Potiphar’s Ire and Joseph’s Imprisonment - Genesis 39:19-20

Now it came about when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me”; that his anger burned. So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail.

Do you ever get a story from a relative about another person that just makes your blood boil? That happened to Potiphar when he came home to find his wife holding on to Joseph’s garment and telling him he tried to rape her. Although it depends on who is doing the telling, we normally buy into the story right away. Potiphar did just that, but as we know, he was wrong.

When something which at first appears a little unbelievable is told to us, it would be wise for us to pause and consider what is being said; who is saying it; why are they saying it; and what we personally know concerning the person it is said about. We need to verify it against our own knowledge and understanding and to the best of our ability, against the facts. Perhaps we would be wise also to check it with the person who may be the subject of the news.

We often fail to do so. That gets us into problems with family, with friends, and if the truth be known, with those other brothers and sisters that we worship with. Making the practice of not doing this kind of verifying starts at an early age (I have seen it in my grandchildren) and unless parents take the time to help children work out and correct the reality, it will go unchecked right into adulthood.

Of course, there are always clues along the way that should cause us to think there might be another side to any bit of surprising news. In Potiphar’s case, he may have been more sensitive and tuned in to the kind of wife he had or the feelings she was experiencing at the time. Or, he may have paid more attention to the fact that her story may not have been as accurate, given that she used it as another opportunity to blame him for all her problems. But he missed both of these clues.

Behaving true to his normal pattern, he instead reacted with himself in mind. After all, to Potiphar life was all indeed about him. So he feels very betrayed by Joseph and thus the text says ‘anger burned’ inside him. He may also have realized that now he would be ridiculed by those who had opposed his decision to trust Joseph as he had. So he acts and he acts in a most definitive way. Our first lesson here is to not act hastily as Potiphar did. There is no enquiry, no cross-examination, no opportunity for Joseph to tell his story. He is once again treated, without notice, like a simple valueless slave.

But there is also a lesson for us if when we feel like Joseph, the one lied about, the one not listened to, the one discarded like a slave who no longer had any purpose. You see Potiphar throws Joseph in jail with no word as to how long his sentence would last. For all we know, he was there to die. But here’s the interesting thing – Joseph got thrown into the jail that also housed the prisoners of the king himself. We cannot fully appreciate the significance of this bit of information until we finish the story of Joseph in the Bible, but suffice it to say, God had His hand in the selection of the jail Potiphar used.

I love the last phrase of verse 20. It simply reads, “and he was there in jail” period. The story could have ended there – “starry-eyed Israelite dreamer boy ends up as a big shot in Egypt but left to die in the king’s prison. Next story please.” But no, because the very next word, the first word of the very next verse, verse 20, is, once again, my favorite word in Scripture – “But”!

Where are you today? Were you a person with big dreams that somehow just got the bad breaks of life or had other people take advantage of you? Have you somehow ended up in a spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, or social prison? You need not be alone. You need to know that God has indeed reserved one or more of my favorite words just for your life. You need to know that He is willing and able to change things starting right now if you let Him, if you recognize that your only hope is “But God!” I pray you will be able to do that today.

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Potiphar Leaves Joseph In Charge Of Everything - Genesis 39:5-6

And it came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with him around he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

Imagine getting promoted at work to a very senior job and from that point on your employer’s company became a success story – sales doubled, share price soared, new products were developed, and the chairman of the Board knew that you were the reason! Well that in essence was exactly what happened in the case of Potiphar’s house and Joseph. And from earlier verses we know that Potiphar realized all this was because the Lord was with Joseph.

Potiphar was happy to leave “everything he owned” to the care of Joseph. So far, so good. But was there a downside that was missed? I believe so. Potiphar dropped the ball. The scripture says that as long as Joseph was around, Potiphar did not concern himself with anything except eating. Wow. Potiphar lived a carefree life, indulging only in the pleasures and desires of his stomach, his appetite for food. As long as ‘profits’ were being produced with Joseph’s overseeing his household, nothing else mattered to him. But he failed to see the implications of the situation or to put it in the words of Bill Hybels, “he took his eyes off the main event” and failed to realize the new dynamics at play in his life. And what were they?

