Thursday, July 17, 2008

Genesis 39 - The past comes present

"I never saw that before" is a phrase I am getting used to saying. On all three sites I write, I keep tripping over things that I think must be obvious to other people. But for some reason I have not seen them. They have hidden in the weeds of life and I have missed them. Here's something I realized today.

Chapter 39 of Genesis is the section where Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph. This is the section where Joseph ends up in jail. And when we get to chapter 41, I'll talk a little more about the purpose of jail, but there's something cool in this chapter too.

Here is an excerpt of what Joseph said to Potiphar's wife when she came on to him. He essentially lays out a case based on how much trust Potiphar has put in him:

"everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

I never realized that this, this is what Adam should have said to the serpent in the garden of Eden. This is the speech he should have given. These are almost the exact words, except perhaps we should switch out "house" for the word "garden" and "wife" for the word "fruit":

"everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this garden than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except this fruit, because this is his fruit. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

But Adam didn't say that. Joseph did. And though they were both kicked out of their homes, Adam the garden and Joseph Potiphar's house, they were headed in very different directions. Because for Joseph, an already crazy life was about to get crazier. And that's where we'll pick up in Chapter 40.

14 comments:

JayGee said...

Like it Jon...

If Adam did say that, men probably will remain in the garden of Eden..but because Joseph did, he was kicked out of the house and thrown to jail....

But because Adam did not say that, he was thrown out of the garden..and Joseph would probably remain in the house if only he did not say that...

That's the difference between the garden of God and the house of men...In the house of men, following God means you are out of the house...in God's garden, following Him is eternal life...

if Adam said that, Adam would not sin, only Eve would....mmmm..can't figure that out....lol

christianne said...

wow!!! i never noticed that, either. and of course i didn't notice it this morning because i read the wrong chapter. oops! :)

MICHAEL MANASSEH said...

That is really dope, Im currently writing a book on the original plan for mankind, I might quote you on this, if thats ok.

Anonymous said...

good stuff man!

LeLe said...

I never made that connection either until you just mentioned it. Good discernment, man!

Andi said...

I love SCL and I'll be one of the first in line to buy your book, but I hope you don't quit writing these daily devotions.

Anonymous said...

Great insight...keep 'em coming!

Anonymous said...

Wow!! Way to take it up a notch. I've read that store so many times, and even played Joseph in the Amazing Technocolor Dream Coat in 6th Grade and never made the connection that you just made. With the whole of the OT pointing to Jesus and the Cross, Joesph show's he's the "better Adam" of Genesis while Jesus is the "better Adam" and the better Joseph. Good stuff.

Jules said...

Awesome connection! Keep up this awesome site - to be honest I have been having trouble spending time in the word - but having it broken down and tracking with your blog is really helping.

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely needed this today. Kudos.

Anonymous said...

That's good stuff. and so I'm curious.... do we not have the same opportunity to say those words every day? the choice between the knowledge of good and evil and life, i.e. the choice between seeing someone's sin and seeing someone's testimony? the opportunities to choose are endless I'm sure. It's exciting and challenging! Bless you!

nathan stryker said...

and then when hypothetical adam said that to the serpent, he could've eaten it! how awesome would that have been?!

Michael Marchand said...

So true. And really if you think about, what Adam needed to say was ANYTHING.

"[Eve] took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Gen 3:6)

That's right. Adam was standing right next to her when the serpent (or more accurately, "leviathan") is tempting his wife, and he says nothing.

God gave Adam one job: to guard and keep the Garden (and everything in it, including his wife). And here is this big, threatening monster trying to deceive his wife, and he says nothing. Nothing.

@jaygee: So if Adam had manned-up and said something, he would've saved both himself and his wife.

voigt said...

solid!