Genesis 39:1-23
Genesis 39 returns to the story of Joseph, and the account of his further struggles and trials. In this chapter, we find Joseph in Egypt, after he had been sold as a slave into the house of Potiphar, who was an officer of the Pharaoh. As we study this chapter, and those that follow, God reveals Joseph’s exemplary character. He was a man that all of us should emulate. His life is the story of overcoming faith and patience in the face of the harsh realities of life in this fallen world.
“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance” (Gen. 39:1-6).
A man of godly character. Vs. 1-6
The first thing you should notice concerning Joseph’s life is the incredible contrast between his life, and Judah’s character which we looked at in the previous chapter. In every decision that Joseph made, he demonstrated his faith, wisdom, and godly character. What is a godly character, and what does it look like in practical terms?
Character is defined many different ways in Scripture. Paul described Timothy’s character as one who had proven himself by his unselfish care for others. He wrote, “For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel” (Phil. 2:20-22). The Greek scholar Norman Vincent defined character as, “Tried integrity, a state of mind which has stood the test.” This was the kind of life that Timothy lived, and Joseph did as well.
The Scripture declared that Ruth’s character was known to her entire town, and she was described as a “virtuous” woman, which meant to be a woman of moral strength. Ruth’s character was also one that had been severely tried through the death of her husband, and when she responded to the need of her mother-law. She had a proven character of unselfish love!
When Nehemiah described the character of Hananiah, whom he put in charge of Jerusalem, he spoke of him as, “A faithful man and feared God more than many” (Neh. 7:2). Nehemiah’s knowledge of Hananiah, revealed the proven character of faithfulness. Remember, Jesus exalted the essential character quality faithfulness for all of His disciples when He said, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10). Note that faithfulness is the natural result of fearing God.
Solomon also defined character as a man or woman who is upright and having integrity. He wrote, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (Prov. 11:3). Note also that the antithesis of integrity is unfaithfulness. Oh, how this world needs men and women of integrity. Therefore, a person’s character is revealed by honesty, ethics, and charity. When someone asserts that you are a man of principle, or a woman of integrity, they are describing you as a person of godly character. Those who lack character, tend to behave dishonestly, unethically, and uncharitably. As you will see in the following chapters of Genesis, Joseph was truly a man of character. He revealed himself as such, by his faithfulness to whatever task was placed before him, by his forgiveness, patience, and by his honest stewardship over everything that was put under his hand.
How did Joseph become a man of character?
There are two points that are made in this passage that reveal how God made Joseph a man of character. The first statement is made several times in this chapter when it states that God was “with Joseph” (Gen. 39:3; 17; 21; 23). The second statement is, “the blessing of the Lord” was upon all that Joseph put his hand to. The Scripture declares that God blessed the Egyptians household for “Joseph’s sake” (Gen. 39:5). In other words, because of Joseph’s faithfulness to God, all these blessing came upon him. Joseph may have been separated from his family, but he was not separated from his God. The Lord was with this young man, and Joseph trusted Him through all of the suffering he encountered. When you have a personal faith and intimacy with God, He will cause you to prosper in the way you should go, even in the midst of great trials and tribulations. This testing, is what made Joseph the man of character that he became. It is important to note that Paul explained that testing actually produces this character. He declared, “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). So, if you are in the midst of suffering today, allow God to also work in you to produce godly character within you.
But, how could God be “with” Joseph and allow him to suffer such injustice?
After being rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, and made a slave, Joseph could have become a resentful, bitter, and hardened man. He could have become so angry with his brothers and even with God, and said to himself, If my own family are going to treat me this way, then I’m going to treat others the same way. I’m going to live for myself, and not for the God of Abraham. But that is not the way Joseph responded. Why? Because God was at work in Joseph’s life, and he trusted God’s Word to him. Joseph knew that there was some ultimate purpose God was working out in his life. We know this because the psalmist declared that God was testing Joseph. He wrote of him, “He sent a man before them-- Joseph--who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him” (Ps. 105:17-19). Note that Joseph was sent before his family into Egypt, by God’s sovereign hand. Did Joseph believe that God was working out His divine plan each day while he was a slave, and in prison? Probably not! Why do I say this? Because when a person is tested as the Scripture declared here, this means things will be difficult. That is why it tests your faith. Trials are not easy to endure, but these times of trial are working God’s perfect work. Joseph was clearly being tested as to whether or not he believed his dreams.
