THE EVIDENCE IS RIGHT, BUT THE STORY IS WRONG
"And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home."
Genesis 39:10-16.
Joseph had been his father’s beloved son but now he was nothing. Everything he had, everything he had been was gone.
Joseph’s brothers hated him for being all the things that they were not! They hated him for his honesty and integrity. And, they hated him because he was loved and favored by their father.
God gave Joseph various dreams of greatness, and he disclosed it to his brothers. They hated him even more.
Beloved, the depths of your battle gives insight into the greatness of the potential God has deposited in you. As a matter of fact, what you carry determines your warfare. Whenever you’re going somewhere higher, there will be a noticeable increase in demonic activity against you.
Perhaps you are in the midst of a warfare now. Some people would have you believe that, the issues, challenges or problems that you’re going through is because of choices or sin. But, it’s not so! Stones and sticks are thrown only at fruit bearing trees. Even the righteous suffer (Psalm 34:19). But, you’re not alone in this warfare! God is with you. Just keep trusting. Be vigilant. Guard your secrets. Be prayerful. Be wise. Be bold. No matter the attacks against you, you’ll step into the greatest season of your life. This pain and sorrow will not last forever. A change is coming. You’re on the verge of a major breakthrough. You’re about to experience a divine turn around. Don't give up now! The night will soon be over
Joseph brothers sold him into slavery. A prince in Israel became a slave in Egypt.
In Egypt, Joseph was promoted from a slave boy to a "domestic manager," having authority over other domestic workers in Potiphar's house.
This brought him into a regular contact with Potiphar's beautiful wife. She was attracted to his good look and made it her target to sleep with him him. Joseph, a God fearing person rejected all her advances. But, she relented.
As the temptation increases, Joseph could not change jobs. He was a slave. But, with holy determination, he refused to sleep with Potiphar’s wife. He refused to give in to her sexual demands.
She became enraged and vowed to herself, "if I don't have him no one else will." Potiphar's wife cooked up a story to destroy Joseph.
One day, when no one else was in the house and Joseph came in to do his work, she made her move. She grabbed him by his coat and begged him to sleep with her just one time. He struggled with her and fled out of the house, abandoning his coat with her.
She raised an alarm and the people gathered. Potiphar's wife convinced them she was a victim. That a slave boy and a foreigner raped her. And she had a piece of evidence with her-Joseph's torn coat. They all believed her story
An innocent man was convicted and imprisoned.
Have you been unfairly accused? False accusation can come in many shapes and sizes; physical and even spiritual. In the physical, friends can accuse you; family member can lie against you; colleagues in the place of work can conspire against you.
Sometimes our motives will be questioned. Sometimes our words will be twisted.
Sometimes people hear what they want to hear regardless of the facts. Sometimes we’ll be hated or deliberately misquoted. Sometimes we’ll be the victims of a ‘whispering campaign’ where we can’t even pin down the things said against us. Sometimes we'll be accused wrongly. These things will happen from time to time.
HOW DO WE REACT WHEN WRONGLY ACCUSED?
King David in the Bible provide us with a godly way to deal with failse accusation.
1. Pause, take a breath, and consider how you'll respond in a way that is godly, professional, and mature. Stay calm. No matter how angry or upset you are, you must try to not let these emotions get the best of you!
2. Respond objectively.
3. Be truthful. Honesty is always the best policy.
4. Don’t hide away in isolation; it will only spark suspicion that you are guilty.
5. Cry out to God. He hears you in your distress. You are not alone and He is aware of what is happening. "The Lord will hear when I call on Him" (Psalm 4:3).
6. “Be angry and do not sin”
7. Meditate; be still and put your trust in God. Ask for wisdom in terms of what to do.
Pray to God for strength to stand firm and to stay focused on the task in front of you.
PREJUDICE!
Before the story got to the court of law, everyone who heard the version of the story by Potiphar's wife, believed her. They judged and condemned Joseph.
