Facts About Her: She was the wife of Potiphar who was the, "officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard" (Gen. 39:1); After Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his entire household she saw that Joseph was "a goodly person, and well favored", meaning that he was talented and good looking. His life was different; he was set apart from the ungodly. Indeed, we see her [to be] in clear error." 2 Swindoll, Charles R. Joseph (p. 24). In what ways, have you, at times, compromised out of fear of the cost? Without doubt, Joseph was aware that scorning Potiphars wife could have hazardous consequences. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (NLT) Even though Satan is powerful, God is immeasurably more powerful. 36-6: Contradictions in Esau's genealogy? I would put a piece of cheese in this trap - the smellier the better! His big brothers were very jealous of him. Genesis 39 Overview, Joseph and Potiphar's Wife Application Question: Why is it so important to flee temptation instead of trying to faithfully endure it? Sin is not the end game of temptationdestruction is. Ask: How many of you made a craft today? Ask: Who can tell me why they were so jealous? Q. Joseph flees from her advances, losing his cloak as he escapes her grip on him. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. Say: Joseph wasnt alone because God was with Him. Say: When we left our story, Joseph was in a heap of trouble. Potiphar's response was predictable. She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons. Then she made up a big lie about him (John 8:44). I dont see a happy, older woman. 1 Corinthians 10:13, written for early Christians centuries after the account of Potiphars wife and Joseph, states that we are not tempted beyond what God decides we can handle. Ask: Do you think he felt afraid or lonely? So I need to distract it. What Satan means for bad, God is going to use for your good (cf. They took his colorful coat, dipped it in the blood of a goat, and gave it to their father. Although we LOVE for teachers to read from their Bibles, and for children to read along in theirs, in this case, it is best to paraphrase her words, and not read directly from the scripture. This biographical article about a person notable in connection with Judaism is a stub. She called all the servants togetherdeclaring that the Hebrew that Potiphar brought to them came to humiliate them (v. 14). He did not think he deserved more than God had given him. God gave him great leadership skills and other blessings. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed." How else can you tell if youre compatible for marriage? Eight times Yahweh is mentioned in this chapter. The blessing is on everything Potiphar owns - his fields, his house, his possessions. Used by permission. He will be beaten and despised, and his reproach will not be wiped away; When considering adultery, Solomon said the consequences last foreverthe reproach will never be wiped away. He said, "My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. Gen 50:20, Rom 8:28). The Hebrew would try to hurt them as well. There is nowhere you can go where God cannot go with you (Psalm 139:7-12). Potipher's Wife Is Not Joseph's Master. Do you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you? Soon after these things, his masters wife took notice of Joseph and said, Have sex with me. But he refused, saying to his masters wife, Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care. Joseph refuses Potiphar's wife's advances, not yielding to temptation day after day. Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac More. Did they have children? In fact, its in those times that God pours out an extra measure of grace on you. Application Question: In what ways does the world and Satan aim to make sin more acceptable and less heinous? May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. If you eat of the tree, you wont die. Joseph was faithful to God and resisted temptation. If Potiphar and the status quo look upon his wife as a piece of good-looking livestock, the people in Egypt may not be dismayed at Josephs actions. We dont want to grieve Gods heart; we dont want to lose his favor and empowerment to serve others. God gave Joseph the peace and strength that he needed in prison. So his Lord responded to him and averted from him their plan. All rights reserved. As we said, some people even believed he was a god. 26. 39. From the Penthouse to the Prison (Genesis 39:1-23) Genesis (Ge 39:710). The only thing Joseph is not in charge of is Potiphar's food. Remember that you are NEVER alone! In Genesis she is given no name, but in later medieval Jewish sources and Islamic tradition, she is identified as Zuleikha (/zulek/ zoo-LAY-kah; Hebrew: ; Arabic: , romanized:zulay). When I thought that God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against one who loved me so, and sought my good.5. He was one of four men the Bible describes in this way, including Saul, David, and Absalom. The Lord is the one and only God., In Deuteronomy 32:39, God declares, Look! Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. Imagine how strange this was to Joseph. (2) Also, if Joseph were bitter, instead of experiencing Gods blessings as he did, he would have experienced Gods discipline. 1878; Hengstenbergs 'Egypt and the Books of Moses,' 1:25; Kalisch, p. 631 . What can we learn from the account of Potiphars wife? Potiphars wifes frustration with seducing Joseph lights up her anger. . She attempted to sexually assault Joseph who, as a slave, could never have truly consented. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. We also know that Potiphar was smart enough to recognize a good thing when he saw it. Eventually, she became so desperate that on a day none of the other servants were around (a possible setup), she grabbed Joseph and tried to force him to sleep with her. Genesis: beginning and blessing (p. 464). Do you follow God in everything you do? 36-1: Esau and Edom are one and the same! 35-6: What the ancients believed happened after death, 35-5: Reuben sleeps with his father's concubine in a sly move to gain family power, 35-4: Unearthing God's prophetic statements to Jacob that can ONLY be understood in Hebrew, 35-3: Deborah's death symbolizes Israel's complete severance from Mesopotamia. Even though Joseph had to suffer a cost for being holybeing put in prisonGod was with him in the prison and blessed him. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Sometimes, God sends us places so that people who do not know Him will be able to see God through us. He didnt know how, but Joseph knew that God was going to exalt him, and his family would bow to him. So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], "Come out before them." Overseeing other prisoners and interpreting dreams leads to his further success as a leader of the Israelites. Joseph had previously foreseen God using the bad for good in his dreams (Gen 37:5-11) and he believed those dreams. Hebrews 4:16 says, So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. He blessed everything Potiphar had in his house and field. The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife in Genesis 39 contains some obvious lessons about fidelity in the face of sexual temptation, and there are also some subtler points to be found about the loyal character of God. Its the strong who are weak and the weak who are strong. We have a longing for justice, because we are created in the image of a perfectly just God (Deuteronomy 32:4). If Potiphar's daughter is now marrying Joseph, Potiphar will be forced to support him. No, bc he should've killed him and instead he sent him to jail. Genesis: beginning and blessing (p. 461). How is your integrity? JOSEPH and POTIPHAR'S WIFE: Joseph says NO to Adultery - Women In The Bible She goes by the moniker Potiphars wife, but she does not act like a godly wife, whose virtues are praised in Proverbs 31. God wants you to believe Him - to TRUST HIM - and live! She said, "What is the recompense of one who intended evil for your wife but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?" The price could be loneliness, being made fun of, losing ones job, or even losing ones life. But I dont want a mouse to thrive in my kitchen. 