Wrongfully Accused
We pick up the story of Joseph from where we left off in my post But God was with him. Joseph is a slave in Potiphar’s house in Egypt and things are going well for him, or as well as they can go being a slave in a foreign land. Genesis 39:6 ends with an interesting sentence regarding Joseph’s physical appearance.
Handsome
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.”
- Genesis 39:6b-7 NKJV
The Bible does not usually describe people’s appearance, so when it is described we pay attention.
The language is photographic: Joseph was “well-built and handsome,” a literal translation would be, “fair with regard to form” and “fair with regard to appearance” (compare with David, 1 Samuel 16:12, 18; 17:42).
The feminine formula of the same expressions “beautiful with regard to form” and “beautiful with regard to appearance” portray the loveliness of a woman (see also 1 Samuel 25:3; Genesis 12:11), and the full description captures Rachel’s attractiveness (Genesis 29:17; compare with Esther, a literal translation would be, “beautiful with regard to form and good with regard to appearance,” Esther 2:7).
““Amid Joseph’s many blessings, he suffers from one endowment too many, stunning beauty.””
Poor Joseph, he was just too handsome. Poor guy had to flee from women throwing themselves at him. I get the feeling many men would love to have this problem. It is interesting to consider what different people struggle with. We tend to have compassion for those who struggle like we do and downplay struggles that are foreign to us. I for one, cannot relate to Joseph in this struggle. I have spent at least 23 years of my life chasing after one woman, and continue to do so. But that is for another post.
Genesis 39:7 also says something about Potiphar’s wife, and commenting on this passage Robert Jamieson adds relevant cultural and historical context.
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.
- Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 40.
A cultural issue?
Place yourself in Joseph’s shoes. You’re in a foreign land, with a different culture and religion. Joseph has no one to hold him accountable. His parents are not there. There are no “churches” around for him to worship, no pastor or elder to rebuke him. If Joseph decides to disobey God there is no one there to get him in any kind of trouble. He could also argue that it is God’s fault he is in this situation in the first place. God allowed Joseph’s brothers to sell him. Joseph could reason that God abandoned him and that he achieved all this success through his effort and dedication (though the biblical text is clear that God caused Joseph to prosper as discussed in “But God Was With Him”). Joseph could claim his strong work ethic gave him success, and his hard work gave him a body that caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife. Why should Joseph not enjoy the benefits of his hard work? He has worked so hard for so long, he is lonely, abandoned by his family and perhaps the God of his father.
Furthermore, Joseph could reason that it would be improper to disobey the orders of his master’s wife. Joseph was a slave after all, who could fault him for just doing as he was told? Maybe this is how people behave in the Egyptian culture. It would be insensitive for Jospeh to want to apply his morals from his religion in a place with a different religion and culture.
Culture is a fascinating thing. I do not have all the answers regarding the culture debate, but I do believe it is important for us to differentiate between culture and God’s morals/ethics. The Bible does not say we have to wear a tie or have a specific haircut. Those are cultural aspects of our behavior. However, the Bible is clear regarding adultery and against promiscuity in general.
Proverbs 7 has strong warnings against a seductress.
5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
[…]
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
- Proverbs 7:5,26-27 NKJV
Adultery was sternly condemned in Mosaic law, which required the death of the transgressors (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10). Moses had not been born yet in the days of Joseph, and the Mosaic law had not been written down, but its principles were already known and observed by God’s faithful children.
It is important to note that the Bible is not against sexual intercourse, the entire book of Songs of Solomon celebrates romantic love and intimacy. What the Bible warns against is sexual activity outside the confines of marriage between a man and a woman. (For more on sexuality in the Old Testament, I highly recommend the book Flame of YWHW by Dr. Richard Davidson - if you use this link it does not cost you extra but it does help support my online ministry.)
“…and it is impossible for the slave of passion to realize the sacred obligation of the law of God, to appreciate the atonement, or to place a right value upon the soul.”
- Patriarchs and Prophets p458
No Thank You
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?”
- Genesis 39:8-9 NKJV
Joseph understood that his loyalty to God was at stake. This was not a matter of two consenting adults freely choosing to engage in sensual pleasure. This was not a cultural matter. It did not matter if all Egyptians behaved in this manner. It did not matter if Joseph was told to behave in this manner by his superiors here on earth. Ultimately, Joseph was a child of God. Joseph recognized that his success came as a gift from God and Joseph was unwilling to allow anything to come between his relationship with God. It would not have mattered if Potiphar had told Joseph to go against the will of God. Potiphar might have been Joseph’s boss here on earth, but ultimately Joseph was a servant of God.
