Joseph and the Naughty Lady

Jesus said to his disciples, “I have food to eat you know nothing about” John 4:32. 

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

Joseph and the Naughty Lady

J. C. Sheridan, II

Genesis 39:6–10 (NKJV) 6 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. 7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 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. 9 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?” 10 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.

These few verses reveal a lot. Potiphar had so much confidence in the young Hebrew that everything he had was now in Joseph hands as a steward. Potiphar knew nothing of his possessions except for the food on his table. Note the introduction to Joseph’s appearance. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. To put into today's jargon, Joseph was a “Hunk”. Potiphar’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph—Egyptian women were not kept in the same secluded manner as females are in most Oriental countries now. They were treated in a manner more worthy of a civilized people—in fact, enjoyed much freedom both at home and abroad. Hence Potiphar’s wife had constant opportunity of meeting Joseph. But the ancient women of Egypt were very loose in their morals. Intrigues and intemperance were vices very prevalent among the them, as the monuments too plainly attest [Wilkinson]. Potiphar’s wife was probably not worse than many of the same rank, and her infamous advances made to Joseph arose from her superiority of station.

Joseph proclaims How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?When all inferior arguments had failed, embodied the true principle of moral purity—a principle always sufficient where it exists, and alone sufficient.

After Joseph’s continued refusal she called unto the men of her house—Disappointed and affronted, she vowed revenge and accused Joseph, first to the servants of the house, and on his return to her lord. See, he hath brought in an Hebrew … to mock us—an affected and blind aspersion of her husband for keeping in his house an Hebrew, the very abomination of Egyptians. Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison—the roundhouse, from the form of its construction, usually attached to the dwelling of such an officer as Potiphar. It was partly a subterranean dungeon (Ge 41:14), though the brick-built walls rose considerably above the surface of the ground, and were surmounted by a vaulted roof somewhat in the form of an inverted bowl. Into such a dungeon Potiphar, in the first outburst of rage, threw Joseph and ordered him to be subjected further to as great harshness of treatment (Ps 105:18) as he dared; for the power of masters over their slaves was very properly restrained by law, and the murder of a slave was a capital crime. 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.

Next Time - Joseph and the Baker & the Butler