Genesis 39
39 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 so that 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 Lordgave 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. 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 Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
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!”
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.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!”But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slaveyou brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Have you ever found yourself in a place where you did not want to be? Maybe you were put there unjustly. Perhaps you were overlooked or maybe, like Joseph, you were treated completely unfairly. This passage reminds us that God is with us and that he sees us, even when it seems like no one else does.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Joseph did not spend his time in slavery sulking or complaining. He did not start a campaign to fight against the injustice against him. Instead he served. He served Potiphar and the house flourished. He served in prison and became someone the warden relied on. God’s favour shone on his life but his attitude allowed it to.
Regardless of the circumstances, you can rely on God’s presence in your life. Joseph’s character is in stark contrast with his brothers. They complain and feel the injustice of everything that happens against them. They act immorally and cause damage and pain. On the other hand, even as a slave Joseph acts with dignity and honour. He loves God and lives in a way that brings him the glory. He does not think of himself but serves others around him. And God’s favour shines upon him in everything that he does.
When life is at its hardest and we feel the most betrayed by the world around us, we can still praise God because he is with us and he never abandons us. In Him we can find strength to face the battles of the day with dignity and honour. By trusting in Him, we can flourish in all circumstances.
