Sunday, April 3, 2022

Genesis 39 Devotional Bible Study by Steve Wilson

Genesis 39

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

 

Still Blessed

Genesis 38:2-6

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Joseph had been kidnapped and sold into slavery by his brothers. He was in a bad situation. He didn’t want to be a slave in Egypt. But the Lord blessed him in his situation. His Heavenly Father didn’t take him out of his situation – yet – but blessed him in it. 


What is your situation? If the Lord isn’t removing you from it, how can the Lord bless you in it? What if you went from complaining about your circumstances to thanking God for what He’s doing for you in your circumstances?

 

What Do You Stand to Lose?

Genesis 39:6-10

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

Joseph wouldn’t sin in this situation because he knew what he would lose if he did. He would lose his position as being the chief servant. He would lose his master’s trust. A few moments of pleasure with this adulteress wife wasn’t worth it to him.

When I feel tempted, I think about what I stand to lose: my relationship with the Lord, my wife, my friends, my church, my ministry, my witness, my good name. It’s not worth it to commit any sin. Nothing the devil can give by sinning is worth what the Lord has already given me through living righteously.

What about you? What do you stand to lose if you sin?


 

 

He Could Have Done It

Genesis 39:11-12

One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.


No one was around. No one would know. No one would find out. It was safe – no repercussions – so why didn’t Joseph take advantage of the situation? Why did he run out of the house instead of take his chance?

Because Joseph had integrity. He had already acknowledged that sleeping with this woman would have been a sin against God. And even if no one else would have seen his sin, God still would have.

What do you do when no one’s looking? Do you take seriously the fact that God sees everything you do? Do you care enough about what God thinks of you to maintain your integrity?

Father, I pray You would fill us with love for You, so that we don’t want to sin against You. Give us enough holy respect for You that we would rather run away from temptation than risk giving into it.

 

 

 

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