Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 73
38:25–39:12
G enesis
61
“Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.
But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her
father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look
closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?”
Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous
than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And
Judah never slept with Tamar again.
When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that
she was carrying twins. While she was in labor, one of the babies reached
out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the
child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out first.” But then he pulled
back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed.
“How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez. Then the baby
with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.
When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard
for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as
he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and
realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything
he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he
owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household
and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s
sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock
flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a
thing—except what kind of food to eat!
Joseph was a very handsome and w
ell-built young man, and Potiphar’s
wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she
demanded.
But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do.
He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife.
How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”
She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to
sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day,
however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. She
came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with
me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran
from the house.
