry at myself and called myself a derogatory name. Being on guard for frontal assaults is good, but watch your flanks, which Pastor Cole also taught but I forgot. Yoseph apparently however did not forget, so again I say use him as your example and not me:
Genesis 39:21-23 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
The jailer also saw excellance in Yoseph, and through this God blessed him. Go back to Padam-Aram and “Jacob’s Ladder.” More to the point God’s Ladder, His ziggurat in ancient thought. This was God’s picture of His communication from the heavens to us on earth. That line of communication went two ways. He responds to us as we are faithful to Him. The jailer did not know it, but this is what he saw in Yoseph. Even being sold into slavery, then finding what had to look to him as the most coveted position he could expect to find with this pagan people. Now because he refused to dishonor either his pagan master or most especially His God his situation goes from bad to worse! Yet he does not look to his circumstances but to his God. And once again his God is with him. The blessing now is not as it was before, but it is enough to sustain him through this dark time. God was saying to him and later to the Hebrew people, and now to us “I am still in control. I hold your circumstances in My hands. But whether they will be to do you good or evil is your choice. Keep your eyes on ME; keep the lines of communication open.” Keep your eyes on El Elohe Yisroel, on Yeshua Ha’Moshiach.
In our haftara we read “For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” … Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.” (Isaiah 52:3,6). Yoseph is repeatedly and severely punished for obeying his God. Yet he understands it is his God who always says “here I am.” “I am with you always” (cf. Mat 28:20). I won’t copy all of it here, But Matthew 14:22-32 tells of Yeshua sending His disciples before Him in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. We’ve probably all heard the story, how the boat made little headway in a sudden storm; how He came to them walking across the water. The story ends “And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
He doubted because he took his eyes off Yeshua and looked at his circumstances- he was walking on water, and in a storm no less! That just is not how the world works! Let us keep our minds on God. That is how He works.
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; JPS Study TNK; Drs. Eli and Schaser of the IBC; Pastor Ed Cole; my father and others
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Gen 40:1-23
Haftara- Is 49:1-23
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
