Parasha 37: Blessing in Suffering and Persecution

Blessing in Suffering and Persecution

-- T O R A H   P O R T I O N --

Introduction:

Have you experienced persecution and suffering, yet God still blesses you?

Last week, Joseph was taken down to Egypt and bought by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, from the Ishmaelites. Joseph became successful in the land because Adonai YHVH was with him—even Potiphar saw it. So he made Joseph overseer of his house and all that he had.

One day, the wife of his master seduced Joseph to lie with her, but he refused. Later, while Joseph was working alone in the house, the wife again tried to seduce him. This time, she took his garment and used it to convince Potiphar that Joseph had mocked her.

So Potiphar took Joseph and put him in prison. But Adonai YHVH was with Joseph, showing him mercy and granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden, who committed all the prisoners into Joseph’s care.

One of my favorite stories and characters in the Bible is Joseph. He was Jacob's favorite son—and seemed to be life’s favorite target for trials as well. Our Torah portion shows Joseph’s life in prison. Instead of being anxious, sad, or hopeless, he displayed extraordinary determination and courage to overcome his trials. We can all relate to Joseph’s life, and we can learn valuable lessons from it.

Joseph was in prison, yet he remained faithful and without complaint, as if he knew that everything was part of God’s plan.

His story teaches us the following:

1. God’s Timing is Perfect and He is in Control

Genesis 40:1–4

“Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time.”

The cupbearer and the baker of Pharaoh held crucial roles in the palace. The cupbearer was responsible for serving Pharaoh drinks, ensuring his safety from poison, while the baker was responsible for all the baked goods. Yet Pharaoh became angry with them and sent them to prison—specifically, the same prison where Joseph was. Coincidence? I don't think so. This was a divine intervention from God.

Joseph met these two officials in prison, and they shared their dreams with him. After interpreting the cupbearer’s dream, Joseph asked him to mention his name to Pharaoh upon his release. Perhaps out of excitement or forgetfulness, the cupbearer did not keep his word. But God was still in control.

God's method differed from Joseph’s expectations. Joseph had once received dreams; now he interpreted them. Dreams became God’s tool again when Pharaoh had a dream no one could interpret—prompting the cupbearer to finally remember Joseph.

Have you ever felt hopeless or lost trust in God, only for Him to show you that He was in control of your situation?

We all have seasons of waiting. Like Joseph, we must trust and wait patiently. Let us be reminded that the Omnipotent God works in unfathomable ways.

2. God Prepares Whomever He Wants for a Purpose

Genesis 40:4–7

“The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, ‘Why do you look so sad today?’”

Why did Joseph receive dreams before, and now interpret others’ dreams? I believe his dreams pointed to his future role.

Let’s return to Genesis 37:5–7:

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, ‘Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.’”

His second dream was in verse 9: “Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’”

These two dreams were connected—they pointed to a time when Joseph would be exalted in Egypt.

How did it happen? First, he met the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in prison. Then, he interpreted their dreams.

Joseph was trusted both in Potiphar’s house and in prison. Who would have thought these were God’s preparations for a greater responsibility: becoming the governor of Egypt?

What is God preparing you for?

Maybe He is preparing you to play guitar or piano for Him.

Maybe He is preparing you to be a teacher of His Word.

Maybe He is preparing you for a great responsibility—like Joseph.

Or maybe He is preparing you for a great blessing that is coming into your life.

Remember: if Adonai is preparing us for something, there is a process—a process that shapes us and teaches us to be strong.

3. God Deserves All the Credit

Genesis 40:8

“‘We both had dreams,’ they answered, ‘but there is no one to interpret them.’

Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.’”

The cupbearer and baker were sad because no one could interpret their dreams. Joseph’s response is remarkable in its humility: “Do not interpretations belong to God?”

Joseph could have said, “I can interpret your dreams,” but instead he gave the credit to the One who truly deserved it.

Sometimes we overcome trials and think it was our own strength or skill. But the real reason is this: God is Almighty!

Psalm 71:8: “My mouth is filled with Your praise, and with Your glory all the day.”

4. God Blesses Despite Suffering

Genesis 40:20–23

“Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

After helping the cupbearer by interpreting his dream, Joseph was forgotten. His life was filled with suffering—betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused, imprisoned without cause, and now forgotten.

