True Colors – Genesis 39:1-19
Joseph is now in Egypt. His coat of many colors is long gone now and stained with the blood of a goat, as the brothers make up a lie to cover their treacherous hearts. Though his coat of many colors is no longer prominent in the story, as Joseph lived as a slave in Potiphar’s house, the true colors of his faith & heart are revealed by his trust in God’s abiding presence no matter the circumstance.
There are great lessons to learn from him in Genesis 39 in regard to how to live for Jesus in a difficult environment where are you now is gone.
(1) God was not Gone from Joseph’s Life – 39:1-6
There is no mention of the struggles this 17-year-old young man must have gone through when he was sold to the Midianites nor when he arrived at the slave auction in Egypt. None of what he would have gone through would be easy, so let’s be reminded of where he has just been and now arrived at…he was torn from his father, taken to a strange culture, couldn’t understand the language, sold as a piece of property to a powerful man, no longer any freedom, no family, no fanciful dreams, etc.
He was not alone though, for with God’s strength and because the Lord was with Joseph, he did well under Potiphar. He trusted God and adjusted to the situation that he was living under. Day after day he seems to have trusted and understood that he was not ever alone.
By the time he was in his mid-twenties, Joseph had been put in charge of everything Potiphar owned, and he trusted Joseph so much that he didn’t even check up on him.
Circumstances are not to dictate the quality of our lives, for our trust in Christ in the midst of those circumstances will make all the difference. We are to live lives of godly integrity, and trust God to take care of us in situations far beyond our control.
(2) Success Does not Make Us Immune from Temptation – 39:6-18
In spite of his godliness and trusting God in his circumstances, those two realities do not mean that we will not be attacked from another angle. The enemy hates the righteous and if he cannot get us to fall prey to wallow in our circumstances and blame God, he will aim at using others to try and tempt us to fall in another way. Either way it is a fall.
Potiphar’s wife becomes the tool in the hand of the enemy to try and tempt Joseph to choose a path to mock Yahweh by getting Joseph to fall to the temptation & stain of sexual sin. For the righteous, the stain of immorality is a difficult one to move on from, as it can stick to a life in a powerful way.
For all of us, we should look out for success, for in its wake, temptation can arise as our guard can be down in the midst of the success. Remember these words from Paul…
1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Q: How did Joseph deal with the temptation?
We must always be aware of situations where we know we are vulnerable. So often we are most vulnerable when we’re in different circumstances & where no one else will know.
So how did he deal with the temptation? 5 ways...
(1) Loved Biblical Relationships – 39:7-9
· Horizontal Relationships – Potiphar and his wife
o Potiphar – “I can’t do this to Potiphar”
o Potiphar’s Wife – “given me access to all but you”
He tells her how special she is to Potiphar.
· Vertical Relationship – God
39:9 “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?
We must hate sin and understand the mockery it makes of God.
(2) His Integrity Mattered to Him - Genesis 39:8
39:8 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.
(3) Firm Convictions that Are Settled – Titus 2:11-14
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
We should make a commitment to purity and develop a strategy before the temptation might come – wellahead of time. Joseph’s resistance wasn’t accidental or natural for he had made a previous commitment to moral purity and he had a strategy for resistance already in place. Make a commitment to integrity in all of life.
(4) Avoid the Lying Voice of Sensual Temptation – 39:10
39:10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
Joseph makes an intentional choice as to the voices that would be heard by him.
(5) Run – 2 Timothy 2:22 ; Proverbs 18:10
2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
On the day when she takes things way to far, Joseph ran as from the situation that he could.
(3) Decide to Reward the Flesh or Reward from God – 1 Peter 1:7
1 Peter 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes saying “no” may cost us with others, but God will honor it.
We must be willing to pay the price for our convictions. Potiphar’s wife was humiliated by Joseph’s refusal and her humiliation turned to blame & rage, so she framed Joseph and he spent the next years in prison as a result of making the right and Biblical choice.
Because the world is so polluted, you can expect to pay a price when you take a stand for purity. People will slander you they’ll blame you for their sin.
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