Joseph: Potiphar's House

Have you ever been wrongfully accused?

Story Beth & Meagan climbing a tree?

Beth did the right thing and what was her reward: trouble

Read Passage

Genesis 39:1–20 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. 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.

Pray

Summarize

Joseph was a good kid

In addition to being a good kid, he had these 2 distinct dreams (hay & stars) implying he would rule over his brothers.

as a reward for being a good kid, and being loved by his father, he got a coat of many colors… and was sold into slavery by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver, and his father was told he was dead.

Now Joseph is a slave being transported to Egypt being traded and passed along like a tool or piece of equipment… This is where we pick up the story for the sermon today

Genesis 39:1

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.

When we started our story back in , Joseph was 17 years old! In these 6 verse a lot of things happened. It’s really easy to look at a few verse and it seems like this is the next day or the next week… Time had to pass.

When we read narrative or biography we tend to condense the passage of time to the point we don’t notice how much time has actually passed.

Passing of time: Person diagnosed with Alzhiemer’s - “living a horror movie in real time”

Day after day, hour after hour Joseph lived this tragedy. He matured into manhood as a slave in Egypt. He learned the language. He grew to know the culture. He learned the ways of his household. He gained his master’s trust. He gained the respect and trust of his fellow slaves. Read verse 6.

Even though Joseph is a slave, he’s making the most of it. (he doesn’t run away)

Genesis 39:7–10 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.

Genesis 39:7-

Here is where we will spend the majority of our time today.

Temptation - We can learn a lot from Joseph on the topic of temptation. All of us are tempted in some way. Maybe not in the exact same ways Joseph is being tempted here, but we’re tempted to chase after idols that diminish the sense of the presence of God in our lives.

Martyn Lloyd Jones says “anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone” is an idol: comfort, approval, control, power.

We’re more susceptible to temptation when were being seduced by one of these idols: Not Joseph

Comfort - We value and prize our own comfort more than the presence of Christ in our lives and we end up sacrificing productivity, hurting others, fleeing responsibility all to seek out comfort

Approval - We’re willing to sacrifice our own freedom and even the ability to say no, so that others will think more of us. We live afraid of what others may think of us giving more weight to the thoughts of people than the Word of God.

Control - We try to control and plan every aspect of life, making others afraid that they can’t live up to your expectations. We often feel more worried than free.

Power -

Joseph’s Response -

Role/Relationship - 8-9a

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.

Joseph appeals to his role/identity

sin tempts us to use abuse our role/relationship, not as a reason for abstaining from sin, but for an excuse to proceed in it.

how many men have we witnessed taken down by the me too movement that used their role, not as a reason to avoid temptation, but as a tool to indulge in.

Sin - 9b

Joseph calls sin “sin”

How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

Let’s be honest when we encounter temptation. Call it sin.

Joseph is not flattered at this woman’s advances

Any sin is primarily against God,

don’t flirt with temptation

Refused to even be with her -

Joseph is not flattered at this woman’s advances

don’t flirt with temptation, don’t play with fire,

NIV - he refused to even be with her

he was in charge of schedules, he knew were people were, he made sure he was not even with her.

Joseph actively fought this temptation

A lot of times “battling” is often Christianese or code for “I’m passively surrendering to temptation”

What is the outcome of living a righteous life before God and man...

-end

Joseph is trapped… He’s falsely accused of sins he didn’t commit… He’s imprisoned for crimes he did not commit.

Yes Joseph is an example to us of how we should battle our temptations… but even more than that he’s an example of the sinless savior that is to come.

Joseph points us to Jesus...

Just like Joseph, Jesus was righteous, even more than that, Jesus was sinless. He was tempted in the dessert when he was fasting for 40 days. Satan tempted him with Comfort (food), approval (worship), control, and power. But Jesus refused because he knew who he was. his identity was not found in his self perception, but in his relationship to God...

Jesus was trapped by the religious leaders, he was falsely accused, and ultimately paid the price for sins we would commit through his suffering and death on the cross.

One last thought on identity: Many times we succumb to temptation because we’re too easily confused about where we stand.

Illustration: New Team, new uniform, new playbook

We’re not Joseph. Joseph points us to Jesus. Through Jesus we’re given a new identity, an new uniform (Christ’s righteousness), and a new playbook (God’s word)

Joseph: Potiphar's House

Joseph: Potiphar’s House