His master observed that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything he was doing successful. And Pharaohs most important official chose Joseph to be his slave. 33. Are you willing to trust what God says about your trialsthat he is using them for good? Do you think Joseph will be all alone this time? First Thessalonians 5:22 says, Stay away from every form of evil. Christ taught that if our eye offends us, to pluck it out, if our hand offends us, to cut it off, and if our foot offends us, to do the same (Matt 5:29-30, Matt 18:8-9). They even treated their king, Pharaoh, as a god. When Joseph's master (Potiphar) heard her story, he became very angry. Often Christians compartmentalize their life: certain deceptions are OK, and others are not. Say: God did NOT abandon Joseph! Gods grace gives you strength, peace, and even joy, in any situation (Romans 5:1-4, Hebrews 13:9). Similarly, to not punish Joseph would have been an extreme loss of face for Potiphar and, obviously, would have further hurt his relationship with his wife. Gods grace made Joseph want to obey God. Potiphar's wife accused him of raping her, so he did it to make his wife happy. God was intimately involved in every detail of Josephs life. 2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. We can only guess what happened to her in the future. Here in a cold prison, God continued to use Joseph. 32-2: As Jacob faced Esau, so too must we reconcile with our past, 32-1: Jacob meets angels on his departure from and to the Promised Land, 31-5: Jacob and Laban enter into a peace treaty with each other, 31-4: Ideas of ritual impurity were prevalent 500 years before Moses, 31-3: God can and does speak to unbelievers, 31-2: The importance of the family gods in Mesopotamian tradition, 31-1: As Jacob separated from Laban, so must we separate from certain people in our lives, 1S4-9: Minus Gods Presence, The Ark Was Nothing But An Elaborate And Pricey Wooden Box, 1S4-3: The Danger Of Not Cutting Out Ungodly People & Things From Our Lives. 6 Guzik, D. (2013). 5 Guzik, D. (2013). And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. She used his coat to prove that he had been in the house. How can we conquer temptation? When Joseph rejects Potiphars wife, she lies and accuses him of attempting to assault her sexually. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master. Joseph clung to God and he was even blessed in prison! [3] McKinlay (1995) noted that Potiphar's wife is treated as an object in his master's possession (Gen 39:89), and the reason Joseph refuses is not because he doesn't want to have sex with her, but because it would violate his master's trust and be a sin against the God Yahweh. Potiphars wife appears to cut quite a figure in her important husbands life and the life of his steward, the Jewish peoples leader Joseph. And, [my wife], ask forgiveness for your sin. How commonly do we see successful pastors, athletes, businessmen, or government officials fall? Application Question: Why is it so important to flee temptation instead of trying to faithfully endure it? And again, Joseph is an important servant, but he isa slave without much clout. For Rumi, Zuleikha's obsession with Joseph is a symptom and manifestation of the soul's great deep longing for God. If Potiphar believed that Joseph really tried to rape his wife, he most likely would have sent him somewhere that he would never see him again. Teacher: Show the mousetrap. If you eat of the tree, you wont die. And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allh! Rightly, Joseph knew that being a boyfriend to another mans wife was a sin against God. Josephs master took him and threw him into the prison, the place where the kings prisoners were confined. In all these temptations, God was faithful to provide ways of escape, and he does the same for us. But I dont want a mouse to thrive in my kitchen. His integrity was preparing him for further exaltationto be second in command over Egypt. 36-6: Contradictions in Esau's genealogy? Marriage was not about love and monogamy. (Rashi) Where was Potiphar when his wife was talking to him? Why it is so easy to compartmentalizeto say something like being unfaithful in schoolwork or taxes wont affect my faithfulness in bigger things, like marriage? The Egyptians saw things that God made such as the sun, the moon, and animals, and believed that these amazing things must be gods. With that said, Josephs example also teaches a principle about how to go through trials and temptations. Essentially, he taught that we need to be drastic in order to be holy. Following this incident, her contemporaries no longer mocked her. This is exactly how the world and Satan promote sin: It is not a great evil! The judgment of Potiphar's wife was a story not found in the Bible, of course, and some contradictory traditions arose around it among ancient Christian commentators. Key Verse: But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him His faithful love. Instead of being bitter and upset, Joseph submitted to God and trusted him in the midst of his trial. How has God called you to at times pay a price for following God? He experienced sexual temptation from his masters wife, which is the major temptation in this narrative. He put Joseph in charge of all of the prisoners. Another principle about conquering temptation that we can discern is the need to practice integrity in all areas of life. 40-1: Was Joseph really kept in a "prison"? The price could be loneliness, being made fun of, losing ones job, or even losing ones life. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both in his house and in his fields. Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. Why is this such an important discipline? So . They worshipped a sun god, a moon god, a frog goddess, a fish goddess, a cow goddess, a beautiful cat goddess, the god of thunder, and hundreds more! For example, he may offer you a scientific explanation for something that is against the Bible, or he may lead you to believe that you can run your own life without God. Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum, Jodi is part of the Childrens Ministry team at Grace Fellowship Church, outside of Atlanta. She said, that Hebrew slave you brought to us tried to humiliate me (v. 17). The circumstantial evidence seems to point to the fact that Potiphar believed Joseph was righteousthough he had to punish him in some manner. Its normal. Say: Can you imagine worshipping the craft you made with your own hands? Does that suggest anything about what was going through Potiphar's mind as he threw Joseph in "the prison where the king's prisoners were confined" (v.20)? Joseph's reasons for not sleeping with Potiphar's wife are found in Genesis 39:8-9. 32-3: Who was the "man" that Jacob wrestled? To congregations struggling with persecution, Peter said this: Humble yourselves, therefore, under Gods mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Indeed, your plan is great [i.e., vehement]. Instead, they sold him as a slave to some traders that were passing by. And they both raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from the back, and they found her husband at the door. Say: Josephs brothers held on to their anger and bitterness. - Genesis 39:21a NLT, Attention teacher: The proposition of Potiphars wife to Joseph is very adult in nature. How did the Egyptians fall into this trap? We must remember that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Phil 4:6-7). The LORD was with Joseph. One of these is the Hebrew Joseph, who had been placed in control of Potiphar's large estate and household. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master. Wives often were lonely, and some sought the love they lacked outside of the marriage. Application: Satan loves to tempt people with what God has forbidden. This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. (3) Also, in Genesis 40:2-3, it appears that Joseph was imprisoned in a prison that was attached to Potiphars house. No doubt a no-nonsense type of man, Potiphar is also twice his wifes age. The Bible says that there is only one true God. He essentially said, God is lying to you. His goal is to distract you from the only real source of life. 23. Similarly, if we are going to conquer temptation, we must intentionally and persistently avoid it as well. Potiphars wifes frustration with seducing Joseph lights up her anger. 39-3: Potiphar did NOT believe his wife's accusation about Joseph By richoka 5 Comments When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger. When the mouse would come out at night looking for food, it would smell the stinky cheese. He learned the Egyptian language and customs. Let it out! The warden did not concern himself with anything that was in Josephs care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful. We all know how this works. 1 Guzik, D. (2013). Then she made up a big lie about him (John 8:44). It probably means something like "brilliant beauty or lovely." Joseph is also described as "handsome and good-looking," and one day she asks him to go to bed with her. Who were the priests of On? Remember that you are NEVER alone! Are you preparing to conquer temptation by having integrity in all things or preparing to succumb to future temptations by small compromises? Boldly ask for the grace to say NO to sin. Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. Paul relied on Gods grace to bring him strength and contentment in the most trying of circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. In his classic work All the Women of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer lists twice that many nameless women (many of them are groups of women, such as Solomons 300 wives). If we dont hate it, then it will linger in our lives. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac More. 31. He makes his lies sound really good. Considering the consequences of our sin is a wise practice. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), The Bible Teachers Guide, Joseph: Trusting In Gods Sovereignty And Goodness, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Submit to Gods Discipline Instead of Becoming Bitter at It, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Practice Integrity in All Areas of Life, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Especially Guard Ourselves in Times of Success, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Seriously Consider the Consequences, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Recognize How Evil Sin Is, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Avoid It Persistently, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Be Willing to Pay the Cost, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Trust that Gods Plans Are Better. She said, "That is the one about whom you blamed me. Two credible sources, the Quran and Louis Ginzbergs study Legends of the Jews, name Potiphars wife Zuleika, which sounds like a wily woman. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Application Question: In what ways does the world and Satan aim to make sin more acceptable and less heinous? Knowing right from wrong may not stop us from acting sinfully. They took his colorful coat, dipped it in the blood of a goat, and gave it to their father. When the Persian king put Daniel in prison, he knew that Daniel was righteous and had been framed by the other administrators; however, he had to obey the law. Whats the big deal?!. This description suggests that Potiphar held a high-ranking position within the Egyptian court, as he was responsible for the safety of Pharaoh and his household.
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