How Joseph Escaped Temptation in Genesis 39

Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife’s demand and fled the situation because he regarded it as a great evil, sinning against God. Genesis 39 shows how Joseph responded to repeated demands. It also reveals that the Lord was with Joseph both when he was a slave and when he was imprisoned.

Joseph Became a Trusted Servant

Joseph was taken down to Egypt and entered Potiphar’s house. Potiphar was an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard. He had bought Joseph from the hands of the Ishmaelites.

Joseph’s circumstances were not free, but the Lord was with him. Joseph became a prosperous man in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar also saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made everything he did prosper.

Joseph found favor with Potiphar and served him. Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household and entrusted all that he owned to his care. From that time on, the Lord blessed Potiphar’s house for Joseph’s sake. Potiphar paid no attention to anything in his charge except the food he ate.

Why Did Joseph Refuse the Demand?

Potiphar’s wife demanded that Joseph lie with her. Joseph told her that his master had entrusted all that belonged to the house into his hand. The only thing his master had withheld from him was his wife.

Joseph did not regard this as a mere personal choice. He said, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” He made it clear that this would be both a betrayal of his master’s trust and a sin against God.

Potiphar’s wife did not make the demand only once. She pressed Joseph day after day. But Joseph would not listen to her, would not lie with her, and would not even be with her. His refusal did not remain only in words; it became a practical act of keeping his distance.

Joseph Left His Garment and Fled

One day, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, no one else was inside. Potiphar’s wife caught hold of his garment and again demanded that he lie with her. Joseph left his garment in her hand and fled outside.

Joseph did not stay there to recover his garment. He immediately got out of the situation. Joseph’s response in Genesis 39 is clear. He refused the sinful demand, did not listen to repeated requests, and in the end fled and went out.

Potiphar’s wife used the garment he left behind to tell a different story to the household servants and to her husband. When Potiphar heard it, he burned with anger and put Joseph in the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. Joseph had refused the demand, yet he still ended up in prison.

The Lord Was with Him Even in Prison

Even after Joseph was imprisoned, the Lord was with him. The Lord showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the eyes of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison and of whatever was done there.

The same Joseph who had been entrusted with Potiphar’s possessions was also entrusted with matters in prison. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care. The passage explains that this was because the Lord was with Joseph.

In Genesis 39, the Lord’s presence does not mean that Joseph avoided all hardship. Joseph became a slave and was also imprisoned. Even so, the Lord was with him in both places and made the work entrusted to him prosper.

Choose One Situation to Avoid Today

Today, choose one situation that could lead to sin and write down a specific way to avoid staying in that situation. It can be an action you can carry out immediately, such as stopping a conversation or leaving the place. You can take Joseph’s response as your model: he would not listen to repeated demands, would not stay with her, and eventually fled.

While rereading Genesis 39, write one sentence that states the situation you must avoid and the action you will take. Turning the decision to refuse sin into actual distance is the one thing to do today.

Text Basis

• Genesis 39:1-6
• Genesis 39:7-12
• Genesis 39:13-20
• Genesis 39:21-23