Introduction
Recently a young girl VINODHINI, who was good looking and was admired by few men of her beauty, was living in a village. She was a school going girl and the only child to her parents. A particular person tried to covet her because of her beauty. Having lust on her, he wanted to have sexual relationship with her. He approached her with this proposal of having a relationship with her. She did not agree as a result he got angry and threw acid on her face which resulted in her death. This innocent girl’s story reminded me of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife in which Joseph was innocently victimized because of his handsomeness and the lust of Potiphar’s wife.
It is said that primarily Joseph’s story constitutes a discrete, independent unit within genesis. The story of Joseph mainly explains about the life and institutions of the Egyptian country. The narrator relishes the exotic customs of the Egyptian Court to keep its readers lively and entertaining, because in many books the scenes of courts are mostly avoided. The characters in this passage: Potiphar, Asenath, Zakhenath pareal are well known types of Egyptian names. Many sources say that the dreams play a major role in the land of Egypt and it is true that the king appoints competent persons to interpret his dreams. Thus many features of Joseph’s story could fit into an Egyptian life. In that context, selling of human slaves was very common among countries and thus selling of Joseph to another country was not of a great surprise. Egypt being a powerful country manages to buy many “man” slaves. Thus many scholars argue that this could have happened during 1650-1540 BCE. According to Vergote, there is no reason to doubt that Joseph really existed because during those times the Egyptians would appoint few Israelites in the royal court. Many scholars argue that these stories were written in an earlier period and later revived during Solomon’s period.
The word “Pharaoh” becomes a title for the Egyptian king. The words like reed grass, magician and bow down were used frequently during these periods. This chapter is considered as one of the darkest episodes in Joseph’s life. The author of this passage enjoys telling stories in 3 episodes. The first 2 are typically quite alike and then the 3rd surprises by its differences. Here Joseph is said to experience God’s presence and blessing. First, by being put in charge of Potiphar’s household, Second by being put in charge of the royal prison. But in both the cases his hopes are dashed. Potiphar throws him into prison and the chief butler forgets Joseph and leaves him in prison. The Third act opens ominously for Joseph because unlike the previous two occasions there is no exposition in which it is said that the Lord is with Joseph. This phrase gets straight to the narrator.
Hence I would like to title my sermon as Re-reading the Josepha and Potiphar’s wife’s Narrative in Genesis 39.
1. God’s blessings and grace are with God’s people that are manifested to others
2. Joseph overcoming temptation
3. Remarkable Reward
1. God’s blessings and grace are with God’s people that are manifested to others
Here is a man named Joseph who had everything against him. Imagine the feelings of a youth of 17 years torn from his fate from house and form his own country. Yet he is raised from low and near estate to the highest place in his master’s house. He prospers to a wonderful extent and causes all around him to prosper. Cast off by his own brothers, he rises amongst strangers to dignity and honor. Joseph came up to a high position in his life through his own conduct. Surely Joseph must have been cheerful when he was appointed as a prime minister (in the present day context) of the country. But the text clearly says that he obeyed his master in all his dealings. He was a noble, example of one who was completely resigned to the will of God in affliction. Joseph rose to influence by the force of his character. It was the grace of God that made his character good. This grace made Joseph prosperous like a tree planted by the nearer of water. Even though he had to leave his father, mother and brothers but he never left God. He was persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed. This can be compared with the sayings of psalmist where he says “even when my father and mother forsake me, my God will not let me down”. It might look that God is hidden for a while but in the mysterious way of God’s providence, God could be working out a better plan for our life. If God would have left Joseph with his family in Canaan, they would in all probability have been dispersed among the people, have lost their unity and independence. But in Egypt he was made to grow up to a great power. God made him to acquire political strength.
Joseph was attentive, obedient and careful in the performance of his household duties as well as faithful to the interest of his master. The narrator is careful in saying that Joseph’s prosperity is the divine blessing of his labour. He enjoyed divine companionship in his sad captivity “the Lord was with him”. The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Similar events are recorded in New Testament period too. For example, disciples of Jesus Christ were very simple and they were also faithful to their master and they were lifted high and their service was expanded to larger communities after Jesus Christ. Disciple Thomas was in Jerusalem but came to India as a blessing to spread the love of Jesus here. To be more precise in the present day context prominent persons like Martin Luther, William Carey, Zigenbalg who were a great blessing not only to their own country but also to larger Christian communities that they continue to influence many through their life lessons until now.
2. Joseph overcoming temptation
Joseph was a young man at photibar’s house. He was smart and was able to complete all the works ordered to him. He was very prosperous for nearly a decade in his master house. But suddenly a thunder bolt from a clear sky (i.e) a fierce temptation shot upon him. A peaceful and successful life can be challenged with such situations that happened in the life of Joseph. Joseph’s beauty proved a snare to him. His master’s wife “cast her eyes” upon him. He had not to seek to draw her into temptation, but she solicited him. Temptation renews day by day. Many are able to withstand temptations in the first instance who yet fail to hold out to the end. Eve resisted her tempter at the first outset but was overcome by the Second, Samson refused first to satisfy Delilah’s questions, but at last was conquered by the tears of a fair woman. Joseph did not want to commit adultery with her not just because she was a married woman nor, she was old, but first because he did not want to lose the faith and trust that his master had on him. Moreover, Joseph’s strong belief that God is with him never allowed him to commit such adultery in his life. Thus, many of faces temptations in our life but many in the course of our struggle to withstand temptation many of yield to our temptation.
