OUR MESS, HIS MASTERPIECE TEMPTATION GENESIS 39:1-23 AUGUST 21, 2016
GENESIS 39:1-23 AUGUST 21, 2016 TEACHING PLAN PREPARATION > Spend the week reading through and studying Genesis 39:1-23. Consult the commentary provided and any additional study tools (such as a concordance or Bible dictionary) to enhance your preparation. > Determine which discussion points and questions will work best with your group. > Pray for our pastors, the upcoming group meeting, your teaching, your group members, and their receptivity to the study. HIGHLIGHTS BIBLICAL EMPHASIS: Joseph is a man of godly character and discipline. Despite being falsely accused and thrown in prison, his character remains unscathed. God s blessings do not insulate us from injustice or hardship. TEACHING AIM: Like Joseph, we too, will find the Lord is with us in our most difficult moments and He provides us with the ability to choose righteous living. 2 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. 1 Tell about a time when you had a really bad day (lost car keys, dead battery, traffic jams, etc.) and it seemed one thing after another went wrong. What types of things were most discouraging? 2 Can you recall a time when you were in a difficult situation and struggled to maintain godly character? If so, were you successful? How did you do it? Pharaoh The title is found in the Old Testament as a generic term for the king of Egypt. 3 Have you ever witnessed someone in a difficult circumstance maintain a great attitude? What kind of impression did it leave on you? Joseph had seen his share of bad days. Growing up as Jacob s favorite son had earned him the scorn of his brothers. Still, it s doubtful anything could have prepared him for the day his brothers would sell him as a slave to a foreign country. But despite Joseph s horrendous circumstances, God remained with Joseph and was orchestrating a chain of events that would bring great good to Joseph and countless others. When we are facing hard situations, it s sometimes difficult to see that God is working in our midst. Still, Joseph demonstrates that it s possible to display godly character and discipline in the face of temptation and unfair circumstances. UNDERSTANDING Unpack the biblical text to discover what Scripture says or means about a particular topic. > Have a volunteer read Genesis 39:1-6. 3 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
According to verse 1, what happened to Joseph upon his arrival in Egypt? Despite his circumstances, what kind of favor was Joseph experiencing? Potiphar Glance back at verse 6b. How does the text describe Joseph s physical appearance? Why are details like these important in Joseph s story and the stories of Scripture? When Joseph arrived in Egypt, he was sold to a man named Potiphar, who worked for the pharaoh of Egypt. The text refers to Potiphar as the captain of the guard, which was a prestigious position. Joseph climbed the ranks of Potiphar s servants and became Potiphar s personal attendant and was responsible for the whole household. Joseph s rise in position was due to his relationship with the Lord. The text says the LORD was with Joseph (v. 2) and the LORD made everything he did successful (v. 3). Potiphar was blessed because of Joseph in keeping with the Abrahamic promise that I will bless those who bless you (Gen. 12:3). The blessing to Potiphar extended beyond Joseph and reached to everything Potiphar had, both in his house and fields. In addition to enjoying favor in the household, Joseph was described as being well built and handsome. The man who purchased Joseph from the Ishmaelites in Egypt after he was sold by his brothers. His name was apparently a short form of Potiphera, the name of Joseph s father-in-law (Gen 41:45; 46:20). Has God ever given you favor in unlikely circumstances? If so, what were they? How did Joseph s attitude and trustworthiness reflect on God? How would a negative mindset and work ethic have done the opposite? 4 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
> Have a volunteer read Genesis 39:7-10. How did Joseph respond to the temptation presented to him by Potiphar s wife (v. 8)? Notes What reasons did Joseph give for not giving in to temptation? Joseph was tempted repeatedly. How does this fact shed even greater light on his character? What commands or truth might Joseph have focused on to overcome the temptation? To Joseph s great credit, he refused the sexual advances of Potiphar s wife. To commit adultery would ve been a great sin against God. Also, Joseph did not want to act in an evil way toward Potiphar, who had entrusted him with a great deal of responsibility. When we face repeated temptations, regardless of their nature, what are some ways we can stand strong in our convictions? What makes doing so especially challenging for you? > Have a volunteer read Genesis 39:11-20. What false charges did Potiphar s wife bring against Joseph? According to verses 19-20, how did Potiphar respond to the allegations? Although Joseph had acted with complete honesty and integrity, he was falsely accused of a sex crime. Just when things had started to 5 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
look up for Joseph, it must ve seemed as if his world was crumbling to pieces. Potiphar s wife was no doubt wounded by his rejection, and therefore turned on him. Unbelievers don t always respect a desire for holiness and faithfulness. Rather than telling the truth, Potiphar s wife made up a fictitious scenario using the cloak Joseph had left behind as proof of her charges. Interestingly, this was the second time that a cloak or robe had caused Joseph a great deal of sorrow. The fact that she referred to Joseph as that Hebrew slave indicates at least a prejudicial attitude, if not anti-semitism. Although the text says Potiphar burned with anger in light of her allegations, Potiphar s decision to throw Joseph in prison (rather than kill him) was a subdued punishment. Still, for a man who had acted righteously, the punishment must have been excruciating to bear. A common theme throughout Scripture is suffering harm because of righteousness, which is something even Jesus faced. Does this reality bring you comfort or cause you strife? Explain. Be strong and courageous; don t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 What does a Christ-like perspective of suffering look like? > Have a volunteer read Genesis 39:21-23. These verses show us how God continued to work in Joseph s life. What do we learn about God from Genesis 39? Even while Joseph was in prison, falsely accused of rape charges, the Lord showed him kindness and granted him favor with the prison warden. Joseph s character remained intact. God honored and blessed Joseph as he was experiencing injustice. 6 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
