| Date | Version | Reading Plan |
|---|---|---|
| February 8, 2025 | ESV (2016) | OT/NT Plan 2025 – 2027 |
Genesis 39
Observation
God’s presence and involvement is very active in this chapter. We see “the LORD” mentioned five times in the first five verses and eight in the chapter as a whole. The LORD was with Joseph (Gen. 39:2) which was seen and acknowledged by Pharaoh (Gen. 39:3) and He blessed the Egyptian’s house (Gen. 39:5). Also repeated it the phrase “all that he had”, referring to Pharaoh’s possessions being managed by Joseph, speaking to the comprehensiveness of Joseph’s management of the king’s household and affairs. With everything in Joseph’s charge, the only thing left for which the king had concern was the food he ate.
The narrative then pivots in Gen. 39:6b where we begin to read of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. Joseph is described as “handsome in form and appearance”, likely to be “a young man of about twenty years of age [since]Joseph is described as seventeen years old in [Gen. 37:2].” (TGCBC). Potiphar’s wife took a liking to Joseph and propositioned that he lie with her. Joseph refused, first explaining that it was because of him that his master had no concern about anything in the house and then—attributing all this responsibility as given to him by God—Joseph rhetorically asked how he then could do such a wickedness against God. However, Potiphar’s wife is persistent, speaking to Joseph but he would not listen to her or be associated with her in any way. Interactions increased in intensity, progressing to a point where Potiphar’s wife caught Joseph by his garment and asked him to lie with her. By this point, Joseph forwent any confrontation and fled her presence and the house, leaving his garment.
Compounding the pursuit of adultery with deceit, Potiphar’s wife showed Potiphar the garment and told him that Joseph tried to lay with her but fled when she cried. Potiphar believed her immediately and was angered, subsequently throwing Joseph into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. However, the LORD was with Joseph and gave him favor in the sight of the prison’s keeper. Similar to the responsibility he had with Potiphar, the keeper of the prison placed Joseph in charge of the prisoners and had no need to pay attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge. The LORD was with Joseph and granted him success in all that he did.
Application
While Joseph had been sold to Potiphar by the Ishmaelites, the LORD remained with him through his many challenges in Egypt. The LORD is faithful and abounding in steadfast love, guiding and shepherding His people through the most difficult of trials.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me and all of our children respond on all circumstances in devotion to you, striving to do all that we can to honor You who has lavished us with your grace.
Mark 11
Observation
When Jesus and the disciples drew to Jerusalem, to Bethphage, Jesus instructed them to go into the village in front of them. Upon entering the village, they would immediately find a tied colt on which no one had ever sat. He told them to untie and bring it and to tell anyone who asks that the Lord has need of it. The colt was brought to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it and Jesus sat on it. Fulfilling Zech. 9:9-10, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt and was received with celebration by those who went before and after Him.
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple, looked around at everything and, as it was already late, went to Bethany with the twelve. While this may seem inconsequential, the ESVEC the significance of these details:
…as Yahweh’s “messenger of the covenant” (Mal. 3:1–3), he searches to see whether true worship of God is present (Zech. 9:9). If such a prominent visitor does not find true worship in the temple, it follows that a form of judgment should be anticipated.
The following day, as Jesus and the twelve were coming from Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree in leaf from a distance, Jesus went to see if He could find anything on it but only found leaves, “for it was not the season for figs” (Mark 11:13). Even though the season was not for figs, Jesus spoke audibly to the tree—within the hearing of the disciples—and said, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” The ESVEC points out the symbolism of this exchange, saying, “In the present context, it is most convincing to view the fig tree as a figurative representation of the temple in Jerusalem, which should always bear the fruit of worship.”
Again coming into Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple and drove out those who sold and bought in the temple. In righteous indignation, Jesus overturned both the tables and the seats of those who sold pigeons, not allowing anyone to carry anything out of the temple. Jesus rebukes them, quoting Is. 56:7 that the temple was to be a house of prayer for the nations but they had made a den of robbers. The ESVEC also helpfully points out that, “Jesus contrasts the fruitless ‘temple,’ signified by the fruitless fig tree, with sincere trust in God. Only through genuine trust in God and his redeeming work will his people bear the acceptable fruit of worship, prayer, and forgiveness.” The chief priests and scribes sought a way to destroy Jesus, but all the crowd was astonished at His teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city.
In the morning, Jesus and the twelve saw the fig tree that had withered. Peter remembered what had happened and pointed out the tree’s condition to Jesus. Jesus answered the group, telling them to have faith in God, that they should pray without doubt in the heart and to believe what God says will come to pass. He told them that, whatever they ask in prayer, they should believe that they already had received it and it would be theirs. The ESVEC gives clarity to this teaching by saying, “It is thus prudent to interpret Jesus’ statement ‘Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours’ (cf. Matt. 7:7) in this way. In this present context, ‘whatever’ may very well refer to (1) that which honors the sovereign God and (2) the removal of all that resists God, that is, figuratively moving a mountain.”
The final exchange recorded by Mark in the chapter is between Jesus and the chief priests, scribes and elders who challenged Him on the authority He had been given. Jesus told them that if they answer His question, He would tell them by what authority He does such things. His question was posed regarding John the Baptist, asking them whether the baptism of John was from heaven or from man. Discussing it among themselves, they realized the problem of affirming either and so they instead answered Jesus by saying, “We do not know.” Jesus then said to them that He would not tell them by what authority He did what He did.
Application
We see many facets of Jesus revealed in this chapter; His humility as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, His righteousness in overturning the tables and seats in the temple and His power and wisdom in His confrontation with the priests, scribes and elders regarding His authority. We serve a God who does not adhere to any manner of simplistic or reductionistic explanation.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me see your perfect humility, righteousness, power and wisdom. You are God Almighty—beyond all humanly-possible comprehension—and yet you extended your love to us through the sending and sacrifice of Your Son that we may know You and be with You in intimate relationship. How awesome is our God!
Scripture Notes
