The remnant of Israel will be restored. They will trust in God and worship Him. They will be purified.
Be glad that God has taken away your punishment.
God will be with His people and save them. He will delight in them and love them and no longer rebuke them. They will be gathered to Him.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 5: Zephaniah 3:9-20
14) I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. No one will be afraid. God will be with His people and save them. He will delight in them and love them and no longer rebuke them. They will be gathered to Him.
15a) God promises to care for those who believe in Him and trust Him. He does.
b) God calls all those to Him, but only the believers will have eternal life.
16) Verse 15: The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;never again will you fear any harm. I always love the idea that God is with me. This is something I need to be told over and over again.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 5: Zephaniah 3:9-20
Great lesson on God’s restoration of His faithful people.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 5: Zephaniah 3:9-20
All will worship the Lord once again. There will be peace and prosperity in the Second Coming.
God will be joyful along with His people. He will sing over them (what a great picture!).
God’s people will find rest in His presence.
We should not fear and should keep serving Him.
God promises to encourage us, defeat our enemies, heal us, and gather us to Him. What a beautiful picture!
Zephaniah warns of judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the judgment of the surrounding nations.
God will judge the entire planet on the day of the Lord (Second Coming of Christ). God will destroy all idol worship, punish the officials and the king’s sons, and all who fill the temple with violence and deceit.
Judah is asked to repent. All of the surrounding nations will face judgment, including Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush, and Assyria.
Jerusalem has been given chances to repent, but still does not.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 4: Zephaniah 1:1-3:8
9) During the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah. Josiah entered into a new covenant with God and issued reforms after reading the Book of the Law, which was found. He wiped out pagan cults and removed idolatry from the temple.
10)
Zephaniah 1:2-3: “I will sweep away everythingfrom the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.“I will sweep away both man and beast;I will sweep away the birds in the skyand the fish in the sea—and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble. He will destroy all mankind on the face of the earth.
Zephaniah 1:4-5: “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests— 5 those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek,[b]
Zephaniah 1:12-16: God will punish those who are complacent. Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses,they will not live in them. though they plant vineyards,they will not drink the wine.” That day will be a day of distress, anguish, trouble, ruin, darkness, gloom, clouds, blackness, trumpets, and battle cries.
11) Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush, and Assyria. God judges both believers and unbelievers. Everyone will be accountable to God for their actions.
12) They are disobedient, oppressors, rebellious, and defiled. They don’t trust God nor do they draw near to God. The officials and rulers are corrupt. The prophets are unprincipled. They are treacherous people. The priests do violence to the law. The people are unrepentant for their actions.
13) I think people today don’t think about God’s judgment and live their lives ignoring God. Or, they sin and believe that doesn’t matter because God will forgive them. This is because people don’t believe in God or they only believe the parts of God’s word they want to believe.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 4: Zephaniah 1:1-3:8
Love this lesson! Love the tender judgment of God and His constant call to have His people repent.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 4: Zephaniah 1:1-3:8
Zephaniah preaches what the other prophets did: he condemned the people of God for their sins and predicted their coming judgment. However, he also predicted the day of the Lord for a small remnant. Zephaniah was the last of the prophets, so by now, he is merely repeating the others warnings of judgment.
Zephaniah promised judgment to idolaters, royalty, merchants, and the complacent. The judgment will be intense, and it is certain.
Fun Fact: The Day of the Lord is used more than 25 times in the Bible.
Now, is the day of the man; the Day of the Lord is when God reigns again on earth.
God calls his people to repent while there is still time.
All the nations will be judged: the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Cush (Ethiopia), and Assyria.
Jerusalem is wicked, but God is righteous. God offers everyone a chance to humble themselves and repent. They offer a way of salvation for those who seek Him.
Nahum tells Nineveh they will be attacked. The Lord will restore Jacob and Israel. Nineveh will be exiled and carried away. It will be pillaged, plundered, and stripped. The Lord is against them.
Nahum 3
Woe to Nineveh. The Lord is against them. Many will die and be taken captive. Nothing will be able to save them.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 3: Nahum 2-3
6)
The enemy’s appearance: The shields of the soldiers are red;the warriors are clad in scarlet. They had flashing metal chariots. They look like flaming torches;they dart about like lightning.
The siege and looting of the city: Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! The supply is endless, the wealth from all its treasures! She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
The flooding of the city and its results: The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses.