How did Joseph maintain a good attitude despite unfair circumstances? Why is our attitude such a crucial aspect of our character? Why does God sometimes use hardships to prepare His people for a greater assignment? Notes Believers have no control over some experiences in life. But we can respond to unjust circumstances with faith and integrity. Rather than pitying himself because of the unfair treatment, Joseph responded with faithfulness to the opportunities he was granted. As a result, the Lord blessed Joseph while he was in prison. Joseph maintained his faith and continued to obey God. This resulted in Joseph once again being promoted and having authority over the entire prison. The text says, the LORD was with him, and the LORD made everything that he did successful. Although Joseph didn t realize it at the time, God was preparing him for a much greater assignment that would be a blessing to him and his people. APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. 1 Similar to the way Joseph ran from Potiphar s wife (v. 12), are there temptations you need to literally or figuratively run from to escape? How can we be praying for you in regards to those temptations? 2 Take a minute to read 1 Peter 5:8. How can you ensure you are constantly guarding against the enemy s moral tests, just as Joseph resisted the daily temptations of Potiphar s wife? How might your character be refined as you do? 7 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
3 How does a sense of God s presence enable us to face any situation? Notes P R A Y Give thanks to God for never leaving us or forsaking us. Pray that each group member will have godly character in the face of temptation. Ask God to help each group member maintain a good attitude regardless of circumstances. Pray that God would make His presence known in the midst of difficult situations. 8 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
FOLLOW UP Midway through this week, send a follow-up email to your group with some or all of the following information: > Questions to consider as they continue to reflect on what they learned this week: Spend some time thinking about the most difficult circumstance you are currently facing. Can you sense God s presence in your difficulty? Are you asking Him to provide you with a sense of His presence? > A note of encouragement, following up on any specific prayer requests mentioned during your group gathering. > The challenge to memorize Deuteronomy 31:6. 9 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
COMMENTARY AUGUST 21, 2016 GENESIS 39:1-23 39:1. This verse, which retraces details presented in 37:36, returns the storyline to Joseph. The terms Midianites and Ishmaelites are used interchangeably by the writer (37:28,36; see note at 37:25-28). Notes 39:2-6. Because the Lord is God over the whole earth (1Ch 29:11; Ps 47:2; 83:18; 97:9), He was with Joseph even in Egypt. God s active presence in Joseph s life made him successful. Potiphar noticed the teenage Hebrew slave s remarkable effectiveness, and as a result Joseph not only found favor with him, but was put in charge of Potiphar s entire household as well. With Joseph in charge, the Lord s blessing extended to all that Potiphar owned. 39:7-10. In contrast to his brother Judah, who sacrificed his honor for the pleasure of a prostitute (38:15-16), Joseph refused the advances of his master s wife. To commit adultery would have been a great evil and a sin against God (cp. Ex 20:14). Potiphar s wife persisted, telling Joseph day after day to lie beside her ( go to bed with her). 39:11-15. When the subtle approach failed to seduce Joseph, Potiphar s wife resorted to a more direct method. Finding or perhaps creating a situation where none of the household servants except Joseph was in the house, she grabbed Joseph by his garment and ordered him to sleep with her. In a courageous display of godly self-control, Joseph resisted, escaped and ran outside, leaving his garment in her hand. This is the second time that a woman used the personal effects of one of Jacob s sons (cp. Judah, 38:25) to get the upper hand in a situation where they would otherwise have been put to death. Potiphar s wife then lied to the household servants, playing upon the other slaves jealousy that had been inflamed when Potiphar placed the Hebrew young man over them as their boss. The presence of Joseph s garment seemed like circumstantial evidence for her false claim. 39:16-20. When Potiphar s wife repeated the story to her husband, she framed the lie in a way that placed the blame squarely on him. Her story made Potiphar furious. Without investigating the truth of her claims, Potiphar declared Joseph guilty. 10 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church
COMMENTARY AUGUST 21, 2016 But instead of killing him, he had him thrown into prison (lit the round house ). Why? Ancient Jewish opinion held that Potiphar s wife intervened because she hoped to take advantage of Joseph later. Perhaps this is true. It is also possible that Potiphar already distrusted his wife and thus doubted the truth of her story. Notes: 39:21-23. The Lord, who is present in Sheol (Ps 139:8), was also with Joseph in prison. God, who is rich in faithful love ( kindness; Hb chesed; see Ex 34:7), demonstrated His love by granting Joseph favor in the eyes of the prison warden. For the third time in his life (cp. v. 4; Gen 37:14), Joseph was given authority over his peers in this case, all the prisoners who were in the prison. Mirroring Potiphar s level of confidence in Joseph, the warden did not see anything in his hand ( bother with anything under Joseph s authority) because the Lord caused everything Joseph did to be successful (Hb matsliach; cp. Ps 1:3 prospers ).º 11 Our Mess, His Masterpiece Brentwood Baptist Church