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. Potiphar's wife is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. One day he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants were there in the house. We can discern this by two things: (1) If he were bitter about his family, bitter about being enslaved, and mad at God, it would have negatively affected his attitude while working, which would have kept him from being so quickly promoted. In this very difficult time, God poured out grace on Joseph that was like a big warm hug. You cant hold it in. It seems quite likely that Potiphar did not believe his wife. Soon after these things, his masters wife took notice of Joseph and said, Have sex with me.. What is the story of Joseph and his brothers. Potiphar appointed Joseph overseer of his household and put him in charge of everything he owned. Gods grace can turn any situation around. - Genesis 39:20b-23. You are his wife. Satan even tried to tempt Jesus to step outside of Gods perfect will (Matthew 4:1-11). -Genesis 39:19 So we're told that Potiphar's wife fell in lust with Joseph. So Potiphar left everything he had in Josephs care; he gave no thought to anything except the food he ate. Indeed, He is my master, who has made good my residence. He didnt stand a chance in defending himself against Potiphars wife, however. (1) When it says, he became furious (v. 19), it does not say that he became furious at Joseph. Sin drastically affects us and others around us. The Lord was with Joseph. (Genesis 39:10) Potiphar's wife, however, was a determined seductress. Personally, I always think about how spiritual failure would negatively affect my daughter for the rest of her life. Potiphars wife may have been attractive, but her interactions with Joseph were not lovely. Here in a cold prison, God continued to use Joseph. Note to Teacher: The apostle Paul, who suffered greatly for the gospel, opened each of his epistles with the words, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. For Paul, Gods grace was inseparable from peace. Verse 10 in the NIV says, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. Whenever Joseph saw Mrs. Potiphar, he simply went the other direction. On the other hand, the future for Potiphars wife does not look promising. Were creatures with needssleep, food, sex. And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allh! Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Not only was she declaring to the other slaves that Joseph was a threat, but she catered to their ethnic pride and fear of foreigners. All rights reserved. Joseph was a handsome young man, and he eventually caught the attention of Potiphar's wife. All rights reserved worldwide. So he put Joseph in prison. She picked a moment when the servants were all out of the house. Application Question: When tempted, how often do you consider the consequences of sin? What types of disciplines are necessary to protect someone in seasons of promotion and exaltation? After being wrongly imprisoned, it is very possible that he was tempted towards hopelessness and despair. He must have been terrified to be around so many people who were so different from him and who didnt know anything about his God. Having Joseph around was wonderful for Potiphar. Perhaps Mesu Andrews novel, Potiphars Wife,gives her a brighter future than I have predicted. (For the sharpest Bible students only! The Bible says, They traded the truth about God for a lie. Potiphar believes his high-pedigree wife and throws Joseph in prison. Well need to be more disciplined with our time and money. Genesis 39. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant." Instead of being bitter and upset, Joseph submitted to God and trusted him in the midst of his trial. 62 And Potiphar heard the words of his wife, and he ordered Joseph to be punished with severe stripes, and they did so to him. Potiphar's wife is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. 1. 40-3: Two similar dreams with two totally different outcomes! The story of Potiphar's wife . Joseph ran awayleaving his outer garment in her hand. The Lord was with Joseph. Well start to see how God used this terrible situation for good! [] And she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. When a person goes through trials, he or she can be tempted to become bitter, to turn away from God and others. He defines Gods discipline as hardship. He doesnt even qualify whether the hardship is from the devil, humans, or God himself. What God does with people and how people react is unpredictable, though. How he ended up a slave in the household of Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officers. But Joseph refused to spend any time with her. He experienced sexual temptation from his masters wife, which is the major temptation in this narrative. Joseph and Potiphar's Wife: A Study of Moral Ambivalence Yahweh is only mentioned one other time in the rest of Genesis3, which shows how active God was in this part of Josephs life. One day he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants were there in the house. If he had . We must remember that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. One of the best ways to do this is by giving thanks in all circumstances (including bad ones) for this is Gods will for our lives (1 Thess 5:18; cf. King Solomon's Story in the BibleWho Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?Who Was the Prodigal Son? So . Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. 3 Hughes, R. K. (2004). In the end, however, the situation ended badly for Joseph: Joseph, Potiphar's Wife, and the Dangers of Sexual Sin Indeed, your plan is great [i.e., vehement]. Joseph had lost his masters respect and he was forced to become lower than a slave - he became a PRISONER. To fight this temptation, Joseph not only refused but also stopped being around her. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, purchased him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. Q. As I went to search for some Advil, I stopped to ponder Potiphar's wife and Joseph. And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said: 'Lie with me.' First Corinthians 10:13 implies that we all will experience temptation and, at the same time, be provided a way of escape. Joseph lived in Potiphar's house. The Bible makes it clear that there is only one God, so where do all of these other gods come from?
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