Likewise, we must never forget that our ultimate allegiance lies with God, above all authorities on earth. I obey the government, I do as my boss tells me, and I follow the introductions of my teachers or professors unless they come into conflict with God’s laws for my life. I must always choose God above what anyone else on search tells me to do.
Joseph was not concerned about getting caught. Joseph’s main concern is his relationship with God, Joseph does not wish to do “this great wickedness and sin against God,”
K. A. Matthews points out how Joseph’s rhetorical question (How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”) highlights the absurdity of considering such a breach of moral conduct. The Hebrew “this great wickedness” (“such a wicked thing,” NIV) has the same effect of underscoring the depravity of her (Potiphar’s wife) illicit suggestion (see also Genesis 20:9 “great sin”). “Wickedness” also described the mental affections of prediluvian society (Genesis 6:5), and it was the Mosaic penalty of death that removed “the evil from Israel” (Deuteronomy 22:22). But the crime is not against Potiphar alone; Joseph understood that this transgression offended God himself. The confession of David acknowledged the same (Psalm 51:4[6]). Mosaic law required the death of adulterous offenders (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22) since it was viewed as an offense against the Lord and not against the spouse alone. The law codes of Israel’s neighbors permitted the death penalty too (see Genesis 20:9) but often included a specific provision under which the offended spouse could pardon the wrongdoer. (K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 734.
Impossible Temptation?
I am a heterosexual male. I grew up in Brazil before moving to the US as a teenager. I share this because these experiences shape how I read this text. When talking with friends, this was considered an impossible temptation. Most young men spend their time and energy chasing women, at least that was the case when I was in high school and college. Most of the talk among the guys revolved around chasing women, not being chased by women.
I try to imagine what it would be like to have a group of young men hanging out and one of the guys joins the group and they ask him how the day went and he tells them how difficult it is to work while the boss’s wife keeps making advances at him. The comments from the guys would range from disbelief to jealousy to confusion at his resistance.
Many perhaps think of Bible characters as a different breed, unaffected by our “modern-day” struggles. But I believe Satan has always tempted people to disobey God, from Adam and Eve (Genesis 3) to Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15) to our modern day (Mathew 26:41; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 John 2:1-2). I think of Joseph as someone like me, except for living a much more difficult life. I imagine him struggling with not only the advances of Portiphar’s wife but also in his relationship with the other servants and the comments they might have made, little jokes here and there. Imagine how lonely Joseph must have felt, not only as an immigrant in a foreign land but also as a follower of God. It is not easy to be a follower of God, especially without any support group, no community, and no fellow believers. Joseph’s struggle was much greater than it seems at first glance.
But we have to remember what the Bible says, God was with Joseph and God does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, it is God who provides a way for us and he did for Joseph. Where Judah failed in Genesis 38 (Strong Female Character), Joseph stands strong by God’s grace. We need to understand that Before ruling a nation Joseph ruled himself.
Joseph’s response to Potiphar’s wife implies that there was a standard of righteousness demanded by the God of his fathers (Genesis 15:6; 17:1; 20:6, 9; 26:10; 44:16; 50:17).
What Joseph exhibited in fleeing the temptress demonstrates sage advice against such immoral entanglements: “But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself” (Proverbs 6:32; 2:16–19; 6:23–35; 23:26–28; 1 Corinthians 6:18; compare with 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee the evil desires of youth”). Moreover, the depiction of Joseph’s high moral character in this chapter is transparent when compared to the ambiguity presented in chap. 37. (K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 727.)
Persistence
And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
- Genesis 39:10 ESV
You have to admire the persistence of Potiphar’s wife. After Joseph’s answer, you would expect her to feel embarrassed and just drop it. But she seems all the more determined. It is not like Joseph can talk to HR about the harassment he is suffering. It is not like Jospeh can ask to be transferred to a different place. Joseph cannot talk to Potiphar about this, his fellow workers would not be of any help either. Potiphar’s wife is powerful and she is persistent. What will Joseph do?
