Women of the Bible Study ~ Focus on Pontiphar’s Wife Part 2

Part 2 of our Monday study of Pontiphar’s wife is going to focus on Joseph and his integrity.  Let’s begin today’s assignment by reading another post on biblegateway about Genesis 39…

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Potiphar-8217-s-Wife

I love how the author of this piece describes Joseph…

“Joseph was a young man with natural instincts, but divine grace kept him from following youthful lusts, enabling him to resist the advances of the faithless wife of Pontiphar to share her bed.”

“My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9, as paraphrased in the Monday reading shared in part 1)

Pontiphar’s wife did not let this be the last word on the subject though and she attempted to seduce Joseph over and over again…the last time when only she and Joseph were present.  No human was around to see whether Joseph succumbed to her advances or not, but Joseph still did not give into her desires.

“From then on, Joseph did his best to avoid her. But with little else to occupy her time and attention, Potiphar’s wife simply waited for her next opportunity, which came when Joseph entered the house one day to attend to his duties. Alone with him, she caught hold of his cloak, whispering once again, “Come to bed with me!” But Joseph could not be persuaded and instead fled from her, leaving his would-be seducer alone with her lust, furiously clutching his cloak in her hands.”

Joseph continued to do the right thing, even when no one was watching…except we all know that someone was watching him…Joseph knew that someone was watching him…God sees all and God knows all.  God can not be fooled, only we can be the fool.  Joseph was no ones fool!  He was a man of integrity.

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” C. S. Lewis

 

Joseph understood that his integrity was not based on what humans thought about him…his integrity was based on what God thought of him.

And despite the fact that Pontiphar’s wife opened her mouth and spoke lies about Joseph, lies that put him into prison, Joseph had peace in the situation.  Because Joseph knew God and he knew God would be with him wherever he went.

I don’t think that there can be any doubt that Joseph talked to God on a daily basis.  He is great example from our bible of someone who prayed, obeyed, and said and did the things that were within the will of God for his life.