Joseph: Standing Against your Flesh

1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. 5 It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6 So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

-(v.2) “The Lord was with Joseph” You will see that the writer of Genesis wants us to know one thing. You must remember that the writer is after the fact, and already knows the conclusion of the story. The writer knows as you read this whole story you would be shocked at all the things that’s happens to this man of integrity.

-(v.2) “so he became a successful man” Joseph started off as a worker in the house of his master. As a worker Joseph displayed an integrity, and diligence when it came to his work

-(v.3) “Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand” His work habits caught the eye of his Master(Potiphar) and Potiphar began to realize that something supernatural was on the side of Joseph.

-(v.4) “So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant” Joseph integrity & diligence got him a promotion and he became the Personal Servant of Potiphar. Meaning not just one of the many servants of Potiphar, but the his personal assistant. Notice what he had control of: “and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge” Wow!!!! Can you believe that??? Potiphar made a Jewish Slave that he bought the ruler and manager of all of his household affairs. You don’t give that job to a person who you don’t trust. He fully trusted Joseph.

-(v.5) God blessed all of Potiphar house based on the testimony of Joseph.

-(v.6) Potiphar left everything to the care of a teenage boy; “and with him there he did not concern himself” The writer wants you to know something by this statement. Potiphar trusted the integrity of Joseph.

-(v.6) “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance” we call this a story breaker. It is out of place, unless the writer is about to change direction, and tell something very bad.

Transition Statement-Everything seems to going good for Joseph, but then his integrity gets challenged. I wonder will he stand tall during this time.

II. Joseph Integrity Examined

Genesis 39:7–10 NASB95

7 It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 9 “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” 10 As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

-(v.7) After Joseph had risen to overseer over the household affairs he got noticed by Potiphar wife. The word said she desired him. Her lust got so bad that eventually she asked him “Lie with me” she wanted to have sleepover with him.

-(v.8) Look at Joseph response: “But he Refused” Joseph made a choice. Joseph made a decision to not attend the sleepover. Within those three words are a very powerful principle when we talk about “Standing Tall in a Perverse Generation” it starts with a decision and choice to be different. To not make choices according to my bodily urges.

-(v.8-9) Joseph then explains why he is choosing this course of action:

a. This would be a sin against Potiphar and his house

b. This would be a sin against God

-This ought to remind you of the two greatest commandments in

a. Love of the Lord

b. Love of your neighbor

-(v.10) Joseph literally ignored her and avoided her on a daily basis. The text is giving us some more tools on who to keep ourselves from sin.

a. As she spoke, he did not listen

-Joseph understood that sin starts in the mind. If I put the right things in my mind I will be able to control my behavior.

III. Joseph Integrity Exhibited

-(v.12) Joseph then gives us some scriptural advice on how to avoid unintended sinful situation.....it is real simple “Run”

-(v.12) Joseph did not try to grab his garment. He left his robe with her.

III. Joseph Integrity Exhibited

Genesis 39:11–12 NASB95

11 Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

-(v.11) Here comes the harder test of his integrity: “Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside” in the previous verse it just stated that day by day Joseph avoided her. This day in (v.11) was like any other day for Joseph. This lets us know that if Joseph is the overseer of the house how would he not know that all the other slaves took the day off, unless someone more powerful than Joseph told them to take the day off. I think this was a setup my Mrs. Potiphar.

-(v.12) Joseph then gives us some scriptural advice on how to avoid unintended sinful situation.....it is real simple “Run”

-(v.12) Joseph did not try to grab his garment. He left his robe with her.

Conclusion

-Potiphar Wife-(v.12-18) Potiphar wife lies on Joseph she trumps up phony rape charges on him. Her lust went to rage/anger. In this case Joseph Stance lead to phony rape charges. This tells us that standing up will not always lead to immediate blessings. Often doing the right thing will hurt in the short term

-Potiphar Response-(v.19-20) Potiphar believed his wife and threw Joseph into prison. Where he most likely would have spent the rest of his life in.....The writer of Genesis put an interesting phrase into the text “the place where the king’s prisoners were confined” he could have just said he threw him into jail, but he gave us some details, that because this detail mattered. He put Joseph with the Kings prisoner rather than where all other prisoners were.

-God’s Response-(v.21-22)

21But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.

22The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.

23The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper.....God made Joseph the Warden in the Prison!!!!

Any Question:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

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