This is exactly what God does with each of us in the midst of our trials. Every trial we go through is testing our faith, testing whether we believe what God has promised us or not. James taught, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:2-5). God is at work in our lives with every trial, and with every time of suffering we experience. He is surely testing our hearts concerning our faith. Will we endure the difficulties, and obey him no matter what comes our way? However, if we rebel in the trial, and fail the test, we will surely hinder God’s work within us. In fact, this only ensures that God will give us another test that is similar to the one we have just failed. Why does He do this? So that He might fulfill the perfect work He seeks to accomplish within you. He wants you to succeed in the test. Think of the similar tests that the Children of Israel went through over the supply of water and food in the wilderness (Ex. 15:25; Ex. 16:2-4; Ex. 17:2). Why did He give them the same test again and again? Because they didn’t pass the test the first time. So, God gave them another trial just like it. Or, think of the similar tests the disciples of Jesus went through over bread to eat, or the storms they encountered on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:34-44; Mark 8:1-8; Matt. 8:23-27; Matt. 14:22-33). These tests illustrate this principle.
God is working godly character in each of us, with each trial or difficulty that we encounter, until we meet Him face to face. I know we don’t like it at times when things are frustrating, and the enemy of our soul is condemning us for our attitudes and behavior, but remember, God is still at work in us. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Now, when you are not willing to do God’s good pleasure, you are obviously rebelling against His work, and the character He wants to build inside of you. But the solution is simple to get the character He intends for you. All you have to do is make the choice to surrender to His will, and ask Him to work within you by the power of the Spirit, so you will want to do His will. I have been in this place many times in my life, and I know this transformation can occur. He can change any human heart to do His pleasure, if you will simply surrender your will to His. Jesus was the supreme example of surrendering His will to the will of the Father. Remember in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus did not want to be separated from His Father, and then prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). In His humanity, He had to surrender His will to the Father’s will. The glorious thing is that God will help you surrender just like He did, by the power of His Spirit at work within you. Once God has you in the place of surrender, then you are ready to experience Him giving you the power to actually do His good pleasure. This is where true godly character is built inside of you. Remember I quoted this verse above, but it bears repeating, “We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). The ultimate work of building character within you is so you can experience hope for all the future trials you will encounter. Hope is the fruit of testing, because you have seen Him work inside you in the past trial, so you know He can take care of the future ones. This hope, is the ultimate end of character-building trials.
This constant growth in character and hope was exactly the work God was doing in Joseph’s life. He was tested by the rejection of his family, the sexual temptation of Potiphar’s wife, her lying and betrayal of him, and then the hardship and suffering of prison life. But he was also tested by the success he had being raised to the second place in the kingdom of Egypt. The work God accomplished in this man, is one of the greatest biblical examples of character-building in all of the Scripture, because he passed each of the tests he went through. One proverb that fits Joseph so well is: “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men” (Prov. 22:29). This was Joseph! A man of character who excelled at his work, and ultimately, he stood before Pharoah, King of Egypt.
Lessons in resisting temptation. Vs. 7-16
“And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day-by-day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, ‘See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.’ So she kept his garment with her until his master came home” (Gen. 39:7-16).
In this account, we have one of the best examples of a man who resisted sexual temptation. The lessons we can all learn from Joseph are truly invaluable. Over the years of my ministry, I have had many people come to me, and tell me about the sexual temptation they are under at their place of business, with their neighbors, with those at their gym, and even with other family members. Sexual temptation will definitely come your way at some point in your life, but the question is, how will you handle it? How will you respond? The way that Joseph handled this temptation, gives some of the clearest direction that each of us should follow. His response to Potiphar’s wife also revealed the essence of his character.