Well, for starters as long as he was the one running the show, everyone looked to him for direction and leadership. And that most likely included his wife. She may well have been proud of her husband doing so well, getting to the position he had achieved in Pharoah’s kingdom, and providing so well for her. But now as he seemed to concern himself only with what he ate, he lost that attractiveness for her and perhaps for his staff. In fact, it was Joseph they all went to for direction, advice, and leadership. Potiphar was the ‘boss’ in name only. He no longer made things happen or granted favors or made decisions. Joseph was the man.

And then the scripture tells us that Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance”. Take your eye off the ball or the main events in your life and the devil is ready to jump into action. Leave your main responsibilities to others, especially those that are “handsome” or “beautiful” in the case of females turn your attention to mundane things liking eating or whatever else turns your crank, and your spouse is likely to get some ideas.

But what is the lesson for us today from these verses, as spouses, as business owners, as pastors or leaders, and as Christians? Simply this. You can delegate but you cannot abdicate. You can trust but you need to remain connected and aware. Someone else’s faith in God does not always cover you. And finally, make sure that what you focus on in life is what really matters. That is my prayer for us all. We’ll watch this story unfold in the verses ahead.

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Potiphar Notices The Lord Was With Joseph - Genesis 39:3-4

Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house and all that he owned he put in his charge.

Who hasn’t read these two verses before and not wished what was true for Joseph would also be true in our own lives? Looking at this young man’s situation, we see nothing special. He was the second youngest of twelve sons in Jacob’s family. He had accomplished very little by the time he was sold by his older brothers to a traveling group of traders headed to Egypt and ultimately bought by Potiphar, the captain of the Pharaoh’s bodyguard, and employed as a slave/servant in his household.

Yet we note the following: First the Lord was with him. The Bible gives no reason as to why that was the case. God chose him for reasons known only to Himself. God saw something in Joseph that He wanted to both bless as well as use. And there is no evidence at this point that Joseph resisted God in any way. Chapter 37 tells us how Joseph dreamed dreams of success over his brothers, enjoyed the many-colored coat he had been given, obeyed his father when asked to go and find his brothers, and generally was an easy-going young man enjoying life. I would imagine at seventeen years of age as we are told he was (Genesis 37:2), with his father Jacob being quite old, he spent much time listening to Jacob’s account of how he, and Joseph’s grandfather Isaac, and his great-grandfather Abraham, served and obeyed and loved God. I believe Joseph knew all about God and in his own youthful way wanted to serve Him and love and obey Him. And now he’s in Egypt as a servant. He did the only thing he knew how to do well – make the best of it. There is no record of his complaining. God saw that. I wonder if God sees anything like that in you and me. I wonder as Jill Briscoe put it so nicely when I heard her in Toronto on October 24, 2010, “Does He have your heart? Does He have your heart?”

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Joseph is Bought by Potiphar - Genesis 39:1-2

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Genesis chapter 38 was a unique though important sub-plot to the main story of the book. This chapter (39) takes us back to Joseph and his saga. He had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s bodyguard.

Now right from the start of his time in Egypt, we read “the Lord was with Joseph”. Many of us would be satisfied with just that assurance and the presence of God in our lives. But there is something interesting that happens when God comes to be with us and we welcome His participation in our day-to-day business. Scripture says Joseph became a successful man – from the start. That does not mean he became wealthy or powerful. It means he was successful at whatever he had to do in life. In fact, we read that he was simply a servant “in the house of his master the Egyptian”.

Here’s the lesson we can take from this. You or I might have to go into our ‘Egypt’ for a while. But as a Christian, you can know that the Lord will be with you there as well. And you will be successful at whatever you have to experience down there. Not as man would define success, but as God would define it. You’ll have peace and joy and purpose as you serve Him. I think more than ever, with life as it is today and with all the curves that are thrown our way through relationships, government decisions, employment experiences, illnesses, and so much more, the only way for each of us to travel to our own ‘Egypt’ when life takes us there, is to make sure “the Lord is with us” – we can’t leave ‘home’ without Him. It is my prayer that with God by your side, your journey will indeed become a life adventure.

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