After Joseph rejected Potiphars wife, she didnt stop pursuing him. You have a disease! It was when Joseph was successful that he experienced greater temptations. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? She said Yosef was doing these things to me. Not only was she declaring to the other slaves that Joseph was a threat, but she catered to their ethnic pride and fear of foreigners. Her actions, driven by uncontrolled desires and a need for control, led to Joseph's imprisonment and ultimately to the fulfillment of God's plan for his life. It can apply to the laughter of Abraham and Sarah at the thought of having a child at their age, a silent laughter of disbelief (17:17; 18:12-15); to the . He was faithful with littlePotiphar's housetherefore, it was easier to stand when tempted by his wife. The only thing Joseph is not in charge of is Potiphar's food. QUESTION 5: Did Potiphar truly believe his wife's accusation of Joseph? - Genesis 39:21a NLT, Attention teacher: The proposition of Potiphars wife to Joseph is very adult in nature. You can even get angry at God! So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Its not normal to forbid yourself these basic needs, they say. She goes by the moniker Potiphars wife, but she does not act like a godly wife, whose virtues are praised in Proverbs 31. Say: Joseph didnt know anyone in this new country. According to the Book of Genesis, she falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape after he rejected her sexual advances, resulting in his imprisonment. They worshipped a sun god, a moon god, a frog goddess, a fish goddess, a cow goddess, a beautiful cat goddess, the god of thunder, and hundreds more! Application: Just like Joseph, we live in a time and place where many of the people around us dont know the one true God. The Bible (Genesis 39:5-20) narrates her treatment of Joseph, slave to her husband Potiphar: And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and, having him, he knew not aught save the bread which he did eat. Gods perfect plan for marriage has always been one man and one woman together for their lifetime. He was faithful with littlePotiphars housetherefore, it was easier to stand when tempted by his wife. funny ways to say home run grassroots elite basketball Menu . He gave Joseph success in everything he did. 9. When Joseph was imprisoned based on Mrs. Potiphars accusations, apparently, it was more like Daniel being thrown in the lions den (Daniel 6). God was with Joseph when he was the only believer in Egypt, and He will be with you wherever you go. As we said, some people even believed he was a god. Are you submitting to Gods discipline? 40-1: Was Joseph really kept in a "prison"? The Lord was with Joseph. She knew that Joseph would have to come inside in order to do his work. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Genesis: beginning and blessing (p. 461). Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. 24. We have Gods written Word! His integrity was preparing him for further exaltationto be second in command over Egypt. Potiphar's wife has no children and does not seem to love her husband. And again, Joseph is an important servant, but he isa slave without much clout. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pet 5:6-7). She lies to her husband, and when he throws Joseph in prison, she probably imagines it will be the end of Josephs life. The mouse is caught. She closed the doors and said, "Come, you." The Egyptians saw things that God made such as the sun, the moon, and animals, and believed that these amazing things must be gods. Andrews speculates that Potiphar would rather have a new horse than a Minoanwife. Minoa was an ancient culture of Greece (and in the novel, Potiphars wifes original home, to which she longs to return). He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons. When you truly live a God-centered life, those around you will be able to tell that you are different (Philippians 2:15). His master observed that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything he was doing successful. Joseph, we remember, is the future leader and current visionary of the Jewish people in bondage in Egypt. And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him. What can we learn from the account of Potiphars wife? (2) Also, if Joseph were bitter, instead of experiencing Gods blessings as he did, he would have experienced Gods discipline. In the pagan world, adultery was normal. Distracted by his handsomeness, all the ladies accidentally cut themselves with the knives, drawing blood. Potiphar's Wife KNOWN AS THE "NO-NAME WIFE" OF A BODY GUARD Genesis 39 IMAGINE: Being the rich Egyptian wife of the highest official to Pharaoh; but even so, choosing to set your sites on the well-built and handsome new household slave, only to have this Hebrew foreigner reject your advances. Application: Ask: Have you ever felt like Joseph in Egypt? 40-4: How was Joseph able to remain so strong in his faith? What Can Galileo Teach Us about Science and Faith? Gods plan for Joseph continues during Josephs prison stay. From what I have seen among a few commentaries, there seems to be a concensus among Ramba"n, Ibn Ezra and some others that Potiphar did not believe his wife, completely. You can believe God and live, or you can believe Satan, and be caught in his trap. In what ways, have you, at times, compromised out of fear of the cost? His goal is to distract you from the only real source of life. One day he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants were there in the house. Well need to be more disciplined with our time and money. The Big Lie Joseph on a daily basis was around Potiphar's wife as he did his business, and he paid no attention to her in any adulterous way. All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. Well start to see how God used this terrible situation for good! Josephs personal integrity was impeccable in all areasnot just when it came to sexual purity. We dont want to grieve Gods heart; we dont want to lose his favor and empowerment to serve others. For Joseph, it was probably initially intimidating working for Potiphar. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master. Q. Application Question: In what ways does the world and Satan aim to make sin more acceptable and less heinous? Plus, my husband has many other women! Then it appeared to them after they had seen the signs that he [i.e., al-Azeez] should surely imprison him for a time. Knowing right from wrong may not stop us from acting sinfully. In what ways is God calling you to further employ strategic principles to overcome temptation in general or with a specific temptation? Its OK! This is one of the ways Satan makes evil attractivehe rebrands it, like a great businessman. 36-1: Esau and Edom are one and the same! How he ended up a slave in the household of Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officers. When they dont know the true God, they make up their own idea of what God must be. No doubt a no-nonsense type of man, Potiphar is also twice his wifes age. It says she spoke to him day after day (v. 10). Thomas Nelson. He has served over eighteen years in pastoral ministry, and currently serves as a chaplain and professor at Handong G More. 27. Joseph was good looking. For example, he may offer you a scientific explanation for something that is against the Bible, or he may lead you to believe that you can run your own life without God. Although we LOVE for teachers to read from their Bibles, and for children to read along in theirs, in this case, it is best to paraphrase her words, and not read directly from the scripture. Yahweh is only mentioned one other time in the rest of Genesis3, which shows how active God was in this part of Josephs life. Key Verse: But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him His faithful love. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. Then she called Potiphar and, by implication, blamed him. She said, "What is the recompense of one who intended evil for your wife but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?" So Potiphar told Joseph to take good care of everything he owned. According to Liz Higgins Curtis inBad Girls of the Bible, the name Zuleika means fair, brilliant, and lovely in Arabic. His name meant devoted to the sun, which demonstrated his pagan, religious background.1 He was captain of Pharaohs bodyguard, which was a prestigious position. He does not have any thoughts of committing adultery with her. So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], "Come out before them." And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. They trusted Satan when he accused God of holding back something good from them, so they took what was forbidden. And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying: 'The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me. If one doesnt recognize how heinous something is, he or she wont desperately work to get rid of it. Potipher's Wife Is Not Joseph's Master. Teacher: Show the mousetrap. If they were weaker, willing to flee, they would be more successful. Some dont want to get skipped over for promotion or shunned at their workplace, so they compromise with their peers. The text says that Potiphar put Joseph in charge of everything he owned. His big brothers were very jealous of him. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed." Application: You are young, but some of you have already faced very difficult situations. 34-1: Dinah, a daughter of Israel, is raped by a Canaanite! Inviting her friends to her home, Zuleikha gave them all oranges and knives to slice them with. Zuleikha then reminded her friends that she had to see Joseph every day. He made him accountable for everything that was done there. The cost of sin is too much. They commonly harbor anger and bitterness for years after some traumatic event: They are angry at parents, the school system, government, or someone else who harmed them. 30. It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (2:11-12). On the other hand, the future for Potiphars wife does not look promising. We are not to entertain sin through the radio or TVdeclaring how strong we are and how it doesnt affect us. And a witness from her family testified, "If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth, and he is of the liars. Say: Here is a mouse trap. Why it is so easy to compartmentalizeto say something like being unfaithful in schoolwork or taxes wont affect my faithfulness in bigger things, like marriage? It is clear that Joseph trusted God and wasnt bitter towards him, which would have hindered Gods blessings. The warden did not concern himself with anything that was in Josephs care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful. Application Question: What are some other principles that will help us conquer temptation? "My master has put me in charge," he told her. Similarly, if we are going to conquer temptation, we must intentionally and persistently avoid it as well. He learned the Egyptian language and customs. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Readers Version, (NIrV). If Potiphar and the status quo look upon his wife as a piece of good-looking livestock, the people in Egypt may not be dismayed at Josephs actions. 1S2-38: Only About Fifty Percent Of The New Testament Is God-Breathed. For other uses, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Potiphar%27s_wife&oldid=1143418407, This page was last edited on 7 March 2023, at 16:09.
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