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According to Genesis 39:1 (NKJV), Potiphar was "an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian.". Genesis 37:36 Now, I'm well aware that Potiphar's wife was discontent, but I don't believe Potiphar was a eunuch (as we normally think of its definition)! She said, that Hebrew slave you brought to us tried to humiliate me (v. 17). Potiphar may also be protecting his ego by not admitting his wife strayed from him. We learn a great deal from Josephs triumphant example, as he faced multiple temptations as a slave and later a prisoner in Potiphars house. God wants you to believe Him - to TRUST HIM - and live! We call this omni-present. Application Question: Why is it so important to flee temptation instead of trying to faithfully endure it? Grabbing hold of his garment, she made her plea one last time: "Lie down with me!" Joseph acted . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Application: Ask: Have you ever felt like Joseph in Egypt? Sin drastically affects us and others around us. This is what she said to him: That Hebrew slave you brought to us tried to humiliate me, but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside. When his master heard his wife say, This is the way your slave treated me, he became furious. A former high school English teacher and editor, she works on writing projects from her home in West Michigan, where she enjoys woods, water, pets, and family. It is good for us to think deeply about the potential consequencesconsidering how our sins affect ourselves, friends, family, other Christians, and non-believers. She said that Joseph came in to attack her, she screamed, and he ran away. Application Question: What are some common costs of maintaining our integrity and conquering temptation? Genesis 39: Joseph and Potiphar's Wife - Bible Study - BibleWise Eventually, she became so desperate that on a day none of the other servants were around (a possible setup), she grabbed Joseph and tried to force him to sleep with her. Why did Jacob give Joseph a coat of many colors? Q. The Lord is the one and only God., In Deuteronomy 32:39, God declares, Look! The man who ran the prison didn't pay attention to anything that was in Joseph's care. Kindle Edition. The only way to tell the truth apart from Satans lies is to know Gods word. Potiphar withheld nothing from Joseph, except his wife. She knew that Joseph would have to come inside in order to do his work. His goal is to distract you from the only real source of life. Potiphar's Wife - BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING Its meant to be celebrated! Andrews speculates that Potiphar would rather have a new horse than a Minoanwife. Minoa was an ancient culture of Greece (and in the novel, Potiphars wifes original home, to which she longs to return). Potiphar was one of Pharaoh's officials. Joseph and Potiphar's Wife (Genesis 39) Related Media Lesson PPT TITLE Main Point: The Lord is with those who trust Him, even in the most difficult times. 25. The Lord! Saul fell when success came, and so did David and Solomon. 1878; Hengstenbergs 'Egypt and the Books of Moses,' 1:25; Kalisch, p. 631 . So Potiphar was pleased with Joseph. The warden put all the prisoners under Josephs care. It says she spoke to him day after day (v. 10). My master hasn't held anything back from me, except you. 1 Cor 10:13, Jam 1:3-4, Heb 12:7)? 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. Following this incident, her contemporaries no longer mocked her. Similarly, if we are going to conquer temptation, we must intentionally and persistently avoid it as well. Say: Joseph wasnt alone because God was with Him. Its not normal to forbid yourself these basic needs, they say. And Pharaohs most important official chose Joseph to be his slave. He did not think he deserved more than God had given him. And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allh! In his classic work All the Women of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer lists twice that many nameless women (many of them are groups of women, such as Solomons 300 wives). Inviting her friends to her home, Zuleikha gave them all oranges and knives to slice them with. This is a discipline that we must always practice whenever we are tempted: we must seriously consider the consequences. Personally, I always think about how spiritual failure would negatively affect my daughter for the rest of her life. Say: Mrs. Potiphar would not give up. He put Joseph in charge of all of the prisoners. Joseph lived in Potiphar's house. All rights reserved. Do you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you? Potiphar trusted him, giving him charge over everything he owned. In this very difficult time, God poured out grace on Joseph that was like a big warm hug. "There are several important morals to the story of Joseph, and many types for our day. A story about Zuleikha is told in Sefer haYashar, where she was mocked by other aristocratic Egyptian ladies, her circle of friends, for being infatuated with a Hebrew slave boy. He is still a slave and servant, though the highest-ranking slave in Potiphars household, entrusted with carrying for all of Potiphars possessions and business. - Genesis 39:3-6a. Joseph, Potiphar's Wife, and the Truth about False Allegations Naturally Potiphar was angered beyond words. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? The Bible describes Joseph as strong and handsome. Having a wife was primarily for providing an heir and overseeing the household. They commonly harbor anger and bitterness for years after some traumatic event: They are angry at parents, the school system, government, or someone else who harmed them. Potiphar's wife and her interactions with Joseph provide one of the most dramatic stories in the early Old Testament. Genesis (Ge 39:710). 