Introductory Comments
The fight against sin and temptation is a fundamental element of the Christian life and it is a fundamental fight that we never stop fighting until we cross the finish line. Many faint at the first sound of shots, others fall out along the way, but even some are shot down near the final stretch of their lives. This battle is common to every believer who has ever lived.
Up to this point in the Joseph narrative there have been many temptations to despair and forsake the Lord. Yet, in our passage today Joseph is faced down with what is no doubt the greatest temptation of his life, and had he failed, it would have had tumultuous ramifications.
Looking at the Text
Verse 7: What a well of life Scripture is, that even from the most ungodly characters, we can be taught of God. As Matthew Henry notes, “Her sin began in her eye.” She saw Joseph’s rise to success, noticed his looks (v6), and “cast her eyes on Joseph.” Matthew Henry continues, “We have great need to make a covenant with our eyes, lest the eye infect the heart.”
Here is the lesson: we must stop sin before it reaches our eyes, before we cast our eyes on it. We are so easily and far too often deceived by thinking that simply looking with our eyes will cause no harm. If Potiphar’s wife had never cast her eyes on Joseph, she would’ve never told him to lie with her. The eyes are the gateways into our minds, hearts, and souls. Our sight is precious, and we must protect our eyes from sinful things. Men, the damage done by what we cast our eyes upon is inestimable, let us not be deceived to think that just a look will do no harm.
We of course most often relate this particular temptation to me, but we see clearly from the text that women are not immune to the temptation of casting their eyes upon things they ought not to cast them upon. Ladies, do not think that you do not need to guard your sight because this is predominately talked about as a male problem. How precious is the purity of our sight.
One of the best ways to fight temptation is to behold the glory of Christ and to gaze upon His beauty. But yet so often, our sight has been dimmed by the sin and the filth that we cast our eyes upon, so that when we go and read our bibles, we don’t see the glory of Jesus radiating from the pages of Scripture as we ought!
But oh, believer, do not despair if you fear your sight has been blinded by the sin you have set before it and cannot see Christ, for the miracle of the gospel is that Christ gives sight to the blind. Christ opens the eyes of those who have been blinded by sin.
If we struggle to see the beauty and the wonder of Christ because we have dimmed our vision with sin, let us pray for a work of grace, that Christ would give us sight.
Verse 8-9: Joseph refuses to sin against his master who has trusted him with so much.
“…he has put everything in my charge… he has not kept back anything form me except you…” Does this not sound like the garden? God put everything in Adam and Eve’s charge, and did not keep back anything, but one tree… and they failed… But unlike Adam, Joseph succeeded. In this he is a type of Christ – Jesus succeeded where Adam fell.
Not only does Joseph refuse to sin against his earthly master, but he also refuses to sin against his heavenly master. What a great theological statement we hear from Joseph in verse 9. Though his master’s wife belongs to Potiphar, it would primarily be not a sin against Potiphar or his wife, but against God.
We might imagine that King David was thinking back to this statement after he sinned with Bathsheba, as he wrote in Psalm 51v4, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…”
Here is the theological truth: sins against man are sins against God. To understand the wickedness of sinning against God is great fodder for resisting temptation.
Verse 10: “Day by day” – what a battering and beating of temptation that Joseph receives on a daily basis.
How often do we feel as if each day is a new punch in the face from temptation? Though temptation may come day by day, God’s mercies are new each morning.
“He would not listen to her” – much like protecting our sight, we must protect our ears. We must not give sin a hearing. It is often true that once we let the smooth talking, forked tongue creature speak into our ears we have already fallen. We don’t listen to sin, we listen to Christ. Sin is a liar and the Word is truth.
How often do we try and straddle that line with sin? How often do we flirt with temptation? – looking, listening, entertaining it as long as we can, so long as we don’t commit the action. What a foolish game to play that is. Joseph allows for no flirtatious conversation. What a lesson for us to learn.
Verse 11: Though this wasn’t Joseph’s intention we see here the danger of being alone with someone of the opposite sex that is not your spouse or relative. This idea is scoffed at today, of course by the world, but sadly even by many Christians. Yet, there is great wisdom in avoiding such situations. As Christians, we should want to take wise precautions to protect ourselves from perilous situations. It is far better to be called out of date, or legalistic, or any other insult, than to be lead to the slaughter by sin.
“Those that would be kept from harm must keep themselves out of harm’s way.” – Matthew Henry
Verse 12: Against all odds, Joseph prevails against so great a temptation! May we, like Joseph drop our coat to flee temptation. Sadly, we often don’t want to flee, we don’t have a burning desire to drop everything and run. We like to linger. But Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2v22, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness…”
“Note, it is better to lose a good coat than a good conscience.” – Matthew Henry
May we, like Joseph drop everything and get of the house of temptation. Do not linger in the house of sin, but leap out of a window if that’s the quickest escape route. A few broken bones is far better than a lost soul. Oh, may we beg God to give us this passion and desire to obey him and flee from sin! If we want to see revival in this land, we will see it when God puts in the heart of his people such a burning desire for holiness that we despise sin to the point of closing our eyes to it, covering our ears to it, and fleeing the house of temptation and falling into the arms of Christ! Oh, may God be merciful to us in this way. A love for Christ goes hand in hand with a hate for sin.
“…when at any time we are tempted to sin, we must consider the great wickedness there is in it, let sin appear sin, call it by its own name, and never go about to lessen it.” – Matthew Henry
More from Henry on Joseph’s prevailing over temptation, “Here is a most illustrious instance of virtue and resolved chastity in Joseph, who , by the grace of God, was enabled to resist and overcome this temptation; and, all things considered, his escape was, for aught I know, as great an instance of the divine power as the deliverance of the three children out of the fiery furnace.”
As heroic as we might make Joseph out to be, it is actually a testimony to the grace of God at work in his life. Henry says his escape was an instance of divine power! When we resist sin, it is God working a miracle in us. Want to see a miracle? Resist temptation! God works miracle every day in the life of normal believers like you and me in our ordinary lives every time we say no to sin and yes to obedience. In this, we live a life full of miracles!
Verse 13-18: Oh how Potiphar’s wife’s love for Joseph devolves into lies about him. Here Joseph is falsely and grossly accused of a wretched sin he did not commit, nor attempt to commit. Calvin puts it, a bit humorously, “…the wicked woman breaks forth from love into fury.” What a treacherous thing it is when the righteous are condemned for sins they did not commit. Yet, though reviled, Joseph does not stoop to revile in return. Truly a godly and righteous man.
Verse 19: As Potiphar hears his wife’s accusation against his servant Joseph his anger is kindled. However, it does not say that his anger was kindled “at Joseph.” This could be to show his love and respect for Joseph as you can find in the first 6 verse of Genesis 39. Or it could be to show Potiphar’s disbelief of his wife’s story, knowing her and Joseph’s contrasting character traits. Or it could be a mixture of both. Either way, Potiphar’s hands are tied. He has to do something. He cannot disregard his wife and ruin his reputation. So he elects to send Joseph to prison; but not just any prison, the king’s prison.
On Joseph’s end we see that it is better to be righteous and imprisoned than to be wicked and free.
Verse 21-23: In these verse we see the God’s presence in prison with Joseph and his marvelous steadfast love toward his servant. As Matthew Henry observes, “No gates nor bars can shut out His gracious presence form His people.”
Here we also learn the important lesson that sometimes God’s favor looks like prosperity (v1-6), and sometimes it looks like prison. “But here it is evident, that the Lord…often plunges his own people into the waves of adversity.” – John Calvin
As Joseph represents the life of the believer we learn that our circumstances are not an indicator of how God feels about us, as Christians. Our circumstances, whatever they may be, are orchestrated perfectly into place by the providence of God, because He loves us, and in our circumstances He is testing us, refining us, and sanctifying us. Here it is clear that it was not only Potiphar who put Joseph in prison, but providence. As Calvin puts it again, “The Lord purposely suffered him to be reduced to extremity that he might bring him back as from the grave.”
Joseph’s imprisonment was not God ceasing to love him; but in fact, God confirms his love to him in prison. Likewise, the problems, persecutions, and pains in our lives are not God’s removal of his love for us, but it is the confirmation of his love for us.
While in prison, the Lord grants favor to Joseph in the sight of the jail keeper. Joseph is given great responsibility in prison and the Lord causes whatever Joseph does to succeed; much like in Potiphar’s house (v1-6).
One thing I was reminded of in this passage is that even when the government unjustly persecutes us, we have the Lord with us, and He can overcome anything the government does. The Lord controls the hearts of men and He can give us favor in the sight of our jailers, or judges, or whatever government agencies that we might face tyranny and persecution from. He may not, be he can. And one day Christ will come and in the process of judging sinners and defeating Satan, He will overthrow all evil governments who persecute and terrorize God’s people unjustly, and He will setup his own government – a kingdom of peace, justice, and righteousness.
Summary Gospel Thoughts
Joseph is held up as essentially a flawless example in this passage. He does everything right. Everything to perfection. What a contrast he is to his brother Judah in the previous chapter (38). And what a contrast he is to us. We are not heroic Christians. We are sinners. Instead of running from temptation we often run right into it. We should beg God to gives us resole like Joseph, and a faith like Joseph. But at the end of the day it’s not enough. Being like Joseph is not the gospel. Joseph didn’t bleed for us. Joseph didn’t rise from the dead for us. Joseph isn’t interceding for us.
Unlike Joseph in this passage we are guilty. Joseph was unjustly judged, but we stand justly condemned before a holy God. we are more like Potiphar’s wife! What a great need we have to have our guilt removed!
In this passage we found that Joseph was found as guilty; though he committed no crime, he was seen as a transgressor. Guilt was put upon him. Therefore, Potiphar’s anger was kindled ,for the blame Joseph bore. And Joseph was punished, thrown down into the pit, he was numbered among the criminals. Potiphar’s wife’s sin was imputed to Joseph, essentially. Oh, how can this be!? Joseph was innocent! Ah, but he was seen as guilty.
How is it that we can have our guilt removed? it is only in Christ. Like Joseph, Jesus was found as guilty; though eh committed no crime, he was seen as a transgressor. Guilt was put on him. Therefore, the Father’s anger was kindled for the blame Jesus bore. And Jesus was punished, thrown down into the pit, and he was numbered among the criminals. Our sin was imputed to Christ.
Not only was Joseph numbered among the transgressors, but Potiphar’s wife was justified, or seen as righteous! She was covered by the robe of Joseph’s righteousness. How can this be!? She was guilty! Ah, but she was seen as righteous.
Likewise, not only was Christ numbered among the transgressors, but we sinners, are justified, or seen as righteous, by a garment. By Christ’s garment. Though we are guilty, we are counted as righteous! Covered by the garment of Christ’s righteousness. His righteousness covers our sin.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5v21
Like Joseph, Christ lived for us, took blame for us, and was thrown down for us. All of us have the same underlying problem – our sin is exposed before a Holy God. Only in Christ will we find a garment suitable to cover our sin exposure. Christ is the one who perfectly prevailed against temptation and took the blame and the fall for our sin.
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