Morning Light – Genesis 39: From Potiphar’s House to Prison

[Today: Genesis 39] From Potiphar’s House to Prison. Do you ever feel like Joseph that you can’t get a break? Joseph goes from being the spoiled darling of his father Jacob, to a prison sentence for something he didn’t do. You may be struggling as well in a situation, not of your making, but remember that God is with you no matter what.

[Gen 39:1-23 KJV] 1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD [was] with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all [that] he had he put into his hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time [that] he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was [a] goodly [person], and well favoured. 7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what [is] with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 [There is] none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou [art] his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, [or] to be with her. 11 And it came to pass about this time, that [Joseph] went into the house to do his business; and [there was] none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: 15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. 19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners [were] bound: and he was there in the prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that [were] in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer [of it]. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing [that was] under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and [that] which he did, the LORD made [it] to prosper.

After recounting the story of Judah and Tamar in the previous chapter, our narrative returns to the story of Joseph. After his brothers broker him to the Midianites, Joseph is sold to the captain of Pharaoh’s guard whose wife was of questionable morals, even by Egyptian standards. Apparently, there was an intermediate exchange because v. 1 mentions that Potiphar purchased Joseph not from the Midianites but from the descendants of Ishmael. Either way, this mishandling of Joseph was all by the hands of those related to him through the descendants of Shem.

Even though Joseph was a slave, he was a prosperous man. As God was with Jacob in the hands of Laban, even so, Joseph was prospered by God in the possession of Potiphar. The favor of God on Joseph did not escape his master’s notice, and Potiphar puts Joseph in charge of all of his dealings and business interests. When your life is lived out in subjection to God, His favor will bring you to promotion. I first entered the workplace when I was 12 years old and worked at adult jobs with adult responsibility all of that time. Almost without fail promotion would find me even when I wasn’t seeking it out. You may struggle with thoughts of insecurity or failure, but remember (Duet. 23:20) tells us that God will bless what you put your hand to. Wherever you put the sole of your foot, God will give it to you. This is the blessing of Abraham upon the Old Covenant peoples that also applies to us in Christ, according to Gal. 3:7:

[Gal 3:7 KJV] 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

As God prospered Joseph in a bad situation so He will prosper you. Joseph’s brothers intended evil against him, and you may have people in your life that don’t want to see good things happen to you either. Remember Joseph. Not only will God bless you, but He will see to it that those around you will notice that blessing and want to promote you because of it.

In v. 7, Potiphar’s wife comes into the picture in her husband’s absence and propositions Joseph. Joseph reminds her of how good her husband had been to him and refuses her advances. In v. 9, we see that Joseph not only considered this a sin against his master but a sin against God as well. God has a plan for Joseph’s life, and sleeping with Potiphar’s wife is not part of it. What about you? Whether it is a sexual proposition or some other temptation, the enemy will consistently attempt to derail your destiny. Remember who you are. Remember the blessing of God upon your life. Don’t lose out on God’s goodness for a moment’s indiscretion.

Potiphar’s wife doesn’t give up easily (v. 10). She persists in speaking to Joseph and finding ways to seduce him. There comes a day that Joseph is in the house, and none of the other workers were home. Here is where Joseph shows his inexperience. In the absence of other workers, the woman catches Joseph and compels him to sleep with her. He shrugs out of his garment and flees the house, but now she has something whereby to accuse him. Potiphar returns home, and Joseph is promptly thrown into prison. What about you? What would you do in Joseph’s position? We live in a sexualized society affecting even the very youngest of children. You need to be aware of your surroundings and aware of your behavior and the behavior of others around you. When you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable in some way, exercise wisdom and change the situation for your own well being and to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Joseph didn’t have this wisdom and as a result, pays an unnecessary price.

What happens to Joseph in prison? Even though things have gone from bad to worse, God is still with Joseph. The warden of the prison sees that God is with Joseph and puts him in charge of everything happening in the prison. As it was in Potiphar’s house, so Joseph is prospered even in this challenging situation. You may be going through hardship and feel as though you can’t catch a break, but remember that God is with you. As God made everything that Joseph did to prosper even so He will cause you to thrive if you remember your dreams and remember the Lord as Joseph most certainly did.