STUDY THEME: JOSEPH: LEARNING TO LIVE A LIFE OF GRACE. 8-10-03

"BEING FAITHFUL." GEN. 39:1-10, 19-23.

GENESIS 39: 1-6a, 6b-10, 19-23.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO GENESIS 39.

This is scene two in the story of Joseph’s life. He had overcome his first problem---the hatred of his brothers. Now he was beset by another problem---the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife.

In a secular world-view, there are no absolute standards of right and wrong to which individuals are expected to adhere. People may act on the basis of what feels good or choose the path of least resistance.

In the biblical world-view God has established standards of right and wrong that He expects His followers to follow faithfully regardless of the results.

Imagine a young man living away from home because of some unjust experience he suffered from members of his family. As that person works the only job open to him and remembers his ill treatment an opportunity confronts him to do something that he considers wrong though many around him would not see it as wrong. Should he resist the temptation, or should he give in to it out of feelings of self-pity and the belief that he would never get caught?

Today’s lesson addresses the Life Question: How can I demonstrate faithfulness to God in times of temptations or when suffering unjustly? We will explore the Biblical Truth: God graciously helps those who remain faithful to Him when tempted or when suffering unjustly.

We are skipping Gen. 38 because it is not a part of Joseph’s life story. You may want to read it to see how the two sons of Judah (the fourth son of Leah and Jacob) were both killed when they displeased God; yet when Judah sinned and repented God spared his life. Genesis 38 will explain why the names of Tamar and Parez appear in the genealogy of Jesus in Matt. 1. And why Jesus is called "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" in Revelation 5:5.

1. PLEASE READ GENESIS 39: 1-6a.

At the end of last Sunday’s lesson, we saw that Joseph watched the land of Canaan fade into the distance as he traveled with the caravan of merchants headed for the trade and slave markets in Egypt. Once in Egypt, Joseph would bring a good price as a slave because of his youth and his ability to work.

As the caravan made its way into Egypt, slaves and their labors under the hot sun of Egypt must have come into view. No doubt the activities of slaves engaged in backbreaking work surrounded Joseph from the border of Egypt to the Nile. Slaves worked in many vocations for their Egyptian masters. From agriculture to mining to projects for the Pharaoh himself, slaves were the workforce that kept wealthy Egyptians from menial tasks.

Verse 1 picks up Joseph’s story from Gen. 37:36 where we stopped last Sunday. The Ishmeelites sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the body-guard, an Egyptian. As an important official, Potiphar had a large household with many slaves. His purchase of this young Hebrew was not coincidental but providential. Joseph did not know all that God had planned for him, but he did have the memory of the two dreams of future prestige. He also had a trust in God. This trust was put to the test in what had happened to him, but he dared to continue to trust God. A lesser person who had been sold by his brothers might have been consumed with hatred of them and been angry at the uncaring God.

The theme the Lord was with Joseph runs throughout the chapter. On the surface, it appears that Joseph was alone in Egypt, separated from his family, vulnerable, and with a dark cloud hanging over his future. But the Bible tells us no less than five times that Joseph was not really alone. The Lord was with him. The Lord was in charge of the events. Therefore those unjust events were not an indication that Joseph’s life had spun out of control. Along with Joseph’s trust in God went his own commitment to do his best. If he was to be a slave, he would be the best slave he could be.

In the verses just read we see that the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered. WE should not imagine that this means life was easy for the young save. Likely it was filled with discipline of the mental and corporal kinds. "Work well or expect the whip," would have been understood by all the slaves in Egypt.

Bought by the household of Potiphar, Joseph lived in a house for the first time in his life. All of Joseph’s life he had known only tents. His surroundings had forever changed. But this was not a household dedicated to the leisure of a 17-year-old slave. To the contrary, it was a massive enterprise that ran on he forced labor of slaves like Joseph in the rooms, courtyards and fields of the numerous estates.

