Thursday, August 5
As we know from reading the story (Genesis 39:11-20), Joseph suffers because of his principled decision. Joseph is thrown in prison. As Potiphar’s property, Joseph could have been killed on the spot, no questions asked. Potiphar obviously didn’t believe his wife but had to guard his reputation by taking action. And yet, despite the horrific circumstances, Scripture says, “the LORD was with Joseph” (Genesis 39:21).
Life on planet earth isn’t fair. Good is not always rewarded, and evil is not always immediately punished. There is some good news though: Joseph can find rest, even in prison, because God is with him. In prison he could have meditated on the unfairness of his situation, withdrawn, and even given up on God.
What does Joseph do while in prison? How does he relate to those around him? Read Genesis 39:21-40:22.
In prison, Joseph works with the real, not the ideal. He networks; he helps others, even though situations in prison were far from the ideal that he must have wished for. And Joseph is not above asking for help and making himself vulnerable. He asks for help from the cupbearer when he interprets his dream.
What is the big picture perspective on relationships that Paul presents in Ephesians 6:1-13?
Our relationships are miniature reflections of the great controversy between God and Satan that is raging through the ages. This means, then, that there are no perfect relationships. Every relationship must have growth dynamics, and Satan has a vested interest in using all our relationships — especially those closest to us — to his advantage in order to hurt and frustrate God’s will for our lives. We can be thankful that we are not left to fight these battles on our own. God’s Word sets out principles for our relationships. His promise to give us wisdom (James 1:5) also extends to our relationships. And as He was with Joseph, He promises to be with us when our relationships prove complex.
Think about God’s promise in James 1:5, and take a moment to pray for wisdom in your relationships. How can you seek to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as you relate to these people?
Friday, August 6
Further Thought: In the context of what happened to Joseph with Potiphar’s wife, Ellen White wrote: “Here is an example to all generations who should live upon the earth. … God will be a present help, and his Spirit a shield. Although surrounded with the severest temptations, there is a source of strength to which they can apply and resist them. How fierce was the assault upon Joseph’s morals. It came from one of influence, the most likely to lead astray. Yet how promptly and firmly was it resisted. … He had placed his reputation and interest in the hands of God. And although he was suffered to be afflicted for a time, to prepare him to fill an important position, yet God safely guarded that reputation that was blackened by a wicked accuser, and afterward, in his own good time, caused it to shine. God made even the prison the way to his elevation. Virtue will in time bring its own reward. The shield which covered Joseph’s heart, was the fear of God, which caused him to be faithful and just to his master, and true to God. He despised that ingratitude which would lead him to abuse his master’s confidence, although his master might never learn the fact.” Ellen G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, p. 132
Discussion Questions:
1. Being a nominal Christian or a cultural Adventist will not help us to find rest in our relationships. What are the differences between a “cultural” Adventist and a true believer?
2. Sister X has just joined the church. She is married to a non-believer. She loves her husband, but he doesn’t love the changes he sees in her. What would be your counsel, based on biblical principles, to your new church member?
3. Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” All families, to one degree or another, suffer dysfunction, because all are made of sinners, each one bringing their own dysfunction into the family relationship. How can each one of us, by God’s grace, seek to follow biblical principles of love, forgiveness, burden-bearing, and so forth to bring some healing to our family relationships?
4. So many people have had the experience of things going well for them and their family when, suddenly, unexpectedly, tragedy strikes. At times like this, why is clinging to faith, clinging to the promises in the Word of God, so crucial? Especially when times are good, why is it important to be prepared, spiritually, for bad times?
