Genesis chapter 39. Remember, technically we're in the history of Jacob according to chapter 37 at verse 2. Part of the history of Jacob is obviously his sons, and this large block of narrative is devoted to Joseph. Remember that in chapter 37, Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt.
Chapter 39 was a bit of a diversion from that with Judah and Tamar. We return to the Joseph scene in Egypt. So, I'll begin reading in Genesis 39 at verse 1. Now, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.
The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptians' house for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance, and it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, lie with me. But he refused and said to his master's wife, look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.
There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her, or be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. But he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and ran outside.
And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, See, He has brought into us a Hebrew to mock us. He came into me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when He heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that He left His garment with me and fled and went outside." So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to mock me.
So it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside. So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, Your servant did to me after this manner, that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and he gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the Lord was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
Amen.
Introduction
Now, obviously, Joseph withstood great temptation in the house of Potiphar, as we'll look at in just a moment. And so we might be tempted to conclude that the message in this particular chapter is on the faithfulness of Joseph. I would suggest that it's on the faithfulness of God. It's God's presence with Joseph that sort of provides the bookends to the chapter.
If you notice in verse 2, the Lord was with Joseph. And then again in verse 21, but the Lord was with Joseph. And then again in verse 23, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
The underlying current is God's faithfulness to carry out His promises that He has made to His patriarchs. Now
Prosperity of Joseph in Potiphar's House
I want to look first at the prosperity of Joseph in Potiphar's house in verses 1 to 6. Secondly, the temptation of Joseph in Potiphar's house in verses 7 to 18. And then finally, the removal of Joseph from Potiphar's house in verses 19 to 23. But if we look first at the prosperity of Joseph in Potiphar's house, again, it's dependent upon the presence of God.
Verse 1 is a bit of a review. It points back to chapter 37 and verse 36. It just recapitulates the situation that Joseph is in. Joseph had been taken down to Egypt.
And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there.
God's Presence with the Patriarchs
Then we have that declaration of the Lord's presence with Joseph. And again, that's been a recurring theme with the patriarchs. Remember, Genesis 15.1, God said to Abraham, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. God promised to Isaac that he would be present with him in Genesis chapter 26.
And then at Bethel, God promised to Jacob that he would be with Jacob in Genesis chapter 28. So we see here that he is fulfilling his promises to be present in the lives of the patriarchs. And while Joseph's brothers treated him spitefully or treacherously and sold him into Egypt, God didn't abandon him, though his brothers had disowned Him, and done these horrible things to Him, we see God's faithfulness in the midst of trial, and in affliction, He doesn't abandon Joseph. So while men may abandon you, God the Lord never does.
God's Word is sure. He never leaves us, and He never forsakes us, and this was in fact, or this is in fact, an evidence of that. Now
Results of God's Presence with Joseph
notice the result of God's presence with Joseph. We see that success and blessing and prominence and preeminence are the sorts of things associated with the presence of God among Joseph. Verse 2 tells us the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man. He was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
A bit of an encouragement there. He's not a field laborer, but rather he is within the house. And then we see that he serves specifically this man Potiphar, and then Potiphar gives him charge over everything in his house. So Joseph's, or the fact that the Lord is present with Joseph is the means by which God exalts Joseph in this particular instance.
The whole time in prison is also a necessary step in this exaltation of Joseph to a place of preeminence where he's ultimately in control of the food supply and he can take care of his people, he can take care of the nation of Israel, he can take care specifically of his family. So God's presence with him is conspicuous. It is in order that he will be able to function as the Savior for Israel. He is typological of our Lord Jesus Christ in this regard.
Now notice, in terms of the evidence of God's presence with Joseph, we see that in verses 3 to 6. The master, Potiphar himself, recognized this. We don't know what sort of a religious man he was. The Egyptians had a plethora of gods.
He probably was a religious man. He had no doubt heard of Yahweh of Israel. Well, as far as he is concerned, this is obvious that the Lord God of Israel is present with this man, Joseph. Verse 3 says, his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.
