Potiphar's Wife

In studying the women of the Bible with Whitney, I have become so fascinated with their lives and they have become very real to me.

I can almost imagine what they went through and knowing the emotions they had and that their feelings are not any different than what we feel today makes them even more real.

Each woman is vitally important to history. They contribute to the fulfillment of prophesy, they help their husbands to be great leaders (or great leaders themselves) and most of all they are the lineage of Jesus.

Knowing that God saw the big picture before it even began makes me stand in awe.

God knows what happened to each of these women even though we don't. God tells us what we need to know and asks us to leave the rest to faith in His plan.

I have complete faith that He causes all things to work everything together for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:28

We just finished Potiphar's wife.

Her story is found in Genesis 39. If you have not read it. Go read it now.

Wow.

We don't know much about her other than she was deceitful and vindictive and that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

The big picture of the story was not so much about her, rather about Joseph's obedience and desire to please God.

I felt sorry for Potiphar's wife. One of our assignments was to write a story on what we would have like to have seen happen to her.

Here is my story...

Potiphar's wife's maidservant had been outside in the garden. She was coming in the back door just as she saw Joseph struggling to get away from her lady. She hid behind a door as not to be seen. Her lady ran out the door and began to tell a terrible story about Joseph. The maid servant knew it to be just that, a story. For fear of her life, she stayed quiet, her lady was an evil, ruthless woman and you never knew what she would do. When Potiphar heard his wife's story, he was outraged and threw Joseph in prison. On the outside Potiphar's wife seemed victorious, she showed that Joseph, no man would deny her. But on the inside she was wracked with guilt at what had she done. Her maidservant sensed her lady's distress. Being a God-fearing woman, she prayed about what she should do. The Lord said, "Go to your lady, tell her what you have seen." Surely not she said, my lady will have me killed. "Fear not said the Lord. I will protect you as I have protected my servant Joseph, go now."

Her maidservant obeyed and went to her lady and told her that she had seen everything. In complete shame and guilt, her lady fell to the ground in tears. "Help me" she said to her maid servant. "I do not want to live this lie anymore. I have destroyed Joseph and shamed my husband."

"Get up" her maid servant said. "Go before the Lord and repent. He will forgive you and then tell your husband what you have done."

Her lady confessed to the Lord and He forgave her, she told her husband and he understood. He loved her and no longer ignored her. The Lord made her heart pure and free her from all unrightousness.

The End

We do not know if this is what happened. It does not matter if it is. What does matter is that God does the exact same thing for us today. There is a little bit of Eve, Sarah, Leah and even Potiphar's wife in all of us. But when we turn from our sins and ask for forgiveness, God hears us and makes our heart pure and frees us from all unrightousness.

He loves us that much.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the cousel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2