Devotion for Wednesday, November 11th
Kevin Peterson
Devotional Text: Genesis 41 (To read and even listen to this text for free, click here.)
Verses in Focus: And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured. Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.” The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Genesis 41:45-52)
Related Verse: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers (Psalms 1:1-3).
Devotional Thought:
What an amazing reversal of fortune for Joseph! It has certainly been the rollercoaster ride for him, that’s for sure. Thirteen years prior, he had been hauled out of an empty cistern to be sold off to slave traders heading to Egypt. He worked hard and proved his worth to his first owner only to be falsely accused of adultery with his Master’s wife. And then he spent quite a few years forgotten within the bowels of an Egyptian prison. Periodic glimmers of hope—like the interaction with the king’s cupbearer—only served to heighten Joseph’s miserable status.
And now, here he stands as the second in command over all of Egypt! To be sure, it is a shrewd and calculated maneuver on Pharaoh’s part. Unattached and unaffiliated with any of the powers that be in his administration, Joseph proves to be the perfect man to put in charge of the “Store Up For the Coming Famine” project. And as a man, both blessed and faithful to God, he proves to be up to the challenge. But that’s how it has always been. It’s how it was in his father’s house, then in Potiphar’s house, and then also in the prison. As the Psalmist said: “In all that he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:3).
Now, for a few notes about the text itself. Pharaoh, first of all, gives Joseph an Egyptian name: Zaphenath-paneah. Scholars are divided on just what it means. The options are 1) “revealer of hidden things” or 2) “the god speaks and he lives”. Regardless, the new name will come in handy in the next chapter, when Joseph encounters his brothers for the first time since he left home. Secondly, Pharaoh marries Joseph off to one Asenath, the daughter of a priest of On by the name of Potiphera. It’s important to note that Asenath’s father is not the same man who was Joseph’s previous owner—Potiphar—who was the captain of the guard. This new guy is a priest in the city of On (later Heliopolis)—meaning he is not a worshipper of the true God, but most likely a priest for the Egyptian diety, Ra.
Joseph’s marriage into this family, however, does not mean that he is now involved in any kind of false worship. The text of Genesis will continue to maintain, in the upcoming chapters, his faithfulness and devotion to the God of his fathers—the God who has always watched over him, even in his darkest moments, and blessed everything he touched. As a historical note, a few centuries after the time of Joseph, a Pharaoh by the name Akenaton will officially reject the worship of many gods in favor of the worship of one God, whom he calls Aton. The phenomenon will prove to be short lived, but could Joseph’s faith and involvement with a pagan priestly family, been the impetus—the seed, if you will—of Egypt’s brief dalliance with monotheism? Just a thought. Blessings on your day!
Vaya con Dios!
Pastor Peterson
REMINDER: You can check out previous email devotions from Shepherd of the Valley Devotions by going to http://groups.google.com/group/salmonlutheran
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