Genesis 40

With Graham out of the office for a couple of weeks, I get to lead Bible Study. It's always a fun experience to go through a passage, try to pull out some nuggets, and share. And, almost always, the attendees provide even more insight.

I've gotten some thick passages to analyze in the past. I did Romans 2, which is all about circumcision, and Romans 3, which is about our sin nature. I got Genesis 19, which included the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Genesis 37, where Joseph is sold into slavery. Though challenging in terms of content, each provided an opportunity to look as something key to our spiritual walk.

Of course Genesis 40 is a little different. One might even call it filler between arcs in Joseph's story. In Genesis 39 Joseph is wrongly thrown in prison and in Genesis 41 he comes into the service of the Pharaoh. Then there's Genesis 40.

I liken it to the training montage scene in every Rocky film. The montage is located in the middle of the story, and often gets overlooked. It's not as memorable as the set up, where Rocky is presented a challenge, or as the climactic battle, where he squares off against the opposition to achieve his goals. It's about the time in between where he has to grow.

That's what Genesis 40 is all about. Joseph is no longer the brash teen who inflamed his brothers, he's no longer the servant to Potipher, and he's yet to fulfill God's purpose for his life in service to the Pharaoh. So it's easy to overlook the passage.

But the chapter shows several important things. It shows Joseph using the skills he was given by God to make a connection with the Cupbearer. It's that connection that proves vital to opening doors for Joseph, though it takes longer than he'd like. We also see personal growth from Joseph, who gives glory to God for his gifts, has let go of the anger and blame he has for others, and he's learned to rely on God.

While it might be easy to skip over the narrative in Genesis 40, it's impossible to look past the change we see in Joseph, as he grows from a privileged youth into the man God would use to save the Israelites.