Flee From Sin- Plot Twist

We are going to be in Genesis 39 this evening but before we jump into it I want to quickly highlight Genesis 38.

Genesis 38 is a surprising detour in the story of Joseph, zooming in on Judah — the brother who led the charge in selling Joseph into slavery.

It begins with Judah distancing himself from his family and immersing himself in Canaanite culture, even marrying a Canaanite woman.

He has three sons, and the first two — Er and Onan — die because of their wickedness.

Tamar, Er’s widow, is left in a vulnerable position, promised Judah’s youngest son but ultimately abandoned.

Instead of honoring the custom and his word, Judah leaves Tamar to fend for herself, blaming her for the death of his sons and shirking his responsibility.

In a desperate and bold move, Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute and deceives Judah into sleeping with her.

She conceives twins and keeps Judah’s seal, cord, and staff as collateral. When Judah hears she’s pregnant, he calls for her to be punished — but she flips the script and reveals that he is the father. Confronted with his sin, Judah declares, “She is more righteous than I,” marking a turning point in his character.

This moment of repentance is key — not only does Judah acknowledge his guilt, but from this point forward in the Genesis narrative, he begins to grow into a leader who will one day intercede for his brother Benjamin and offer himself as a substitute (Genesis 44).

God uses even this messy, scandal-filled situation to bring transformation.

In the end, Tamar gives birth to twins — Perez and Zerah — and Perez becomes an ancestor of King David and ultimately Jesus Himself.

The message is powerful: God is not deterred by our dysfunction. He works through broken people and broken circumstances to bring about His purposes.

This chapter isn’t just about scandal; it’s about redemption.

It reminds us that even in our darkest, most shame-filled chapters, God is still writing a story that leads to grace, hope, and ultimately the Savior.

Now we have come to Chapter 39 of Genesis and Joseph has been sold off into slavery and has become a slave to Potiphar,

Joseph rises to a position of influence in Potiphar’s household, gaining favor and trust.

However, his integrity is tested when he refuses the advances of Potiphar’s wife, resulting in a false accusation of assault and his subsequent imprisonment.

Even in prison, God’s favor remains on Joseph, and he continues to earn the trust of those around him. Through it all, God remains faithful, using even this injustice to move forward His greater plan — the preservation of the covenant family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Genesis 39:1–6 ESV

1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

The Presence of God is with Joseph.

Genesis 39 opens with Joseph far from home, down in Egypt — a place that, for the people of God, is the opposite of the promise. He’s separated from the land, from his family, from everything that looked like blessing. But listen, just because Joseph is out of place, doesn’t mean he’s out of purpose. God hasn’t forgotten him. In fact, God’s about to use the detour to deliver His people. Because that’s how our God works — He takes what looks like a setback and uses it as a setup for His glory.

Joseph ends up in the house of Potiphar — a big deal in Pharaoh’s court, the captain of the guard. Now Joseph starts off as just another Hebrew slave. But God’s favor is all over him. He works hard, walks with integrity, and Potiphar starts noticing that everything this guy touches turns to gold.

Why? Not because Joseph was the sharpest or the slickest — but because, as verse 2 says, “The LORD was with Joseph.” That’s the key. Over and over again in Genesis, and even later in Acts 7:9, when Stephen’s preaching before he’s stoned, he says, “But God was with him.” That’s the game-changer right there.

J.C. Ryle once said, “The presence of God is the secret of real happiness... All other sources are like cisterns which hold no water.” And that’s what we see with Joseph.

Even when he’s stripped of comfort, position, and eventually his freedom, the presence of God is still with him, and that makes all the difference. And for us today, it’s not just that God is with us — if you’re in Christ, the Spirit of God is in you.

That means your circumstances don’t define your worth, your job title doesn’t dictate your purpose, and even when you’re in a place that looks like Egypt — a place of pain, confusion, or loss — God is still working for your good and His glory.

So don’t just look at what’s happening to you — ask what God is doing through you. Because when God’s presence is with you, even Egypt becomes a place of blessing.

The psalmist declares that the one who trusts in God …Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1:3 ESV

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Genesis 39 doesn’t start with favor — it starts with chains. Joseph has been betrayed by his brothers, stripped of his coat, and sold like livestock.

And now he’s in Egypt, bought by Potiphar, a military man with rank and power in Pharaoh’s court.

On paper, Joseph’s story looks like it’s unraveling. But the Word tells us something crucial — “The LORD was with Joseph.”

That phrase is going to show up again and again. Because Joseph’s security isn’t in his position, it’s in God’s presence. And where God’s presence goes, so does His favor.

By verse 4, the theme of favor takes center stage.

Joseph, once rejected by his own family, is now trusted with everything in Potiphar’s house. That’s how favor works — it’s not just for your blessing, it’s for the blessing of those around you.

Potiphar’s entire household starts flourishing, not because of who he is, but because of who’s with Joseph. This mirrors what we saw with Laban being blessed because of Jacob — God’s people bring God’s blessing wherever they go.