40-3: Two similar dreams with two totally different outcomes! When you truly live a God-centered life, those around you will be able to tell that you are different (Philippians 2:15). Here is what we know about her life and what's been speculated about her personalities. Potiphar's wife is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. It says, The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. Why would Potiphar entrust Joseph with anything again if he had broken the ultimate trusttrying to rape his wife? And it came to pass on a certain day, when he went into the house to do his work, and there was none of the men of the house there within, that she caught him by his garment, saying: 'Lie with me.' Potiphar and His Wife - Bible Study - BibleWise The warden did not concern himself with anything that was in Josephs care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful. The story of Potiphar's wife has 3 parts: 1 We are in the household of a rich Egyptian man, Potiphar. Its the same lie Satan told Eve. In the very beginning, God created one wife (Eve) for one man (Adam). Potiphar's wife is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. She said, "That is the one about whom you blamed me. Paul relied on Gods grace to bring him strength and contentment in the most trying of circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13). The Big Lie Joseph on a daily basis was around Potiphar's wife as he did his business, and he paid no attention to her in any adulterous way. When people look at the world around them, they can tell that there is a powerful God who created everything (Romans 1:20). Potiphar believes his high-pedigree wife and throws Joseph in prison. Often, they combined things such as a mans body with a hawks head, and worshipped it. When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, she called for her household servants and said to them, See, my husband brought in a Hebrew man to us to humiliate us. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. He experienced sexual temptation from his masters wife, which is the major temptation in this narrative. He was kind to him. 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. Because of this, Potiphar threw Joseph into prison. She attempted to sleep with him many times, but Joseph continually refused. For Rumi, Zuleikha's obsession with Joseph is a symptom and manifestation of the soul's great deep longing for God. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. How is your integrity? Sin is not the end game of temptationdestruction is. Deep down, we want things to be fair. She may have lied in other areas to protect her high position. 7, 8), or , "his wife" (v. 19). We are not to entertain sin through the radio or TVdeclaring how strong we are and how it doesnt affect us. On the other hand, she 'cast her eyes' upon Joseph and pursued him - planning in her heart to seduce him. Soon after these things, his masters wife took notice of Joseph and said, Have sex with me. But he refused, saying to his masters wife, Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care. Potiphar's wife is never named in the biblical passagemerely referred to as , "wife of his [Joseph's] master" (vv. From the time Potiphar appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptians household for Josephs sake. Jacob believed that a wild animal had killed Joseph. She said, "What is the recompense of one who intended evil for your wife but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?" However, though Joseph was good looking, Potiphars wife didnt notice him until he was exalted. Why Did Jesus Give Believers the Beatitudes? The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Q. Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik. 40-2: The importance of dreams in ancient Egypt. Key Verse: But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him His faithful love. Her actions, driven by uncontrolled desires and a need for control, led to Joseph's imprisonment and ultimately to the fulfillment of God's plan for his life. God blesses all of Josephs situationsfrom an empty well in Canaan to Potiphars lavish home with his bored, lustful wife to a dark prison cell. Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. All rights reserved. He trusted Joseph and he no longer worried about running his home. The Holy Spirit guides us and gives us the power to make the right moral decisions and honor God. When successful, well need greater accountabilitypeople to speak into our lives and hold us accountable. Potiphar's Wife KNOWN AS THE "NO-NAME WIFE" OF A BODY GUARD Genesis 39 IMAGINE: Being the rich Egyptian wife of the highest official to Pharaoh; but even so, choosing to set your sites on the well-built and handsome new household slave, only to have this Hebrew foreigner reject your advances. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. Daniel was suddenly the Bible's most eligible bachelor, and he got a fictional wife in Of Fire and Lions. Bible Rape Let's assume that Joseph was totally blameless, that a rejected woman, in her anger, accused him falsely, and he was consequently thrown into prison. She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, Have sex with me! But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran outside. It says, We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.. Teacher: Show the mousetrap. Unlike the previous narrative, where we learned from the failures of Josephs family (Gen 37), in this narrative, we learn from Josephs success in conquering temptation. 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! Who were the priests of On? He followed God in everything he did (Genesis 39:8-9). For some, this reality might not mean much, but the more we get to know God and his grace, the more sinning against him will deter us. Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. 26. Gen 50:20, Rom 8:28). Joseph was doing an excellent job in Egypt, but not through his own strength. However, Christ says to be angry is morally equivalent to murder (Matt 5:21-22)! When I thought that God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against one who loved me so, and sought my good.5. Does that suggest anything about what was going through Potiphar's mind as he threw Joseph in "the prison where the king's prisoners were confined" (v.20)? Islamic history presents contradicting details, which is common when searching for such ancient historical data, and it all reads a little like a soap opera. How then could I do this most wicked thing and sin before God?" Verse 7. But he said no. But the Torah gives us Joseph's own explanation in his response to his master's wife: "He [Potiphar] wields no more authority in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except yourself, since you are his wife.