Joseph, a Slave in Egypt
We now pick up the flow of Joseph’s stories, which have been “inter-
rupted” by the Tamar incident. Joseph is now working as a slave for the
“captain of the guard,” who is in charge of the prison for royal officials
(Gen. 40:3, 4; Gen. 41:10–12).
Read Genesis 39. In light of the example of Joseph’s working as a man-
ager under Potiphar, what are the factors that led to such success?
Almost immediately, Joseph was characterized as a man of success
(Gen. 39:2, 3). He was so good, and his master so trusted him that “all
that he had he put into his hand,” and Potiphar even made him “overseer
over his house” (Gen 39:4).
Joseph’s success, however, does not corrupt him. When Potiphar’s
wife notices him and wants to sleep with him, Joseph unambiguously
refuses and prefers to lose his job and his security rather than “ ‘do
this great wickedness, and sin against God’ ” (Gen. 39:9). The woman,
humiliated by Joseph’s refusal, reports falsely to her servants and to
her husband that Joseph wanted to rape her. As a result, Joseph is cast
into prison.
Joseph experiences here what we all have experienced: the sense of
abandonment by God, though, even in this difficult time, “the Lord
was with Joseph” (Gen. 39:21).
Eventually, the Lord acts, and it has an impact on Joseph’s relation-
ship with the officer of the prison. Here, too, as in his master’s house,
the Lord blesses Joseph. He obviously is a gifted man, and despite even
worse circumstances now (after all, before, he was still a slave!), he
seeks to make the best of it. Whatever his gifts, however, the text makes
it clear that, in the end, it was only God who brought him success. “The
keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s
authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the
Lord made it prosper” (Gen. 39:23, NKJV). How important that all
who are gifted, all who are “successful,” remember where it all comes
from!
Read Genesis 39:7–12. How did Joseph resist the advances of
Potiphar’s wife? Why did Joseph specifically say that to do what
she asked would be a sin against God? What understanding does
he show of the nature of sin and what it is?
