Gen.39,7-23
1– When charity enters into a soul, lust flees from it. St.G.B. Jan.7
-Yahweh requires of you : to do justice, to love mercy , and to walk humbly with god. Mi.6.8 This, will be Joseph’s mission with Potiphar’s wife, with the prisoners, and with his brothers.
- Joseph can realize this mission because of his humility.
2 – Chapter 39,2.5.21.23 four times said : Yahweh blessed Joseph while he lived in the house of his master… From that time God blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph… Yahweh was with Joseph and showed him kindness… gave him success in everything he did ”…
- In the future, the Egyptians and Joseph’s brothers, will be saved by him.
- Joseph is Jesus’ symbol who will save all mankind.
3 – The ugly story of 39,7-23, is a story, that can happened every day.
- But, it is very difficult, to find a person who is honest like Joseph :
“ My master entrusted everything to me, except yourself because you are his wife. How could I do such an evil thing and sin against God ” 39,9
* The two old men said : We desire to possess you…
Susanna said : If I give in to your desire it will be death for me.
If I refuse I won’t escape your persecution. I would rather be persecuted than sin in the eyes of the Lord .” Dn.13,20-22.
- Escape from sin as you would from a snake. Sir.21,2
4 – These words are so clear, that if they were practiced by all human beings we would not need judges, prisons, hell…
* The writer, once again, is telling us, about the importance and the necessity of listening to the voice of conscience, the natural law that is in the heart of everybody, it means that, all of us we must, practice justice and to love everybody especially, children, women, poor. ( See P. N. 3 )
- We must be humble and to do our duty at all times.
5 – But, from Adam on, and now with Potiphar’s wife, we can see that, when we do something wrong, we do not accept our responsibility, but we try to find excusesfor our sins… accusing others…
- “ You God, gave me Eve… You God are guilty… not me ”. Gen.3,12
*The lady said : “ Sleep with me… But Joseph did not agree to sleep with her. So, Potiphar’s wife, caught hold of Joseph by his cloak saying come to bed with me… Joseph left his cloak in her hands and ran out of the house.
She called her servants and said : This Hebrew… came here to lie with me.
The husband blazed with anger and put Joseph in the prison” Gen.39,10-23
6 – Humility and confidence, prayer and diligence, faith and patience…
Practice these virtues and God will do the rest ” . St.G.B. July 27,
* Let us perform our duties with exactness for the glory of God. July 30
* He who,despises little things, will fall. St.G.B. March 14.
7 –To say woman it is equivalent to say devil, temptation, sin… But…
- We should remember that, all of us, were born from a woman, our mother.
For nine months, she took care of us, in her womb, and for many years, she was near us, on the moments of joy or suffering, she took care of our food, education, faith.
- God created male and female for complementarity of gender. Gen.1,26-31
* The first word that the baby learns is mother. Man and women have the same dignity but different role.
8 – The B. has many references to the importance and beauty of women.
- Song of Songs 1-8, is a poem, about Good’s love and human love.
- A great sign appeared in heaven : a woman clothed with sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. Rv.12,1
- Holy women were the mothers of Samuel , Gideon , Baptist…
- Mary mother of God… is the unique person, without sin, and assumed to heaven and now she is taking care of all of us more than our physical mothers.
- Mary she appeared more than 1.000 times just to exhort us to conversion… to love each other… to prevent wars and, to prepare ourselves to meet God.
9 – The woman of character where is she to be found ?
She is more precious than any jewel. Prv.31,10-31.
- All of us have two bags, one in front of us to put and to see the defects of others…The second one, is behind… to put our defects.
It is easier to notice the defects of others than to follow their virtues.
10 – The B. was written by men 2.500 years ago , so in that book, we will find many stories about the defects, the sins of women, but those sins often were done because of men.
- So, the following references are valid for all persons male, female who want to listen to their conscience, want to convert and follow Jesus Christ.
* Three things delight me : agreement between brothers, friendship between neighbors , and perfect harmony between husband and wife. Sir.25,1.
* Any wickedness… rather than the wickedness of a woman…
Better to live with a lion and snake than to share a house with a wicked woman… Wickedness makes her like a bear. Sir 25,13-17 (17-24).
* Do not be fooled by a woman’s beauty or fall in love with her.
* The woman who is unfaithful to her husband… has disobeyed God’s law
She is tainted with adultery… Sir.23,22-27.
* Happy the husband of a good wife… The good wife is the best of gifts.
* The woman jealous of another woman brings heartbreak.
* A bad wife is like a badly fixed yoke, taking her is like grasping a scorpion
* A drunken wife cause scandal… A licentious woman has lively eyes…
* A wife’s grace gladdens her husband… A wife who knows how to be silent is a gift from the Lord…
* Like the sun such is the enchantment of a good wife. Sir.26,1-23
* A daughter cause her father worries and anxiety. Sir.42,9
* I find woman more bitter than death. Her heart is a snare and her arms chains.
* God made man simple but they get lost in their many thoughts. Eccl.7,25-28
* Do not do evil… Do not lie… Do not gossip… Do not join the company of sinners… Do not maltreat the servant who works honestly.
- Do not be jealous of your own wife… Do not put yourself into the power of any woman to the point where she can dominate you…
- Do not dally with a singing girl… Do not fix your gaze on a young girl…
- Do not deliver yourself into the power of prostitutes…
- Turn your eyes away from a good-looking… foreigner woman…
for the beauty of a woman has caused many to fall. Sir.7,1-17 ; 9,1-9.
* Let women dress with simplicity and modesty, not adorned with fancy hairstyles… gold… jewels, but with good works…
- Do not be taken up with outward appearances…
Is.3,16-24 ; 1Pt.3.3 ; 1Tim.2,9-10
11 – Most deceitful is the heart… I Yahweh penetrate the mind. Ger.17,9-10
- Anyone who looks at a woman… man… sodomites… gay…pedophile…lustfully has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart Mt.5,28
- Your treasure is, there also your heart will be. Mt.6,21.
- Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 1Cor.6,19
- If your hand… foot… eye… make you fall into sin, cut it off. Mk.9,42-48.
- What God’s has done male… female… was very good. Not for sin. Gen.1,31.
12 – So, we should not to be afraid of the other gender, but to know God’s plan and to collaborate, with love, with respect, with him
- There will be difficult times in the last days. People will be selfish, lovers of money… gossip… cruel… traitors… in love with pleasure… they will captivate weak women swayed by all kind of passion…
Keep away from such people. 2Tm.3,1-13
- Those difficult times, started with Adam… once again they manifested their malice with Joseph… and they will persist… forever.
13 – So, we should not be discouraged by this bad story but, we should trust in God and to ask him to help us to distinguish the evil from God and to cooperate with him at any time until we will reach the eternal peace with God in heaven.
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