Joseph In Trouble (Genesis 39)

Sometimes in life people sell us out because they hate us, we are falsely accused and land in trouble. Do we trust in God, who even in the worst of times, can make our lives prosper, help us and be good to us?

In the midst of slavery, did God look after Joseph?

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. (Genesis 39:1-4 NKJV)

How did God bless Joseph? Was he highly honored even as a slave?

From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! (Genesis 39:5-6a NLT)

Did Joseph refuse to sin, but chose to do what was right in God’s sight?

Joseph was well-built and handsome. After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside. (Genesis 39:6b-12 WEB)

How did Potiphar’s wife falsely accuse Joseph? Have we ever been falsely accused because we obeyed God?

When she realized that he had left his garment in her hands and run outside, she summoned the men of her house and said to them, “Look, my husband brought us a Hebrew to ridicule us. He came to me to lie down with me, but I screamed. When he heard me raise my voice and scream, he left his garment with me and ran outside.” She kept his garment with her until Joseph’s master came home, and she told him the same thing: “The Hebrew slave whom you brought to us, to ridicule me, came to me; but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment with me and ran outside.” (Genesis 39:13-18 CEB)

What happened to Joseph? In the midst of false imprisonment, did God look after Joseph?

Potiphar became very angry and threw Joseph in the same prison where the king's prisoners were kept. While Joseph was in prison, the Lord helped him and was good to him. He even made the jailer like Joseph so much that he put him in charge of the other prisoners and of everything that was done in the jail. The jailer did not worry about anything, because the Lord was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did. (Genesis 39:19-23 CEV)

Sometimes in life people sell us out because they hate us, we are falsely accused and land in trouble. Do we trust in God, who even in the worst of times, can make our lives prosper, help us and be good to us? You decide!