How then did Joseph respond to her sexual advances? First, the sexual temptation began between Joseph and Potiphar’s wife with a simple physical attraction. This attraction was simply motivated by lust on the part of Potiphar’s wife. Note that the text declared that Joseph was, “Handsome in form and appearance” which revealed the attraction (Vs. 6). This is why she began to pursue him. Physical attraction is usually where flirtation begins between two people. One or both parties “cast longing eyes” on the other (Vs. 7). The Apostle John called these “longing eyes,” as simply the “lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16). When you sense that someone is flirting with you, and casting “longing eyes” at you, beware. If it is you that is casting “longing eyes” on someone else, you must repent. If you encourage this flirtation in your mind, or by your actions toward this other person, you will only step deeper into what I call, the point of no return, because you are now taking actions to yield to the temptation. The best solution for flirtatious advances is to simply try and avoid any one-on-one time with this person, which will hopefully discourage any further flirtation between you. You take this action because you have already rejected the thoughts in your mind, repented of these thoughts, and surrendered to God. This is exactly what Joseph tried to do. The text tells us that when, “She spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her” (Vs. 10). Note that he purposed not “to be with her.” But this did not stop this woman’s advances. She kept right on pursuing him.
In addition, if you are dating someone who is pressuring you for sex, this should be a clear warning to you that this person is not someone you should be going out with. Avoid them and refuse to go out with them again. Why? Because they are seeking to defraud you sexually. Please study 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 for an understanding of this concept.
Second, Joseph verbally refused the advances of Potiphar’s wife. Scripture recorded that Joseph, “Refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand” (Vs. 8). If you want to shut down these unholy flirtations by someone, then it is best to be very direct and tell the person that you are not interested. Most of the time, this will shut down the flirtatious advances immediately. However, some will still not be deterred, just as Potiphar’s wife would not stop. But, most of the time it will. Give a person no hope that any sexual relationship is going to happen. Why did Joseph verbally shut the door on these advances? Because he had already shut the door on this temptation in his own mind.
Third, don’t play with the sexual thoughts or imaginations in your mind, because if you do, these thoughts will only gain a foothold in your heart. The text tells us that, “he refused” to listen to her advances (Vs. 8). Any temptation of any kind will always show up either by someone’s verbal enticement, or in your own thought life. If you listen to the person, or your own thoughts, the temptation simply sucks you deeper into your own lustful desires. Don’t allow people to entice you, or allow these thoughts in your mind. Reject them! The mind is one of the greatest battlegrounds for every Christian. Paul declared, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5). It is clear that Joseph had already weighed this sin in his own mind and completely rejected it. He had brought every thought captive to obey what he knew was right. Note how he responded to Potiphar’s wife. He said to her, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9). Joseph clearly had already considered this sin in his mind, and knew that if he acted upon his desires that this would be a great sin against, not only her husband, but God Himself.
Fourth, Joseph weighed the cost of this sin of adultery, and rejected the possibility of engaging in this wickedness. Why? Because he had already thought through the personal costs and consequences of engaging in adultery. However, many today don’t believe that there is any problem with having sex outside of their marriage. But this is why Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs for his son, so he would consider the consequences of his actions. Solomon encouraged his son to weigh the real consequences of adultery and fornication. He declared to his son that he must yield his heart to God’s commands, so that they will, “Keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance of his house. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband’s fury; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts” (Prov. 6:24-35). So, if you are flirting with thoughts of adultery or fornication yourself, consider well these truths. These passages are primarily written for young men tempted by flirtatious women, but can also easily be applied to evil men who are womanizers. Please heed these warnings!
Fifth, the final action that Joseph took was to flee from Potiphar’s wife when she wouldn’t take no for an answer. This was Joseph’s only option that was left for him. He had to run! In other words, get as far away from this person as fast as you can. Paul gave the same advice to Timothy when he wrote, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22). The word flee means to escape quickly or to avoid. Sometimes this is your only option, and if it is, take it.
The character of a self-discipled life.