So many struggle simply because they have access to pornography. Here Joseph is dealing with a real-life woman who is actively pursuing him day by day. It is no wonder that God will make him the ruler of a great nation. I wonder if we disqualify ourselves from greater responsibility because of our weak resolve and our love of sin. I am not saying that we are lost because we are weak, I am saying that perhaps our weakness limits the degree to which God can use us. Every time we make an excuse and give in to sin, we are missing out on what God could do through us to bless those around us. (This is just a thought, feel free to let me know your thoughts on this in the comments below.)
It is also worth noting that Potiphar’s wife used an unusual expression inviting Joseph to “lie beside her,” and not to “lie with her” (Genesis 34:7; 39:14). It could be that she changed tactics after her first advance in verse 7, and instead asked Joseph to be just beside her, but Joseph decided to avoid her altogether. How many times do we end up falling into sin because we were hanging out in its proximity? Once we become aware of our weaknesses or a particular temptation, why would we needlessly expose ourselves to it?
Though Joseph could not simply apply for a different job or a job elsewhere, he did his best to avoid the temptation, and it worked for a while.
he said she said
11 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, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
- Genesis 39:11-12 NKJV
Joseph walks into the house one day and oddly no one else is there. That’s odd, he thought, maybe everyone is just busy… perhaps he wondered at the coincidence that everyone was out at the same time. But he was surprised by Potiphar’s wife who caught him by his garment and told him to lie with her. This was it, he had tried his best, but how could he escape her now? No one else was there, no one would ever know. She grabbed him. He could not escape. He had tried his best but nobody could resist this level of temptation, so finally Joseph gave in to the desires of his boss’s wife.
That could have happened, and I don’t think anybody would be too surprised, especially after reading about the behavior of Judah and Tamar (I have an entire post on Genesis 38). But Joseph is determined to not commit this grave sin against God. Joseph leaves his garment behind and flees from Portiphar’s wife. She must have been furious. I imagine she was not used to being denied. She was probably accustomed to always getting what she wanted, yet here is this slave displaying noble qualities and turning down her advances. She could not force Joseph to sin.
It is worth noting that the term “caught” is the term that describes the violation of a virgin in Deuteronomy 22:28 which literally translates to “seizes her and lies with her”; or as the NIV translates it, “rapes.” ( K. A. Mathews, 735.) You could argue that this was an attempted rape.
The New Testament passage of 2 Timothy 2:22 had not yet been written but Joseph followed its admonition literally.
Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
- 2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV
Wrongfully Accused
13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 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. 15 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.”
- Genesis 39:13-15 NKJV
There were no other witnesses in the house. Potiphar’s wife can just make up things and it will be her word against Joseph’s word. The only other person who witnessed what happened was God, will God step in and do something?
These verses highlight Joseph’s vulnerability. He had to work, and he wanted to do a good job, but in so doing he fell prey to the trap Potiphar’s wife set for him.
Cloak
Did you notice the importance of Joseph’s clothing again? It’s one of the themes we have been noticing in this series. The word “cloak” is central to the plot of the story, occurring six times in the chapter (vv. 12[2×], 13, 15, 16, 18). This term for “cloak” is the most often used (about 200x) and the most general term for clothing, referring broadly to a variety of garments, some sacred (e.g., Exod 28:2) and some common (Gen 28:20), worn by men and women.
It describes Tamar’s “widow’s clothes” (Genesis 38:14, 19). There’s also Joseph’s special “robe” given by Jacob which is important in the development of the narrative (Genesis 37:3, 23, 31–33). The idea of “clothing” in Genesis 37 and 39 has implications for Joseph’s difficulties. The garment in both narratives is the specious evidence presented by his adversaries that results in his unjust imprisonments. (K. A. Mathews, 735.)
The Accusation
When Poriphar’s wife realized that she had evidence to support her story, she set in motion the circumstances that victimized Joseph (v. 13). This incident is a sobering reminder of the wide destruction that the lying tongue produces (Proverbs 18:21; 26:28; James 3:6).
“Look” directs the attention of the servants to the “prima facie evidence” (the garment). Potiphar’s wife aims her attack at Joseph’s “Hebrew” descent (see also Genesis 14:13 for use of the term Hebrew), avoiding his name ( notice her use of “Hebrew servant,” in verse 17) and exhibiting noted Egyptian anti-Semitism (Genesis 43:1). This is a striking picture of the later enslavement of the Hebrews, who were deemed a burgeoning threat (Exodus 1:8–16).
