Stripped: Trusting God When He Allows Others to Hurt Youনমুনা

When chapter 39 starts, Joseph was already in a foreign land, with a different culture, and a new identity: slave. From favored son, to slave.

However, “the Lord was with Joseph” and gave him “success in everything he did.” The narrator adds an interesting detail: Joseph was handsome and well built, which caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife, who harassed him daily, begging him to sleep with her.

Joseph refused her advances and turned her away, telling her, “… My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a thing and sin against God?”

Astounding. A young, handsome man separated from his family, chose to honor the Lord and not sin against God. He could have taken the approach of the men in his family, sleeping with women that were not their wives. That was the pattern:

• Abraham took Hagar and had several other wives after Sarah died
• Jacob had two wives, plus the two servant-concubines
• Reuben slept with one of his father’s concubines
• Judah had no hesitation to engage a “prostitute” (Tamar)

Joseph could have easily given in to Potiphar’s wife. So, what happened? Where did this righteousness come from? Where is the Joseph that was on track to repeating the family patterns of deceit, lies, and bad choices we saw two chapters before? Who is this new man standing up to temptation in a way we have not seen before this point? What happened between chapter 37 and chapter 39? I believe it was the desert. The desert happened.

There were a few possible routes Joseph’s caravan could have taken to get to Egypt. A quick Google Earth search of routes from Dothan (that’s where Joseph was sold by his brothers) to Egypt will reveal dry, arid lands. We don’t know which route they used or how long it took them to get there. But they would have crossed through deserts at one point or another. To this day, there are areas along those routes that have no cities or settlements due to the topography of the land.

We’ll rely on our minds and knowledge of the land to imagine Joseph’s journey. He was probably hurt from falling into the cistern. We know he was robeless, but don’t know if they gave him another garment or if he had to walk partially naked. Was he walking or did he ride on a camel? Was he in a cage? There are so many possibilities!

So many questions left unanswered. But one thing is unquestionable: this was not the life route or journey he was expecting. One minute he was going in a particular direction, with the confidence that his father and family were there to provide stability, and the next, he was headed into the unknown; a slow journey to what the brothers believed was certain death.

The desert. That terrible place of dryness, tears, heat, thirst, hunger. Have you been there? In addition to Joseph journeying through a physical desert, he also faced the inescapable deserts that come after being stripped. There’s no vehicle or magic carpet ride that can help us avoid going through the emotional deserts that follow empty cisterns.

In the desert, you encounter unexpected and unplanned situations. The course of your life was headed in one direction, but suddenly, with hands and feet bound, you’re led into a wilderness unlike any you’ve experienced. You might have the support of your family and some friends, but this is a journey you ultimately face alone.

Something happened to Joseph in that desert that changed his mindset, his character, and his destiny. I believe he met the God of his ancestors in the desert. It’s unusual, because his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all have accounts of God appearing to them in dreams, visions, and personal encounters, primarily in the wilderness. Yet, beyond the dreams he shared with his brothers, we have no similar recorded account for Joseph. However, evidence of his undeniable encounter with God was manifested in the way he lived after arriving in Egypt and until his death.

Jacob must have told Joseph how he, Abraham, and Isaac encountered God and the promises He gave them. Joseph had plenty of time to think on his way to Egypt. I have no doubt he prayed to the God of his father— wouldn’t you? It is a natural reaction to look towards heaven for a miracle when life gets hard. Difficulties are often the catalysts that awaken a desire to connect with God.

Under the bright stars in the desert, did he remember his father’s voice retelling God’s promise to give them more descendants than the stars in the sky? Did he wonder how he fit into the promise? Would he be cut off from his family forever? What about the dreams God gave him? Were they from God? They couldn’t be, look where those dreams got him!

The desert road is often imbued with the constant battle between a believing heart and a doubtful mind because of what the eyes behold.

Joseph’s subsequent interaction with Potiphar’s wife proved that a decision was made in the desert: he would break his family’s patterns and choose the path of righteousness instead. What happened to Joseph was something transformational that only those who’ve had to cross deserts can get the chance to experience: meeting the God of the desert.