You may feel like you’re in enemy territory, but if God is with you, that place becomes a platform for His glory.

C.S. Lewis once said, “God walks everywhere incognito, and the incognito is not always hard to penetrate. The real labor is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake.”

That’s what Joseph’s life teaches us — to stay spiritually awake to the reality that God’s presence is the ultimate game-changer.

The same God who was with Joseph in the pit, and then in Potiphar’s house, is with you in your life — whether it looks like a palace right now or feels like a prison. And if you’re in Christ, you don’t have to chase favor.

Favor’s already on you — not because of what you’ve done, but because of who’s in you. So live awake. Live attentive. Because even when your circumstances scream that God has forgotten you, His presence is closer than you think… and His favor is still at work.

Genesis 39:7–20 ESV

7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” 19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.

Joseph flees from Sin.

Just when it seems like Joseph’s life is finally heading in the right direction — favor, responsibility, trust — everything takes a turn. And not because Joseph messes up, but because of someone else’s sin.

Genesis 39:6 says Joseph was “well-built and handsome,” and Potiphar’s wife takes notice.

The text says she “looked longingly at Joseph.” That phrase isn’t casual. It’s intentional. It echoes the language from the Garden, when Eve looked at the forbidden fruit and saw that it was “a delight to the eyes.” Just like back then, what starts with a look becomes a longing, and longing turns into action.

Potiphar’s wife doesn’t just flirt — she persists. Day after day, she tries to wear Joseph down. But Joseph stands firm. He doesn’t flirt back, he doesn’t linger, he doesn’t play the "how far is too far" game. He knows who he is, and more importantly, he knows whose he is.

He tells her, “My master trusts me with everything. How could I do this great evil and sin against God?”

That’s key — Joseph isn’t just worried about consequences with Potiphar. He’s living with a higher accountability. He knows that sin is first and foremost against God. He sees the temptation not as an opportunity, but as a trap.

And so, when the moment comes, he does the only godly thing to do — he runs. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is lace up your Nikes and run for your life.

Joseph doesn’t just resist Potiphar’s wife because it would be wrong — he resists because it would be beneath who God has called him to be.

In verse 9, he says, “No one in this house is greater than I am.” That’s not pride talking — that’s identity. Joseph knows exactly who he is. He’s not a nobody anymore.

He’s not just a slave with no voice. He’s a man entrusted with leadership, responsibility, and authority. And he refuses to throw that away for a moment of stolen pleasure.

See, Joseph understands something we all need to grab hold of — when you know who you are, you don’t settle for what you’re not.

And this is huge for the believer. The enemy’s favorite weapon is deception — trying to convince you that you're still the same slave to sin you used to be.

But Romans 6 says otherwise — if you’re in Christ, you’ve been set free from that slavery.

And Romans 8 declares that you’re not just free, you’re a coheir with Christ — more than a conqueror, fully adopted into the family of God. That means you don’t have to live according to who you were — you live out of who you are.

Joseph knew: “I’m not a slave to my appetite. I’m not a slave to this temptation. I’m a servant of the Most High God.”

C.S. Lewis said it like this: “The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become—because He made us.”

That’s the secret to resisting sin — not trying harder, but remembering better. Remembering who God is. Remembering who He says you are. So the next time temptation whispers, “You deserve this,” or “No one will know,” you answer with the truth: “That’s not who I am anymore.” Because when your identity is rooted in Christ, compromise loses its appeal.

Joseph isn’t resisting temptation with just willpower — he’s resisting with remembrance.

He also remembers how God has provided for him. When Potiphar’s wife makes her move, Joseph says, “Your husband has withheld nothing from me… except you. because you are his wife”

He’s not focused on what’s off-limits — he’s grateful for what God has already given. That’s the key.

Sin loves to whisper, “You deserve more.” But Joseph shuts it down. He doesn’t fall for the same lie that took Adam and Eve down in the garden — the lie that says God’s holding out on you.

Instead, he anchors his heart in gratitude. “Why would I trade God’s provision for forbidden fruit?”

Then Joseph hits the heart of it: “How could I do this immense evil and sin against God?”

He knows this isn’t just about hurting Potiphar or getting caught. This is about sinning against the holy God who sees everything.

That’s what we’ve lost in our culture — the fear of the Lord. But Joseph had it. And that fear didn’t make him hide from God — it made him honor God. He knows what David later wrote in Psalm 51: “Against You and You only have I sinned.”

Joseph understood that sin is always personal — it’s always against the God who made us, loves us, and calls us to be holy.

Charles Spurgeon said it this way: “I sin, but I hate it; I sin, but I loathe it; I sin, but I fight against it. Sin is my enemy, not my friend.”

That was Joseph’s mindset. He didn’t play games with temptation. He didn’t flirt with sin. He ran from it like it was trying to kill him — because it was.