The woman also blames her husband here indirectly saying “he brought to us” (Genesis 39:14), but she is direct when she talks to her husband in verse 17.
The phrase “to mock us” or “to make sport of us” contributes to the us-versus-them mindset, setting the whole household against Joseph, who was a foreigner. Perhaps she hopes to fuel any existing jealousy the servants had toward their overseer.
“To make sport” or “mock” indicates disdain (see also Genesis 21:9; Judges 16:25) but also could have sexual implications (see Genesis 26:8). Her insistence that she resisted (“screamed,” Genesis 39:14, 15, 18) exonerated her (compare with Deuteronomy 22:24–27). She repeated the lie, inventing the details to conform to the circumstance (v. 15). Together, the testimony of the master’s wife and the exhibited cloak sealed Joseph’s apparent guilt.
Potiphar comes home
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 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; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
- Genesis 39:16-19 NKJV
Potiphar’s wife had rehearsed her story with the servants and now she tells it to her husband who interestingly is referred to as Joseph’s master, not her husband. She blames her husband for bringing this Hebrew slave into their home, elevating his status to overseer and now she expects him to do something about it. As I mentioned earlier Potiphar is referred to as Joseph’s master, which makes the accusation against Joseph even more destructive. She portrays Joseph as an ungrateful servant whom his master had given everything but he was not satisfied and tried to violate his master’s wife. Potiphar’s wife portrays herself as a poor damsel in distress, who is brave and screams and causes the cowardly servant to flee. She had successfully defended herself against the Hebrew slave’s advances.
Furious
19 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. 20 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 39:19 NKJV
Joseph’s master is furious! However, some consider the text intentionally vague.
Is Potiphar furious with Joseph?
Is he furious that he is losing his goose who was laying the golden eggs? Everything he had was prospering under Joseph, who would run the household now? Do you how difficult it is to find a good administrator?
Is he furious at his wife for the position she has placed him in?
Here is what some commentaries say about this passage.
Potiphar was enraged at what he heard, and put Joseph into the prison where the king’s prisoners (state-prisoners) were confined. This was a very moderate punishment. An attempt at adultery was to be punished with 1000 blows, and rape upon a free woman still more severely. It is possible that Potiphar was not fully convinced of his wife’s chastity, and therefore did not place unlimited credence in what she said. But even in that case it was the mercy of the faithful covenant God, which now as before (Gen. 37:20ff.) rescued Joseph’s life.
- Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 222.)This, which some regard as having been a mild punishment (Delitzsch, Keil), since, according to Diodorus Siculus, the laws of the Egyptians were especially severe in their penalties for offenses against women, is represented by a Hebrew psalmist (Ps. 105:18) as having been accompanied with bodily tortures, at least for a time; for his speedy elevation to a place of trust within the prison almost gives countenance to the idea (Kurtz, Lange, &c.) that Potiphar did not believe his wife’s story, and only incarcerated Joseph for the sake of appearances. That Joseph was not immediately punished with death is not improbable (Bohlen), but exceedingly natural, since Joseph was Potiphar’s favourite (Havernick).
- H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Genesis, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 450.Potiphar’s action in confining Joseph with political offenders may be considered extreme leniency in view of punishment customarily administered for the crime of which he stood accused. In later times the penalty for an attempt at adultery was a thousand blows upon the soles of the feet, and for the rape of a freewoman it was even more severe (Diodorus i. 78 [Diodorus Siculus, translated by C.H. Oldfather and Russel M. Geer, Loeb Classical Library (10 vols.; London, 1923-1957 [vols. 8 and 12 forthcoming])). Potiphar’s lenience no doubt reflected his confidence in Joseph’s integrity, and in contrast, very little respect for his wife’s account of the episode. Nevertheless Joseph’s punishment seems to have been severe at first, for more happened to him than the Genesis narrative implies. According to Ps. 105:18, his “feet” were “hurt with fetters,” and “he was laid in iron.”
- Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1978), 440.
Psalm 105 shares a valuable perspective on this story.
16 Moreover He called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the provision of bread.
17 He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who was sold as a slave.
18 They hurt his feet with fetters,
He was laid in irons.
19 Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.
