In our Ladies Bible Study book, Women of the Bible, we cover fifty-two different women from the Scriptures. This past week was Potiphar's Wife. An important figure in the story of Joseph's life. However, we find it significant that she doesn't warrant a name.
If you aren't familiar with her part in Joseph's story;
📖 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. Genesis 39:1-10
(If you would like to read the whole account of Joseph)
The last part of our study suggested that we "write the rest of her story", how we think her life would have turned out, because she isn't mentioned anymore in Scripture after she had Joseph sent off to prison.
So....off goes my brain!! And here it is!
📚 Her name was Matilda. She was a spoiled, rich girl who was bored. Potiphar was a wealthy, important, prominent member of Pharaoh’s ⁷inner court, he was captain of the guard.
📖 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. v 1
This handsome young man had worked his way up the ranks of the slaves and servants in record time. Matilda was angry that Potiphar was away all the time, so to spite him she threw herself at Joseph. And much to her spoiled self's surprise he rejected her!! The nerve of him!
📖9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39
Now she was angry and had a challenge and she harrassed him day after day.
📖 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
Finally, she had had enough of his rejection and being made a fool of. When he ran away from her and left his cloak behind she realized she had the perfect opportunity to make him pay...so she cried rape!
📖 13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined Genesis 39
Potiphar, though Joseph had become a very impressive and important part of his household, believed her immediately and he was angry that this man that he had treated so fairly had wronged him in this way. Matilda was very satisfied she had fooled everyone. Because of his anger and to keep his wife happy Potiphar threw Joseph into prison.
The adage "happy wife, happy life" might have started here!
So Joseph was thrown into prison! Now, because this story is about Matilda, we will fast forward several years, while Joseph remaind in prison continuing to be faithful to God and a servant to all.
Matilda brooded and pouted and was bored...but one thing kept nagging in the back of her mind.
📖 How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?
She wondered what kind of faith causes a man to risk everything and refuse his bosses wife?! A beautiful, desirable woman!? What kind of God could elicit such devotion.
She sometimes felt badly that she had said what she did...and had him thrown into prison..."but at least he wasn't executed right?!", she would tell herself.
She knew Potiphar was also wondering about the punishment of such a good and loyal servant. One who had worked hard for the household, and this God that Joseph worshiped seemed to have blessed Joseph so much so the blessings poured out to the entire household and family.
.📖5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.
Then news spread around the kingdom that Pharoah was being troubled by dreams and a man from the dungeons could interpret them.
📖 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.” So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Genesis 39:12-15
Could it be?! It was Joseph! But now he worked for Pharoah and was called by another name!
📖 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:41-45
The stories would come in of how this man had a plan to save Egypt from terrible drought and famine.
Everyone in the land went before him and his staff to get their portions of food.
📖 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.
Potiphars 🏠 house was no exception. And though servants went and stood in line, Potiphar and Matilda went and viewed the proceedings with the rest of the Egyptian court, as he was a still captain of the guard.
It became particularly interesting when people from Joseph's homeland were coming for their portions of grains.
One family became of particular interest to watch.
📖 6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked.“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.” Genesis 42
Matilda heard that it was Joseph's brothers, and if she remembered correctly, they were reason he was enslaved in the first place."This should be interesting." She knew what she had done when rejected and made to feel foolish. This man had served years as a slave and had the power to have these men, brothers or not, carted off to some dungeon like where he had been held!
But as the days go by she continued to go to the distribution center to watch this unfold.
And for a moment it looked as if Joseph was going to get his revenge. She almost was feeling sorry for these men....strange...
But then Joseph forgave them, told them who he was and how he was able to save them from the famine of the land.
📖 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Genesis 45:1-2
Joseph had worked so hard for Pharoah but had remained faithful to God, Pharoah rewarded Joseph by rewarding Joseph’s whole family.
📖Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the [c]fat of the land. Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come.⁷⁷ Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ” Genesis 45:16-20
Matilda was shocked, but felt a relief she wasn't sure of. ..where was this coming from? The forgiveness that Joseph had for his brothers seemed to extend to all those who had wronged Joseph throughout his life. Hadn't his plan to save Egypt extended to her and her family?
Matilda was so overwhelmed by this thought that she wanted forgiveness from this God for what she had done to Joseph as well.
And in that moment she felt it, she received it and her life wouldn't ever be the same.
Now, remember, this is mostly fiction. The Scripture parts are real. But Matilda and what happened to her are just speculation and my need for a happy ending! Or.....is it😘
Our God is an amazing God who can do anything.....
🙏🏼Lord, though we do not know how the rest of Potiphar's wife's life played out You do. What is important is how we choose to go through our lives. Lord, give us empathy and compassion for all those around us. Help us to influence others by Your love, grace, and mercy, so that they may see You and choose to follow. ♥️