Potiphar's Wife ~ Woman of the Week

As I already mentioned, I have not studied Potiphar's wife yet.  I'm actually kind of surprise that I hadn't!  I did write about Joseph and how great it is that he didn't seek revenge once he was in power.  (You can read that post here.)

Verses: Genesis 39

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

We know very little about Potiphar's wife.  The name Potiphar means “devoted to the sun.” It was a name connected with the Egyptian religious system.  We don't know if they had any children.

 

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats?  How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?

The first few verses of Genesis 39 talk about Joseph's role in the household.  His master trusted him completely.  Verse seven introduces Potiphar's wife, "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me."

 

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary says, "Egyptian women were not kept in the same secluded manner as females are in most Oriental countries now. They were treated in a manner more worthy of a civilized people - in fact, enjoyed much freedom both at home and abroad. Hence Potiphar’s wife had constant opportunity of meeting Joseph. But the ancient women of Egypt were very loose in their morals. Intrigues and intemperance were vices very prevalent among them, as the monuments too plainly attest. Potiphar’s wife was probably not worse than many of the same rank, and her infamous advances made to Joseph arose from her superiority of station."

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible points out that "Her sin began in the eye."  I find that interesting since it was when Eve "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise" that caused her to eat the forbidden fruit.  We must be very careful with our eyes.

Genesis 39:10 says, "And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her."  John Gill's Exposition of the Bible says, "Continually, incessantly, hoping in time to prevail upon him to comply with her desires; so that the temptation, as it was strong, and very ensnaring, it was urgent, and frequent, and pressed with great importunity; which required the more grace and spiritual strength to resist."

We don't know how long "day by day" lasted, but she was persistent.  She finally found her perfect opportunity on a day when none of the men of the house were there.  Maybe she thought Joseph was just pretending when he resisted, but with no witnesses, this was her opportunity.  But verse 12 says, "And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out."

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

There was never a greater example of "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," than Potiphar's wife.  She saw Joseph run away and now she had his garment in her hand.  He did not run away naked, but his outer garment was stripped off.

Verse 14 says "she called unto the men of her house."  I have to wonder, when Joseph came in they weren't there, but she was able to call them very quickly.  Did she have this planned?

 

Not only did she lie about Joseph, she also blamed her husband, "saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us."  Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible says, "Potiphar’s wife affects to throw great blame on her husband, whom we may reasonably suppose she did not greatly love. He hath brought in - he hath raised this person to all his dignity and eminence, to give him the greater opportunity to mock us."

More from Matthew Henry, "What an improbable story she tells, producing his garment as an evidence that he had offered violence to her, which was a plain indication that she had offered violence to him.  No marvel that she who had impudence enough to say, Lie with me, had front enough to say, “He would have lien with me.” Had the lie been told to conceal her own crime it would have been bad enough, yet, in some degree, excusable; but it was told to be revenged upon his virtue, a most malicious lie. And yet, she manages it so as to incense her husband against him, reflecting upon him for bringing this Hebrew servant among them, perhaps at first against her mind, because he was a Hebrew.  As this matter was represented, one would have thought chaste Joseph a very bad man and his wanton mistress a virtuous woman."

We don't read anything else about Potiphar or his wife.  Just like other wicked people in the Bible, God took their evil deeds and turned it into good.  We will never know if they stood on the sidelines while Joseph was elevated to number two in the kingdom.

I want to end this post on a positive note.  Joseph is an excellent example of forgiveness. I wrote about forgiveness here. "The Purpose of the Church," was a fabulous message we heard in Hawaii.  These bullet points about liberation are so good.  In light of Joseph's life, he truly did escape the prison of unforgiveness.

 

Liberation
There are two things that lock you in prison that you cannot escape - a lie and unforgiveness.
Unforgiveness causes chaos and health issues.
Forgiveness is not an option.  Your best life cannot happen if you won't release the junk you hold on to.
Revenge means that you become God.  It never works.
Baptism frees us from our past.  God forgives us, but He can't forgive FOR us.
True forgiveness cannot happen unless you give up all control and hope for revenge.

Move Past It!

