15 Feb. Joseph becomes Potiphar’s personal steward
“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar was an officer to the king of Egypt and the captain of the palace guard. He bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.”
“The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. He lived in the house of his master, Potiphar the Egyptian.”
“Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that the LORD made Joseph successful in everything he did. So Potiphar was very happy with Joseph and allowed him to be his personal servant. He put Joseph in charge of the house, trusting him with everything he owned.”
“When Joseph was put in charge of the house and everything Potiphar owned, the LORD blessed the people in Potiphar’s house because of Joseph. And the LORD blessed everything that belonged to Potiphar, both in the house and in the field.”
“So Potiphar left Joseph in charge of everything he owned and was not concerned about anything except the food he ate.”
(Genesis 39:1-6)
On arriving in Egypt, the Ishmaelite traders who had bought Joseph from his brothers in Canaan sold him to an officer in the royal household. So Joseph became the personal slave of a wealthy and influential Egyptian. God was preparing the way for Joseph himself to become wealthy and important in due course.
Joseph worked hard and was a willing and reliable servant. Potiphar noticed that he was different from his other slaves and soon promoted him to become his personal steward.
Potiphar quickly realised why he was different. Joseph didn’t worship the traditional Egyptian gods. He had brought his own god with him from Canaan and continued to worship him in this foreign land. And it was obvious that this god answered Joseph’s prayers and made Joseph successful in all he did.
Not only that, the blessings from Joseph’s god appeared to spread across the whole household: “And the LORD blessed the people in Potiphar’s house because of Joseph.” (Genesis 39:5) This is a message we can all learn today. When God blesses us, he also blesses those around us – our family, our friends, those we work with and those we meet at school, at church, at the local shops, and on the train or bus.
That is how so many people come to know God – through the actions and deeds of kindness of those whom he loves and blesses.
The photo shows the remains of a colonnaded portico at Karnak Temple in Egypt.
You can read more about Joseph’s time in Potiphar’s household @ The Bible Journey | Joseph becomes Vizier of Egypt