“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. (As a lamb led to slaughter and yet at the same time for Ultimate Glory, not unlike our Beloved Lord Jesus. The place of his greatest suffering will also be the place of his greatest glory. Here he is “taken down” but later he will be “taken up”.) And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. (Already here an allusion is made to Joseph’s inherent Godly qualities rendering him head and shoulders – pun probably intended 😋 – above the other candidates; for why else would the most prominent man in all of Egypt among those in a position to acquire slaves, choose him. This then being the bottom-up clarification working from within Joseph and recognised by Potiphar, which goes hand in hand with the top-down element of God’s Perfect Sovereign Will working from without to make all things: relating to metaphysics, timing, personhood and position, work together to accomplish His glorious ends with awe-inspiring precision.) The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; (the first clause here inevitably resulting in the second, in an Old Testament prophetic depiction of the glorious things to come in the New Covenant, namely how, as we mature, we will become ever-increasingly more equally yoked with God-With-Us, Emmanuel, co-labouring as One) and he was in the house (i.e. in close proximity to-, in the most trusted place of-) his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand (or: “to be a success”). (It is impossible, even for a heathen, not to come to intimately know the very character of the One True God if in close contact with one of His yielded servants accurately displaying His glory.) So Joseph (inevitably 😉) found favour in his sight, and served him. (Not only as a logical consequence in that other human beings created in the image of God will inevitably feel drawn to favour one of His Children who displays His glory accurately, but also as a testimony to the spoken very literal blessing of the Lord over one of His Children become manifest.) Then he made him overseer of his house, and ALL that he had he put under his authority (literally: “in his hand”) (Potiphar did not only become acutely aware of this blessing that so evidently literally follows Joseph wherever he goes in whatever he does, but also couldn’t help but notice the excellent fruit of his Godly character; the very qualities and integrity which would cause an individual to inherently trust someone beyond a shadow of a doubt with even their most prized possessions, gladly rendering himself vulnerable to such a Godly man in full Faith that he will never be taken advantage of. Any man created in God’s image, which is of course every man, ought to be inherently drawn to the way in which a Godly man lives life here on Earth, essentially the Christ-life; who is not only a Godly man but the God-Man. It is also interesting to note, perhaps for that very reason, that Potiphar gladly defers the responsibility- and even full authority over his very own household to Joseph; inherently understanding that he would rule and reign over his dominion far more perfectly than he himself could ever wish to. It is worth noting however that recognising and understanding all this, whether consciously or merely implicitly, is dependent upon at least a degree of humility rendering Potiphar able to appreciate these Truths with a heart having opened eyes and ears. This Biblical narrative is consequently a beautiful testament to Potiphar’s character as well, albeit somewhat veiled. Or perhaps rather a testament to the Grace that God bestowed upon Potiphar in preparing the soil of his heart for such a time as this 😄).”

“¹Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. ²The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. ³And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. ⁴So Joseph found favour in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”

– Genesis 39:1-4 (NKJV)