This year I am working on reading my Bible through again.  I love using YouVersion.  I'm following "Bible in One Year 2022 with Nicky Gumbel."  Each day includes a devotional that ties together readings from the Old and New Testament along with verses from Psalms or Proverbs.   I finished Genesis this morning and was reminded of something I wrote about Joseph, it was originally posted on January 16, 2010:

 

I've been reading the story of Joseph and a new realization hit. I'm familiar with his response to his brothers, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50:20) But I had never thought about the fact that he did nothing to Potiphar's wife once he became second in command in Egypt.

 

An additional chapter in Genesis could have been written. We could have read about Potiphar, his wife, and entire household being hauled off to prison. Here was Joseph's opportunity for revenge! He could have told Pharaoh all about his problems with that woman, but as far as I can tell, he moved on. There were seven years of plenty to work and plan for before seven years of famine. He had work to do - he was too busy for grudges!

 

What a tremendous example! How many times have you or I been hurt, talked about, or mistreated and then we sit around waiting for the one who has wrong us to be paid back? We can't get on with the task at hand because we're too busy plotting our revenge and having imaginary conversation that usually never take place. There is too much work to do! Grudges only hurt the one carrying them. The best thing we can do is move on.

2010 is still relatively new (although it seems to be moving at the speed of light!). How about it? Can you leave 2009 and its hurts behind? I know this, there is plenty to do!  (*2022 got here in the blink of an eye, didn't it?)

 

This reminded me of another post I wrote about forgiveness.  The entire post can be read here, but the Purpose of the Church was a fabulous message we heard in Hawaii.  These bullet points about liberation are so good.  In light of Joseph's life, he truly did escape the prison of unforgiveness.

 

Liberation
There are two things that lock you in prison that you cannot escape - a lie and unforgiveness.
Unforgiveness causes chaos and health issues.
Forgiveness is not an option.  Your best life cannot happen if you won't release the junk you hold on to.
Revenge means that you become God.  It never works.
Baptism frees us from our past.  God forgives us, but He can't forgive FOR us.
True forgiveness cannot happen unless you give up all control and hope for revenge.

From Love to Bitterness

My Bible reading this morning included 2 Samuel chapter 3.  There were three verses that especially caught my attention, verses 14-16: "And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.  And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.   And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned."

These verses were part of the study that I did on Michal, the daughter of Saul and first wife of David.  I studied her in July 2015.  It was actually this part of her story that caused me to pause.  You can read my entire post here.

Many times all we hear about is when Michal mocked David for dancing when the ark of God was returned.  That is the end of the story.  Those are the words and actions of a bitter woman.  But bitterness wasn't what originally defined Michal.  1 Samuel 18:20 says that Michal loved David, the only place in the Bible where a woman's love for a man is recorded, according to footnotes in The Jewish Study Bible.  However, there is no biblical record of David having loved Michal.

Here is a brief timeline of Michal and David's marriage:

1008 BC - they were married

1007 BC - Michal helped David escape from Saul

1005 BC - Michal is given to Paltiel in Gallim

1000 BC - Saul and Jonathon are killed in battle, David becomes king

998 BC - Michal returned to David

992 BC - The ark is returned

I wrote in my 2015 post:

They were only together one year, now some nine years and six wives later David wants Michal back.  I can't even imagine how she must have felt.  Her father and brothers were all dead.  The young man she loved and married has spent years as a warrior on the run and is now the king with six wives and at least six sons.  I'm sure that's not quite the marriage she had dreamed of.  Some commentaries said he wanted her back because he loved her, but others said it was purely political.

Sadly, Michal seemed to be married to a man who wanted just her. When Ishbosheth took her from her husband, he "went with her along weeping behind her." (2 Samuel 3:16) "Because of his great affection to her, unwilling to part with her, but forced to it at the command of the king." (John Gill) That is such a sad picture to me! And I wonder if it was then that the root of bitterness that had been growing reached full growth. Maybe Michal was proud to be called back to the palace, but it wasn't going to be easy.

I am in no way excusing Michal's bitterness or the actions that followed.  But her story causes me to pause, to ponder.  There are people in my life who have let bitterness separate them from God.  They didn't start out that way, but through the hard times and hurts of life they allowed bitterness to grow. 

