In Egypt, a scandal took over the backstage of power when General Potiphar, a strong figure in the Egyptian army, ordered the arrest of a young Hebrew man named Joseph. The lad, who was trusted by the general and managed all his possessions, was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of attempted rape.
However, the story behind the accusation is quite different from the version presented by the woman. According to a witness, the general’s wife had harassed Joseph on several occasions, trying to seduce him and take him to bed. Impressed by the young butler’s beauty, she spared no effort to attract him. Nevertheless, Joseph, being a God-fearing man, never succumbed to the woman’s advances and always maintained the proper stance in the situation.
In one of the instances, Joseph reportedly said to the woman, “How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” The frequency of the harassment led the young man to distance himself from her, avoiding any close contact.
However, yesterday morning, the general’s wife took advantage of a moment alone to try and seduce Joseph once again. He vehemently refused, but the woman became furious and, to get back at him, falsely accused the young man of attacking her. She claimed that he had entered her room and tried to have relations with her, but she managed to push him away by screaming, and he fled, leaving his cloak behind as supposed evidence of the incident.
After the false accusation, Joseph was thrown into prison where, with his exemplary conduct and God’s presence in his life, he soon became a trusted prisoner and began taking care of the other inmates.
Joseph’s story has complicated origins, as he was sold as a slave by his own brothers who harbored jealousy over his favored position with their father, Jacob. His journey led him to Egypt, where he ended up as a slave in the hands of Potiphar.
Despite the adversities, God’s presence in Joseph’s life blessed him and made him prosper in all the tasks entrusted to him, including managing Potiphar’s possessions.
(The story above can be found in Genesis chapter 39)