The fall of Nineveh’s fortresses: All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken,the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
The sins for which Nineveh is judged: all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft.
7a) Psalm 119:89: Your word, Lord, is eternal;it stands firm in the heavens.
Matthew 5:18: For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
What God says, God does. Nineveh was destroyed and God’s people were saved according to God’s plan.
b) That I can trust in what God says and does. I know He is in control of all world events. He has it.
8 ) Nahum 1:7: The Lord is good,a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. I know I can turn to Him if I just trust in God, His ways, and His plan for my life.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 3: Nahum 2-3
Great study of Nahum! Loved reading this often-forgotten and overlooked book.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 3: Nahum 2-3
Nahum 2:
Nineveh is destroyed in a great battle, brought low by Babylon. They will be brought low and plundered. No one wants to hear that the Lord is against them. But Nineveh did.
God will avenge evil and deliver His people. He defends His people against those who come against Him.
Nahum 3:
Nineveh was a violent and immoral city. It will be humbled and judged. It would be flooded, burned, and plundered.
God can handle our judgments for us; we don’t need to seek vengeance.
The Lord is slow to answer, but He does not leave the guilty unpunished. He will punish Nineveh for their evils.
Yet, the Lord is good. He is a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.
He will destroy Nineveh.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 2: Nahum 1
3a) The Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
b) The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. He afflicts Judah but promises to do so no more. Yet, the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
c) We are saved by Christ’s blood. There will be justice but also salvation for believers. It’s comforting to know that God will be the judge of everything. We only have to believe and follow Him.
4) Jonah’s message about their doom was believed by the Ninevites and they worked to changed their ways. God relented his anger and punishment because of it. In Nahum’s time, his message was ignored, and Nineveh fell. God showed no mercy.
5a) It gave them hope that they would be freed and could return home one day. It also gave them faith that God keeps His word and enacts revenge; that God has their back. That God is in charge.
b) I know that God cares about what is right and wrong, so that no matter what evil is around me, they will pay one day when they stand before God.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 2: Nahum 1
Great lesson on how God is in control and He will enact revenge in His timing.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 24, Day 2: Nahum 1
Nahum preached against injustice and predicted the downfall of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. God addresses nations as much as He addresses individuals.
God shows mercy, but He also judges.
Nahum means “comfort.”
God will deliver His people and defeat their enemies.
Assyria returned to idolatry, cruelty, and arrogance after Jonah’s warnings. Judah emulated Assyria. Yet, God saved Judah.
Jesus warns the disciples to not believe these false Christs. The coming of the Son of Man will be visible. The sun will be darkened, the moon won’t shine, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will shake. The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. The Son of Man will come on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. His angels will sound a trumpet, and he will gather the elect.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 4: Matthew 24:27-31
8a) The coming of the Son of Man will be visible. The sun will be darkened, the moon won’t shine, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will shake. The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. The Son of Man will come on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. His angels will sound a trumpet, and he will gather the elect.
b)
Zechariah 12:10: The House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will grieve for Jesus and mourn him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: The Lord will come down from heaven with a loud command wtih the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, those who are sill alive will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.
Revelation 1:7: Jesus will come with the clouds and everyone will see him, even those who pierced him and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
9) It’s encourging to know that Jesus will come and that there is life not full of calamity like now. It gives me hope.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 4: Matthew 24:27-31
The events in Matthew 24 have not yet been fulfilled. It’s good to know the signs so we can be ready.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 4: Matthew 24:27-31
Jesus continues describing the End Times to his disciples on the Mount of Olives. He describes what will happen and says that those in Judea should flee. Don’t take anything with you. If their flight takes place in winter or on the Sabbath, there will be great distress. However, those days will be cut short for the sake of the elect. False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive you.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 3: Matthew 24:15-26
6a) The destruction of the Jewish temple
b) Flee
c) Jesus will confirm a covenant with many. Forces will desecrate the temple and abolish daily sacrifices. There will be 1,290 days from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up.
7a) “Unequaled from the beginning of the world till now — and never to be equaled again.” “No one would survive” “How dreadful it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers.” “Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.”
b) You should take the warnings very seriously. They should respond with prayer.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 3: Matthew 24:15-26
I’m wondering how the disciples felt hearing from this. I would have been afraid.
An interesting read on the Olivet Discourse.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 3: Matthew 24:15-26
The abomination of desolation is when the Jewish temple will be destroyed and an idolatrous image will be set up in the holy place. This act brings desolation.