Last month I had a minor bike accident.  I landed pretty hard on my right arm and by the time I got home it was swollen.  I ended up with a huge, deep bruise from my elbow all the way to my wrist.  It hurt for weeks.  I had abrasions on my elbow.  I cleaned the wound and treated it with care. Cleaning that wound hurt!  I kept it wrapped because I didn't want to get an infection.   It has taken weeks for it to fully heal, but it has.  Now there is just a tiny area that is slightly red, all other signs of injury are gone.

We need to treat the injuries of life with care.  Take care of the wounds.  Cleaning a wound hurts!  We can't let the infection of bitterness get in.  Forgive.  And forgive again.  Even when no apology comes, forgive.  It is the only way to keep bitterness out.

Clean the wound and recover or let the wound fester.  The choice is ours.

Living the Aloha Spirit

Yesterday was a day that really challenged our patience.  Les and I spent two weeks on Oahu and were ready to get home.  We arrived at the airport at 1:30 p.m. for our 3:35 flight.   We boarded on time as usual and then sat on the plane and waited.  And waited...

Almost two hours later we had to deplane due to a mechanical issue.  We were told we would received an update at 5:30.  5:30 came and went and we were told an update would come at 6:00.  In the meanwhile, I watched several of our crew members walk through our gate area, with their luggage.  "This can't be good," I told Les.  Flight attendants can only work a certain number of hours before they must leave work.  It's for their safety and for the safety of passengers.

We received an announcement around 6:15 letting us know that our flight was delayed until 8:30.  Our plane was ready but a new flight crew had to be scrambled together for our long flight. Our original flight was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles at 11:00 p.m.  Our delayed flight was scheduled to arrive at 4:00 A.M.  Ouch!

Did I mention most of the restaurants in the airport were closed because food service workers were on strike?

Here's where Hawaiian Airlines made a difference:
Because the restaurants were closed they brought in snack boxes and water/juice for everyone.
Thirty minutes later they brought in sandwiches, chips, and more water/juice.
Shortly before we boarded our flight, they made an announcement that everyone was going to receive a $100 travel voucher.

I have been on delayed flights with other airlines many times.  Not once have we received any of the things Hawaiian Airlines provided.  We've sat for hours in terminals with nothing more than an insincere "sorry" and spent our own money on overpriced airport food.  The Hawaiian Airlines ground crew did a great job making everyone as comfortable as possible.

All the things they did to make us a little more comfortable didn't get us to Los Angeles any earlier.  It didn't make going to bed at 5:00 this morning hurt any less.  But it did make us feel like they considered us human beings, not just a nuisance that was filling their airplane.

The lesson here?  There are some things that are unpleasant that can't be avoided.  A mechanical issue on a plane is not something to ignore.  Patience and kindness go a long, long way.  Patience on our part as we waited was key.  Stamping my feet and hassling the gate agent wouldn't have gotten me home any quicker and it would have made everyone a little unhappier.  Kindness on the part of Hawaiian Airlines as they tried to get us on our way.  Their sincere apologies, the food and travel vouchers, all of that said they understood how inconvenient this was for everyone.  They embodied the "Aloha Spirit" that Hawaii is known for.

While working on this post, I found that there is actually a state law in Hawaii called "The Aloha Spirit" law.  It says in part, "These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaiʻi. ''Aloha'' is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. ''Aloha'' means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. "Aloha" is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ''Aloha'' means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable."

We live in an angry world.  People lash out because they are "offended" at every turn.  They want to coexist as long as you agree with them.  The Bible has much to say about how we are to treat our fellow man.  The Apostle Paul summed it up nicely in Colosians 3:12-14, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

In this final shopping weekend before Christmas, while you're slipping on your shoes, don't forget to also put on mercy, kindness, meekness, longsuffering and charity.  It won't make the line move more quickly, but you will go home without the baggage of unkindness.

The Purpose of the Church

Bro. Hughes preached at First Church Hawaii on the Sunday following the marriage retreat.  His message was so thought provoking.  His text was Luke 4:14-22, key verses were verses 18-19, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

First step - Becoming God Dependent
Poor is someone with a problem he cannot handle on his own.  When you realized your need for God then He can start healing your broken heart.

