Introduction
Movie Clip - Worth Waiting for by Jenny Phillips - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR9UWj1q304#
What standards of sexual morality are presented by popoular media items currently today?
How do these standards differ from the Lord's standards as taught in the scriptures and by the Church leaders?
The standards of society can change, the Lord's standards are constant.
Genesis 37
Why were Joseph's brothers jealous of him? (v.3-4)
His brothers left and went to Schechem. Schechem was 45 miles away. Israel sent Joseph to go check on them.
How did Joseph respond to that request? (v.13-14)
He didn't find them in Schechem he found out they were in a Dothan. Dothan was at least another 12 miles away.
What can we learn about Joseph from this account?
What did Joseph’s brothers conspire to do when Joseph came to the fields where they were feeding the sheep? (v.18)
What did Reuben suggest? (v.21-22)
What did the brothers eventually do with Joseph instead of killing him? (v.28,31-33)
He was then sold into Egypt unto Potiphar (v.36)
How do you react when members of your receive better treatment than you do?
Can anyone share an experience they've had in overcoming feelings of jealousy or anger toward a family member or friend?
What Was Potiphar’s Position?
The Hebrew phrase which is translated as “captain of the guards” literally means “chief of the butchers or slaughterers.” From this meaning some scholars have thought that he was the chief cook or steward in the house of the pharaoh, but other scholars believe that butcher or slaughterer is used in the sense of executioner, and thus Potiphar was the “commanding officer of the royal body-guard, who executed the capital sentences ordered by the king”. Either way, Potiphar was an important man, but the latter position especially would give him great power and status in Egypt.
Genesis 39
How did the Lord bless Joseph after he was sold as a slave? (v.1–4)
Why did Potiphar, a wealthy officer of Pharaoh, put such trust in Joseph, a slave? (v.5–6)
How do the scriptures describe the kind of person Joseph was? (v.6)
What did Joseph do when Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt him to do wrong? (v.9).
How can we follow Joseph’s example when we are tempted?
He said How can I do this great wickedness against God.
He immediately removed himself from the situation
What excuses might Joseph have used if he had wanted to give in to the advances of Potiphar’s wife?
What excuses do people offer today to try to justify moral transgressions?
Why are these excuses not valid justifications?
Potiphar's wife was relentless at tempting Joseph (v.10)
How did Joseph become a prisoner? (v.12–20)
Because Potiphar had great power with the pharaoh and perhaps was even head of the royal executioners (see Reading 8-5), it is remarkable that Joseph was only put into prison and not executed. A slave accused of attempting to rape his master’s wife would seem to have deserved the most severe punishment, and yet Joseph was only imprisoned. Could it be that Potiphar, knowing of Joseph’s character and his wife’s character, suspected the truth and, although he felt compelled to take action, chose comparatively lenient punishment? Whatever the case, the hand of the Lord certainly preserved Joseph from what would otherwise have been almost certain death.
In the world today, how do some people treat others who are virtuous?
How does the world pressure our youth today to be immoral and can our youth resist this pressure?
The scriptures emphasize that while Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him (v.21–23).
What does this reveal about Joseph?
He continued in faith rather than questioning or blaming God for the imprisonment that resulted from being virtuous.
What can we learn from Joseph about turning bad experiences and circumstances into good ones?
see also Romans 8:28
Elder Hartman Rector Jr. explained: "[The] ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated".
The spiritual greatness of Joseph is a remarkable thing. How many people have become bitter over some real or imagined slight, or blamed the Lord for some personal tragedy? In the very midst of being faithful and holding true to that which is right, Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. How easy it would have been for him to give up, to say, “What’s the use of trying to serve God? All He does is punish me.” But there was not a trace of bitterness, no blaming the Lord. Joseph just continued being righteous and faithful. Unselfishly he offered to interpret the dreams of his two fellow prisoners, telling them that the knowledge came from God (see Genesis 40:8). He still trusted in the Lord, although he must have felt doomed to spend his life in prison. If any person had cause for discouragement and bitterness, it was Joseph, but he never faltered in his faith. Truly, Joseph is a model to be emulated.
Not all of Joseph’s family members and acquaintances were as valiant as Joseph was when facing temptation.
How did Shechem, Reuben, and Judah react to sexual temptation?
Church leaders have consistently taught that obedience to God’s commandments is true freedom.
How do we see this in the life of Joseph?
How did disobedience result in less freedom for Shechem, Reuben, and Judah?
How can choosing to keep the commandments make us more free than choosing to break them?
see John 8:31–36.
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