Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife

By Odon Bulamba (12 July 2002)

We are going to look at a woman’s life. A woman is a creature of God and God made her from man. Man was created first and God saw it wasn’t good that he shall be alone so He created a woman. The world didn’t see that man was alone, it wasn’t the animals or trees that knew Adam needed a helper, but God saw this need in His child Adam and it is the same with us today, God knows our needs. He knows the deep things of our hearts even what we think is a secret, and at the right time God answers.
The Bible doesn’t say that Adam went to the animals and complained about needing someone, it doesn’t say that Adam was patient and could control his thoughts.

Genesis 39:7-23. When Joseph lived in Potiphar’s house, Potiphar’s wife started becoming attracted to Joseph because the Bible says he was handsome. Because of her desire she wanted Joseph to lay with her. The Bible says that Joseph didn’t accept and day after day she would ask Joseph to sleep with her. Unfortunately one day all the servants were not in the house and Joseph was working inside. Again this woman came to him, she didn’t talk much to him but in the process grabbed his robe to draw him to her. Joseph had no way of escape, if he used his strength he could have hurt her so he left his robe and went.

The woman picked up the robe and started screaming for help, she didn’t ask God for help but man. The servants asked her what happen and she said, your master brought in a Hebrew into this house and he wanted to rape me. All the workers were shocked. The women kept the robe until Potiphar came home and said, this man you brought into my house is causing me trouble. Potiphar became angry and arrested Joseph. Joseph who brought blessings for the country of Egypt was taken away and thrown into prison.

Joseph worked a few years in Potiphar’s house without any problems then all of a sudden a woman finds him attractive and waits for her sin to brew up. So what does this mean? As Christians we meet together, work hand in hand together, but when sin comes something pushes us to misbehave and what was normal has become complicated. It is the same thing with the Word of God, when we read it we find things that are life and can help us to be transformed, but through this Word we find verses to attack others with. In the church today people stone each other with the Word of God, when someone sins they use verses to condemn it even further. Why don’t they use a verse to forgive?

In Africa people are happy when you kill a crocodile to eat, but when it eats a human nobody is happy. When we read the Word of God it is hard for us to accept, but we clap our hands when it is for others.

Potihpar’s wife saw that Joseph was handsome and she thought that she will push him to sleep with her. Does this mean that being handsome is similar to prostitution? Can beauty push a woman to despise her husband to sleep with her servants? How many times do Christians acknowledge the beauty of their God? If you want to know how beautiful the church is go to God, He will show you. The wife went to Joseph and told him he was handsome and Joseph couldn’t say that he wasn’t, but maybe she wanted to flatter Joseph to test him? Joseph knew he had to be careful otherwise he would sin against his master.

Potiphar made Joseph in charge of everything except Potiphar’s food, so why didn’t Joseph take charge of his wife? Joseph’s conscious worked because he already knew the Word of God and knew to obey God. Although Potiphar said this about the food and not his wife, Joseph had to remind her that God didn’t like what she was doing because actions can also speak. Some parents can be with their children but don’t talk to them; the child knows that if their father doesn’t talk something is wrong. A child knows that if you play the piano while visitors are present he won’t be happy. Actions can sometimes speak louder than words. Joseph observed how Potiphar loved his wife and he knew that if he touched her there would be consequences with Potiphar and God.

How many times does the devil flatter Christians with their spiritual beauty? This is what makes us proud and leads us to sin. The devil uses flattery when he knows you’re spiritually strong, and he even did it with Jesus Christ. Can you remember what Jesus first temptation was? Jesus was tempted three times, what was the first temptation?

“Man shall not live on bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.

The devil knew Jesus had the authority to transform the stones to bread, he also knew Jesus could perform miracles; “I know you are the Son of God, but if you are really the Son of God do a miracle”. This is how the devil comes; he flatters us and tells us we are capable of doing great things. Jesus didn’t answer; of course I’m the Son of God but said that man does not live by bread alone. It is the same with Joseph, he didn’t answer Potiphar’s wife, yes I’m handsome but instead made as if he was deaf as Jesus did to Satan when tempted.

We as Christians must not be flattered but rather pay attention to see what God is showing us in our lives. Joseph told Potiphar’s wife that she was not allowed to lay a hand on him, so do we as Christians tell the devil that we aren’t allowed to do what he says? When you are angry do you tell the devil that you are not allowed to become angry? When the devil invites you to steal, do you say I’m not allowed because I fear God? One day a Christian admitted that he was tempted, and the devil showed him what and how to steal. When he got caught he was beaten, then he complained and asked the devil, where are you now devil, you led me here so where are you now? The devil was far from this man and left him to suffer alone. This is how Satan puts us into trouble then flees.

Potiphar’s wife had a lot of spare time, so what did she do? What do you think she would do with her time? Put on makeup, go shopping, or lay in bed? Is this the way a Christian wife should behave, giving the responsibilities to servants? In Zaire you can have up to 3 servants in a family and the servants work while the wife does nothing. A woman can wake up late and demand her servants to do everything for her. She can have nails 15cm long, change the color seven times a day, then they work on their hair and the list goes on. While doing this they don’t think about their children or husbands. When the husband comes home to eat and says I don’t like this food, what will the wife do? She’ll get up and attack the servants, but what did she do? Is her role to attack the servants or control the household? When you get the wife of a businessman she can stay in her pajamas all day, because they have nothing to do they don’t think about the sin in their lives or read the Word, but they do have the motivation to find sin in other people.

As Christian women you must respect your husbands because you didn’t leave your parents to live with your servants. Christian women should never be lazy; do you know that laziness is a sin? The Bible says that the lazy will never inherit the kingdom of God, 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Many people think laziness is normal. When you ask people what are you doing they say I’m not doing anything. If you have nothing to do, read your Bible or pray for three minutes, because you will have to give an account to God for this time. As we say life doesn’t have a draft and you cannot copy it again. If you are lazy today this day will never come back and God will ask you what did you do on this day?

Potiphar’s wife took Joseph by force; first she used only words but then used force by grabbing his robe. How many times do Christian women use their strength to destroy people’s souls? How many times do we destroy our husband’s strength and children’s behavior? There was a lady who used to blame everything on other children except her own, even though her children were worse, she never would punish them but punish other children. Some Christians live like this today, when it is time to change their lifestyle they show that they are lazy and are not tough with themselves, but if someone else does something wrong, they attack without delay. As Christians we must think of our own soul first. Some women have a sickness called slander. When a woman doesn’t have her makeup right they’ll say, look at her, she is not pretty and little by little they’ll start abusing her.

How many times do women influence their husbands in a decision? When the husband wants to do something good for a person how many times does the wife say I don’t like that person? How many times do us Christians as wife of Christ water down the gospel for others? We must be careful. Remember to be patient, bear in mind to say no to the devil, remember temptation can come at any time especially when you are alone, so be sober. Amen.