Calvin says, the grace of God shone forth in Joseph in no common or usual manner, since it became thus manifest to a man who was a heathen and in this respect blind. So this man was not a good judge of such things, but it was so obvious he couldn't miss it. The fact is, is that God is present with Joseph and everything that Joseph puts his hand to is successful. He's got the Midas touch.
He's able to bring great prosperity and benefit to Potiphar's house. We see that in verse 4. Notice it says that Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house and all that he had he put under his authority.
So it doesn't take us long to see this presence of God manifested among those around Joseph. Now there's about a 13-year period that is covered in the narrative. Remember that Joseph is 17 when he's sold into Egypt. He's going to be 30 when he stands before Pharaoh.
We don't know how long was in Potiphar's house, and we don't know how long that he spent in prison. I think that the text would suggest that he was longer in Potiphar's house than he was in the prison. If persons disagree, that's perfectly fine, but that seems to be the way that the text reads or the way that the text goes. So in this period of time, Joseph is distinguishing himself as a very successful man, not because of his own savvy or ability, but because Yahweh of Israel is with him.
Now
Blessing on Potiphar's Household
notice the blessing of God upon these heathen. Verse 5 tells us, So it was from the time that he had made him overseer of his house, and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptians' house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. If you turn back for just a moment, to Genesis chapter 12, you see this announcement by God relative to Abraham and thus the other patriarchs.
So Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Joseph. In Genesis chapter 12 verse 1, get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing.
Joseph is a blessing to the household of Potiphar. That's obvious in the passage. Verse 3, I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Again, that's going to be realized on a grand scale through the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, namely the Messiah In Him, all the families of the earth are blessed, but we get a down payment of that or a foretaste of that even in this pagan Potiphar's house in Egypt.
The presence of God with Joseph is such that it is a benefit to Potiphar's house, and that's the emphasis there in verse 5. And then notice in verse 6, the master plays all under Joseph's care. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now some suggest that that's because that was the most intimate thing that an Egyptian could do, and it They abhorred the thought of eating with Hebrews.
Later on you see that, so perhaps the only thing directly under the control of Potiphar was the actual food that he was going to put into his mouth. Everything else is under the disposal of this Hebrew, this man called Joseph. And then
Temptation of Joseph in Potiphar's House
that brings us to the temptation of Joseph in Potiphar's house, and 6b is crucial for that. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. We need to know that because that forms the basis for Mrs. Potiphar's advances upon him.
Now there's only one other woman or one other person in the entirety of the Old Testament where these things are mentioned about this particular person. Handsome in form, and appearance. That's also said of Joseph's mother. It was said concerning Rebecca in chapter 29, verse 17, and as Wenham points out, they are the only two people in the Old Testament to be awarded this double accolade.
Now, I don't think that means everybody else was ugly or that everybody else was detestable or anything like that. but they are certainly and specifically noteworthy for this beautiful form in both, appearance in both form, Hanselman form and appearance. And then notice in terms of the connection with previous episodes. We've seen similarities with other patriarchs, but the shoe was on the other foot in those instances. I'll just quote from one commentator because I think he puts it all together well.
He says, this story about Joseph reverses a well-known plot in the patriarchal narratives. Whereas before it was the beautiful wife of the patriarch who was sought by the foreign ruler, now it was Joseph, the handsome patriarch, himself who was sought by the wife of the foreign ruler. Whereas in the earlier narratives it was either the Lord, or the moral purity of the foreign ruler that rescued the wife rather than the patriarch, here is Joseph's own moral courage that saved the day." So again, it's a recurring theme, but it's a bit different in terms of application. And then notice the particular temptation.
It's given in verse 7. That's an idiom that means she lusted after him. She certainly noticed his form and noticed his appearance. And then she says very directly, lie with me." There's no small talk, there's no sort of any kind of encounter or any date whatsoever.
She tells him, rather, have sex with me. That's specifically the language that she employs in this instance.
Joseph's Refusal and Its Reasons
Now notice his resistance in verses 8 to 10. In the first place, he refuses. Verse 8, he refused and said to his master's wife, Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife.
