Okay, did the title catch you? LOL!! Gosh, I was looking for some interesting ideas of women in the Bible to write about, and I came upon Potiphar’s wife. The bible really doesn’t give the poor woman a name, but she sure does know how to cause a lot of trouble!

When I used to read the story of Joseph, I never really thought about what it would be like to be the wife of such an important man. I always looked at her as someone just downright evil to accuse Joseph of something he didn’t do. Let’s take a look at the story…..

At the end of Genesis 37, we find out that Joseph was sold to Potiphar by the Midianites who had bought him from Joseph’s brothers. Potiphar was a very important man to the Pharoah. He was his captain of the guard. We see Joseph next in Genesis 39, prospering in Potiphar’s household. Joseph had found favor in his eyes and was promoted to a position as his attendant, making him in charge of his household. That means that Potiphar trusted him with everything that is his….including his wife. The Lord blessed everything that happened in Potiphar’s household because of Joseph.

Now the bible tells us that Joseph was a very handsome and well built man. He must have been a real stud! I kind of imagine it would be like having, say, Trace Adkins, as your husband’s personal assistant (sorry, I couldn’t help that one…choose your own “Joseph”…lol) Can you imagine her day? Maybe wandering around the house and seeing Joseph…then maybe, just happening to run into him in another room in the household, watching him work in the field through a window….She’s really got Joseph on the brain….and she wants him BAD! She may be fantasizing about him all day. Finally she comes up to him and says, “Come to bed with me.” Joseph tells her that he cannot do such a wicked thing when Potiphar trusts him with everything….and Potiphar trusts him enough to allow him to work near his wife. It would also be a sin against God who has blessed him.

Day after day, she asks him to go to bed with her. This is one sex starved woman, wouldn’t you say? She must either be desperate or really used to getting what she wants. Well, she waits until there is one day that she and Joseph are alone in the house and tells him one more time “Come to bed with me!” and she catches his cloak in her hand. When she grabbed him, he ran from the house, leaving behind his cloak which she still clutched in her hand. Scorned, she started screaming! All the household servants came running, and what’s a scorned woman to do? Tell a lie, that’s what! She told everyone that would listen that Joseph tried to sleep with her, but he ran off when she screamed for help and left his cloak. When Potiphar came home, she told him, “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” Potiphar had no choice but to believe his wife.

Potiphar’s wife has a big problem….is she home bored all day? Surely married to a man of his stature, she has money to spare. She obviously has no shame and was captive to sin, especially lust. She was so caught up in sin’s evil net, that she didn’t even realize it was wrong. What about Potiphar? Did he not meet her sexual needs? Even if your husband doesn’t meet your sexual needs, is it right to look for it elsewhere? No way. This woman was married to Potiphar and it was obvious that Joseph respected him enough not to sin against him. He tried everything possible to stay away from this woman, but she was so bent on having this affair with him, that nothing was going to stop her from getting what she wanted and she WANTED Joseph.

Is being a Nympho a bad thing? No way! Not if you are a Nympho for your HUSBAND. That is where her problem was. If she would have directed her sexual energy at her husband, it would have glorified God, but instead she chose to to lust after someone she couldn’t (and wouldn’t) have. Too many people have turned the word nymphomaniac into a bad thing…something that prostitutes and adulterous women do. Not true. Just because a majority of the world believes this is true doesn’t make it true…it just makes them a majority. When the focus of your sexual energy is on your husband, the Lord does not mind if you get all the pleasure you want! You have God’s permission to be a nympho in this situation.

Are you married to a workaholic husband? I think Potiphar might have fallen in this role. Maybe your husband’s eyes are everywhere else, but on you? I have seen on The Marriage Bed lately that there are more and more women who are married to low drive husbands. What do you do when lust tempts you? RUN. FLEE just like Joseph did. Do not even think twice or give it a foothold in your life. RUN AWAY as fast as you can. Sweet sisters in Christ, pray for God to strengthen your willpower. Pray that God would strengthen your marriage, bless your marriage bed, and certainly pray for your spouse. If you are in a sexless marriage or have a low drive spouse, fulfilling your sexual needs in another man is not the answer, it only makes things worse. Communicate your needs to your husband. When sin comes knocking on your door, don’t be a Potipahr’s wife. Keep your marriage bed sacred and holy. God will make things right in His perfect time. I am praying for those of you who may be under this temptation.

September 16, 2008
Categories: Biblical Studies . . Author: spicynutmeg

2 Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Comments RSS