Punished For Doing Right

Punished For Doing Right

(Gen. 39:1-20)

To refresh your memory about Joseph, Joseph was a young man

dedicated to God. God had given Joseph two dreams, indicating that one day Joseph would rule over his eleven brothers, as well as his father and mother. His brothers hated him, because he was their father’s favorite son, and they despised him even more after he told them his dreams. He was merely a seventeen year old boy, and 10 of them were grown men. They wanted to kill Joseph and see what would happen to his dream, but instead at the last moment, his brothers sold Joseph as a slave to some Ishmaelites on their way to Africa. Joseph

ended up in the land of Egypt.

From the outside, it looked as though Joseph was making a journey into Egypt all by himself. When he got there, the slave traders quickly sold him to a high Egyptian official by the name of Potiphar.

When Joseph received his job, he had the right attitude in mind He didn’t let go of his dream. In his dream, he had been a ruler over others, therefore he may as well get prepared for his future job by doing his very best at the present. Do you know why sometimes things don’t turn our right for some of us? We are so busy living for one day in the future, that we forget to live today. One day, when I get a real good job, one day when I get in high school, one day when so and so does such and such, then, I’m going to. Forget it. You are going to be tomorrow, what you were at the end of last night.

Joseph determined, to give his best where he was and let God open the other doors. The other slaves probably told him, you don’t have to work that hard. Slow down man, you’re going to kill yourself. If he had of listened to them, he would have died an unknown slave just like the rest of them. But Joseph could tell them, no I had a dream that you wouldn’t understand. I’m not here to stay. God is got something else in mind for me. It turns out, Joseph hadn’t come to Egypt alone. In chapter 39:2, we discover the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered

and lived in the house of his Egyptian master. Joseph’s external position of slave, didn’t remove the call of God from his life. We

have no excuse in thinking of ourselves as just a this or just a that.

You tell God what you would like to become and work hard at it, and God knows how to make a way for you. Joseph’s hard work and his dedication to God got his boss’s attention. It wasn’t too long before the boss had called him in and said, Joseph I notice something different about you. You’re a man that can be trusted to do the right thing, whether someone is watching you or not. From now on, I’m putting you in charge of everything.

What you say goes. Nobody can over rule you except me. Now too many, it would have appeared Joseph was sitting on the top of the world. Fine house, great job, good food, wonderful situation. It would appear Joseph could just sit back and relax and enjoy life. God even blessed Joseph with something he didn’t have much control over. The older he got, the more handsome he became.

As a matter of fact, he was so handsome as a single man, Potiphar’s wife wanted to commit adultery with him. She begged and begged and begged. Joseph had all of the requirements for a sexual harassment suit. Joseph tried the talking approach. "He said, "Look, your husband has entrusted me with everything he has except you, because you are his wife. How could I repay this man by doing such evil as committing adultery. If I did this I would be sinning against God." She said, "I understand what you’re saying, but big deal, will you go to bed with me."

Joseph did not try the talking approach anymore because he wanted to be right with God, with his boss, and with himself. He made sure he was never alone with her and even refused to get near her. But one day when he was minding his own business, went straight to work, unknown to him, nobody else was in the house. She came up behind him, grabbed his coat and said, "I got you now, let’s go to bed together." Joseph remembered the last time somebody had grabbed his coat, he ended up in a pit. He jumped up and ran out of the house, and stayed outside. As far as he was concerned she could have the coat.