How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? So he flat out refuses, and then he gives a twofold reason. In the first place, he has a duty to honor and to respect his master. He has a duty to honor and respect his master.
The master Potiphar has put everything under my control, he says. It would be an offense and it would be an affront to him for me to take his wife. But then secondly, it is an offense or rather it would be a duty to honor and respect his God. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?
Now make no mistake, the temptation that Joseph faces here is a very real one. It's a very strong one. And
Strength of the Temptation
I think there's several things in the text that indicate that. In the first place, the temptation was great because he was young. He's between the ages of 17 and 30. He's a red-blooded, I was going to say, American male, but a Hebrew male that had those desires.
Secondly, the temptation was great because he was prosperous. Prosperity and blessing and benefit oftentimes converge upon sins of the flesh. Thirdly, the temptation was great because of her superiority. She's the mistress, he's the slave.
He could just easily say, well, the ma'am gave me a command and I simply fulfilled it. Fourth, the temptation was great because she was so direct. Lie with me. Again, there was no guesswork involved whatsoever.
The temptation was great because it was frequent. Notice in verse 10. So it was as she spoke to Joseph day by day that he did not heed her to lie with her or to be with her. So this was an ongoing frequent situation that he had to confront.
And then the temptation was great because he also had opportunity. If you look at verse 11, it happened about this time when Joseph went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was inside. So all of these elements were present. He had the means, he had the opportunity, but what he lacked was the motive because he feared God, he honored God, and he wanted to glorify God.
As well, the idea is that the Lord's presence with Joseph is certainly that which helped him or enabled him or assisted him or caused him to be able to resist this strong and powerful temptation. And it kind of made me think through James' words in James 1, 15 and following, where he's talking about temptation and about the way that it comes upon us. And I would imagine that all of us pray at one time or another, we pray a lot, probably more frequently than we do, as the Lord taught us, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. and then we employ certain strategies to try and resist temptation or sin, and all of that is very good, but are we praying for God's presence in our lives? Are we praying for that known communion with the Lord?
Are we praying that we know something of what Abraham had in Genesis 15? I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. It's the presence of God with his servant Joseph that no doubt enables Joseph to overcome the various temptations because he was young, because he was prosperous, because of her superiority, because of her directness, because of its frequency, and because of the fact that he even had opportunity. But nevertheless, he withstands this because the Lord is with Joseph.
So if you're fighting a particular temptation or sin, the cry ought to be, God, fill me with the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit so I do not succumb to these temptations that I am facing. Now
Persistence and Deception of Potiphar's Wife
notice the persistence of Potiphar's wife in verses 11 to 18. It doesn't stop here with reference to Joseph. So verse 10, it was as she spoke to Joseph day by day that he did not heed her to lie with her or to be with her. And then notice the boldness of Potiphar's wife in verses 11 and 12.
But it happened about this time when Joseph went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was inside that she caught him by his garment saying, lie with me. Now the verb that's used oftentimes is used in context where violence is used. Now I'm not suggesting she overpowered Joseph as a female overpowering this male, but it is a verb that indicates there was force involved. She grabbed after him.
She tried to initiate this against his will. He had been refusing successfully day by day. Now she sees the opportunity and she catches him by his garment saying, lie with me. Isn't it intriguing that with reference to Joseph, there have been two instances in his life where garments were things that would ultimately do him in.
It was the garment that they offered up as proof that he had been destroyed when they gave it to Jacob. It's the garment that she's going to employ as the proof with reference to his misdeeds to the servants and then again to her husband. As Klein says, for the second time a coat of Joseph is made to lie about him. So in verse 12 it says, he left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside.
And so it was when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them saying, now this ought not to surprise us, she's a liar. She is deceptive. She is going to do anything she can to try and discredit Joseph and all the while make herself look good or attempt to do so. So with reference to these household servants, notice the charge that her husband brought the Hebrew to mock us.