Joseph had to have made many choices each day in his heart to resist temptation that was before him. These decisions revealed the firm character of a self-discipled man. This kind of character is not built overnight within a man or woman, or on the spur of the moment in the midst of temptation, but is built each day as you choose to obey God. A self-disciplined character is built every day by the choices to believe and obey no matter what the circumstances may be, and no matter what your feelings say. These are simple choices to believe and obey God’s commands, or to disobey. When the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and tells you, “These thoughts or actions are not pleasing to Me,” how will you respond? Likewise, with every decision you make to love, serve, or give in your daily life, you are choosing a direction you will take. Will you do what is pleasing to God, or not? One decision will build a godly character, and the other builds a corrupt and selfish character. Either your desires control and rule you, or His commands will control your choices. It comes down to a choice between your feelings, or His commandments. So, the question is, are you a feeling-oriented person, or a commandment-oriented person? One will lead you to succeed in the Christian life, and enable you to grow spiritually, and the other will not.
Notice how Paul described his own life with regards to self-discipline. He wrote to the unruly Corinthian church and warned them, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Literally, the Greek word used for disqualified is actually reprobate. This is a powerful statement Paul makes about his own life, and the choices he made to be successful in his walk with Christ. He compared the way an athlete trained to run a race, or how a boxer prepared for a boxing match. An athlete of any kind does not step onto the athletic field, and expect to win the contest, having never disciplined themselves to the rigor of training. This would be foolish, and could possibly bring serious injury to the athlete. The same is true for godly character. If you want to win in the spiritual contest for control of your life and for eternal life, then you must control your body’s desires. If you don’t, then you will become disqualified. Therefore, are you making the correct decisions that will build the godly character that you want? Only you can answer that question.
Joseph is imprisoned. Vs. 17-23
“Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, ‘The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.’ So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, ‘Your servant did to me after this manner,’ that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 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. 39:17-23).
Because Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife, he paid a very high price for his obedience to God. She lied to her husband and Joseph went to prison. It sure didn’t seem fair, but God had a greater plan that He was working out, as we will see in the chapters ahead. Ironically, this is the second time Joseph’s clothing was used to perpetrate a lie, and the second time he would go into bondage because of what others did to him. I bring this point up, because I want you to put yourself in Joseph’s position. This is the second time that someone has done evil to him for no fault of his own. He was doing what was right, and this woman lied about him to her husband, and Joseph gets taken off to prison. He did nothing to deserve this kind of treatment by these people, but it still happened.
How would you react in a similar situation? Would you get angry with God, blame Him, and become resentful and cynical toward all people? Or, would you trust God, acknowledge that this was done to you because of sinful people in a fallen world, and choose to believe that God would still work out His purposes in your life? Which would it be? Guaranteed, this would not have been easy, but if a person has built a godly character, has believed what the Scripture teaches about suffering, it would have been a much easier choice.
Now we don’t have to speculate or guess about what Joseph was thinking concerning all that had happened to him, because he told us how he reasoned through this time. He said to his brothers many years later, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20). Joseph looked at all the evil done to him by his brothers, and even Potiphar’s wife, as the hand of God that allowed this, to get him into position to save his entire family, and even the entire nation of Egypt. God’s ways and sovereign purposes are far beyond what we can imagine or figure out. God said through Isaiah the Prophet, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Is. 55:8-9). These words were especially true of Joseph and his life story. But these words are equally true in your life. Sometimes we can look back in our lives and see the sovereign hand of God directing us, even in the midst of suffering and hardship. Other times, we will have to wait until we get to heaven to realize how and where God was at work fulfilling His purposes through the suffering of our lives. Paul wrote to the Corinthians to explain some of these truths when he said, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). One day, we will understand it all, because we will know then, just as God knows us today!
Joseph’s faithfulness even in prison.