Slaves made up a large part of the population in Egypt and would certainly be numerous in a household as politically powerful as Potiphar’s. Nevertheless, Potiphar began to see qualities in Joseph that set him apart from his other slaves. The main quality that drew Potiphar’s attention was trustworthiness. He saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success.

Potiphar was favorably disposed toward Joseph. The young Hebrew started as he lowest slave, but his presence in the house brought blessings on the whole household. Joseph was completely trustworthy. Recognizing this, Potiphar promoted Joseph to be overseer in his house.

Under Joseph’s oversight, the Lord blessed all that Potiphar had in the house, and in the field. So great was Potiphar’s trust in Joseph that "he did not concern himself with any thing except the food he ate. Perhaps he did not believe an Israelite knew how to prepare food the way an Egyptian liked it. Or probably Potiphar reserved this responsibility for himself due to the ritual separation the Egyptians practiced of not eating with non-Egyptians at mealtime. Joseph was faithful tot he responsibilities given to him by Potiphar. He remained trustworthy, and both he and Potiphar enjoyed a relationship of peace and mutual respect……at least for a while.

Joseph’s job became that of a steward or manger of the property of Potiphar. And the primary requirement of a steward is faithfulness. Joseph is an example of someone who was faithful over little and was rewarded with an opportunity to be faithful over much. In this new job, he proved as trustworthy as in the lesser roles.

Potiphar saw the consistency in Joseph’s successes and his faithfulness in his labor as a slave in his household, so he promoted Joseph to the position of higher honor among his slaves. Potiphar made Joseph his attendant, and put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

2. PLEASE READ GENESIS 39: 6b-10.

Entering the household of Potiphar, Joseph had been a young man of 17 years. Adam’s commentary said Joseph had been in Potiphar’s house about 10 years when Potiphar’s wife began to take notice of him. Gradually he passed from the frame of a young man to the filled out form of a grown man that the Scriptures describe as well-built and handsome. Years had passed since he was first sold into slavery, and he had grown both in stature and in authority. Probably his mid-twenties while serving as the overseer of Potiphar’s household.

He must have taken after his mother Rachel whom Gen. 29:17 describes as "lovely in form and beautiful." Joseph was young, single, well mannered, and very responsible as a slave. He caught the eye of the mistress of the house.

At an opportune time for Potiphar’s wife, she very directly invited Joseph to her bed. The statement, Come to bed with me, must have been a difficult command for Joseph. She was his master’s wife, and as such he would no doubt normally heed her wishes or instruction. But this was different. Although Joseph was a long way from his father’s camp both in years and distance, he served a God who was not limited to years and distance. He served a God who was not limited to Jacob’s camp or even to the land of Canaan. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Joseph, he was faithful. He knew that the answer that must be given to his master’s wife was to refuse her invitation to commit sexual immorality.

Joseph rejected her appeal by telling her the reasons why he could not come to her bed. He bravely refused her invitation, which was probably a command from his master’s wife. As a slave, he was bound to obey his owners. He gave three reasons for his refusal. His first reason was that going to bed with her would be a violation of Potiphar’s trust, for he had entrusted everything he owned to Joseph’s care. No one in that house outside Potiphar and his wife was greater than Joseph. Such a high position was evidence of a high trust. Joseph couldn’t bring himself to violate that trust. Through the grace of God, Joseph’s power did not corrupt him. He was able to remember who he was and whose he was. He was on a mission for God.

A second reason Joseph gave for rejecting her was that going to bed with her would be an offense against her husband. Joseph told Potiphar’s wife that her husband had withheld nothing from him except her, his wife. To have had sex with Potiphar’s wife would offend Potiphar and would have incurred his anger. Potiphar’s wife belonged to Potiphar. To lie with her was to steal from her husband. A slave would be foolish to lie with his master’s wife, even if she initiated it.

