As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. Genesis 39:19
We are not told that Potiphar was angry with Joseph, just that he was angry. Potiphar trusted Joseph, and Joseph has shown integrity, so it is reasonable to conclude that Potiphar was angry because his wife put him in an impossible position. The servants are watching, and they’re all on the side of Potiphar’s wife.
This scene reminds us of Pontius Pilate. Seeds of hostility had been sown. Accusations had been made. And people were saying, “If you release this man you are not Caesar’s friend” (John 19:12). Then Jesus said, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” But Pilate was under pressure, so he said, “What is truth?” (John 18:37, 38). Truth must be sacrificed. Joseph must be put in prison. Jesus must be put on the cross. Because other interests must be served.
We like to think of ourselves as open-minded people who are guided by the facts. But we are not neutral when it comes to the claims of God. Romans 1 argues that there is enough light in the creation around us for every person on the planet to know that there is a living God and that He has great power. And somewhere deep in our hearts we know this, but we suppress the truth (1:18), and exchange the truth about God for a lie (1:25). Why? Because if there is a God of power, He will require something of us, and that would put us in an uncomfortable position.
Isn’t that what Potiphar and Pilate are doing? And the Bible says that is what, by nature, we do as well. We suppress the truth because, like Potiphar and like Pilate, we don’t like the position that the truth would put us in.
Have you lied? Made a false accusation? Pretended to be virtuous to the hurt of another? Confess it. Repent of it. Seek forgiveness from God and from the person you have wronged.
