Pointed to You
Genesis 39
Gen 39:1 Now Joseph
had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's
officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had
taken him there.
LET’S focus on two aspects of sin – slavery and
the Ishmaelites – to see God’s salvation.
The
very fact that Joseph’s brothers could easily sell him to a caravan of
Ishmaelites demonstrates the evil in mankind’s heart. What manner of people
would commit such sin to sell and buy a man? And there is rich and powerful Potiphar,
who readily “buys” Joseph to be his slave.
You
may think slavery is of the past. But sadly the United Nations records over 30
million people worldwide are victimized into forced labor for little or no
money. Many of these people work in the factories 18 hours a day to make our
low-cost electronics, games and clothes. Most horribly, great numbers of women
and children are enslaved in sex trafficking.
The
Ishmaelites are people descended from Ishmael, the illegitimate son of Abram
and Hagar (Genesis 16). As Ishmael was born out of a sinful act against God’s plan,
God tells Abraham, “He will be a wild
donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against
him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” (Genesis 16:12)
Ishmael’s
hostile descendants came against God’s chosen son, and they will show up repeatedly
through such people as the Amalekites, Philistiens and Moabites, who war with Israel
for centuries.
But
mercifully, wrapped amid the slavery and the violent men, Joseph survived because
God was using this evil to save you. Yes, God has one thing in mind: your salvation.
All he did here, and all he does everywhere points to prepare the way for Jesus
to save you.
LIFE Link: God defeats the foe to wrap you in
Him.
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