And that’s the call for us too. We don’t fight sin by pretending it’s no big deal — we fight it by treasuring the One who gave us everything. Gratitude for God’s provision.

Clarity about our identity. Reverence for His holiness. That’s how you stand firm when the world pulls hard — because the One who called you is greater than whatever’s calling you away.

Now, let’s be real — this wasn’t just a one-time proposition. Genesis 39:10 tells us that Potiphar’s wife came after Joseph day after day. This was a full-on assault of temptation. And she wasn’t subtle either. This is the boss’s wife, and she’s relentless. She’s trying to wear him down. But Joseph refuses to budge. Over and over again, he says no. He doesn’t flirt with it. He doesn’t entertain it. He doesn’t start negotiating in his mind. He draws a hard line and holds it. Just like Proverbs 1:10 warns, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.” And Joseph’s like, “Not today. Not ever.”

But then one day, she makes her move. The house is empty, Joseph walks in to do his job, and she grabs him — literally grabs his coat — and demands he give in. And right then, Joseph doesn’t try to reason. He doesn’t try to fight it in his own strength. He doesn’t try to justify a moment of weakness. He runs. He leaves his coat in her hand and gets out of that house as fast as he can. That’s not cowardice — that’s wisdom. That’s obedience. That’s what Paul means when he says in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee from sexual immorality.” Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is sprint in the opposite direction of sin.

That’s why Paul can say:

1 Corinthians 10:13 “13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

God always makes a way out — and Joseph took it. When the heat of temptation hit its peak, when Potiphar’s wife grabbed his cloak and no one was around to see, Joseph didn’t stick around to pray about it. He didn’t ask for clarity. He didn’t need another sign. He just ran. He left his coat behind and got out of that house like his soul depended on it — because it did.

That’s God’s faithfulness right there. Even in the middle of pressure, even in the dark, God provided a path of escape — and Joseph took it. Running out of the house- naked as a jay bird.

When Potiphar’s wife realizes Joseph isn’t going to cave — no matter how many times she asks or how aggressively she tries — she flips the script. That garment Joseph left behind when he ran for his life? She turns it into a weapon.

What Joseph left as evidence of integrity, she twists into a lie. She calls the servants in and spins a whole new story. And notice what she does — she doesn’t just lie about Joseph, she throws Potiphar under the bus too. Verse 14 shows her blaming him: “Look what your servant tried to do to me.” She’s not just hurt — she’s vengeful. This isn’t about justice, it’s about destruction.

Every word out of her mouth from verses 13 to 18 is soaked in deception. And it’s no coincidence — she’s walking in the footsteps of the serpent. Revelation 12 calls Satan “the accuser of the brethren” and “the deceiver of the whole world.” That’s exactly what’s happening here. First comes the enticement, then the accusation.

That’s how the enemy works — he’ll tempt you with what looks good, then shame you the second you fall for it. And even if you don’t fall, like Joseph, he’ll still try to destroy your name.

That’s spiritual warfare, plain and simple. And Christian, you need to know: Satan doesn’t just want you to mess up — he wants you ruined. But greater is the One who is in you than the one who’s in the world.

Then she goes to Potiphar and hits him where it hurts — his pride and his position. She says, “That Hebrew slave you brought into this house tried to assault me.” She doesn’t use Joseph’s name. She strips away his identity, his integrity, and his influence — all in one sentence.

That’s how slander works. She’s not just trying to get him in trouble; she’s trying to bury him. And from a human perspective, it works. Joseph’s life goes from favor to false accusation in a heartbeat. But listen — even when the world believes a lie about you, God still knows the truth. And God is not done with Joseph yet. This isn’t the end of the story. It’s just another chapter in a redemption arc only God could write.

As made a Potiphar is hearing the news- there must have been some sort of doubt because Potiphar has the right to kill him with no questions asked. He didn’t though- He had him thrown in prison.

Now, from the outside looking in, it looks like Joseph’s story has hit rock bottom.

He’s gone from being favored in Potiphar’s house to falsely accused and thrown into the king’s prison. And let’s be honest — in Egypt, that’s not just a holding cell.

That’s a place people go to be forgotten. There’s no legal team, no appeal, no parole hearing on the calendar. If you land there, it’s game over.

But not with our God.

Because even in the prison — even in that dark, hopeless, unjust place — God is still working.

What everyone else sees as a dead end, God is using as a doorway. The same God who made the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hasn’t lost track of Joseph. He’s not panicked. He’s not pacing the throne room of heaven. He is positioning Joseph — even in chains — for the next step in His perfect plan.

Why? Because He’s not just writing Joseph’s story… He’s protecting His people. He’s preparing the way to preserve Israel. And ultimately, He’s paving the path that will lead straight to Jesus.

So if you ever find yourself in a season that feels like a prison — where hope is hard to find and injustice seems to have the final word — just remember: God’s not done. The pit wasn’t the end. The prison won’t be either. Because when the Lord is with you, no place is wasted, and no pain is pointless.