And this isn't a stupid woman, she's a wicked woman, but she's not a stupid woman. Look at the language. See, he, that's a reference to Potiphar, has brought into us a Hebrew, that xenophobia, this Hebrew, this less than us, these people that we don't even want to eat with, the husband has brought into us a Hebrew to mock us, not just me. Again, there's safety in numbers.
This woman is wicked, but she's not stupid. She knows how to calculate, and she knows how to plot, and she knows how to plan. And then she goes on to say, he came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
Deuteronomy 22 and the Cry of the Woman
Now turn to Deuteronomy 22 for just a moment. to see why she's lying about crying out with a loud voice. She lies to the servants and she'll lie to her husband. She did not cry out. We just read the story.
She initiated with him and he fled. She didn't cry. This is what she's now telling the servants and what she will tell her husband. Now, I'm not suggesting that the Egyptians were subject to the law of Deuteronomy, but there was some similarity between not only God's law in the books of the Pentateuch, but in ancient Near Eastern law codes, and adultery, and rape, and all those sorts of things were very similar amongst the various cultures.
And if you look specifically at Deuteronomy 22, 23, and 24, You have the seduction of a betrothed woman. What you have in Deuteronomy 22 is a bunch of different scenarios of a sexual nature where rape is either obvious or it's not. And these are particular rules given so that persons can distinguish who is or who isn't guilty. And this whole idea of crying out is something that's a piece of evidence.
So notice in 23. If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones. The young woman, because she did not cry out in the city. Again, the parallel is not that this Potiphar's wife is a young woman, a virgin, betrothed to a husband.
That's not it. The point is that this woman did not cry out. The reticence or the negligence relative to crying out indicates her complicity. It indicates that she was an active participant in this.
That's why it's the seduction of a betrothed woman. She did not cry out in the city. And the man, because he humbled his neighbor's wife, so you shall put away the evil from among you. Notice, you stone both of them to death with stones.
The young woman, because she didn't cry out. If she cried out, That's an indicator that she was not willing or complicit in the activity. Everybody get me? You see why Potiphar's wife is saying that she cried out?
Because she wants to maintain that Joseph tried to rape her. But that's not what happens. And then notice dropping down with reference to the rape of a betrothed woman in the countryside. That's the category spoken of in verses 25 to 27.
But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But she shall do nothing to the young woman. There is in the young woman no sin deserving of death. For just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter.
For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman did what? She cried out, but there was no one to save her. Again, there's differences between Potiphar's wife and the particular situations in Viria, but this idea of crying out is evidentiary. If somebody cries out, that indicates there was rape or there was an attempt at forcible entry.
But if there is no crying out, that shows complicity on the part of the woman. that she is an active participant, and I suspect that's why Potiphar's wife, twice in her deception, makes sure she lets them know that she cried out with a loud voice. So back to her report to the servants in Genesis 39, verse 15, she says, and it happened when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled and went outside. So she has spoken to the servants and now she's going to speak to her husband. And then notice verse 16, she kept his garment with her until his master came home.
Then she spoke, which if you're thinking, he could have very easily, if he was actually the rapist thug, he would be smart enough to pick up his garment and take it with him. I mean, the very fact that the garment is there indicates the validity of his innocence. I mean, again, evidentiary. I'm sure juries would find differing sorts of insights or whatnot.
But a man that's a thug rapist, I think, is going to have the smarts. I don't know. I'm not a thug rapist. But I think he'd have the smarts to take his garment to make sure that he doesn't leave evidence there.
But anyways, so the master comes home and then notice, verse 17, she spoke to him with words like these saying, the Hebrew, now it's servant. Okay, it was Hebrew with reference to the servants, and now with reference to her husband, the Hebrew servant. I mean, really under, undercuts the authority and the power and the preeminence that Joseph had. I mean, I don't doubt that Potiphar saw him as a servant, but I also don't doubt that he saw him as much more than a servant because he basically gave him charge over everything in his house.
So she again is speaking in a pejorative way. She wants to make sure that she can tilt popular opinion into her favor. And that's what she's doing. And she spoke to him with words like these saying, the Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me.
