A Bum Rap

Here is a link to last week’s Old Testament story of Joseph, “Shanghaied!”

But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually…But we have the mind of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 & 16 (CSB)

To some it may seem that faith in God is absolute foolishness. But they simply don’t know what only the Spirit of God conveys in the heart of believers.

Even in discouragement or grief, true servants of God know that He never leaves, and nothing He does is pointless.

“We know that all things

work together

for the good

of those who love God,

who are called

according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 (CSB)

Nowhere in that verse does it say that God makes everything easy (from mankind’s perspective) for believers. God certainly didn’t make life easy for Joseph.

But God called Joseph, according to His purpose!

And that is what Joseph’s life story is all about.

Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt … Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him… 

Genesis 39:1 (CSB)

If you read last week’s story, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. But for a short time, Joseph’s life in this pagan land was blessed. Let’s deconstruct the blessing:

• The Lord was with Joseph and God made everything he did successful.
• Joseph served in the household of his Egyptian master, Potiphar. 
• His master saw his Godly success.
• Joseph found favor with Potiphar.
• He became Potiphar’s personal attendant.
• Potiphar put him in charge of his household and all 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.

Genesis 39:2-6 (CSB)

And then the darkness fell.

I bet even faithful Joseph felt the chill of despair.

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.

Genesis 39:6-9 (CSB)

The right answer:

So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?” 

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!”

Joseph persevered. You can only do that as a believer if you keep His Word in your heart.

But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

He did not hesitate to do the right thing. He turned his back on temptation, immediately.

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.”

The wicked will always entice others to believe their lies and be complicit in their sin.

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.”

Genesis 39:9-18 (CSB)

Evil knows no bounds and is always primarily a sin against God.

Against you—you alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.

Psalm 51:4 (CSB)

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 39:19-20 (CSB)

Remember this, when it gets dark in your world.

“…I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Share the Gospel in your world!

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.