Genesis 39: Does obedience pay off?

Read Genesis 39

I love the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. It is so amazing to see how God's sovereign hand was with him every step of the way through all of his horrible trials and tribulations. As we read the story of Joseph today, we can see that God had a plan all along and was leading him to a place of honor, power, and significance in Egypt. To us modern-day readers who know the glorious end of the story, Joseph's slavery, imprisonment, and separation from his home and family don't seem so bad. After all, those hard times would eventually cease and he would be ruling Egypt before too long. I can't help but wonder what Joseph was thinking as he went through trial after trial in his life. Surely he couldn't foresee where this journey would take him. For all he knew, he could be imprisoned for life, or even killed, never to see his father or brother Benjamin again. It seems that if many of us had gone through the things Joseph had, we would feel forgotten by God and give up on Him. Though Joesph had every reason to give up on God, that's certainly not what he did.

This story in Genesis 39 is an amazing picture of Joseph's unswerving obedience to God, despite his circumstances. At this point in his life, Joesph is working as the head servant in Potiphar's house. Verse 3 states that God's hand of blessing was so evident in Joseph's life as a slave, that Potiphar noticed and promoted him to be his top servant. Things seemed to be looking up for Joseph, until Potiphar's wife made all of that change. She starts to make advances toward him, asking him repeatedly to come and sleep with her. It is hard enough to say no to temptation the first time it hits you, but repeated attacks are much harder to resist. Joseph didn't take any chances, but refused to even be around her (vs. 10). When she grabbed his cloak the final time she asked him to sleep with her, he actually ran away from her, not even taking the time to grab his cloak on the way out. Joseph's response to temptation is a valuable lesson to all of us. He knew that he was weak enough to fall into this temptation, so he literally fled from it. He would have nothing to do with Potiphar's wife, because he was determined not to sin against God (vs. 9). If we had this attitude toward sin, we would be much more likely to resist temptation. Like Joseph, we should race away from temptation immediately, rather than even thinking it over first.

The amazing thing is, that after Joseph's display of obedience and faithfulness to purity, he is actually punished! He had held fast to his integrity and obeyed the Lord, and as a result, he was accused of attempted rape and put in prison. Oftentimes this seems to happen in life. You may have integrity in your schoolwork and barely pass, while your friend cheats on her assignments and makes straight A's. Where is the justice? Why does obedience seem to get punished, while the wicked prosper? While Joseph had reason to desert God at this point in his life, he certainly did not. While Joseph was in prison suffering for a humiliating crime he didn't commit, he found comfort in the fact that God was with him. He saw God working, even in this low point of his life, as God gave him favor with the prison warden and showed Joseph kindness (vs. 21, 23).

You may be striving to be obedient to the Lord, but don't see much benefit in doing so. You tell the truth and get in trouble with your parents, while your sibling lies and gets away with it. Why even bother? Joseph is a wonderful example of obeying God despite circumstances or outcomes. Whether our lives are going well, or we're barely getting by, we're called to be obedient. You may not see any reason for obeying, because your life seems to be getting worse whenever you do! Let me comfort you with Ecclesiastes 12:14, which states, "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." God sees what you are doing, and you will be rewarded for your faithfulness (though this may not happen until you get to heaven). You may not see this now, but in the end, God will bring everything to light. He is just.

Girls, as you go about your day, remember that obedience pays off! Despite your circumstances and the outcome of your decisions, you are called to be obedient and to live lives of integrity. I encourage you to look to the story of Joseph as inspiration, and to "not grow weary in doing good, for in due time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up" (Gal. 6:9).