A little bit of dig on him. If you never brought this servant, we wouldn't be in this situation. We wouldn't be having these problems. Verse 18, so it happened as I lifted my voice and cried out that he left his garment with me and fled outside.
So she gives essentially the same story and that
Removal of Joseph from Potiphar's House
leads us finally to consider the removal of Joseph from Potiphar's house. Now note verse 19, so it was when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him saying, your servant did to me after this manner that his anger was aroused. Now, you should appreciate Hebrew narrative at this point, because that is a deliciously ambiguous statement. We have no idea who his anger was aroused at.
When it comes to what Joseph had done, if she's correct, he should have been executed. He should have been put to death. If a servant tries to rape the master's wife, that typically results in a summary execution. You don't need to go through a lot of juries and whatnot.
You take him out and you take care of business. The fact that he goes to prison would indicate that perhaps Potiphar knew his wife a little bit better than we think. Or that Joseph made a few parting words before he was actually cast into prison. You have to suppose that Potiphar and Joseph would have had a good relationship up to this point if Potiphar had entrusted everything in his house to Joseph, they would have most likely been very tight.
He would have known what kind of a man Joseph was. And it could be the case that his anger is aroused, not necessarily at Joseph. He still has to dispose of Joseph because he has to save face. He has to look right in decent society.
If it were to come out that this Joseph tried to attack his wife, and he was, you know, no punishment whatsoever, that would reflect poorly on Potiphar. So he has to do something, and so he puts him in prison. Again, that's far less than with what he deserved. He deserved execution, but nevertheless he's spared, he's put into prison.
And again, this brings us to a very key place in Joseph's life. And you see how God's providence is working I hope, because if Joseph doesn't go to prison, he doesn't meet the Chief Butler and he doesn't meet the Chief Baker. If Joseph doesn't go to prison, he doesn't interpret their dreams. If Joseph doesn't go to prison, the Chief Butler doesn't remember after Pharaoh has his dreams.
Oh yeah! There was a Hebrew in the prison, and he interpreted these dreams. You see how God's providence and plan is working together, even in the midst of what we would call very unsavory things. Far more would Joseph call them unsavory things than you and I, because we're not in a prison in Potiphar's house.
So Joseph is undergoing that reality that behind a frowning providence, God hides a smiling face. This is the means by which Joseph will be exalted to one of the highest places in the entirety of Egypt, where he will oversee the dispersal of food, where he will be the one that ultimately keeps his people alive. So, all of this is just evidence of God's sovereign providence in working all things together according to His purpose for the glory of His name and for the good of those who love Him, the good of those who are the called, according to His purpose. Now, notice verse 20.
Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. Now we don't know if this was literally a pit. Some suggest that it was in fact a pit.
And you see in God's providence, Joseph goes from pit to pit to preeminence. The pit that his brothers put him in when they sell him to these traitors. And then this pit in Potiphar's house or under Potiphar's house. And this again is the means of exaltation so that he will be preeminent in Egypt and able to disperse food to his people.
So notice in verse 21, but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy." See, we think in outward circumstances, such as going into a pit or going into a prison, that's the evidence that God is done with us or God is not present in our life. That wasn't the case with Moses under the inspiration of the Spirit, and it's certainly not the case of Joseph when he's imprisoned in Potiphar's house. The Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and he gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And then the same pattern is duplicated.
What Joseph enjoyed in Potiphar's house is what Joseph will now enjoy in this prison. The keeper of the prison recognizes that Yahweh is with Joseph, and as a result, Joseph is now preeminent in the prison. He's over the other prisoners, and the keeper of the prison doesn't even have to worry about it. Verse 22, the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison.
Whatever they did there, it was his doing. Again, that's a great deal of liberty and a great deal of benefit and a great deal of blessing given to Joseph. Again, not because Joseph has skills in the prison system, but because God is with Joseph. When God is with Joseph, everything works out good.