But God was with him—guiding, supporting, and preparing to bless him. Only by God's mercy and power would Joseph be freed and exalted.

Like Joseph, we too suffer and are persecuted. But remember: God is with us.

“Though the prison held his body, the hand of Adonai held his future; for those who remain faithful in chains shall rise in the strength of the Most High.”

-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --

The Haftarah portion from Amos begins with a series of divine judgments pronounced against the nations surrounding Israel and eventually upon Israel and Judah themselves. The repeated phrase “For three transgressions and for four, I will not revoke the punishment” is a Hebraic idiom signifying that their sins were full, overflowing, and beyond the limits of divine patience. The cup of iniquity had been filled.

The judgment moves in a geographic circle, encompassing:

• Syria (Damascus) – for their cruelty in warfare (1:3–5)
• Philistia (Gaza) – for slave trafficking (1:6–8)
• Phoenicia (Tyre) – for breaking covenant and selling captives (1:9–10)
• Edom – for relentless vengeance against his brother Jacob (1:11–12)
• Ammon – for violent atrocities (1:13–15)
• Moab – for desecrating the bones of Edom’s king (2:1–3)
• Judah – for rejecting Adonai’s Torah (2:4–5)
• Israel – for systemic corruption, oppression, and idolatry (2:6ff)

This pattern reveals not just international wrongdoing but also a prophetic concentric target—where Israel is at the center of accountability. The judgment begins with the nations but closes in on God’s own people.

A key insight lies in the judgment against Tyre (Phoenicia). According to Amos 1:9–10, Tyre is condemned for violating the “covenant of brotherhood” by delivering up the exiles of Judah to Edom. This likely refers to historical alliances between Israel and Phoenicia (see 1 Kings 5:12), and their betrayal represents not just a political failure but a moral and spiritual rupture.

The betrayal of covenant mirrors the brotherly betrayal committed by Joseph’s brothers. In fact, the selling of the righteous for silver (Amos 2:6) draws a direct thematic parallel to Genesis 37:28, where Joseph is sold by his brothers. This is not coincidental. It becomes a prophetic picture of national sin—the seed of corruption planted by the patriarchs was now bearing rotten fruit in the nation.

The selling of the righteous one not only foreshadows Israel’s history of injustice but prophetically alludes to Yeshua, who too was betrayed and "sold" by His own people for silver (cf. Zechariah 11:12–13; Matthew 26:15).

Unlike the nations judged for violence and cruelty, Judah’s indictment is spiritual:

“Because they rejected the Torah of Adonai and did not keep His statutes...” (Amos 2:4)

Judah’s sin is not merely lawbreaking but Torah abandonment. This distinction is important—the rejection of instruction itself leads to moral decay. The prophet emphasizes that God holds His covenant people to a higher standard than the nations.

This serves as a warning to the faithful remnant today—not to assume immunity from judgment simply because of covenant status. Amos reminds us that privilege without obedience leads to ruin.

Prophetic warnings must lead to repentance and return to Torah.

As Psalm 19:9 says:

“The judgments of Adonai are true and altogether righteous.”

“The Lion has roared from Zion; His justice will not sleep forever. When mercy is despised, judgment walks in its place.”

-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --

Yeshua opens His sermon with blessings for those who live by Kingdom values. The Greek word makarios (translated “blessed”) conveys a sense of divine approval, joy, and favor—not based on worldly success, but on spiritual posture before God. These statements turn the world’s values upside down, just as Joseph’s exaltation came not through power, but through suffering and endurance.

As Tim Hegg notes, Joseph was “persecuted for righteousness” and is thus a living parable of these beatitudes. Like Joseph, Messiah Yeshua exemplifies every trait in this list—humble, merciful, pure, peace-making, and ultimately persecuted unjustly.

What can we learn from these beatitudes?

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3)

“For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

To be “poor in spirit” (anav ruach) reflects humility and dependence on God. Joseph, cast into the pit, remained faithful despite humiliation. Yeshua humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7).

Proverbs 16:19 – “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

2. Blessed are those who mourn (Matt. 5:4)

“For they shall be comforted.”

This mourning is not just sorrow, but teshuvah—repentance. Those who grieve over sin find comfort in God's mercy.