Liberation
There are two things that lock you in prison that you cannot escape - a lie and unforgiveness.
Unforgiveness causes chaos and health issues.
Forgiveness is not an option.  Your best life cannot happen if you won't release the junk you hold on to.
Revenge means that you become God.  It never works.
Baptism frees us from our past.  God forgives us, but He can't forgive FOR us.
True forgiveness cannot happen unless you give up all control and hope for revenge.

The Forgiveness Chapter
Matthew chapter 18 is called the forgiveness chapter.  Verse 18 says, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  This is talking about forgiveness.  We have to loose things before God looses them.
Forgive when no one asks for it.
We stay bound when we won't let things go. 
Forgiveness is the most difficult thing for humans to do. 

Praying Forgiveness
Bro. Hughes explained forgiveness in a way I had never heard before.  He said when you are praying for someone who has wronged you, you need to ask God not to hold their sin against them.  He gave two examples - Jesus on the cross and Stephen when he was stoned.  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)  Stephen said, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."  (Acts 7:60)
I have never prayed like that before.  Yes, I've prayed and asked God to help me forgive.  But my human nature has kept back a part with the thought, "I'll forgive and let God get even."  That's not how forgiveness works.  To be completely free, we have to let go of any hope that God will punish the one who wronged us.

Recovery of Sight
This is talking about mental blindness or denial.  The more you deny something, the worse your issue becomes.

Deliverance to the Bruised
We don't need to be healed from bruises.  We need to be delivered.

Year of Jubilee
When we follow the process of Luke 4:18-19 everything that was lost can be recovered.
Isaiah chapter 61 is the portion of scriptures that Jesus read in Luke chapter 4.  Verse 7 says, "For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them."

Treasured Times

Victory Tabernacle was blessed this weekend with a special guest - Elder Vaughn Morton.  He preached our Jubilee service (combined service with our three daughter churches) on Saturday and was with us in service on Sunday.  Les and I were also blessed to go to lunch with Pastor and Sister White and Elder Morton yesterday.

I've written many times about the impact Elder Morton has had on my life.  My pastor for 19 years and my boss for 10 of those years.  His preaching has inspired and convicted.  His teaching laid a foundation that I still rely on today.

Elder Morton preached a message last night that I have heard countless times.  He told me he preached it before becoming pastor in Fresno, so I'm sure I heard it for the first time before I was 10.  It is one that has helped me so many times.  As soon as he read his text I told Les the title, "Forgive Yourself."  This beautiful concept is one that we all need to learn and embrace.  A victorious Christian life happens when we really understand the forgiveness of God and the power of the blood.

The key verse is 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  We just have to do one thing and God does four!  When we confess our sins, God:

1. is faithful
2. is just
3. forgives our sins
4. cleanses us from all unrighteousness

It's the best four to one exchange around.  There's nothing more for us to do.  We don't have to pay any penance.  Where many people go wrong is when they go back to the cemetery of their past.  We will never forget all our sins, but we can know they when they are forgiven God has forgotten them.  Since He forgives us, we need to forgive ourselves.  We closed the book on the past last night.

After service, Elder Morton had his book "The Road Called Life," available.  Pastor White asked me to sell them.  While I was sitting on the pew with the books, Elder Morton sat and visited for a while.  He also gave me a beautiful new pocket knife, because "every lady ought to have a pocket knife!"

I'm so thankful for this special man in my life.  A hug, an "I love you," and "I'll see you in the rapture," and he was off to his next destination!

Cleaning House

Is there “junk” in your life? What kind? How do you get rid of it?

I decided to use Friday's prompt today because I spent all day yesterday cleaning house.  Tuesday is my regular cleaning day, but everything got a little extra attention because  Les' dad and Lance are arriving before the grand McBRAAM departure on Saturday.  When it comes to cleaning house, the final thing I do is light a candle.  I want my house to be clean, but I do not like the smell of cleaners!

The big thing on my to-do list while Les is gone is going through closets and cabinets.  Since he started working in Hawaii in 2013 we have let a lot of stuff accumulate. I threw our collection of maps away yesterday - some were as old as 1983!  Shoes, clothes, books, etc. will be going in donation boxes.