So the point of the passage isn't how great Joseph is, the point of the passage is how great God is, and how He is in fact our shield, our exceedingly great reward. And that those who walk with the Lord will know this kind of benefit. Now we may not get all the prosperity of a Potiphar's house, or if we end up in jail we may not be top dog, I get all that, but the Lord with us will ensure blessing, will ensure prosperity in the spiritual realm, and that's where it is most important. And then verse 23 says, the keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority because the Lord was with him and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
Now these details are most important as we move through the passage. The operation that Joseph will undertake in terms of making sure everybody gets food is not an easy task. And so the Lord Not only is he guiding him and directing him to that place, but he's furnishing him with the skills and with the abilities and with the gifts necessary so that he can orchestrate that. So that when Joseph is top dog over all Egypt, he's not sitting there with his finger in his ear not knowing how to feed people.
He knows what to do. In those times of plenty, you stow away the food, so that when those times of famine come, we then disperse it, we issue it out, and we deal with it in a consistently orderly manner. So God is preparing Joseph, God is keeping Joseph, and God is ultimately going to use Joseph in a way that far exceeds what he does in Potiphar's house, or certainly what he does in the prison. But this prison time is necessary because it's there that his gift and ability to interpret dreams is going to be remembered by the chief butler so that when Pharaoh has dreams concerning famine, it's Joseph that stands before Pharaoh.
That distinguishes Joseph as the one who has wisdom from the true and living God and therefore it's a no-brainer from Pharaoh that Joseph be the one over this project to make sure that Egypt and other nations get food in this time of famine. It really is a beautiful chapter in terms of the Joseph narrative as a whole. So,
Application and Concluding Observations
some concluding observations. First, the providence of God, the exaltation of Joseph in Potiphar's house, and then the exaltation of Joseph in the prison. Most important that he makes these connections. And again, if you ask Joseph, do you want to go to prison?
He'd say, like all of us, well, of course I don't. Who wants to go to prison? Who wants to have their liberty deprived or taken away from them or stripped away? But at the end of the life, he understood everything, didn't he?
Remember, sort of the controlling theme for all of this narrative block is Genesis 50-20. You meant this for evil, but God overruled it for good. If we lose sight of that, if we become untethered from that 50-20 sort of interpretative framework, then all of these will be nice sort of randomly fit together stories, but with no ultimate rhyme and reason. But there is ultimate rhyme and reason in God's providence.
Wenham says, in managing Potiphar's house, he was being prepared to rule all Egypt. But had he remained Potiphar's manager, he might never have met Pharaoh's cupbearer in the royal prison and been elevated to the court. His present disgrace, which no doubt going to prison for a rape charge would have been disgrace. His present disgrace was a necessary preliminary to his future glory.
Providence Behind Joseph's Disgrace
Now, it's obvious for us, probably wasn't obvious when he's in the prison, but as things proceed, he sees it. Now, there was certainly a burr in the saddle when that Chief Butler didn't pony up the information, and it took him a while to do that, but eventually he does, and Joseph is then cast into the presence of Pharaoh. So I said, look at James for just a moment in terms of temptation. In terms of just a real practical lesson with reference to this section in the Joseph narratives, we should see that reality of resisting temptation.
In James 1.12, James says, blessed is the man who endures temptation. For when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God. Now, if you look back at verse 2, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
It's the same verb used there, testing of your faith, and temptation. It's the context which helps us to determine the particular meaning of the word. And when we read in verse 13, let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God. The evident meaning is solicitation to do evil.
That's what temptation means there. The testing in verses 2 and 3 is not a solicitation to do evil. It is when God tests His people. It is when God brings us through those situations.
Remember the Lord Jesus was driven out to the wilderness by the Spirit. There he's tempted and tested, and he shows his mettle. Abraham called to sacrifice Isaac. This was a test imposed on him by the Lord.
So in verse 13, the idea isn't that God never tests his people. God does do that. He doesn't do it all the time, but He does do that according to verse 3, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But in verse 13, what's in view is a solicitation to do evil.
And in the Potiphar situation, it's his wife telling Joseph, lie with me. So let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. So there's the anatomy of temptation and sin. James gives us that sort of bird's eye view of what's happening when we are tempted.