It is important to remember that within this text of Scripture, God again declared that He was with Joseph even in the prison. The Lord states this fact twice in these few short verses (Vs. 21; 23). God wants the reader to know without hesitation that He was for Joseph, and not against him in any way. This is a clear example in Scripture that God is with us even in the midst of suffering. The psalmist balances this concept of suffering, and the Lord being with us to deliver us. Note how Psalm 91 begins. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence” (Ps. 91:1-3). Then he ends this psalm with the acknowledgement that He will be with us “in trouble,” because we love Him and call upon His name. God is speaking here and declared, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him” (Ps. 91:14-15). I am absolutely sure that Joseph was a man who loved the Lord, because he refused to dishonor Him by committing adultery. I am also confident that he was a man who called upon the name of the Lord, which is why the Lord was with him. May you set your love upon the Lord, and call upon His name while you are in the midst of your trouble. He will be with you and direct your path, because you trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).
Three kinds of deliverance.
It is essential to understand that when the Bible speaks of deliverance, the context will determine what kind of deliverance God is speaking of. For example, there is a deliverance where God keeps you and strengthens you in the midst of persecutions and suffering, as we see here in the story of Joseph. Paul also spoke of God’s deliverance in this same way when he wrote to Timothy and said, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me” (2 Tim. 3:10-11). Note that this deliverance enabled Paul to endure these persecutions, and continue on in his ministry. However, remember that Paul was stoned at Lystra and almost died (Acts 14:19).
The second type of deliverance is when God completely delivers you from all harmful circumstances and keeps you from harm. The best example of this kind of deliverance is when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered king Nebuchadnezzar’s threats and said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (Dan. 3:16-17). God clearly completely delivered them from the fiery furnace and all harm that the king determined against them.
The third type of deliverance is when God delivers you out of this world into heaven. Paul explained this kind of deliverance when he wrote Timothy just before his death and said, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” (2 Tim. 4:16-18). Notice that Paul describes two types of deliverance in these verses. First, that he was delivered from the mouth of a lion. But then he was also delivered into his heavenly home after Caesar Nero put him to death. Therefore, always define the type of deliverance by the context given to you in Scripture.
A blessed man!
Because Joseph was a man of character and faithful in obeying the Lord, God gave him great favor with the keeper of the prison. The text specifically declares that this favor was because God was with Joseph, and He blessed him in all that He did. David wrote, “Blessed is the man who trusts in You” (Ps. 84:12)! And God also promised, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation” (James 1:12). This is exactly what Joseph did. He endured the temptation to become bitter toward God, rejected the advances of Potipher’s wife, and he did this because he trusted God. The prison keeper saw God’s blessing upon Joseph, and put all the affairs of the prison under his hand.
A great modern-day example of this truth is revealed in the book, “Captive in Iran.” I have mentioned this book before in a previous chapter, but this point bears repeating. This book is the story of two women who were arrested in Iran for preaching the gospel on the streets and homes of the Iranian capital city. They were convicted of this crime and incarcerated in the infamous Elvin prison in Tehran. This is one of the worse prisons in the world. These two women were subjected to physical and psychological torture for almost a year. But while in prison, they would ask the other women, “Can we pray for you?” At first, they were laughed at by the other women in the prison, but soon, as the other inmates saw the favor and strength of God upon these two, their hearts were softened. Soon these hardened women began to come to them asking for prayer and counsel. Later, even the guards began coming to ask for prayer, and wanting to know how they could know Jesus. They led many to Christ within those prison walls. What the radical Muslims tried to stop them from doing on the streets of Tehran, these two women actually accomplished inside those prison walls. These young women would not be stopped. God’s Word could not be stopped. The work of salvation could not be stopped. No matter what the authorities tried to do, God’s work was still accomplished. This is exactly what happened with Joseph. God accomplished His purposes, no matter who tried to stop Joseph. Just as these two women grew better and not bitter, so Joseph also experienced God’s favor. Never forget that you have a choice about how you will respond in the midst of suffering and testing. When God is with you, His favor and grace with enable you to go through anything. You have a choice. Are you going to get bitter, or will you trust Him and get better? Will you trust the Lord, or give up? Which will you do? It is your choice, just like it was Joseph’s, and just as it was for these two women in Elvin prison. Choose to trust Him!