February 20, 2023

Righteous living can be costly.

Genesis 39

Lisa Dalton
Monday's Devo

February 20, 2023

Monday's Devo

February 20, 2023

Monday's Devo

February 20, 2023

Monday's Devo

February 20, 2023

Big Idea

We can trust God when we don't know how things will turn out.

Key Verse | Genesis 39:21

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Genesis 39

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

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Dive Deeper | Genesis 39

"Mom, I'm headed to the retina specialist with Hudson, and I need you to meet me there quickly. He is in bad shape." Just a few days after a very "common" procedure, our 19-month-old grandson developed an aggressive eye infection that attacked his retina. Both sets of grandparents were summoned to the waiting room. We arrived to hear the screams and see the tears as they came out of the exam room with Hudson. Afterwards, we all convened in a private room when the doctor announced that Hudson would need emergency surgery, and his primary focus was to save the eye, which he had a real possibility of losing. I will never forget Megan and John saying, "Doctor, we all believe in God's sovereignty and trust you completely. Please just do your best, and we will let God do the rest."

We read today that Joseph is caught in a precarious situation that was not his doing and is falsely accused. We can deduce by his words, his silence, and his actions to flee, that he decided long ago that he would follow and honor God regardless of any circumstance. We see many times in this story the words, "The LORD was with him." (Genesis 39:21) Our Bible is full of promises that God will never leave us. (Deuteronomy 31:6) Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit in us to give us the power to walk away or to say no. (Romans 8:11) Make the decision before the storm breaks whom and how you will follow. God is faithful and trustworthy, even when righteous living is costly. God's sovereignty is evident throughout Joseph's story.

Fast-forward, Hudson is 3 years old today! His parents are still diligently following the doctor's treatment instructions with hope that God will restore Hudson's vision in that eye. While we obviously pray for God to restore his full vision, we realize it's not guaranteed and, no matter the outcome, we will still choose to TRUST, FOLLOW, and PRAISE Him, knowing He is a good, good Father!

This month's memory verse

9  Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

– Proverbs 10:9

Discussion Questions

1. Despite all the difficult circumstances Joseph experienced, what indications show his heart for God? Now make it personal—how do you deal with difficulty, stress, and everything else life throws at us? What Scriptures help you? Post in the comments below the verses you lean on in such times.

2. Knowing the character of God helps me trust Him more. Name some of the character traits/attributes of our mighty God and take time to focus on His greatness.

3. Have you or someone you love ever been falsely accused of something? How did you handle it?

4. Joseph gives us a good example of faithfulness to follow in Genesis 39:9. Do you see your sin/sins as acts against God? Why or why not?

5. Why did Potiphar have Joseph thrown in prison instead of putting him to death?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

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Hugh Stephenson

LISA!!! LOVE your testimony of faithfulness by your family. LOVE THIS- “Please just do your best, and we will let God do the rest." ------------------------------------------ Q1. My verses are Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 41:10, and Hebrews 12:1-3. Q2 I’m taught in Genesis 1:26-28 that He has a plan and purpose for me. He will guide, guard, and direct me. Q3. Many times. In later years I handled better then former years. Never easy. Clear communication and explanation have been the best way. Q4. Oh yes. He calls me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. It’s when I take them off Him that I give in to temptation. Q5. My guess is that Joseph was not the first guy she hit on. What does it mean to be a “channel of blessing”? I go back to Genesis 12:1-3 These three links help a lot. https://relevantsermons.com/become-a-channel-of-blessing/ https://www.loveisministry.org/post/god-s-channel-of-blessings https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/channel-of-blessing-to-your-church-dr-dave-hartson-sermon-on-church-256563
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Hugh Stephenson

“Throughout these chapters the readers will see how God has preserved the members of his chosen family, whose calling it is to walk with him, to be the headwaters of a special people and to be the channel by which blessing comes to the entire world.” ESV SB Notes. I’m drawn to the example of the Dead Sea. Everything comes in but nothing goes out. “The whole sequence of 39:2-6 is a particularly apt and clear example of the meaning of blessing in the Old Testament. Assistance and blessing belong together, though they are different. Blessing embraces both people and the rest of creation. The narrator simply presupposes that the blessing can flow over from the one whom Yahweh assists to a foreign people and adherents of a foreign religion precisely because of the one whom Yahweh assists. The power inherent in the blessing is expansive "[1383]
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Hugh Stephenson

I count 9 times that “LORD” is used. I taught that this reflects the fact that the relational and covenant keeping God was constantly at work despite all appearances to the contrary. From Got Qs “Yahweh is the name of Israel’s God and the God who came to earth as Jesus Christ, Yahweh in the flesh. Matthew 1:21 says, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The name Jesus is from the Latin form of the Greek form of Yeshua, which literally means “Yahweh saves.” So Yahweh will save His people from their sins, and simultaneously Jesus will save His people from their sins. This is just one of many instances where Jesus and Yahweh are equated.” https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-of-Yahweh.html I love this definition of faithfulness, “Know God and make Him known”.
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amy stephenson

Lisa. Loved seeing your smiling face on the journey today ! Thank you for this reminder of God’s faithfulness in all our circumstances. And I so loved reading of your childrens’ faithfulness in a difficult time. Because of their faith and trust in Christ, they were able to be a witness for him. Thanks for writing today. Grateful to be on this journey with you, George and our church.
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Michael Scaman

