JOSEPH S PROBLEM WORSENS GENESIS 39:1-23

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 1 JOSEPH S PROBLEM WORSENS GENESIS 39:1-23

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 2 Text: Genesis 39: 1-23, JOSEPH S PROBLEM WORSENS 1. Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, purchased him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 2. The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master. 3. His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful. 4. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar appointed Joseph overseer of his household and put him in charge of everything he owned. 5. From the time Potiphar appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian s household for Joseph s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both in his house and in his fields. 6. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph s care; he gave no thought to anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and goodlooking. 7. Soon after these things, his master s wife took notice of Joseph and said, Have sex with me. 8. But he refused, saying to his master s wife, Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care. 9. There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God? 10. Even though she continued to speak to Joseph day after day, he did not

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 3 respond to her invitation to have sex with her. 11. One day he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants were there in the house. 12. She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, Have sex with me! But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran outside. 13. When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, 14. she called for her household servants and said to them, See, my husband brought in a Hebrew man to us to humiliate us. He tried to have sex with me, but I screamed loudly. 15. When he heard me raise my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside. 16. So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home. 17. This is what she said to him: That Hebrew slave you brought to us tried to humiliate me, 18. but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside. 19. When his master heard his wife say, This is the way your slave treated me, he became furious. 20. Joseph s master took him and threw him into the prison, the place where the king s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. 21. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. 22. The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. 23. The warden did not concern himself with anything that was in Joseph s care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful. (NET) Commentary: If Joseph thought that things were as bad as they could be he was going to

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 4 face some real shock. Joseph closely followed God, but the Devil kept up a strong attack against him. He was hated by his brothers because he was the son of his father s old age and he was the favorite son. His brothers hated him because of the dreams he had and that he revealed to them. Joseph was hated because of the special coat his father had made for him. He had been sold by his brothers into the hand of Ishmeelites traders who sold him to Potiphar in Egypt. And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. (Genesis 39:1) To Joseph s credit he did not indulge himself in pity, anger or lust while he was a slave in Egypt. It is hard to imagine the emotions of Joseph at this time. He had dreamed of grandeur and people bowing to him. Now he has been dragged off from his home land and taken 250-300 miles to Egypt and sold as a slave, but things would get worse. He is sold to Potiphar to be his household slave. In a great statement be read, The Lord was with Joseph. If you obey God He will never forsake you! (Hebrews 13:5-6) Both Joseph and Potiphar prospered while Joseph was in his house because the Lord was with Joseph. Joseph s faithfulness to God led to fellowship with Him in all circumstances. Joseph s faithfulness led to him being fruitful in God s service. Jacob said, Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall. (Genesis 49:22) Joseph was such a blessing to Potiphar that he placed him over his entire house. The Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. (Genesis 39:5) God provided many opportunities for Joseph s leadership ability to grow. Joseph was handsome and well favored. (Genesis 39:6) Potiphar s wife tried to entice Joseph to commit fornication with her. Many times when things are good the Devil does what he can to destroy it! Joseph refused her advances. He said No. Joseph said to her, How then can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? Temptation comes as Satan points you to the pleasure of sin instead of the pain. Joseph faced her temptation repeatedly. On an occasion

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 5 when Joseph and the woman were in the house alone she grabbed his garment and said, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. (Genesis 39:12) This is the second coat Joseph had lost. The woman now lies about what happened. She told the servants Joseph tried to rape her. She told her husband the same lie when he came home. Potiphar was very angry and he put Joseph in prison. While in prison, the Lord was with Joseph; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. The warden put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and what went on in the prison. Again the Lord was with Joseph and helped him succeed in all that he did. From the life of Joseph we learn that God is in control and he will see us through! Potiphar is blessed because of Joseph -- Genesis 39:1-5: Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites and sold to Potiphar. Potiphar was an official of the government. He was in charge of the palace guard. Now in a short period of time Joseph had been sold twice, once by his brothers and now by the Ishmaelites. In Potiphar s house the Lord was Joseph and blessed him; the Lord also blessed Potiphar because of Joseph. Though Joseph was separated from his earthly father, he had a close relationship with his Father in heaven. The more we yield our life to God service the more we open our life to God s blessing. Joseph was such an honest man that Potiphar soon placed him in charge of his entire house. Joseph took care of everything and Potiphar did concern himself with anything. The only decision he made was about what to eat. The Lord blessed Potiphar s house for the sake of Joseph. These blessings from the LORD were upon all that he had in his house and all that he had in his field. Satan used Potiphar s wife -- Genesis 39:6-10: Often Satan uses people or things to try to destroy the good work of God. Strong temptation came to Joseph through the person of Potiphar s wife. Joseph was a handsome and well favoured man. The sin of this woman started in her mind. She cast her eyes upon Joseph. (Genesis 39:7) She asked Joseph to lie with her. This woman was daring and without shame. She was like the people described in Jeremiah 6:15,

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 6 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Joseph refused this woman. He answered her, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Genesis 39:8-9) Gratitude and fear of God kept Joseph from this sin. He was grateful about how good Potiphar had been to him and he appreciated the trust he had and he did not want to violate that trust. He also feared God and did not want to feel God s displeasure that would result from this sin. If Joseph had given in to this woman it would have been a sin against Potiphar, a sin against the woman herself; it would have been a sin against Joseph himself, against his body and soul. But the worst thing of all it would have been a sin against God. This woman kept begging Joseph day after day, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her. The woman lied about Joseph -- Genesis 39:11-18: On one occasion Joseph went to Potiphar s house to do his work. None of the family or the other servants was present. Potiphar s wife grabbed hold of his garment and said, Lie with me! Joseph ran out of the house leaving his garment behind. He lost his garment in order to save his character. When Joseph fled from her, her desire was turned into the rage and malice. Solomon described women like this woman in Proverbs 7:16-23. The strange woman said, I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 7 correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. (Proverbs 7:16-23) Potiphar s wife tried to make Joseph look back before the other servants. She told them Joseph was trying to mock them or make fools of them. She said Joseph tried to rape her and when she screamed he ran out of the house leaving his coat behind. Lies are so often involved in sinful acts. Potiphar s wife kept Joseph s coat until her husband came home. She is now so filled with hatred for Joseph that she told her husband that His Hebrew salve had tried to rape her and she screamed and he left his coat and ran out. Joseph is put in prison but he is still blessed -- Genesis 39:19-23: Potiphar became very angry with Joseph. He put him into a prison where the king's prisoners were bound. Joseph was wronged by his master. He believed the charges against Joseph. Either Joseph did not defend himself by telling the truth, or his master did not believe what he said. But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:21) The Lord helped him and was good to him. The keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of the other prisoners and of everything that was done in the jail. The keeper of the prison did not worry about anything that was under his care; because the LORD was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did. (Genesis 39:23) Satan will point to the PLEASURE and not the PAIN of sin. He is able to deceive people and cause them to sin and then to suffer separation from God. (Isaiah 59:1-2) Restoration to God is by the blood of Jesus. (Revelation 1:5) To be cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus as the Christ (Hebrews 11:6), repent of all sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ as Lord (Matthew 10:32) and be baptized to be saved. (Mark 16:16) God used the sorrows of Joseph s life to shape him into the man He desired him to become. The trials Joseph faced, and the trials you and I face, are never easy. They do, however, teach us to depend on God.

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 8 By Charles Box, Walnut Street Church of Christ, 306 Walnut Street, Greenville, Alabama 36037 USA