- Psalm 105:16-22 NKJV (bold mine)
This passage spoils the parts of the story we have not yet come to, but it also adds a piece of information that is meaningful in verse 18. Joseph suffered in prison. This was not a quick, simple, and easy journey for Joseph. Joseph remained faithful under nearly irresistible temptation and all he got for his troubles was to have his feet hurt with fetter and to be laid in irons. When we are faithful to God in the face of temptation we often expect some sort of reward and we expect it yesterday. Yet, once again, Joseph probably feels like God has abandoned him. I wonder if Joseph even realizes it was God who gave him the strength to withstand the temptation he faced from Potiphar’s wife.
I wonder if while in prison, hurt, cold, sweating, and starving, Joseph ever regretted being faithful to God. Who knows if his master would have turned a blind eye to his wife’s indiscretions with Joseph so long as Joseph continued to cause all that Potiphar had to prosper?
I have heard that there’s a chance that Potiphar was a eunuch, I did some digging and this is what I found in the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible.
Potiphar. Officer who purchased Joseph when he arrived in Egypt after being sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites/Midianites (Gn 37:36; 39:1). The word translated “officer” is derived from an Akkadian word for a court official. By the 1st millennium the meaning eunuch was attached to the term; hence, the neb has eunuch in Genesis 37:36 following the Septuagint tradition. But most English versions are correct in rendering it “officer” or “official.” Little, if anything, is known of eunuchs in Egypt, and certainly they played no role in Pharaoh’s court in the 2nd millennium bc.
- Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Potiphar,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1738.
But the LORD
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 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. 23 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 39:21-23 NKJV
But the LORD is one of my favorite phrases in the Bible. Sure, Potiphar’s wife had wrongfully accused Joseph, and Joseph was thrown into prison. Sure Joseph’s brothers had sold him as a slave. Sure Joseph was now a prisoner in a foreign country. Joseph would very likely rot in that Egyptian prison. The only hope Joseph has is in God, the God who never leaves him or forsakes him, even though he might feel forsaken by God.
Joseph’s situations suddenly do not matter all that much because God was doing something. God was and is in control. Sure Joseph’s brothers and Potiphar and his wife had done things that affected Joseph negatively, but God had not abandoned Joseph. Even now, in his lowest point, the Bible tells us that the LORD was with Joseph. Whatever happened before the phrase, “But the LORD” is of little importance, because all that matters is what comes after But the LORD.
But the LORD was with Joseph, therefore, the best is yet to come. Yes, Joseph is in prison for doing the right thing, but the LORD is with him, which means the best is yet to come. It is better to be in prison with God than to be the ruler of a kingdom without God.
Because God is with Joseph, things will work out in the end. Joseph doesn’t know when these things will happen. It probably feels like it is taking forever, and you might be feeling similarly right now as you read this.
Perhaps you have given your heart to Jesus recently. Maybe you decided to study the Bible more intentionally. Maybe you committed to attending church and prayer meetings and you began to volunteer and help those around you, and you expected life to get easier but recently it feels like everything is going wrong.
Maybe you feel like just walking away from the whole thing. You gave God a try, but it was not easy, so what do you do?
Will walking away from God solve any of your problems? In the long run, will life be better or worse without God?
God does not promise an easy life, but God promises that you will not face life’s challenges alone.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
- Isaiah 43:2-3a NKJV
Joseph’s circumstances change, but God never changes.
God is always with His children.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua 1:9 NKJVFear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
- Isaiah 41:10NKJVDo not be afraid of their faces,
For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.They will fight against you,
But they shall not prevail against you.
For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”
- Jeremiah 1:8, 19 NKJVGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
- Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
The Lord was with Joseph, and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
Practical Application
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
- John 16:33 NKJV
You will face tribulation, but you do not have to be overcome by it. Jesus has overcome the world and He promises to be with us. So the only question that remains is will you trust in God to carry you through?
Think of Jesus hanging on the cross. If God went that far for you, do you think He will abandon you now?
God will finish what He started. We can focus on our trials and tribulations, or we can focus on the goodness of God. Amid all the challenges, if we are alive, there is hope, and there is a plan for our lives.
You can complain that you are in prison, or you can praise God that He causes you to prosper in prison. God is always faithful. We just need to make sure we do not walk away from Him. Leave the rest up to God.
Like Joseph may we remain faithful to God at every step of the journey and trust in God’s plan, His timing, and His will.
