Joseph: Tempted By Potiphar’s Wife Series

When we think of people who made it to the top we might forget their failures. Abraham Lincoln, who is considered by many as the greatest and most loved president failed his way forward. Twice he failed at business. He had seven major defeats in politics. Abraham Lincoln was defeated for legislature, speaker, elector, defeated twice in running for congress, for senate one time and for vice president one time.

He had failures on the personal level too. In 1836 Lincoln suffered a nervous breakdown that was so severe, in his depression knives and razors were kept from him. He travelled a very rough road, but he is remembered for his faith in God and as a great president.

There are many others who were not catapulted to the top but travelled a very rocky path. Among those is Joseph. In whatever situation he was in he seemed to rise to the top. He was destined for greatness, but along the way he was knocked to the canvas and got up just before the referee could count to ten.

With the blows that Joseph received you would think he was down for the count. No matter wherever Joseph found himself he would make the best of a bad situation. Joseph would always prove faithful with the little and prove trustworthy to be faithful with much.

In Genesis chapter 37 we find Joseph the favored son of Jacob. His position as favored one caused jealousy from his 10 older brothers. They hated him and planned to kill him. Instead of killing him they threw him in a well and sold him as a slave to travelling merchants headed toward Egypt.

The brothers took Joseph’s coat of many colors, dipped it in blood and led his father Jacob to believe he had been attacked by animals and killed. He goes from going to being thrown in a pit and sold into slavery to running the household of Potiphar in Egypt.

The blessing Genesis (39:1-6)

Joseph is like a cat that always lands on its feet. The reason for Joseph always landing well is found in (Genesis 39:2) The Lord was with Joseph. This was the refrain of his life. God prospered Joseph. Potiphar recognized the success God was giving Joseph and put him in charge of everything in his household.

When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. Genesis 39:3-4)

With Joseph in charge God blessed Potiphar too. It is the principle of stewardship. The faithful steward is tested on this point.

So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. (Genesis 39:6)

The temptation

Chapter 37 of Genesis is the account of Joseph being sold into slavery. Chapter 38 is the account of the moral failure of Judah. Judah is in the Messianic line. There is the call of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then Judah is standing in that line.

Judah slept with his daughter in law who was disguised as a prostitute. She conceived twin sons and one of them Perez is in the line of Jesus. Perez is listed in the New Testament genealogy. What a contrast is Judah to Joseph.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” (Genesis 39:6-7)

Joseph had the moral values, inner character that set him apart. These are the qualities that prove out over the long haul. His integrity is even more impressive when you consider all that Joseph has been through.

Joseph may have been about 20 years old when he worked for Potiphar. His mother Rachel was beautiful, and Joseph inherited that trait of his mother. He was well built and handsome. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. Day after day she tried to get him to go to bed with her.

Joseph’s brothers were immoral. He was in an obscure place where no one knew his family. He might have falsely reasoned God had abandoned him after all he had been through. He did not. He did the right thing.

But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. (Genesis 39:8)

Joseph did not throw away his integrity for a moment of passing pleasure. There were good reasons that Joseph would hold to integrity. He was trusted by Potiphar. It was not Potiphar’s fault that Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers.