Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife [Part 3  of 3]

When You Honour the Lord

Genesis 39: 20-23

We ended last time study with the scene of a very angry Potiphar throwing Joseph in jail. He’s angry, not surprisingly, of course he would be angry because he believes that the man, he entrusted with to have the authority in the oversight in fact to care of all that he had, had betrayed him, and attacked his wife. We now see what the repercussion of these false accusations for Joseph in the next episode

“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”.

(Genesis 39: 20)

So, we’re told in verse 20 that Potiphar takes Joseph and puts him in prison, a place where the King’s prisoners are kept. He had kept hold of his morals hadn’t slept with Potiphar’s wife and honored the Lord, yet he ends up in prison. Matter of fact, it says he’s in the Kings prison. So he wasn’t just in any prison, he was in what is probably a political prison, which Bible experts tell me was apparently worse than just being in an ordinary prison. As a matter of fact, his experience is mentioned. In Psalm 105,

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.

(Psalm 105: 17-19)

So, Psalm 105 tells us what is happening here, namely that he was being tested by the Lord. Back to Genesis 39.

 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

(Genesis 39: 21)

Even in prison the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Here we go again, Joseph is honored the Lord and the Lord has honored Joseph, so he gets thrown in prison and one of the blessings of God on Joseph is he finds favor and mercy in the sight of the warden of the jail, the keeper of the prison. 

Last two verses.

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.

(Genesis 39: 22-23)

He gets promoted again, he got promoted several times, in fact in the home of Potiphar and he gets thrown in prison and he gets promoted again. He gets to have authority over all the prisoners. And again, the interesting phrase in verse 21. “But the Lord was with him and the keeper of the prison” and the head warder of the prison, verse 23, did not look into anything that was under Joseph authority. Why? Again, because the Lord was with him and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper. So, what we have here in just very simple terms is the Lord was with Joseph. Joseph honored the Lord, and the Lord honored Joseph.

I began this set of three studies in chapter 39 of Genesis by asking what happens when we honor the Lord. The answer is the Lord honors us, but that doesn’t mean that you will escape all trouble and solve all problems just because you’re honoring the Lord or even because the Lord is blessing you, does not mean that all your problems will be solved and go away. In fact, the blessings of God and hard times can go hand in hand at the same time.

Let’s try and put all this together and think about it for a minute. This chapter is simply telling us that because Joseph honored the Lord, even when he was in prison, as a result of his faithfulness he was honored by the Lord. So, one of the great lessons here is if you honour the Lord, the Lord will honour you, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be trouble in your life. Before I close, I’d like to make a couple of observations and one is again something those of you who are familiar with my teaching style like to do and that is put this story in the context of the book. We tend to read these stories and look at them in isolation, but we really should always remember to look at them in the context of a book. One commentator I read said this, Quote 

This story about Joseph reverses a well-known plot in the patriarchal narratives, whereas before it was the beautiful wife of the Patriarchs who was sought by the foreign rulers. Now it was Joseph, the handsome patriarch. who himself sought was sought by the wife of the foreign ruler [i].”,

(Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable [1970]

Whereas in the earlier narratives it was either the Lord or the moral ethical position of the foreign ruler that rescued the wife rather than the patriarch, here it was Joseph own moral courage that saved the day. In the preceding narratives the focus of the writer has been on God’s faithfulness in fulfilling his covenant promise. In the story of Joseph, his attention is turned to the human response. The events described here are intended then to give balance to the narratives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that preceded them. Together these two sections show both God's faithfulness in spite of human failure, as well as the necessity for us to always show a obedient and faithful response. I believe it’s critical to see this story in the light of the whole book particularly in contrast to the previous similar stories of moral failure. When understood together show both God’s faithfulness in spite of human failure, as well as the necessity of an obedient and faithful response. 

Then look at this story in its own right. Each scene in the record of Joseph life reveals some distinctive trait of character. Usually, it comes out by means of a crisis. Joseph experience God’s blessing as he served faithfully in Potiphar’s house, even when his master’s wife repeatedly seduced him, he refused her offer because he did not want to sin against God and betray Potiphar’s trust. Joseph continued to enjoy God’s great blessing even when imprisoned because of her false charges.  

That’s the story of Joseph, he is revealed as a man of great character. Someone who has proven personal integrity. Living a life of personal integrity helps promote spiritual maturity and prepares us more fully to recognize and receive God’s blessing in our lives. The best things are not the easiest, but the hardest to obtain. How graciously, Joseph handled himself amidst all these trials and hardships, he might have become bitter, but instead his spirit was not downhearted because he kept trusting in the Lord. He consistently refused to be unfaithful to the Lord, whatever the situation or the consequences.

That’s what we learned from this chapter, Joseph honored the Lord, and as a result, the Lord honored him. That doesn’t mean that he didn’t have difficulty or temptation it just means that as he honored the Lord, the Lord blessed him. The whole story comes down the principle stated in the final verse

Because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

(Genesis 39: 23)

Have you noticed how this statement is made in the opening of the chapter and here in the final verse?  That’s the issue, it isn’t that we honor the Lord and God blesses us, it’s that no matter what happens, always honour the Lord. That is what’s significant about this story. We need to honor the Lord and all that we do, not expecting that that’s going to prevent problems, but expecting that no matter what happens, the Lord will be with us. 

Here’s the key, this is what you should take from this passage and carry in your heart every day, or put in your pocket. “But the Lord was with him”.

Charles Evan Hughes was an relatively unknown civil servant in America in the 1920’s he served as translator under two American presidents Secretary of State under President, Harding and then under Coolidge.  While attending a post WW I conference, President Calvin Coolidge told the interpreter to give him a summarized translation of whatever was spoken in Spanish or Portuguese.  He emphasized quote, while a summary translation is ample for my purposes, I want you to give me every word in the couple of sentences after the speaker says. But.  He went on to explain what follows but is always the most important part.  That was true of those speeches, heard long ago and that is true in this passage. And that is true in our lives. If we honor the Lord, the Lord will honor us as verse 21 says, but no matter what happens, but no matter what happens the Lord is still with us. 

[i] Expository Notes on Genesis - Dr. Thomas Constable (1970)