Potiphar's Wife

So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

   Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,  and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

~Genesis 39:6-7

What character was Potiphar's wife lacking?  Why do you think she was attracted to Joseph, beyond the fact that he was "well-built and handsome"?

• The one thing I can think of is one character that she could have been lacking would be the decensy of being a faithful wife. 
• I think another reason that she was attracted to Joseph was thathe was younger than her

Like Potiphar's wife, what do you wish you had that you don't have?  Is it something that you shouldn't have?  If it is, ask God to help you root it out of your spirit. 

• For the past month, I have wished that I could have my romantic life back.  This isn't necessarly something that I shouldn't have, unless maybe you would count the fact that, yes, I have fallen into the trap a few times where I had been wishing that I'd have the person I was with back.  Now, unless, that person does some changing of their own and improvement in their life, this is definitely something I should not have.  I have been asking God for a while now that he aid me in trying to get such thoughts out of my system so that it would make it easier to move on in life.

No one is greater in this house than I am. 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

Where do you suppose Joseph got his knowledge of right and wrong and his ability to reject sin?  What do you think Joseph's life might have been like if he had given in to Potiphar's wife?

• I would say that if he had not obtained this knowledge from his father, Jacob, then it is from God himself.
• I still think he would have gotten in trouble and sent to jail.  But also, he wouldn't be considered such a righteous man as we may see him today.

What legacy has sin or a rejection of sin left you in your life?

• When I let a sin happen and realize my wrong afterwards, I feel terrible about myself.  But, when I reject it, I feel justified and have dome something right.

And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

~Genesis 39:10

Why do you think Joseph avoided contact with Potiphar's wife?  Contrast how these two characters responded to temptation.

• because he knew that if he did stay in contact with her he would be in serious trouble with his master.
• Joseph knew what it meant to be faithful, while Potiphar's wife was a risk taker to her relationship to her husband

If temptation of a certain kind keeps coming into your life, how do you respond?

• I know that when I would become jealous of someone that would be spending time with my relationship partner, I would get the biggest temptation to want to tell that person to there face to back off.  Yet< I had no idea why such and such a person was hanging out with them.  I have been told countless times to relax about it and that it meant no harm to my relationship.  After being told that I would try my best to pray to God to take those temptations away from me.

She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.  Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.

~Genesis 39:16-17

The story Potiphar's wife told her husband was just that, a story, a piece of fiction.  Describe what you think Joseph's feelings might have been when he heard the "story".

• He must have been apalled by such lies! 

Like Potiphar's wife, have you ever accused someone unjustly?  What were the circumstances?  How did you deal with the sin involved and correct the wrong?

• I would say that there is a good chance that I have.  An example could be when I was single again at one point at angry at my ex for what he had done, and I had called him some unjust things.  Later on when I realized what I had done in blind anger, I had prayed to God as to what I could say to them for what I said and ask for their forgiveness.