Genesis 39
Genesis 39:1-6: Joseph in Potiphar’s House This passage describes Joseph’s life as a servant in Egypt after being sold by his brothers. Joseph is bought by Potiphar, an important officer of Pharaoh. Even though Joseph is far from home and working as a slave, God is with him and blesses everything he does. Potiphar notices how successful Joseph is and trusts him with everything in his house. Joseph’s faithfulness brings blessing not only to himself but also to Potiphar’s household (Genesis 39:1-6 a).v. 1: Joseph is bought by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. God arranges for Joseph to be in a place where he can learn important lessons and meet important people. Sometimes, God puts us in difficult places to prepare us for something greater in the future . v. 2-3: The Lord is with Joseph. Everything Joseph does is successful, and Potiphar can see that God is helping Joseph. Even as a servant, Joseph’s wisdom and good character cannot be taken away from him (Genesis 39:2-3 b). – v. 4: Joseph finds favor with Potiphar and is put in charge of his master’s house. Joseph rises to a position of trust because he is honest and hardworking. This shows that faithfulness in small tasks leads to bigger responsibilities (Genesis 39:4; Matthew 25:21 c). v. 5: Because of Joseph, the Lord blesses everything in Potiphar’s house and fields. Even though Potiphar does not worship the true God, he receives blessings because of the good servant in his house (Genesis 39:5; Genesis 30:27 d). v. 6: Potiphar trusts Joseph so much that he leaves everything in his care, only thinking about the food he eats. Joseph is not only wise but also handsome. This special trust is rare and shows how much Potiphar relies on Joseph . Genesis 39:7-12: Joseph Resists Temptation This passage describes how Joseph faces a very difficult test while working in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar’s wife tries to tempt Joseph to do wrong, but Joseph refuses her day after day. He chooses to honor God and his master instead of giving in to sin. Joseph’s firm stand shows the power of faith and the importance of keeping a pure heart, even when no one else is watching (Genesis 39:7-12 e).v. 7: Potiphar’s wife notices Joseph’s good looks and tries to tempt him by asking him to lie with her. Her sin begins in her eyes, showing how dangerous it is to let our eyes and thoughts wander in the wrong direction (Job 31:1 f). v. 8: Joseph refuses and explains that his master trusts him with everything in the house. He respects Potiphar and will not betray his trust . v. 9: Joseph says, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" He knows that this sin would not only hurt his master and himself, but would also be a sin against God. Joseph calls the act what it really is—great wickedness (Genesis 39:9; Romans 7:13 g). v. 10: Potiphar’s wife tempts Joseph day after day, but he keeps refusing. He does not even want to be near her. Joseph shows us that it is wise to avoid situations where we could be tempted . v. 11: One day, Joseph comes to do his work, and no other servants are in the house. This gives Potiphar’s wife a chance to try once more to tempt Joseph. v. 12: She grabs his garment and again asks him to lie with her. Joseph quickly leaves his garment in her hand and runs away. He would rather lose his coat than lose his good conscience. This teaches us to flee from temptation without delay . Genesis 39:13-18: Joseph Falsely Accused This passage describes how Joseph, after refusing his master's wife's advances, is falsely accused by her. She wants revenge because Joseph did not give in to her demands. Her feelings of desire quickly turn into anger and hatred when she cannot get what she wants. This shows how sinful love can easily change into hatred, while true love remains steady. Joseph's innocence does not keep him safe from being slandered. Even those who do the right thing, like Joseph, can lose their good reputation because of false accusations.v. 13-15: Joseph’s mistress tries to ruin his reputation among the other servants (v. 13-15 h). She accuses him loudly, hoping they will believe her. The servants may have already been jealous of Joseph because he was trusted by their master and perhaps stopped them from doing wrong things. This false accusation makes them even more likely to believe and spread her story. When she talks about her husband, she does not call him her husband or lord, but just "he," showing she does not respect their marriage. This is similar to the unfaithful woman in Proverbs 7:19 i, who calls her husband “the good man.” Even innocent people like Joseph can have their reputations damaged by lies. – – – v. 17-18: Next, she accuses Joseph to her husband, who has the power to punish him (v. 17, 18 j). She tells a story that does not make sense, using Joseph’s garment as proof against him. In reality, the garment shows she tried to harm him. People who do not care about honesty will also lie easily. She lies not just to protect herself, but to get revenge on Joseph for rejecting her. She also tries to make her husband angry at Joseph for being a Hebrew servant, possibly reminding him of why she did not want Joseph in the house. It is not unusual for good people to be accused of terrible things by those who are actually guilty. As it is told, Joseph seems guilty and his accuser seems innocent. But one day, the truth will be revealed. This is not the first time Joseph’s clothing is used to deceive—his brothers once used his coat to trick their father (Genesis 37:31-33 k), and now his master is also deceived by his garment. – Genesis 39:19-23: Joseph in Prison This passage shows how Joseph’s master believed his wife’s false accusation and punished Joseph by putting him in prison. Even though Joseph was innocent, he suffered because his master did not listen to his side of the story. However, God was with Joseph in prison. God gave him mercy and helped him find favor with the prison keeper. Joseph’s good character and abilities were noticed, and he was trusted with important responsibilities even while he was locked up. This story reminds us that even in hard situations, God can be with us and help us. Joseph’s experience also points forward to Jesus, who was wrongly accused and punished, just like Joseph (Philippians 1:12,13 l).v. 19-20: When Joseph’s master heard his wife’s story, he became very angry (v. 19, 20 m). Joseph was sent to the prison where the king’s prisoners were kept. The master may have chosen this prison because it was harsh, as described in Psalm 105:18 n, where “the iron entered into his soul.” But God used this situation for good, preparing Joseph to later meet important people. Many innocent people have been wrongly imprisoned, and Joseph’s story reminds us that God sees and will one day judge these wrongs. Like Joseph, Jesus was also punished with criminals, even though He was innocent (Isaiah 53:12 o). – v. 21: In prison, Joseph was not alone. The Lord was with him and showed him mercy (v. 21 p). Even though Joseph was far from friends and family, God did not leave him. God can be close to us anywhere, even in prison (Psalm 69:33 q). When we do what is right, we can trust that God will be with us, no matter where we are. v. 22: The keeper of the prison saw that Joseph was trustworthy and wise. Because of this, the keeper put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and let him manage the prison’s affairs (v. 22 r). God can give us friends and help us even in the most unlikely places (Psalm 106:46 s). v. 23: The keeper trusted Joseph so much that he did not worry about anything under Joseph’s care (v. 23 t). Everything Joseph did was successful because the Lord was with him. This shows that a person who is wise and faithful can be a blessing anywhere, even in prison. God’s Spirit cannot be locked up or kept away, just as we see later with Paul in prison (Philippians 1:12,13 u).
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