Daniel describes the complete desecration of the temple, and Paul discusses this event more in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
There will be 3.5 years after the sign is set up before the consummation of all things.
When the abomination appears, you (the Jewish people) must flee immediately.
Bible scholars believe that the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 AD and the subsequent fleeing of God’s people was a foreshadowing of the coming End Times.
After pronouncing the Seven Woes on the Pharisees, Jesus exits the temple and tells his disciples that the temple will be destroyed. When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked him when will the temple be destroyed, what will be the sign of his coming, and what will be the sign of the end of the age. Jesus warns them to watch out for those who come in his name but are not him. Wars will happen, and nations will be pitted against nations. There will be famines and earthquakes.
They will be handed over, persecuted, and put to death because of him. They will be hated. Many will turn away from Christ and many false prophets will appear. Those who stand firm in the face of wickedness will be saved. The Gospel will be preached to the whole world and then the end will come.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 2: Matthew 24:1-14
3a) “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
b) The disciples asked Jesus when will the temple be destroyed, what will be the sign of his coming, and what will be the sign of the end of the age.
4a) “Watch out that no one deceives you.” God sent Jesus, but the false prophets are from the devil. He is a liar.
b) Jesus warns them to watch out for those who come in his name but are not him. Wars will happen, and nations will be pitted against nations and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes. They (the disciples) will be handed over, persecuted, and put to death because of him. They will be hated. Many will turn away from Christ and many false prophets will appear.
c) All of them: wars, nations against each other, famines, earthquakes, death, false prophets, and those turning from Christ.
5) Christ is coming, and it could be any time, so we need to be ready by preparing our hearts.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 2: Matthew 24:1-14
I like how Jesus doesn’t hold anything back, nor does he sugarcoat what is about to happen to him and to them. Honesty is always the best policy.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 24, Day 2: Matthew 24:1-14
Jesus never again returns to the temple, nor will he ever debate the Pharisees and leaders again. He is departing in finality.
The temple was the center of life for every Jew in Jerusalem. It was begun by Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 6:15) and expanded by Herod. People swore by it (Matthew 23:16), and speaking against is was considered blasphemy. (Acts 6:13). Incredibly, the temple was expanded and finished in 63 AD — a mere 7 years before it would be destroyed forever.
The temple was burned in 70 AD, melting all of the precious gold. The Romans wanted the gold, so they dismantled the entire temple to retrieve it.
The Olivet Discourse
Jesus has made his way to the Mount of Olives now. The disciples want to know more about Jesus’s prediction. They most likely thought the End Times would be when the temple fell. They were wrong.
Bible scholars debate why Jesus was not clear here and just told the disciples (and us) when the End Times would come. Some speculate it’s to confound the devil; others say it’s so we will always be ready for Jesus’s return. All we know is that he will return.
Biblical prophecy often contains a near-term event coupled with one that is further away.
Satan is the father of lies, and he will be very active at the End Times. False prophets will appear, too.
Jesus mentions things that will occur (wars, famines, earthquakes, etc), but they are not THE sign of the End Times, but they are a sign of the End Times coming.
Jesus now talks about the period after he ascends to heaven but before he comes again. Here:
The disciples will be persecuted
There will be many false prophets who will deceive many
Wickedness will continue to increase in the world
Natural disasters, famines, and earthquakes (signs of God’s judgment) will intensify
The Gospel will be preached to the entire world. Nothing will prevent the Word of God from being known before the End Times
Jesus’s disciples don’t even fully understand Jesus’s first coming, so they must be insanely confused here.
Fun Fact: The Olivet Discourse is Jesus’s last major teaching recorded before his death.
The cupbearer said in his dream he saw three branches on a vine. It budded, blossomed and ripened into grapes. Then he squeezed the three grapes into Pharaoh’s cup and gave it to him. Joseph told him that he would only be in jail for three days and then he will be restored to his position as chief cupbearer to Pharaoh and continue to put Pharaoh’s cup in Joseph’s hand. Joseph then asks the cupbearer to remember him with Pharaoh to help get him out of this prison since he is an innocent man.
The baker tells his dream to Joseph, saying he dreamed he had three baskets of bread on his head. The top basket has all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating the goods. Joseph tells that baker that in three days Pharaoh will behead the baker and hang him on a tree. The birds will eat his flesh.