Don't blame it on God when there's this solicitation to do evil. It's not God who's calling you to lie with Potiphar's wife. Rather, that comes from within. He says, he does not himself tempt, nor does he himself tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Joseph didn't do that. He refused her. He didn't say, wait a minute, I'm a young man. She's the mistress.
He didn't do that. He refused the temptation. He resisted it. This is what James and Peter says relative to the devil.
Resist him and he will flee from you. There are those who teach these long sort of detailed ways to deal with the devil. James and Peter get right to it, resist him and he will flee from you. I remember seeing a guy that taught about these sorts of things and you had to have a degree in psychology or psychiatric medicine to be able to deal with these demons where James and Peter just say, resist him and he will flee from you.
Well, the same is true relative to temptation, refuse it. by day, if that's what you're called upon to do. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, which Joseph never allowed to take root, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. So we can praise God Almighty that Joseph shows that refusal, that resistance to temptation.
But as I said earlier, that vital element in terms of the presence and power of God in our lives to aid us in resisting temptation. And then in terms of God's presence with Joseph, the Lord's presence in Joseph's life produced great blessing. That may not always, and this is where the health, wealth, and prosperity people are wrong. Well, just because we have God doesn't mean we're going to have riches.
It doesn't mean we're going to have gold and silver and all those other sorts of things. It could, but that's not a blanket authorization from God. In this instance, the Lord's presence in Joseph's life produced great blessing. If not for Joseph, certainly for Potiphar.
His whole house benefited, according to verses 5 and 6, from God's blessing upon them. Secondly, the Lord's presence in Joseph's life promoted great faithfulness on the part of Joseph. In other words, Joseph's faithfulness is obvious in the passage, but it's the Lord's faithfulness first that is causal. In other words, Joseph's faithfulness is a consequence of or an effect of God's presence in his life.
So if we want faithfulness, we need to live close to God. If we want to be able to refuse day by day and resist the sorts of things that come against us in this world, we need to maintain a faithful life in terms of communion with God. Scripture reading, prayer, church attendance, all those sorts of things are vital in the fight against sin. Sometimes people say, well, I'm really struggling with sin.
Well, I haven't seen you in church for three months. Do you think there might be some sort of connection between? Well, I never thought of it that way. Why didn't you ever think of it that way? or I haven't read my Bible for six months.
What do you mean you haven't read your Bible? You're trying to engage in spiritual warfare and you've put down the very weapons that God has entrusted to you to engage that warfare? We do that all the time. We do that as if it's drinking water.
We're not reading our Bibles, we're not praying, and then we're whining or moaning because we can't get victory in our lives over a particular sin. Well, brethren, it's a no brainer. If you want to deal with sin, deal with God first. When you have communion with God and the presence of Yahweh is in your life, you're going to be better postured to resist the various onslaughts that face you in this world.
And then finally, the Lord's presence in Joseph's life preserved the nation of Israel. Divine commentary on this is found in the Psalter. Moreover, he, God, called for a famine in the land. He destroyed all the provision of bread.
He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters. He was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.
The king sent and released him. The ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions to bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom. Precisely what Pharaoh is going to do with this Joseph.
Why? Because Joseph was a great guy? No, because Yahweh is a great God. Certainly Joseph is a great guy, but it's a corollary of the reality that God is a great God.
And that's Psalm 105, 16 to 22, with reference to Joseph. Well, it's a beautiful passage, and it does highlight the favor and the blessing and the presence of God with Joseph. So let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for the lessons that we can learn from these Old Testament passages. And our first cry to You is that You would be present with us in our lives, that we would know the presence and the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we would be filled with the fullness of God, according to the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3. that we would know that communion with our Lord each and every day, and that you would grant us help and strength and grace, grant us success in resisting and refusing temptations that do come our way, and please lead us not into these temptations, but deliver us from evil. We know that you are gracious, that you are kind, that you are merciful, and that what you were to Joseph, you are to your people in this new covenant era. We thank you for your mercy to us in the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
We thank you for the forgiveness of sins and for all of the blessings that we have in Him. And we pray in Jesus' holy name, Amen.