Wrongly Accused (Genesis 39:11-20)

Have you ever been accused of something that you didn’t do? Have you ever had people believe that you did it, even though you didn’t?

It hurts. Especially when you made a determined effort not to do it. You successfully avoided the temptation, but now everyone is accusing you of giving in and you have no way of proving your innocence.

The United States of America was founded on several biblical principles, one of which was that any person accused of a crime was innocent until proven guilty. But in our instant gratification, 24/7 news cycle, 7-second attention span culture, most people who are accused of something in the public eye are instantly considered guilty until proven innocent.

We’d like to think that this is a new phenomenon that will pass soon enough, but it is one as old as time. Just look at Joseph…

Please read Genesis 39:11-20.

Joseph’s entire life has been one in which other people are jealous. It started with his brothers being jealous of his special treatment by their father. They responded to their jealousy by throwing him into a pit until they could sell him into slavery. Now, Potiphar’s wife is jealous of his affections so she accuses him of impropriety. Potiphar’s other servants are jealous of Joseph’s rise to prominence in their household, so they give in to their jealousy by believing the wife’s story. Potiphar himself has likely seen the success that God has given Joseph, that’s why he put him in charge of his entire household. So, Potiphar too must be a little jealous and is all too eager to believe his wife’s story and throw Joseph into prison.

Joseph had repeatedly resisted the advances of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph had diligently served Potiphar and faithfully managed his household. Joseph had done nothing wrong. But he was thrown into prison. All because other people were jealous.

Jesus told us that the world would hate us because it hated Him, that the world will falsely speak all kinds of evil against us because it did so to Him, and that the world would persecute us and attack us and throw us into prison, just like it did to Him. Why? Because they are jealous.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the fruit of the Spirit; we have eternal security and genuine satisfaction; we have contentment with our blessings and joy in the midst of sorrow. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are rich, and the world is jealous.

We may live perfect lives, but the world will still falsely accuse us of wrongdoing. This shouldn’t surprise us: they did it to Joseph, and they did it to Jesus. Why wouldn’t they do it to us?

Still, the story of Joseph doesn’t end here. The beautiful words that we will talk about tomorrow are found in the next verse: “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor.”

The world may be jealous of us and they may persecute us, but God will never forsake us. I’d rather have Jesus than all this world has to offer.