Both dreams came to pass. The chief cupbearer was restored in three days, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, and the baker was hung. However, the cupbearer did not remember Joseph.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 5: Genesis 40:9-23
13) Joseph was honest in his assessment. He could have lied to the baker and said he would live, but he did not.
14) To remember him and mention him to Pharaoh so that he could go free since he has been wrongly imprisoned.
15) The cupbearer was restored his position. The baker was hung. Joseph was forgotten and stayed in jail.
16) Joseph still was in charge so he found comfort in his work. He knew God was with him. God has given him the correct interpretation of the dreams. He was still alive.
17) Taking it day-by-day. You get up and do all that you can do to keep going. You pray; you hope; you pray some more. That’s really all you can do.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 5: Genesis 40:9-23
So many time those who have helped others are forgotten when someone reaches success. Remember it’s not about glory here on earth; it’s about the glory in heaven you will receive for doing your good deeds. God remembers; that’s all that really matters.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 5: Genesis 40:9-23
God uses pictures that makes sense to the two men. Wine is made from grapes, which the chief cupbearer dealt in wine all the time.
Note that these are not far off dreams; both will happen in three days. This allows God to give Joseph immediate credibility.
Note how Joseph is working for his release. This shows us we have to take action, too, in what we want. God will help, but we must be active participants.
Joseph delivers the bad news along with the good news. How many of us want to know this as well and need to hear it? The message of judgment is just as important as the message of redemption.
We an assume that the baker was guilty of what he was accused of, while the cupbearer was not.
For Jesus, even a message of death can mean good news if you have accepted him as your Savior. Going to heaven is good news, indeed.
It was not Joseph’s time yet. He still must linger in prison. Preparation for greatness takes years to be molded. Having the patience is allow God to do His work is key.
Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker offended Pharaoh and were put in the same prison as Joseph. Both men had a dream that they could not interpret. Joseph saw that they were sad and asked them why. They said they could not interpret their dreams, so Joseph told them God could and to tell them the dreams.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 4: Genesis 40:1-8
11) Joseph noticed that they cupbearer and the baker were sad and asked them why. They said they could not interpret their dreams, so Joseph told them God could and to tell them the dreams. This shows that Joseph knew the men well enough to know when they were dejected and cared enough to ask and to offer help.
12) My family. Be more present with them, ask more questions, listen more.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 4: Genesis 40:1-8
I’m wondering about the repeated phrases here I never noticed before: the repetition of their positions and the fact they were in prison. No word in the Bible is wasted, so there has to be some reason here.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 4: Genesis 40:1-8
The cupbearer was responsible for tasting all of the drink and food before Pharaoh ate it to make sure it was not poisonous. The baker cooked Pharaoh’s food. Scholars believe there was a plot against Pharaoh, and these two were accused. However, the cupbearer and the baker were in prison for God’s reasons and plans.
Note how Potiphar, who is the captain of the guard, assigned these men to Joseph. Potiphar probably believes Joseph is innocent as indicated by this action. (Genesis 39:1).
Here’s we see Joseph’s heart is like Jesus’s. He helps others and pays attention to their feelings. Most people would not have cared about the sadness of these two men. After all, they were all leading desperate lives as prisoners, so why care about others?
Joseph had a sincere desire to help these men feel better about their dreams. He knew God used dreams to foretell the future like the dreams God had given him. (Genesis 37:5-11), Note how it’s God who knows. Joseph takes no credit for these dreams.
God Uses Dreams To Foretell the Future in the Bible
Joseph was purchased by Potiphar who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, his captain of the guard. God was with Joseph, and he prospered. Potiphar noticed that God was with him and blessed him in everything he did, so he put Joseph in charge of his household. Potiphar was blessed as well because of Joseph and did not have to do anything except feed himself.
Potiphar’s wife wanted to have an affair with Joseph because he was handsome, but Joseph refused to sin against God in that way. She kept asking, and Joseph kept refusing. One day, she grabbed his cloak and asked him to sleep with her. He refused and fled, but she kept his cloak. Potiphar’s wife then claimed that Joseph tried to sleep with her, using his cloak as proof.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18
3a) God blessed Joseph in Potiphar’s house, and Potiphar noticed so he had Joseph be his attendant. He put Joseph in charge of his entire home, and God blessed Potiphar because of it, both in the house and the field. Potiphar did not have to worry about anything.
b) I see God’s work in my life every day, and as I seek, He reveals. I keep on, keeping-on, but I know He is working through me to accomplish His plans. As God has blessed Joseph, so he does all of us.
