Last week, we left Joseph in charge of everything his master owned. In fact,

. . . with Joseph in charge, [Potiphar] did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Genesis 39:6

Ole Potiphar was completely sold on Joseph—to the point of laziness! Someone else has taken notice of the boy slave, who has become a good-looking man.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph, and said, “Come to bed with me!” Genesis 39:6

Has Potiphar become too lazy even to attend to his wife? Her boldness gives us a peek into her character and now we will catch a glimpse of Joseph’s character as well.

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. No one in this house is greater 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?” Genesis 39:8-9

We hear a hint of the old bragging nature in Joseph. Remember when he touted the dreams he had with his brothers and his father?

Still, we have to admire this red-blooded young man denying the whims of his master’s lady. He had a moral sense of right and wrong, and notice that he saw it as, not only an offense against his master, but a sin against God.

However, Mrs. Potiphar did not relent.

And though she spoke to Joseph, day after day, he refused to go to bed with her. Genesis 39:10

That, my friends, is integrity and endurance on Joseph’s part.

There’s more of this Jezebel of a woman. In her conniving way, she manages to get all the servants out of the house one morning while hubby is gone. Joseph comes in to attend to his duties.

She caught him by the cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Genesis 39:12

A good lesson for us—when temptation comes, flee for all you’re worth!

So once again, our hero has remained true to his God, but not without repercussions. Mrs. “P” is ready to have the last word.

When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 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. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” Gensis 39:12-15

With the other servants to back her up, she tells her same dramatic story to Potiphar. I can’t help but wonder if he has heard his wife’s tirades before, but with all these witnesses looking on, what is he to do? Scripture tells us he “burned with anger” and put Joseph in the king’s prison.

From pit to pinnacle to prison.

Jospeh had proven himself, worked hard, and maintained honesty and integrity. Why this? No doubt we can all think of instances in our lives when we ask “Why?”

Next week, how will Joseph cope?

~ Joyce ~