• In Genesis 39; Joseph was a servant of Potiphar, and the Lord blessed him to prosper in everything he oversaw. Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife, and she wanted to sleep with him. But Joseph rejected her and kept denying. But then she planned a scheme to tempt him more, and he fled and left his robe. And she lied and he was taken to prison.

Matthew 16:25-26; Jesus says that whoever saves his life, will lose his life. But whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it. And basically he says that nothing in this world is worthy of being as valuable seeing God’s glory in its unveiled form.

In Psalm 11:7; David says that God is righteous, and he loves those who follow righteousness. He says that the upright and those seeking God will behold his face.

Take away: God wants me to deny myself and my sinful desires of playing video games that I idolize. But to be in his presence, and he will clear my mind and give me the peace that is beyond understanding.

In Matthew 16:5-12 Jesus warns against the leaven of the Pharisees and sadducees. The disciples having forgotten the bring bread misunderstood him because of their circumstance, not because of what he actually said. Jesus reminds His disciples that if He can multiply the fishes and loaves how much more could He provide food with very little let alone nothing. Yes He was focused on warning them to not be hungry and seek after teaching from the religious leaders, but in that He also rebuked them for having such little faith that He wouldn’t provide food even if they forgot.

In Gen 38 it’s so wild to me when you realize that Jesus’ royal bloodline runs directly through Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar.

Tamar was a Canaanite woman who married Judah’s son Er, but God judged Er for his wickedness and he died.
She was then given to his brother Onan, who also acted wickedly and was judged by God and died.
Judah deceptively refused to give Tamar his third son Shelah as he had promised, because of fear of him dying too, so Tamar eventually disguised herself as a prostitute, and Judah slept with her thinking she was a cult prostitute? What!? Why does God use this particular act of sin for Jesus to eventually be born from these two? Tamar becames pregnant by Judah with twins, Perez and Zerah, what are the chances the timing lines up perfectly for her to get pregnant?
And somehow, out of this incredibly messy and broken story, God chooses Perez to carry the royal line that eventually leads to David and Jesus.
Wow 😳 what an unexpected family tree for Jesus to come through.
A Canaanite woman, sexual immortality, lies, moral failure, injustice, brokenness… and yet God works through it all.

Matthew even intentionally names Tamar in Jesus’ genealogy rather than hiding the messy story.
Judah → Perez → … → Boaz → Obed → Jesse → David → … → Jesus.
God’s doesn’t need a perfect family history to work with people.
He can take the most broken and unlikely circumstances and redeem them into His purposes.

Interesting that Perez literally means something like “breach/breakthrough” because of how he was born.
What a fitting name for a very unexpected son through whom the royal line of David & Jesus would eventually come.

In Gen 39 Joseph over and over chooses to do what is right by refusing Potiphar’s wife because he doesn’t want to “sin against God” (vs 9), yet she falsely accuses him and Joseph ends up in prison and seemingly loses everything he worked so hard for.
Its interesting that the story never focuses on Joseph defending himself or explaining. Instead, the repeated emphasis is that “The Lord was with Joseph” (v. 2, 21, 23)

There’s a fine line between defending ourselves and allowing God to be our defender.
There are times to speak the truth and confront false accusations, but we don’t have to become consumed with proving ourselves to everyone.
Joseph’s reputation was temporarily destroyed, but his character wasn’t.

If we take care of our character, God will take care of our reputation and future