God Speaks
Judah, Sons Behave Badly; Joseph Behaves Righteously While Enslaved
Verse of the Day: [As a slave and as a prisoner, Joseph asked two questions that reveal his devotion to God.] “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9 NIV 2011) and “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Genesis 40:8 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection.
Consider the following questions regarding Genesis 38-40
> 1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
> 2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Genesis 38
1. God will sometimes take drastic action against sin as He did with Judah’s two older sons.
2. People are to honor their commitments to Him and to each other.
Genesis 39
1. God looks with favor and grants success to those who have been treated unfairly, if they will act responsibly as Joseph did.
2. People should act responsibly in managing whatever is entrusted to them. They should not lie or manipulate to get their way.
Genesis 40
1. God has many ways of revealing His plans and purposes. Although the written word of God (the Bible) is the main and most reliable one, He sometimes uses dreams.
2. People should consult God to interpret the meaning of dreams or visions.
Prayer
> 3. How might I pray regarding Genesis 38-40?
Dear Father God who watches over and blesses His chosen ones, thank You for enabling Joseph to succeed when he worked faithfully, stayed close to You and remembered You are always with your chosen people. May I do the same. Holy Spirit, please help me to honor God in the sexual aspects of my life. You, O LORD, have a loving purpose for everything You allow in our lives, even our dreams. In Joseph’s case, You first used enslavement and imprisonment to get him to humble himself, to get him in complete alignment with and dependence on You. His answer and actions in regard to Potiphar’s wife demonstrate that. Next, You used the dreams of his fellow prisoners to establish Joseph’s and Your credibility. Please keep me from operating purely out of human “wisdom” and natural urges. Out of love and gratitude, may I seek to honor You in all I think, say, and do. May I also honor You by standing up to temptation and resisting or fleeing from evil, then You will shine Your glory out through me to others and bring glory to Your name. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
> 4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Genesis 38-40? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will seek to honor God by being diligent and exhibiting a good, helpful attitude in all I do at work, at home, or at school.
- I will try to remember my dreams and write them down as soon as I wake up.
- I will discuss with God what He wants me to do in regard to the dreams I have.
- I will examine my life and humbly submit myself to my loving Heavenly Father for His good purposes for my life.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.