Of course there is other junk that accumulates.  Les taught a Sunday school lesson last month about forgiveness.  We can't let unforgiveness pile up in the closets of our lives.  Forgiveness is an intentional act.  Even when forgiveness is not requested, we need to forgive in order to get rid of some of the junk in our lives.

It isn't easy to get rid of emotional junk.  Just like cleaning house there are things you have to get rid of over and over.  Old hurts sneak up like dust bunnies and we have to get the vacuum back out.  But Matthew West's song called Forgiveness has this powerful line, "The prisoner that it really frees is you."

It’s the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those who don’t deserve
It’s the opposite of how you feel
When the pain they caused is just too real
Takes everything you have to say the word

Forgiveness, forgiveness

It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It’s always anger’s own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you’ve got a right to hold a grudge
It’s the whisper in your ear saying set it free

Forgiveness, forgiveness
Forgiveness, forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness

It’ll clear the bitterness away
It can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what its power can do
So let it go and be amazed by
What you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you

Forgiveness, forgiveness
Forgiveness, forgiveness

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness

I want finally set it free
Show me how to see what your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Forgiveness, forgiveness

Engrave It In Stone

Last week, after looking through Mom's Bible again, I was reminded of how important it is to remember the good times and let go of the bad times.  I've told this before, but this particular Bible was given to Mom on January 1, 1987.  It was the year she became "Grandma."  She carried this Bible for the next eleven years, through a cancer diagnosis and treatment, through the loss of her youngest son, and through four years of cancer returning with numerous treatments.  But she didn't write about the bad times, she consistently wrote about faith and trust and answered prayer.

Joshua chapter 4 tells us about memorial stones:

And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

I don't know where I originally heard this story, and I couldn't find the author, but it applies today.

Two friends were walking in a desert and they got into an argument. Finally, one of them became so angry that he slapped the other in the face. The one who was slapped stopped, bent down, and wrote in the sand: 

 “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

Later they came upon an oasis and stopped to bathe, when suddenly the one who was slapped began to sink in the mire. His friend pulled him to safety. Immediately recuperating, the slapped/ saved one found a large stone on which he inscribed: 

“Today my best friend saved my life!” 

On inquiring why he wrote one in sand and the other in stone, he answered: “When someone hurts you you should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for you, you must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

We cannot avoid people who hurt us in life - it's going to happen.  Sometimes even our best friend slaps us in the face.  But we can choose how we react.

What will you engrave in stone today?

Two Years

I am reading in 2 Samuel this week.  Oh the life of David!  So many ups and downs.  2 Samuel chapter 13 talks about one of the downs ~ Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom.  The deceit, the sexual assault, the love that turned to deep hatred.  Then we come to Absalom...

"And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.   And it came to pass after two full years..." (verses 22 and 23)

For two years Absalom didn't speak to his brother.  Two years he plotted and planned. Two years he remembered his sister's shame.  Two years he may have wondered when their father would do something to punish Amnon (and that a whole 'nother post of its own.)  But for two years, he never spoke, while his hatred burned hotter.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible had this to say about the story:

Absalom's hatred of his brother's crime would have been commendable, and he might justly have prosecuted him for it by a due course of law, for example to others, and the making of some compensation to his injured sister; but to hate his person, and design his death by assassination, was to put a great affront upon God.

If Absalom had reasoned the matter with Amnon, he might have convinced him of his sin and brought him to repentance; but, saying nothing, Amnon's heart was hardened, and his own more and more embittered against him.

It may be, at first, he did not intend to kill his brother (for, if he had, he might have had as fair an opportunity to do it as he had at last), and only waited for an occasion to disgrace him or do him some other mischief; but in time his hatred ripened to this, that he would be no less than the death of him. If the sun going down once upon the wrath gives such place to the devil (as is intimated, Ephesians 4:26-27), what would the sunsets of two full years do?

We will all face times when anger is our natural response, but we cannot risk holding on to that anger.  Jesus tells us what to do in Matthew chapter 5, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."   Forgiveness and reconciliation are not easy - they hurt and can be very difficult.  But it is worth it.  And if you are the one who has done the offending, please humble yourself, don't lose two years, don't even lose two days with those whom you have wronged.

