Genesis 39:6 "And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
Potiphar was living well. He had put his trust in Joseph because he saw that the LORD was with Joseph. He had no idea what he had. He just took what was placed before him and consumed it without thought.
It would seem that Joseph had some of the attributes of his mother, Rachel. Genesis 29:17 tells us that Rachel was beautiful and well favored. By the language here, Joseph was a handsome man with a good disposition. Potiphar’s wife took note of Joseph and tried to seduce him.
Joseph was quick to point out that there was no one greater in Potiphar’s house than he was. He has authority over all that Potiphar possessed. His authority was so absolute that even Potiphar did not know the daily goings on in his house. His confidence in Joseph was absolute.
However, Jospeh’s refusal to commit this sin with Potiphar’s wife was not based on his position in the household. His decision was not based on what it might cost him in the long run. Neither was it based on the appearance of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph declared that he could not commit this great sin against God.
Beloved of God, let us consider that we have much more in Jesus than meets the eye (the bread we eat). By His grace we are well-favored, and we need to guard against temptation. We should resist sin and follow God, but not because we have calculated some cost associated with the sin. Joseph’s refusal was not based on the prospect of losing his position or favor with Potiphar. His concern was simply this: “how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” When we are tempted, may this be our heartfelt concern. How can we sin against God who has shown us His favor?