On the other hand, I also would like to looks at this event from the eyes of photibar’s wife whose name is not even mentioned. May be the biblical authors must have felt that she may not be holy women to represent in the holy writings. Photibar could have failed to do his responsibility properly. He was a busy with his king, who focused on his administration of his land, whereas he never gave importance to his family, to be more precise to his wife. We are not sure whether he fulfilled his responsibilities amidst his busy life with the king. Thus he failed in his responsibility as a husband, though he was a successful minister to his king. Thus what we need to learn in that is, though we may be hard workers in our professions respectively, we should also need to give proper care, responsibility and nurturing to our own family. Joseph though had the opportunity to sin in secret, he opposed it and he escaped from it. According to Joseph this was a sin against God a direct violation of God’s expectations from him. He recognizes a supreme authority over human conduct and he was faithful to God as well as to human.
The text never says that Joseph never had a small percentage of temptation to prefer adultery with his master’s wife. According to me, it is not the will of Joseph that prevented him from sinning rather the divine grace of God and Joseph’s co- operation with that grace that prevented him from such a sinful act. Joseph’s reply to Pothipar’s wife was “No”. This ‘no’ was not a reply with half heartedness, but with a full toned voice of a man who made up his mind not to sin against God and his human master. Another reason for Joseph’s refusal was the power that was granted to him. He never wanted to misuse the power that he owned. Further he was not to pollute the sacred relationship between a husband and wife. According to Joseph, he used and enjoyed all that his master owned except his wife because she was gift to his master by God.
3. Remarkable Reward
The immediate reward for Joseph’s avoidance of sin was shame. Yes he left his garment and ran away to protect his purity. Clothing is a mark of identity for all classes of people. Therefore, here Joseph even tried to leave his indentify to avoid sin. But the reward for this good act is shame towards him from the fellow worker’s and even from his subordinates. We should also understand that only humans were mocking him because they never know the truth, but the one who protected him from sin kept his regard high and respected him. We should understand that impurity and falsehood are closely interrelated. We should also learn that God’s people have to be patient under false accusations. By maintaining his integrity and purity Joseph exposed himself to the imputation of being regarded as a man of truth. He bore the reputation of a sinner, but his record was on high, his judgment was with his God. There was a great prophetic preacher who owns a television channel was falsely accused by some political powers. He bore the shame with pain. But after few days later the court gave the verdict that the accusation was false and thus repented to him. We as normal human beings at many times accused falsely from our own friends or even by our relatives.
Joseph had to experience pain in a prison for no reason, while the other inmates are the actual or suspected perpetrators of evil, whose name is a reproach whom society casts out. The blameless Joseph is behind the bars. Though he was conscious of his innocence, yet reproach and punishment on account of his integrity and uprightness was imposed on him. I believe Joseph’s faithful God must have consoled him when he was in Jail. Since the Lord was with Joseph he had a hope that he would get a justice. This brought him a further reward in the sight of men and led the way to his advancement and exaltations. Jesus underwent the same experience who was accused for no reason, enquired, beaten, put behind the bars and finally given capital punishment as he was charged with political crime of revolting against the governor. As we know, later Joseph was released from prison and was made the prime minister pharaoh’s kingdom. Joseph had much yet to do in this world. He did not give up whatever happened in his life. When he was a young boy he had dreams and as he has the gift of interpreting the dreams he must have understood those dreams of stars bowing down to other stars. However, things happened indifferently in his life and it looked as if those dreams would never come true in his life.
Conclusion:
To conclude dear friends, this story explicitly shows the activity of God. God works at multiple levels with multiple persons like Joseph, Potiphar, prison warden etc. In today’s context whether it is church ministry, or a secular job or a theological community like us, false accusation, temptation to commit sin, absolute helplessness are common. I used to think that Churches and theological communities are to be holy places but now I will not think like that. I understood now clearly that every community in this world goes through a kind of similar experiences such as power centered administration rather than deliberative administration, false accusation to save their selfish motives or to protect their so called good person image, facing punishment wrongly, and so on keep occurring in every corner of this world. How are we going overcome it? If Joseph would have cooperated with photibar’s wife his life would not have ended in jail and might not have experienced God intended elevation. Dear friends let us not get discouraged about Joseph’s life until the day he was brought before Pharaoh, but get encouraged about things that happened in his life after that day. We don’t find any record about anything Joseph uttered about the unjust punishment, all that he did was kept himself calm and quite and waited for the Lord to rejuvenate his life situation. Let us be like him in such situation.
May the good Lord help us to enable us to be Channels of God’s reign!
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