The word prejudice means “prejudging” or “making an estimate of others without knowing the facts.” It is also defined as preconceived opinion(s) that causes one to dislike, be hostile to or behave unjustly toward others.
Have you ever formed an opinion about someone based on their activity, something they have said or done; something someone else has reported about them, the way they look, how circumstances appear, or their language?
We judge others all the time. Sometimes the judgment is correct but most often, it isn’t. Our treatment of them is based on that judgment. Judgment places a wall between you and the person you’re judging. But, who are we to judge others, as if we can look into their hearts or read their minds? It takes only God to determine or see the true motives and intents that drive our actions. And, only He can judge.
Everyone Has A Story!
Not only did those who heard the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife believed her. But, they went around the town spreading the story.
A person who experiences prejudice is denied a chance to explain who they are and share their own story. As a result, they may take to alcohol or drugs, or may form their own opinions on others, develop hatred for others, or withdraw from people altogether.
Victims of prejudice may also have difficulty focusing on tasks and making clear decisions. They may also experience shame, anger, and sadness.
Potiphar’s wife played the race card in order to bring up sentiment and hatred against Joseph. She cooked up a story and they believed her.
Are you prejudiced? Are there areas in your life where you’ve allowed bias to rule?
Search your heart today! As you search your heart, simply repent and ask God to expose any prejudice and hypocrisy. Pray for discernment.
Secondly, everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. We read things only from that perspective. To get the true picture of things, we need to see things the way God see things. Pray sincerely and ask God to make you see that each person is an amazing creation made by God. You also need to ask those close to you to help you see areas of prejudice in your life. Ask God to change your heart.
Thirdly, be an instrument of love. Love is always the best way to fight prejudice.
Finally, if you don't know the whole story. Hear the story before making the story. If you do not know what is going on, why someone is behaving in a certain way, or why things appear as they do, rather than moving around with fabrication and condemnation, go directly to the person involved, and ask, “What’s going on?”
“Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” John 7:24.
Are you a victim? Forgive. Hand it over to God. Let Him fight this battle for you. Refuse to let the ‘Pharisees’ discourage and derail you. Keep pressing forward because God is at work in you.
The imprisonment was not the end of Joseph's story. He came out and became the second most powerful man in all of Egypt.
To you reading this, It's not over. The story of your life is not yet over. You will surely become what God purposed you to be, no matter the opposition.
It doesn't matter what you're going through, it SHALL pass. This trial, pain, injustice, oppression, false accusation and depression too SHALL pass. You are going higher. Your best is yet to come! The God who rescued Joseph will rescue you, in Jesus name. Maranathan!
However, if you have not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, I will like to encourage you to do so now. God bless you
Prayer: Dear Father, I am ashamed to think how I have hurt others and created conflict because of my unfair assumptions. Forgive me. Help me overcome this habit of judging others and learn to love them instead, in Jesus name.
PRAYERS TO OVERCOME FALSE ACCUSATION
1. O God! I thank you for making your presence known in my life, in Jeus name.
2. Dear Father, fight against those that are fighting against me unjustly, in the name of Jesus.
3. Father, let any false allegations assigned against my life, fail woefully, in Jesus name.
4. O God, deliver me from false accusers at my place of work, in the name of Jesus.
5. Dear Father, vindicate me from this false accusations, in the name of Jesus.
6. Satanic gang up against my position, scatter, in the name of Jesus.
7. No matter how far they have gone with this injustice, O God arise and let their efforts work against them, in the name of Jesus.
8. O God, dismiss the charges against me in court today, in the name of Jesus.
9. Father, help me throughout the trying period, in the name of Jesus.
10. Father, the accusations proved that I am innocence. Disappoint all my enemies, in the name of Jesus.
11. Father, let your will be done concerning this case, in the name of Jesus.
12. O God, intervene in my situations, in the name of Jesus.
13. Oh Lord, arise and defend me from those who plot my downfall, in Jesus name.
14. Let every plan of the enemy to disgrace me be totally nullified, in the name of Jesus.