The story of Absalom doesn't end here, in the following chapter David allows Absalom to return to Jerusalem, but "Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face."  Another two years of bitterness and unforgiveness.

What has happened to you and me in the past two years?  Are we still carrying hurts and bitterness?  What will we do with the next two years?  We can't erase the past, but we can forgive, go forward and "as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

Forgiveness

I finished the book of Genesis with today's Bible reading.  The forgiving spirit of Joseph is beautiful.  It does make me wonder about Potiphar's wife.  Where was she when Joseph came into prominence?  Could he say to her, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."  She was part of the plan to put Joseph in prison as well.

Forgiveness.  Jesus and Peter talked about it in Matthew 28:21-22 "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

I've often thought of that as 490 different offenses that must be forgiven, but lately I've realized that there are some offenses that need to be forgiven over and over.  We say, "I forgive you," and mean it.  The offender goes away forgiven, but our hearts are still battered.  The letter is thrown away, but the words are imprinted in our minds.  And we must forgive again.  And again.

I know.  I've struggled with this in the past year.  I was the recipient of such a letter.  Harsh and cruel words, lashing out at me.  I could have defended myself and pushed the blame back, but I just said I'm sorry.  The letter writer then asked my forgiveness and I gave it.  The letter is long gone, but some mornings I wake up with its entire contents flashing before me.  I don't think they have any idea how much they hurt me.  And the cost of forgiveness?  Seventy times seven, because I refuse to wrap myself in bitterness to make the pain quit hurting.

There are times we all want to lash out.  Please don't.  President Lincoln learned to control the impulse to lash out.  His anger occasionally consumed him, making him pour it out in letters to critics, errant generals, and others.  But he never sent the letters.  I know there are scriptures about going to your brother to resolve an issue, but the words of Jesus are "be reconciled to thy brother," not "get it off your chest."

It's a new day.  Start it fresh with forgiveness, even if it's seventy times eight.

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
― C.S. Lewis

Jesus Paid It All

In recent years I have seen pictures of individuals in the Philippines participating in flagellation.  This is a brutal practice, usually taking place just before Easter, with participants whipping their flesh.  The pictures I have seen are horrifying as individuals torture their bodies.

Webster defines a flagellant as a person who scourges himself or herself as a public penance. According to Wikipedia, this practice has been going on for centuries, in many religions around the world. A further search took me to Redemptive Suffering, described as:

Redemptive suffering is the Roman Catholic belief that human suffering, when accepted and offered up in union with the Passion of Jesus, can remit the just punishment for one's sins or for the sins of another. Like an indulgence, redemptive suffering does not gain the individual forgiveness for their sin; forgiveness results from God’s grace, freely given through Christ, which cannot be earned. After one's sins are forgiven, the individual's suffering can reduce the penalty due for sin.

No amount of suffering on our part can pay the price for our sins.  We will never be good enough or holy enough.  It's impossible!  That's why Jesus came.  He paid the price IN FULL.  We don't have to suffer, because He did.  The second verse of this song says it perfectly, "nothing good have I, whereby Thy grace to claim..." but Jesus Paid It All!

Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

 

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
 

And now complete in Him,
My robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
 

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
 

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
 

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.

 

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

 

~Elvina M. Hall

Move Past It!

I've been reading the story of Joseph and a new realization hit. I'm familiar with his response to his brothers, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50:20) But I had never thought about the fact that he did nothing to Potiphar's wife once he became second in command in Egypt.

An additional chapter in Genesis could have been written. We could have read about Potiphar, his wife, and entire household being hauled off to prison. Here was Joseph's opportunity for revenge! He could have told Pharaoh all about his problems with that woman, but as far as I can tell, he moved on. There were seven years of plenty to work and plan for before seven years of famine. He had work to do - he was too busy for grudges!

What a tremendous example! How many times have you or I been hurt, talked about, or mistreated and then we sit around waiting for the one who has wrong us to be paid back? We can't get on with the task at hand because we're too busy plotting our revenge and having imaginary conversation that usually never take place. There is too much work to do! Grudges only hurt the one carrying them. The best thing we can do is move on.

2010 is still relatively new (although it seems to be moving at the speed of light!). How about it? Can you leave 2009 and its hurts behind? I know this, there is plenty to do!