Genesis 39

Summary of Genesis 37-50:

God saves his family as a foreshadowing of how he will save the world. Forgiveness solves the problem of sin and allows for re-creation.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming royalty?

What life events maintain your direction? What life events change your direction?

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Genesis 39:1–6 CSB

Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful, Joseph found favor with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority. From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.

Genesis 39:6–9 CSB

He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”

Genesis 39:10–15 CSB

Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her. Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. When he heard me screaming for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

Genesis 39:16–20 CSB

She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, but when I screamed for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.” When his master heard the story his wife told him—“These are the things your slave did to me”—he was furious and had him thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison.

Genesis 39:21–23 CSB

But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.

Genesis 12–50 Application Overview

Application Overview

The story of Joseph in Potiphar’s house is a well-known example of how to resist temptation. Joseph’s refusal of Potiphar’s wife shows his loyalty to both his earthly master and his heavenly master (Gen 39:8–9). In some ways, his actions can be compared to the two greatest commandments (Matt 22:37–40). In resisting temptation, Joseph showed his love for God as well as his love for his “neighbor,” Potiphar. We find a literal example of Paul’s admonishment to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor 6:18) in Joseph, who flees when Potiphar’s wife persists.

Genesis 39 also provides an example of how to deal with trials. It would have been easy for Joseph to be discouraged. He had been sold into slavery by his own family, and as soon as things started going well for him again, he was falsely accused and thrown into prison. But throughout these trails, Joseph did not complain. Instead, he remained faithful to God.

Applications

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