God was the decisive factor in Joseph's life. God's choosing is not seperate from moral living and sactification, hence wheat (chosen with new nature ) and tares (unchosen working out the results of a fallen nature). The account of Jospeh has that for even a child to see. The choosing of God is not seperate form perseverance and morality, working out what God worked in. Jospeh points to Jesus. It was the plan of God for Joseph to be betrayed by his brothers, although he was only doing the will of his father Jacob. Then to raise his to power over Egypt for the salvation of Jew and gentile. His brothers though Joseph was history and irrlelvants= but all the time at the right hand of power till it was revealed to them. The irony is the plan involved the sinners betraying Joseph for their own salvation. Points to Jesus and a greater salvation. Book 1 of Psalms (Pslms 1 though 41) will be a the literary genre of Genesis with a man like a tree of life opening Pslam 1 and a man betrayed ending book 1 with Psalm 41, Psalm 41 quoted by Jesus at the last supper. ( Time for a song about Joseph from the Sight and Sound theater https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUMB9Efg1u8 )
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Sue Bohlin

Great devo, Lisa, thank you! Your question of being falsely accused hit home: I am the main reason Probe Ministries has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, because of what I write about God's design for sexuality and marriage--which is the opposite of the cultural narrative these days, when disagreement equals "hate." So far it has only meant getting kicked off Vimeo, not being thrown in prison like Joseph, but every day keeps getting darker and more hostile to God's truth. I loved that God kept blessing everything Joseph did. Surely Potiphar couldn't help but notice that when Joseph was no longer running his household because he was in prison, all the great things that came along with Joseph's presence because of Yahweh's blessing . . . were GONE. It had to be like the lights dimming. Yet does Potiphar investigate, to find out the truth about Joseph? Nope. When people don't *want* to know the truth, no amount of evidence will convince them. (Which reminds me: this weekend we attended Discovery Institute's Dallas Conference on Science and Faith, and someone shared this delightful quote by Dr. John Lennox of Oxford University: He responded to Stephen Hawking's line, "Religion is a fairy story for those afraid of the dark," by saying, "Atheism is a fairy story for those afraid of the Light." BAM! Love it!!)
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Linda Green

Loved the application in your life! You also said about Joseph: “…he decided long ago that he would follow and honor God regardless of any circumstance.” In a JP message years ago, he said (paraphrasing)- you commit with the Lord beforehand how you will handle temptation, so you already have an escape route planned. Otherwise every temptation is a huge battle that I can lose. Another favorite preacher said Genesis 39:9 showed that Joseph was still dealing with pride, the same pride that had wrecked his relationship with his brothers as he bragged about his dreams. Captivity and then prison- God used to help purify Joseph, and made him ready to be God’s servant, not just a ruler.
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Michael Sisson

Joseph’s prophetic dreams of leadership over his family led his brothers to sell him into bondage and fake his death. Moving forward we’ll read how as a slave, he’d rise to manage his master’s whole house. As a falsely accused prisoner, he’d rise to Chief Trustee of the prison in which he was incarcerated. As a despised Hebrew, he’d rise to become Pharaoh’s Viceroy over all Egypt. As Viceroy of Egypt, he’d become Deliverer of Egypt and all the surrounding nations. Joseph truly epitomized the adage, “You can’t keep a good man down.” Re: Gen 39:2,21,23 Gen 39:2 (NASB) >>>The LORD was with Joseph,<<< so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Genesis 39:21 (NASB) But >>>the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him,<<< and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. Gen 39:23 (NASB) The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because >>>the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper.<<< With each change of reporting relationship, the text emphasizes the L-RD’s favor rested upon Joseph, and while they may not have been spiritually aware enough to articulate it, a divine favor beyond mere aptitude was seemingly obvious even to his pagan masters. We can all aspire to such a testimony. Re: Gen 38:6a Gen 39:6a (NASB) So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there >>>he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate…<<< See Mt 6:31-33; Lk 12:29-31. Re: Gen 39:11-19 Am I the only one who sees similarities between this account and Tom Robinson’s alleged assault of Mayella Ewell in Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD? Re: Gen 39:19 Gen 39:19 (NASB) Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” >>>his anger burned.<<< It’s worth noting the verse does not specify against whom Potiphar’s anger burned: Joseph or his own wife. Re: Gen 39:20 Gen 39:20 (NASB) So >>>Joseph's master took him and put him into the jail,<<< the place where the king's prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. Unjustly imprisoned, again we see Joseph as a type of the Despised Messiah. Commentators point to Potiphar having Joseph jailed rather than executed as evidence Potiphar recognized Joseph was likely innocent and was of higher moral character than his own wife. Still, if he had left Joseph unpunished, Potiphar would likely have become a laughingstock, and people might have even questioned whether he was the father of his own children. In hindsight, many historians believe Potiphar’s decision to protect his wife’s reputation over Joseph’s was not surpassed in its sheer folly until the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to finance the musical “No, No, Nanette.”
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Amy Lowther

1. When Joseph saw the Lord helping his master succeed, Joseph liked it and did what the said too. Joseph was also placed in prison by his master and was blessed with steadfast love of the Lord, receiving duties of being in charge of all the prisoners. I take .difficulty, stress, and everything else to God for best results. Psalm 119:105 helps me stay true to God. 2. God loves each and every one of us. He is strong, consistent, and offers good words. Prayer: God thank you for all you do. Thank you for your love, your strength, your consistency, and your good words. You are amazing and glorious for each and every one of us which is a task but it is appreciated. God you are a resource and a friend no matter where we are or what we do. We thank for this and we love you. Amen. 3. Yes. I prayed to God and stayed with God through every procedure of the process where I was falsely accused. It was dismissed and I was released from punishment thanks to God’s strength and glory. God is a rock. 4. I see a sin as something where I did not listen to God. It is possible to choose to listen to God or to choose not to listen to God. 5. Throwing Joseph in prison gave Joseph the chance to experience God’s steadfast love and correct mistakes that he had made.