Joseph mourned injustice in silence. Yeshua wept over Jerusalem’s sin (Luke 19:41). Both awaited vindication from the Father.

3. Blessed are the meek (Matt. 5:5)

“For they shall inherit the earth.”

“Meek” (Greek praus, Hebrew anav) is strength under control—like Joseph in prison or Yeshua before Pilate.

Galatians 5:23 – “Gentleness (meekness) is a fruit of the Spirit.”

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6)

“For they shall be filled.”

Joseph longed for righteousness in a corrupt Egyptian court. The righteous cry out for justice—yet wait in trust.

Psalm 63:1 – “My soul thirsts for You… in a dry and thirsty land.”

Yeshua taught that true righteousness exceeds outward Torah-keeping; it flows from the heart transformed by God's Spirit.

5. Blessed are the merciful (Matt. 5:7)

“For they shall obtain mercy.”

Joseph extended mercy to Pharaoh's officers—even though he had suffered injustice himself. Yeshua, while being crucified, cried, “Father, forgive them.”

We are called not only to receive God’s mercy, but to mirror it.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart (Matt. 5:8)

“For they shall see God.”

“Pure in heart” echoes the Torah’s call for inner integrity (tamim lev). Yeshua’s emphasis was always internal—not mere ritual, but relational purity.

Torah must not only be in the hands and feet—but written upon the heart (Deut. 6:6).

Joseph demonstrated integrity in Potiphar’s house. Yeshua lived without deceit, the perfect image of the Father.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers (Matt. 5:9)

“For they shall be called sons of God.”

Greek: Eirenopoios—“one who makes peace.” True peace begins with reconciliation to God, then flows out in relationships.

Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, reconciles man to God and man to man. Joseph too became a peacemaker between his brothers and the future of Israel.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (Matt. 5:10–12)

“For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

This beatitude echoes the life of Joseph and foreshadows Yeshua’s suffering. Righteousness provokes opposition. Yet, suffering is not the end—it is the doorway to glory.

1 Peter 4:13 – “Rejoice insofar as you share Messiah’s sufferings.”

Just as Joseph was forgotten in prison, so too was Yeshua rejected. But both were later exalted. Their example teaches us to endure unjust treatment for the sake of God's greater purpose.

“Joseph was persecuted for righteousness. Yeshua was crucified in perfect innocence. In them both, we see the path of the tzaddik—the righteous one who suffers, so that others might live.”

The Beatitudes are the halacha (walk) of the Kingdom. They describe how the citizens of heaven live—even in the midst of a fallen world.

The righteous are not great in the world’s eyes, but heaven knows their name; for in every wound of persecution, the Kingdom of Heaven draws near.”

Yeshua exemplified all eight beatitudes in His life. Our Apostolic portion ties together and concludes this Parasha:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

We all face persecution and suffering. Though we may not understand the reason at the moment, we can later say it was a blessing—because it had a purpose.


1 Peter 5:10
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Messiah, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”


1 Peter 1:6–7
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Messiah Yeshua is revealed.”

The connection of our parasha is about God’s Purpose in Righteous Suffering.

In the Torah portion, Joseph is wrongly imprisoned and forgotten. Though righteous, he suffers betrayal, false accusation, and abandonment. In the Haftarah, Amos speaks judgment over the nations, but more severely over Judah and Israel, who have rejected Torah and “sold the righteous for silver.” In the Apostolic portion, Yeshua opens the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes—blessings for the humble, the merciful, the pure, the persecuted.

And just like Joseph's long wait in the pit, and Israel's long exile, the Beatitudes teach us to wait with trust, live with purity, walk in peace, and suffer for righteousness—for we shall be comforted, satisfied, and ultimately see God.

The path of the righteous is forged in suffering, remembered in silence, and crowned in due time by the hand of the King.

Do not measure God’s favor by ease or applause. Instead, walk the path of the Beatitudes. Let mercy, humility, purity, and peace define your halacha—even when it hurts.

Matthew 5:10

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

***************************************************************************

-- S O U R C E S --

bethmelekh.com

thetorah.com

jweekly.com

etzion.org.il

thefellowship.site

jsr.shanti.virginia.edu

groupbiblestudy.com

The MacArthur Study Bible

torahresource.com