Genesis 39:1-23 - A Good and Faithful Servant

Genesis 39:1-23

Joseph a Slave in Egypt

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. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful 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 he did to prosper in his hand. 4 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. 5 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 Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 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 Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”

8 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. 9 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?”

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.

11 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, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 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.”

16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”

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. 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. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 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. 23 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.

Joseph was nearly murdered after jealousy of his brothers led him into a pit of literal despair, then he was sold off to wandering traders who sold him into slavery in Egypt.  The man who bought him was an officer of Pharaoh, his captain of the guard, named Potiphar.  Quickly the captain observed how good and prosperous Joseph was in his service that Potiphar put him in charge of his household!  Joseph was the overseer of everything in the officer’s house and was entrusted with authority to run it all, unheard of for a foreigner, a non-Egyptian.  The man saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that the success was felt in the blessings on his house and field alike.  It was a prosperous arrangement with a slave who was much more because of his God, and all was well for a while until sin (Genesis 4:7) crept in and had to be overcome by a righteous response.  We read that “Joseph was handsome in form and appearance,” and that his master’s wife began lusting for him.  When she asked Joseph to sleep with her, he overcame the temptation by being true to the LORD and refusing her outright.  He told her that he could not betray his master’s trust not sin against his God with such wickedness of adultery with her.  She likely was very beautiful herself, but that did not change his resolve to honor the LORD in righteousness.  She persisted day by day until she caught him alone in the house with her and tried to force herself on him.  When she grabbed his clothes and tried to pull him into bed, he ran wisely away as fast as he could, thinking that would keep him safe.  Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife was so angry at not getting what she desired that she loudly accused him of attempting to rape her when it was the other way around.  The lie was told and believed by her husband and the good and faithful servant was sacked and thrown in the king’s prison for a crime his own wife committed.  The foreigner had to be guilty and she had to be believed.  Even incarcerated, God showed mercy and was blessing Joseph His good and faithful servant.  There the prisoner keeper recognized Joseph’s abilities under God’s hand and gave him authority to run things there just as Potiphar had done in his household.  All these things were because the LORD was with Joseph, not because he was so smart or had such great abilities of his own.  We are wise to learn from this account that all our success is the blessing of our Lord and not of our own ability or wisdom or good looks.  Only then will we truly prosper in all we do as we give Him the credit of honor and praise to enable us in our endeavors in life.  We may not be put in charge of high government or low places like prisons, but we are put in the places He has predetermined for us to glorify Him by acknowledging that all we have and are enabled to do is by His hand of grace and wisdom in His mercy of sovereignty in giving works for us to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10) here in His name.  He will exalt us in due time as we faithfully serve and willingly obey in righteous response in the direction of our lives lived for Christ to honor the Father (John 5:23).  We are to flee such sin (1 Corinthians 6:18) as faced Joseph and follow the Lord as good (Matthew 24:45-46, Titus 3:8, 1 Peter 4:19) and faithful servants no matter the slanderous consequences that may follow.