Joseph’s third reason revealed his commitment to and relationship with God. Joseph asked her how could he do such a wicked thing and sin against God? The Hebrew word for wicked means "evil" or "bad" and is the opposite of the Hebrew word for "good." Sin means, "miss the mark." These words reveal how Joseph, a young, single man away from home in a foreign country, felt about adultery. Her invitation might have been a command, but that command did not nullify God’s view of it as sinful. Nothing would make going to be with her anything but a wicked act and a sin against God.

Potiphar’s wife didn’t give up her pursuit of Joseph. She made her request day after day. He refused her request day after day and even refused to be in her presence. As much as he could he stayed away from his master’s wife. His "no" to her was a "yes" to God, and God enabled Joseph to resist her temptation. He remained trustworthy to Potiphar and obedient to God’s standard. He demonstrated genuine courage and wisdom by fearing God and turning from evil.

Joseph stood out in contrast to many around him who made decisions that satisfied their own passions rather than God’s laws. Even David, Israel’s great king, succumbed to the temptation to commit adultery with Bathsheba. Gen. 38 is the account of Joseph’s brother Judah and his sordid, sexual affair with Tamar his daughter-in-law. Because of Joseph’s commitment to the Lord, the Lord was able to make him an obedient, honest, reliable, and virtuous young man. He refused to go to bed with Potiphar’s wife or even be with her.

Joseph said "no" to temptation because of his sense of responsibility; because of his reverence for marriage; because of his relationship with God; and because of his respect for Potiphar and himself.

Now the reality of temptation is not a modern day phenomenon but is as old as human life itself. We see it first in the Garden with Adam and Eve. We see it in the Tower of Babel experience. We see it in Noah in the aftermath of the flood. We also see it in Joseph’s encounter with Potiphar’s wife.

The temptation to permissiveness is not a matter of circumstances. Circumstances may present the opportunity for sin, but do not force a commitment to sin. The temptation of permissiveness is a commitment issue. It is internally derived and not externally determined. It is a matter of the will and not the emotion.

Can you imagine a young man in a modern story doing what Joseph did? In modern stories, people hop in and out of beds in a series of one-night stands. People today probably would think Joseph was a fool, a prude, or a religious fanatic. A few generations ago, he would be considered a hero: but by today’s standards, he would be pitied and ridiculed for not being sexually active. Joseph gave his reasons for refusing. He would be betraying Potiphar’s trust. Joseph’s words to her, ‘You are his wife" probably were a reproach. But the primary reason for Joseph’s refusal was that to commit adultery was a sin against God. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

3. PLEASE READ GENESIS 39: 19-23.

God was with Joseph and blessed him in his master’s eyes. But God‘s presence did not ensure that Joseph’s life would be trouble-free or materially prosperous. As the verses in this section show, God did not keep him from further unjust experiences. In fact, his obedience to God brought on further trouble. But God remained with Joseph and worked things out for His own purposes and for Joseph’s good.

For some time Joseph was successful in his endeavor to keep his distance from Potiphar’s wife, as she regularly tempted him. It must have been difficult for him to constantly avoid the presence of his master’s wife. There came a day, however, when upon entering the house in the course of his duties he found that "none of the household servants were inside." It seems likely that Potiphar’s wife had set a trap for Joseph. Catching him "by his cloak" she continued her invitation to adultery. Realizing the danger of the moment, Joseph fled form the house leaving "his cloak in her hand."

The advances of Potiphar’s wife had now been spurned even when there were no witnesses in the house to betray her plan. In the face of this rejection, her humiliation and anger now made Joseph the target of her wrath instead of the object of her lust.

When Joseph fled, Potiphar’s wife showed her true character. She had no concern for Joseph, must less any real love. All her actions were purely selfish. She called in the servants and, holding up Joseph’s garment, accused him of trying to rape her. She later repeated the same thing to her husband. In both cases she placed on Potiphar the blame for bringing in a Hebrew and giving him so much authority.

Someone wrote:

Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,

Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.

