But even as an indentured servant, Joseph turned every experience and all circumstances, no matter how trying, into something good.“This ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. And how very, very significant that is! Joseph was sold by his own brothers as a slave and was purchased by Potiphar, a captain of the guard of Pharaoh. 8:28.) Joseph always seemed to do the right thing but still, more importantly, he did it for the right reason. The MacArthur Bible Commentary The Bible Exposition Commentary, 6 Volumes The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old & New Testament, 2 Volumes Preaching the Word.“The story of Joseph, the son of Jacob who was called Israel, is a vivid representation of the great truth that ‘all things work together for good to who loved God.’ (See Rom.They have the correct, positive attitude, and Dale Carnegie’s expression seems to apply: If you feel you have a lemon, you can either complain about how sour it is, or you can make a lemonade. People like this cannot be defeated, because they will not give up. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord.
![]() ![]() What Was the Coat of Many Colors?There is some question as to what Joseph’s coat actually was. (Individual study students should complete all of this section.)Notes and Commentary on Genesis 37–50 (8-2) Genesis 37:3. 1973, p. 130.)Use Notes and Commentary below to help you as you read and study Genesis 37–50.Complete Points to Ponder as directed by your teacher. One noted scholar suggested that it was “a tunic reaching to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet the long tunic with sleeves worn by young men and maidens of the better class in the case of Joseph, supposed by Bush … to have been the badge of the birthright which has been forfeited by Reuben and transferred to Joseph” (Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies, s.v. “colour,” p. 82).If indeed this coat signaled that Joseph held the birthright, which may have been in question among the brothers because there were four firstborn sons in Jacob’s family, this fact would explain the intense hostility and jealousy the coat provoked among the other sons of Jacob. The coat may have been of different colors, but its significance seems to have been far more than its brightness and beauty. An upper coat reaching to the wrists and ankles, such as noblemen and kings’ daughters wore” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 1:1:335 note also 2 Samuel 13:18, which says that the daughters of King David wore similar coats). Cytomic the glue torrentThe disqualification of these sons would make him the rightful legal heir.Dan. He could have argued that not only Reuben had lost the right, but so had Simeon and Levi, through the massacre of the Shechemites (see Genesis 34). Since he was the second son of Leah and next in line following Reuben, he could have assumed the birthright would come to him after Reuben lost his right to it.Judah. Although he had lost the right (see Reading 7-28), he may not have accepted that fact.Simeon. He was the firstborn of all the sons. What Was Potiphar’s Position?The Hebrew phrase which is translated as “captain of the guards” literally means “chief of the butchers or slaughterers.” From this meaning some scholars have thought that he was the chief cook or steward in the house of the pharaoh, but other scholars believe that butcher or slaughterer is used in the sense of executioner, and thus Potiphar was the “commanding officer of the royal body-guard, who executed the capital sentences ordered by the king” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 1:1:338). (8-4) Genesis 37:32Mormon recorded in the Book of Mormon that when Jacob saw that a remnant of the “coat of many colours” ( v. 32) had been preserved, he prophesied that so also would a remnant of Joseph’s seed be preserved (see Alma 46:24).Joseph’s brothers and his father Jacob join him in Egypt to escape famineJoseph taken to Egypt to be sold as a slaveEgypt (8-5) Genesis 37:36. Typically, the price for a slave was thirty pieces of silver (see Exodus 21:32). (8-3) Genesis 37:28The price received for Joseph, twenty pieces of silver, is the same price specified later in the Mosaic law for a slave between the ages of five and twenty (see Leviticus 27:5). He was the firstborn son of Zilpah and therefore could easily have thought he should have taken the birthright after Reuben forfeited it.Joseph’s dreams (see Genesis 37:5–11), which clearly signified future leadership, only added to the resentment among the brothers. Indonesian subtitleFirst, once again are illustrated the effects of the covenant people forgetting the importance of marrying in the covenant. There seem to be several reasons for its inclusion here. Judah and TamarWith typical honesty, the Old Testament includes the sordid tale of Judah’s incestuous relationship with his daughter-in-law. An additional lesson here shows that ancestry is not the determiner of one’s righteousness. Second, the story shows the lineage of Judah from which the Messiah would eventually come (see Matthew 1:3 Luke 3:33). The negative results of this marriage out of the covenant are clearly shown here. The purpose of such a marriage was to produce a male heir for the dead man and thus perpetuate his name and memory. Under Moses this custom became law (see Deuteronomy 25:5–10). Why Was Tamar to Marry the Brothers of Her Husband?Ancient customs of the Middle East provided that a brother of a deceased man should marry his widow. Likewise, had Judah been faithful to the laws of morality, he never would have sinned with Tamar. Had Judah faithfully kept his promise to Tamar, the seduction would never have taken place. He had no qualms about sending Tamar home with unfulfilled promises nor of picking up a harlot along the road. (8-8) Genesis 38:24It is important to note Judah’s twisted sense of values. Thus when Judah failed to keep his promise to send the youngest son to her, Tamar resorted to deception in order to bear children. He went through the outward show of taking Tamar to wife but refused to let her have children. It may be that Onan, who by virtue of the death of his older brother would have been next in line for the inheritance of Judah, refused to raise up seed through Tamar because the inheritance would have stayed with the elder son’s family. (8-10) Genesis 39:20Because Potiphar had great power with the pharaoh and perhaps was even head of the royal executioners (see Reading 8-5), it is remarkable that Joseph was only put into prison and not executed. He took the next logical step when he added, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” ( Genesis 39:9). If that principle were to be stated negatively, it would read, “When ye are exploiting or sinning against your fellow beings, you are only sinning against God.” Joseph understood this principle perfectly and answered Potiphar’s wife by pointing out that it would be a terrible thing to take advantage of his master in this way. King Benjamin taught the Nephites that “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” ( Mosiah 2:17). What Were Joseph’s Reasons for Refusing Potiphar’s Wife?Joseph’s answer to the advances of Potiphar’s wife shows his great personal righteousness. How many people have become bitter over some real or imagined slight, or blamed the Lord for some personal tragedy? In the very midst of being faithful and holding true to that which is right, Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. (8-11) Genesis 39:21–23 40:1–23The spiritual greatness of Joseph is a remarkable thing. Could it be that Potiphar, knowing of Joseph’s character and his wife’s character, suspected the truth and, although he felt compelled to take action, chose comparatively lenient punishment? Whatever the case, the hand of the Lord certainly preserved Joseph from what would otherwise have been almost certain death. Unselfishly he offered to interpret the dreams of his two fellow prisoners, telling them that the knowledge came from God (see Genesis 40:8). Joseph just continued being righteous and faithful.
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