Old Testament # 11
“How Can I
Do This Great Wickedness?”
Genesis 34–39
Last week’s Challenge—in your personal
relationships, this week, turn a negative thought or comment into a positive
one.
Introduction
I probably shouldn’t have taken
this photo, but it was such an inspiring event, and one unprecedented for me in
my 38 years as a Church member. The only thing remotely like it was at a Single
Adult conference in Berchtesgaden Germany when the Stake Presidency and Bishops
passed the sacrament. And quite honestly, one can say this all somewhat
obliquely came about because of today’s lesson when Joseph of Egypt said “how
can I do this great wickedness” and set the course of his life to be the Savior
of Israel at that time.
The reading this week involves some
very difficult chapters with the sons of Israel (Jacob) behaving very badly.
They serve to show that sexual sin is very serious and that vengeance is never
a good strategy. That is all I have to say about that!
1. Joseph is sold into slavery
by his brothers. Genesis 37.
One of my mother’s favorite videos
was on Joseph and his visions. The Prince of Egypt. The story lends
itself very well to the cartoon medium, but it seems they got Joseph nothing
but trouble. Not many of us come from a family with 12 boys and several girls,
and there might have been a sense of privilege in the family because of the
remarkable visions of their father and the expectation of a continuation of
favor from the Lord. There is no doubt a great difference in ages between the oldest
and Joseph -- #11. And in his old age Jacob favors this son of his first love,
Rachel.
We talked about the birthright last
week and once again, as happened from Abraham on down, the birthright does not
go to the oldest son (and Joseph’s birthright goes to his second son, Ephraim).
In this case it appears to be because of the unrighteousness of Joseph’s older
brothers.
And although it was necessary for
the survival of their families (although they obviously didn’t know that), they
first decided to kill Joseph and finally sold him into slavery.
2. Joseph refuses to “sin
against God.” Genesis 39.
In contrast to his brothers
succumbing to sexual sin (usually with eyes wide open and probably initiating
it), Joseph is a slave—his agency has been taken away—I believe that his
refusal to lie with Potiphar’s wife (and she could just have been testing
him—looking for a way to get rid of him because he was so highly favored of her
husband) was for Joseph a life or death decision. He was basically choosing
death over unrighteousness. An invidious position.
Joseph is a type or parallel of the
Savior in many ways. As I said earlier, he became the Savior of the children of
Israel during the famine which threatened to destroy them. His choice not to
succumb to Potiphar’s wife would almost certainly lead to his death (and nearly
did). The Savior chose mortal death in order to save us all.
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