4a) Potiphar’s wife flat out asked/told Joseph to come to bed with him. When he refused, she kept pestering him, hoping to wear him down. She grabbed his cloak one day when no one else was around and asked again, but Joseph fled. She was so angry to be rejected that she made up a lie about him.
b) I like how Joseph fled from temptation and avoided her probably at all costs and avoided being alone with her. Joseph was also honest with her and did not lie. It’s best to avoid situations altogether where you could face temptation.
5) I’m currently not facing any major situations, but daily situations to do the right thing can be a challenge as well, especially when you think no one is looking or noticing. That is what I plan to pray about and work on. This might cost money, reputation, or embarrassment.
6) God always provides a way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) and does not give us more than we can bear. Praying, staying close to God, and knowing He is good helps immensely.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18
Kudos to Joseph here for standing by his boss and by God, especially when it seems he was being battered by Potiphar’s wife to sleep with him. A lot of men give in to this, especially one in Joseph’s position who was a mere slave and this could have been seen as an order.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18
Potiphar’s name means devoted to the sun. The ancient Egyptians worshipped the sun god, Ra who was believed to have created the entire world. He was one of their central gods.
Bible scholars debate is Potiphar was a eunuch since many officials in ancient times were castrated so that they would forever be loyal to the king. There is no confirmation of this idea, however, in Potiphar’s case. If you are the captain of the guard of Pharaoh, you are a very important person. After all, you’re in charge of the Pharaoh’s security.
Note how God was with Potiphar from the beginning. Joseph could have been bought by anyone, including someone who would mistreat him. He was not. Joseph showed everyone that God existed through his actions. Even in our darkest hours (pretty sure going from the favored son of a rich man to a slave qualifies), God blesses and uses it for His good.
Odds are, Joseph’s brothers who put him here were probably not doing all that well.
Interestingly, God can bless our work and those we work with in the same way. This can include your home where you work as well.
Success Takes Time
Although this passage reads as such, Joseph did not become a success overnight. Working backwards with the timeframe, Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17 (Genesis 37:2). We are told he was 30 when Pharaoh promoted him (Genesis 41:46), and we know Joseph was imprisoned for two years before this (Genesis 41:1). Thus, it took Joseph 11 years to work his way up to be Potiphar’s right-hand man. Oftentimes, we are not patient enough to let God work in our lives. This is still quite young, even in our day, to rise to such fame.
We can also assume that Joseph worked hard to earn this position, and he was obviously good at it.
Fun Fact: The writers of the Bible only record two other men as being handsome:
Some Bible scholars say Moses, but Moses was called beautiful as a child (Exodus 2:2), which, as all of us parents know, all babies are beautiful!
If Potiphar was indeed a eunuch, Potiphar’s wife may have been seeking sexual intimacy then with other men. Remember, ancient cultures often saw marriage as more of an open relationship, and affairs were very common and sometimes even acceptable. Perhaps Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph’s looks or to the challenge of bagging him. No one knows her motivations. We are only told her actions here.
Joseph Resists Temptation
Since we all know that Joseph was in Potiphar’s house for 11 years, this could have been going on that entire time. If you think of it in that way, then you can understand that one day Joseph’s refusal would anger Potiphar’s wife enough that she would take her revenge. Yet, Joseph stand firm, knowing he would sin against God and his master if he slept with her.
Note that Potiphar’s wife blamed her husband for bringing Joseph into the house. Note how this sin began in the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed God for the first sin because God made Eve (even though he wanted a companion). (Genesis 3:12-13) This sin of blaming others has been around since the beginning of time.
Many people in the Bible could not resist temptation (Abrah, Moses, David, Joh, Peter, Solomon, and, of course, Adam and Eve). Joseph and Daniel did.
Bible scholars believe Potiphar’s wife planned to get Joseph alone, hoping to finally seduce him with no one looking. Instead, Joseph flees sin once again, as we are commanded to do 2 Timothy 2:22.
She lies, knowing Joseph would be put to death. Yet, for someone who wants to sleep with him, she doesn’t seem to care. We are not told if Joseph defended himself. However, it would not matter. Joseph was a slave. His life didn’t matter. Still, Joseph trusted all things would work together for his good.(Romans 8:28).
Jesus has made his way to the Mount of Olives now. The disciples want to know more about Jesus’s prediction. They most likely thought the End Times would be when the temple fell. They were wrong.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 24, Day 2: Genesis 39:1-18