The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Prosper” it comes from the Hebrew Word “tsalach” which means “to prosper, to succeed.”
Sold as a slave in a foreign land, Joseph still finds a way to thrive, until one lie nearly destroys him. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is Genesis 39.
In Potiphar’s house, “the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man.” The Hebrew word for prosper is “tsalach.” Potiphar notices God’s hand on everything Joseph touches and puts him in charge of his entire household. Joseph is described as “well favoured,” and Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tries to seduce him. Joseph refuses every time, telling her plainly that this would be a great wickedness against God.
One day, when no one else is in the house, she grabs his garment and demands he lie with her. Joseph flees, leaving the garment behind, and she uses it as false evidence, accusing him of trying to assault her. Potiphar, enraged, throws Joseph into prison.
Even there, “the LORD was with Joseph,” and he quickly earns the trust of the prison keeper, who puts him in charge of the other prisoners.
It is worth noting just how sudden Joseph’s fall is here, from second-in-command of Potiphar’s entire household to a prisoner in a single accusation, with no trial and no chance to defend himself. Scripture does not pretend this was fair. It simply keeps repeating, even in the depth of that injustice, that the Lord was with him, a truth Joseph would have had every reason to doubt in that moment.
Joseph did everything right and still ended up in prison for it. That kind of unfair suffering is hard to make sense of. But the same phrase repeats through his entire ordeal, the Lord was with him, wherever he went. God’s presence does not always prevent hardship, but it never leaves us in it.
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