Here we find Joseph in prison, as we left him at the end of Genesis 39. Though unjustly imprisoned, it was not without providence. For Joseph, prison is not punishment, but preparation. God is preparing, sanctifying, testing, and teaching Joseph to trust in Him. Whatever “pit” we find ourselves in, let us remember that it […]
theology
Commentary and Gospel Thoughts on Genesis 39v6b-23
Introductory Comments The fight against sin and temptation is a fundamental element of the Christian life and it is a fundamental fight that we never stop fighting until we cross the finish line. Many faint at the first sound of shots, others fall out along the way, but even some are shot down near the […]
Commentary and Gospel Thoughts on Genesis 39v1-6a
In Genesis 39 the narrative focus shifts back to Joseph, after a short detour in chapter 38 (of which provides stark contrasts with chapter 39). Verse 1: This chapter begins by picking up right where the end of chapter 37 left off; with Joseph being sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain […]
The Depth of Mercy in the Pits of Sin
Genesis 34 narrates the darkest hours of Jacob’s life. Not only in terms of things that happen to him, but also in terms of his own sin in response to those things. His only daughter, Dinah, is raped. Jacob responds with what seems like apathy – clearly the rotten fruit of favoritism (Dinah being Leah’s […]
On Contentment
I write this not as a commander surveying the field of battle, but as a soldier in the thick of the conflict. Contentment is something which the soul so desperately desires, and yet the flesh so eagerly rejects. The Spirit needs the sustenance of the Lord, while the flesh desires the sustenance of this world. […]