Silence Does Not Equal Absence

In Genesis 37 we were introduced to the latest of Abraham's descendants Joseph. Perhaps one of my favorite characters in the book of Genesis, studying the life of Joseph has been such a blessing, especially when you see the incredible transformation that God does in him, changing him from a bratty younger brother to the one who God uses to save his family. But in between these two sides of Joseph, we see some of the incredible circumstances God uses to shape Joseph and transform him into who God wants him to be.

Read Genesis 39 - As you read, write down your observations of:
God's Character/Actions & Joseph's Character/Actions




After writing down your own observations, I'd like to share some of my own. One of the things that Joseph faced in the midst of incredible hardship (slavery and then unjust imprisonment) was the temptation to do what was not pleasing to God. Joseph was good looking (that's right, verse 6, "handsome in form and appearance"), and that was the very thing that got him in trouble. Interesting how sometimes our strengths and the things God blesses us with are what Satan tries to use to stumble us. In any case, Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph. How easy would it have been for Joseph to give in? No one was in the house so no one would have known. He had less to lose from giving in than from resisting. And yet, Joseph stands firm in the face of temptation. But here's the thing that stands out most to me. Joseph didn't have to resist temptation just once, and then Potiphar's wife left him alone. Verse 10 tells us that she came after him "day after day" and every day he resisted temptation. In our own struggle against sin, we have to remember that it is a daily struggle to stand firm against what our desires tell us to do.

As much as the life of Joseph is a story about Joseph, it is that much more a story about who God is. There's something significant in the two book ends to the story of Potiphar's wife. Read Genesis 39:1-6 and 39:19-23. There are some astounding parallels in the story. Joseph excels at what he's doing. Blessing comes to those who are in charge over him because God blesses Joseph. Most significantly, in 39:2 and 39:21, the author of Genesis is clear: God is WITH Joseph. In the midst of slavery and imprisonment, God is with him and has never left him. We can read that so clearly, but remember that Joseph does not have a copy of Genesis next to him as he goes through this suffering. Does he know that God is with him? God regularly spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but with Joseph, He is strangely silent. It would have been easy for Joseph to assume that since God was not speaking to him, he had been forgotten. But let's not mistake the silence of God for the absence of God. Just because He doesn't speak to Joseph doesn't mean He's not with him. In the midst of our own struggle and trials, have we assumed that because God is silent that he's absent? God is with us, no matter the situation. Take some time to ask God to remind you of his presence, even in the silence.