July 25.
Lust Turns Into Rage

Genesis 39:1

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither.

The scene opens with a man, a warden in a penitentiary named

Potiphar, who had taken Joseph as a slave from the Ishmaelites. The Ishmaelites received Joseph from his own brothers who had sold him and told their father he had been killed by a wild beast. Now, it looks like Joseph should have endured enough and would be through with trouble. Here he is in the home of Potiphar, living a holy and sanctified life. However, we detect that there were some issues in the marriage. Potiphar’s wife had a serious problem with young handsome men. She begged Joseph to come and lie with her, but he ran. When she saw that he had left his garment in her hands and she had evidence to try to convict him, her lust turned into a rage. She decided to make Joseph out to be the guilty one.

Notice how Mrs. Potiphar started stuff right away in the house. Instead of waiting until her husband came to discuss the matter, she called to the men of her house. She wanted to get the rumor started. She said of her husband, “He brought in a Hebrew.” Instead of using a noun, she used a pronoun. All rumors start with he, she, or they. She is beginning to blame her husband for something he knew nothing about. He is at the prison making a living for his home while she is cutting up at the house. And she’s blaming him for something she did herself. She is trying to throw in some prejudice by starting a racial issue, referring to the Hebrew; the Potiphars are Egyptian. She goes on to say the Hebrew is not only a threat to her, but to all the women and that her husband brought in the Hebrew to mock them. Whenever a person can not get you, they will try to destroy you. But God was looking out for Joseph.