Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish historian, once wrote, Adversity is hard on a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.4 Promotion and success open doors to more temptation: The more successful people become, the less they have others looking over their shoulders; the more freedoms and perks they receive, the more temptation they experience to abuse their power. Joseph was a handsome young man, and he eventually caught the attention of Potiphar's wife. So his Lord responded to him and averted from him their plan. [] And she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. Hand Me Another Brick (p. 98). Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 56:5), Photo Credit:Getty Images/BibleArtLibrary. He didnt look at her or even listen to her. Big Question: What principles can we learn about conquering temptation from Josephs responses to various temptations in this narrative? Potiphar and His Wife Desire Joseph - TheTorah.com We can only guess what happened to her in the future. Remember that you are NEVER alone! Sometimes, the evilness of sin is lowered by calling it a disease. 1. p. 392, ed. He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ), 36-5: The appearance of Amalek-Israel's arch enemy, 36-4: The pagan god Baal appears in Esau's genealogy, 36-3: How our culture blinds us to understanding the conflict in the Middle East, 36-2: Esau's sons LEFT the promised land while Jacob's sons ENTERED into it. How has God used seemingly bad thingslike trials and temptationsfor your good? Egyptian women in the ancient world were especially known for immorality and loose morals (even married women).6 Mrs. Potiphar probably said, There is nothing wrong with this! It wasnt long before sin came knocking at Josephs door. And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. But Joseph refused to spend any time with her. Sometimes, God sends us places so that people who do not know Him will be able to see God through us. 31. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! (Romans 1:25 NLT). 35. 1. One of these is the Hebrew Joseph, who had been placed in control of Potiphar's large estate and household. Even when things got much worse, the Lord was with him. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. 2007BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. 34. He didnt stand a chance in defending himself against Potiphars wife, however. What Does the Bible Tell Us about the Prophet Daniel? How commonly do we see successful pastors, athletes, businessmen, or government officials fall? He does not have any thoughts of committing adultery with her. Most importantly, like Joseph, we must remember that participating in sin hurts God deeply. Do you realize your trials and temptations are just ways God is preparing you for more? He put Joseph in charge of his house. Justice is achieved as the commentators name, neuter, and then neutralize Potiphar, bringing the entire sordid . 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. Say: Here is a mouse trap. Say: The most important man in Egypt was Pharaoh. We may not have clear, predictive dreams from God, but we do have a clearer word than Joseph had. Then it appeared to them after they had seen the signs that he [i.e., al-Azeez] should surely imprison him for a time. God was enabling him to be strong and wise. 35-6: What the ancients believed happened after death, 35-5: Reuben sleeps with his father's concubine in a sly move to gain family power, 35-4: Unearthing God's prophetic statements to Jacob that can ONLY be understood in Hebrew, 35-3: Deborah's death symbolizes Israel's complete severance from Mesopotamia. She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons. Its OK to cheat on a testEverybody else is doing it! they say. Say: Joseph had grown up in the land that God had promised to his great-grandfather, Abraham. This is a discipline that we must always practice whenever we are tempted: we must seriously consider the consequences. You can believe God and live, or you can believe Satan, and be caught in his trap. No doubt, she not only spoke but probably tried to tempt him by wearing revealing clothing and alluring perfume. No one in this house is in a higher position than I am. Potiphar's Wife - Women In The Scriptures Meanwhile, the traders who had bought Joseph traveled to Egypt. Potiphar's wife stands out, however, as perhaps the evilest nameless woman in the Bible. It is clear that Joseph trusted God and wasnt bitter towards him, which would have hindered Gods blessings. Joseph, Potiphar's Wife, and the Dangers of Sexual Sin Joseph already has a strong character before Potiphars wife watches him working outside the palace through the gauze curtains of her jasmine-scented chambers. 32-3: Who was the "man" that Jacob wrestled? (Genesis 50:20). The mouse is caught. The Quran narrates the wife of Azizs treatment of Yusuf as follows: And when he reached maturity, We gave him judgement and knowledge. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Why Did Jesus Give Believers the Beatitudes? The narrator said, Soon after these things (v. 7). Its OK to illegally downloadThe product shouldnt cost that much anyway! Its OK to cheat on taxesThe government is taking too much money as it is! When Christians do this, they are preparing themselves to be unfaithful in other areas of their lives. Some members of my church might never return to church again. No matter where Joseph ends up, he flourishes personally and carries out Gods plan. She knew that Joseph would have to come inside in order to do his work. King Solomon's Story in the BibleWho Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?Who Was the Prodigal Son? Jewish commentators also see some good motives in her actions. The Bible does not report this. The Bible describes Joseph as strong and handsome. When the mouse would come out at night looking for food, it would smell the stinky cheese. In short, she has no purpose. 10 Things We Know About Potiphar: The Bible says that there is only one true God. This is the very reason many people cant get free from sin; they simply dont see it as bad. 37-1: Why isn't Joseph considered a Patriarch? You can even get angry at God! This is, of course, Potiphar's household. Running Away - A Bible Class on Joseph's Fleeing from Potiphar's Wife Gods grace made Joseph want to obey God. How has God called you to at times pay a price for following God? Ask: Does anyone remember the name of the Promised Land? QUESTION 5: Did Potiphar truly believe his wife's accusation of Joseph? The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. Inviting her friends to her home, Zuleikha gave them all oranges and knives to slice them with. When Joseph rejects Potiphars wife, she lies and accuses him of attempting to assault her sexually. She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, Have sex with me! But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran outside, No matter, who we are or where were from, we will encounter temptations. Zuleikha then reminded her friends that she had to see Joseph every day. Joseph says in Genesis 39:9: No one is greater in this house than I am. Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. The test that Joseph faced was very similar to the temptation that Adam and Eve faced in the Garden of Eden. From the time he puts him in charge, the Lord blesses the household. Some dont want to get skipped over for promotion or shunned at their workplace, so they compromise with their peers. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), The Bible Teachers Guide, Joseph: Trusting In Gods Sovereignty And Goodness, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Submit to Gods Discipline Instead of Becoming Bitter at It, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Practice Integrity in All Areas of Life, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Especially Guard Ourselves in Times of Success, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Seriously Consider the Consequences, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Recognize How Evil Sin Is, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Avoid It Persistently, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Be Willing to Pay the Cost, To Conquer Temptation, We Must Trust that Gods Plans Are Better. To fight this temptation, Joseph not only refused but also stopped being around her. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (NLT) Even though Satan is powerful, God is immeasurably more powerful. If it means getting rid of the TV or cutting off the Wi-Fi in the house, so be it. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Boldly ask for the grace to say NO to sin. The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife in Genesis 39 contains some obvious lessons about fidelity in the face of sexual temptation, and there are also some subtler points to be found about the loyal character of God. It says, Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, the cupbearer and the baker, so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard was probably still Potiphar. What is the story of Joseph and his brothers. As we said, some people even believed he was a god. Paul understood that true peace could never be achieved without Gods grace.