Genesis 39:1-10 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Genesis 39:1-10. Let’s go!
Genesis 39:1-4 (NIV)
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did,
4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
On verses 1-4: Joseph, the favoured son of Jacob, is sold as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. Because of God’s favour (“The Lord was with Joseph” – v2) and presumably because Joseph did his best to be faithful with what was entrusted to him, Joseph was promoted to be in charge of Potiphar’s entire household (v4).
What can we learn from this? Just as cream tends to rise to the top, so you can put a guy like Joseph in a difficult situation and with God’s help he will find a way to rise and to prosper. Like Joseph, be faithful and responsible with what God gives you and, sooner or later, God will make sure that you are promoted.
Genesis 39:5-6 (NIV)
5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.
6 So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate…
On verses 5-6: With Joseph in charge, Potiphar’s household was blessed. May that be the same with you. Wherever you go, whatever place where you work, may you bring the blessing and presence of God because God is with you and you represent Him well by your work ethic and character.
Genesis 39:6-7 (NIV)
6 …Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,
7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
On verses 6-7: God blessed Joseph with good looks, and Potiphar’s wife takes notice and tries to seduce him. What can we learn from this? In whatever way God has blessed you, be aware that Satan will sometimes try to tempt you to use that blessing for a sinful and selfish advantage. Don’t fall for it. How? See below.
Genesis 39:8-10 (NIV)
8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.
9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
On verses 8-10: How was Joseph able to stand up against the persistent attempts by Potiphar’s wife to seduce him? Here we learn three keys to Joseph’s victory over temptation.
First, Joseph was humbly self-aware. As Joseph says himself in verses 8-9a, “With me in charge…my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am.” In other words, Joseph realized that he was a steward, a trustee, not the owner of what was in his care, but a manager of it who was accountable to others. He was accountable to his boss and did not want hurt or disappoint him. What can we learn from this? To stand up against temptation, it helps to remember who would be negatively impacted by you falling into temptation if they found out. May the thought of hurting people unfairly and unnecessarily help to keep you from sinning against them.
Second, Joseph realized that to give into the temptation would be a sin not only against his boss Potiphar, but a sin against God. As Joseph says in verse 9, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” What’s the lesson here? Whenever you are tempted to sin, remember that God is watching you and He will hold us accountable for what we did with our lives.
Third, Joseph set clear boundaries by refusing to even be near Potiphar’s wife. As verse 10 says, “he refused to…even be with her” (v10). Realizing that the flesh is weak, Joseph resolved not to put himself in situations where he could more easily fall into temptation. It’s not just about willpower to fight temptation when it comes, but it’s about wisdom to avoid as much as possible situations where you will be tempted.
Heavenly Father, thank You that because You are with me, I have Your favour and that I can bring Your blessing and presence everywhere I go. May my home, my workplace, my school, my church and my city be blessed because I am here. Thank you also that whenever I am tempted, You are faithful and will give me a way to stand up over that temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).
