When the slave-traders got to Egypt, they sold Joseph to an official named Potiphar, commander of the guard (Genesis 39:1). It’s quite a letdown: from favored son to slave: but, the text tells us, “The Lord was with Joseph” (39:2). This is an interesting perspective, one that people don’t always appreciate. When we suffer severe loss, it often feels like God has turned against us.

Joseph did well in Potiphar’s house. His master trusted him, and set in his keeping the running of the household: and “the blessing of the Lord” was over all of Potiphar’s house and land “for Joseph’s sake” (39:5). It might not be too attractive to imagine becoming a slave: yet better to be a blessed slave than an unblessed one.

<A brief note about chronology>

Still, it turns out that the presence and blessing of the Lord did not mean that everything was going to continue to go well. Potiphar’s wife, unnamed in the Bible but identified as Zelicha in rabbinic tradition, decided to seduce this handsome young slave (39:7-8). When Joseph refused her, she told her husband that Joseph had tried to rape her, and Potiphar had Joseph thrown in jail (39:15-21). Joseph would remain in prison for a dozen years, until he was thirty (41:46). But “the Lord was with Joseph” (39:22).

This tells us something important: the Lord is with us, but that does not mean that nothing bad can happen. The Joseph story shows us clearly that you can still get betrayed by your brothers, even though the Lord is with you. You can still get fired, slandered, or imprisoned by your employer, even though the Lord is with you. It is vital that we understand this. Yahweh’s blessing on Joseph, or us, does not prevent such injustices; instead, the presence of the Lord sustains us in the midst of terrible situations like these.

* * * * *

Ah Lord God! Life is hard, and we want you to make it easy for us: free from heavy labor and illness, free from betrayal and injustice. But you do not. Instead, you promise to be with us, in the midst of it all. Sustain us with your presence: grant us courage and perseverance to face the challenge of each day.

If you find these studies helpful, please Like, Subscribe, Comment, and Share. Thanks!