When Potiphar heard the words of his wife, he seemed to have believed her because his wrath was kindled. He no doubt felt that his trust in Joseph had been betrayed. How grieved Joseph must have been because of these false charges. As punishment, Potiphar put Joseph into the prison. It was a prison for political prisoners. In Gen. 40:15 and 41:14 this prison is called a dungeon. Some Bible students have wondered why Potiphar did not have Joseph put to death for such a serious crime as his wife accused him of. Some have speculated that Potiphar might no have believed his wife. After all, he knew her well and he knew Joseph. W.H. Griffith Thomas speculated: "For appearance’ sake Potiphar must take some action, but the precise action taken tells its own tale. He evidently did not credit her story."

Once again Joseph, stripped of his robe, found his hands bound and his circumstances quickly spinning out of control. All of the years of discipline and hard work seemed lost in a moment. Though her accusations were unjust, they were enough for Potiphar to put him in prison.

At that moment Joseph’s place of imprisonment probably did not seem very significant. However, it would prove to be quite providential. The incident that would one day lead to his release was directly related to the place where Potiphar imprisoned him.

Think of all the trials and temptations t hat young Joseph had been through. His own brothers had thrown him into a pit. Later they sold him to some traders. The traders sold him to Potiphar in Egypt. His master’s wife had tried to seduce him. When he refused, she falsely accused him. His master put him in prison. He was the innocent party, but Potiphar’s scheming wife was still free to continue her evil ways. His time in prison was another test of Joseph’s faith. He must have wondered if this would be his permanent home. Would his dream end here? A person of less faith than Joseph’s might have complained to or about God. But Joseph continued to trust God. He accepted his new place and set out to be a model prisoner.

Even in prison Joseph found that the Lord was with him. The Lord showed Joseph kindness, which translates a Hebrew word meaning "steadfast love." This term emphasizes God’s faithfulness to His people. God’s faithfulness to us should motivate us to increasing faithfulness to Him.

Because the hand of the Lord was upon Joseph, the warden of the prison began to notice Joseph, just as Potiphar had. After an undisclosed amount of time, the Scriptures tell us that the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison. Also, like Potiphar before him, the warden found that he could fully trust Joseph, so much so that he paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care.

Though thrown into a pit by his brothers in the land of Canaan, Joseph had been raised up and out of the ground: Though sold as a slave to Potiphar, Joseph had advanced beyond all of Potiphar’s other slaves. Here in prison he advanced beyond the other prisoners. Joseph continued to persevere. He did not give up. Throughout Joseph’s suffering, God was faithful to give him success in whatever he did. Joseph was faithful to God, and God remained faithful to him. God’s faithfulness to Joseph motivated him to be faithful to Him in all that he did, no matter where he was.

Life is not always fair. Justice does not always triumph. The innocent do suffer unjustly. Unjust punishment is hard to take. When you have done the right thing and are punished rather than rewarded, that is a test of faith. But Joseph’s conscience was clear. He had done what was right, and he entrusted himself to God. The Lord gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. This man recognized Joseph’s ability and trustworthiness. He followed the example of Potiphar and gave great responsibility to Joseph. He turned the running of the prison over to Joseph. He did not worry about anything Joseph did, because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

This lesson is about resisting temptation and enduring unjust suffering. It discusses three ways to demonstrate faithfulness to God in times of temptation or unjust suffering.

a. Remain trustworthy in times of temptation.

b. Resist temptation even if you have to flee it.

c. Recognized God’s faithfulness to us no matter what our need.

We would do well to memorize 1 Corinthians 10:13: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."

NEXT SUNDAY FROM GENESIS 41 WE ARE CHALLENGED TO DEVELOP A LIFE STYLE MARKED BY GODLY WISDOM. A.V. DAUGHERTY 8-10-03

It would appear that Joseph was sold to Potiphar when he was 17, sent to prison when 27, and delivered from prison to Pharoah at age 30, and died at age 110. (Gen. 41:46, 50:26)