Forming Faith Blog

Joseph’s Hope in God (Genesis 39)

Posted on September 15 2026 by Gregory Rawn

Despite the suffering that Joseph endured, God was always present and active in his life. How do you see God’s presence during the rough periods in your life?

Black and white photo of 'Keep Your Hope' graffiti on a pavement. Joseph's hope was based on God's constant presence in his life.
Photo by Charl Durand
About the Story

The story of Joseph began long before today’s reading. Joseph was loved by his father more than any other of his eleven brothers. This did not make him popular with his brothers. Joseph was also a dreamer who could not help but share the vision that one day his brothers would bow down to him. This did not help his popularity. It is a dream that came true, but not without years of heartache and regret in the meantime.

Joseph’s brothers did the unthinkable. In jealousy, they sold Joseph into slavery, led their father to believe that a wild animal had killed him, and went on with their lives. Joseph was dead to them. But God was with Joseph.

God blessed the work of Joseph’s hands so that he found favor with his master. But the drama of Joseph’s life was just beginning. It would not be long before he found himself thrown in prison on false charges. But God was with Joseph there, too.

Eventually, Joseph was promoted to be second in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Because of him, Egypt was spared during the time of famine. God worked through Joseph to provide safety for his family and for countless others. Eventually, Joseph had the opportunity to look his brothers in the eye and declare that even though they meant to harm him, God used it for good (Genesis 50:20).

Like Joseph, we have been given the promise of God’s continual, loving presence in our lives. God’s love and favor do not shield us from difficult situations, just as they did not shield Joseph from suffering. However, God’s promise of Emmanuel, God-with-us (Matthew 1:23; 28:20), can give us comfort and peace through the most difficult of circumstances. (Adapted from Living the Word: Small Groups)

Context Insights

The following are a few insights found in our background resource Living the Word: Contexts & Connections.

  • Linguistics: God is mentioned nine times in Genesis 39, and eight of those come from the narrator. God is mentioned by a character only once (Genesis 39:9). The use of the name YHWH for God by the narrator links this story with Israel’s subsequent history in the exodus and beyond.
  • Culture/Religion: Joseph is sold as a slave to Potiphar but is able to gain favor and have great responsibility in his master’s household. This was a common characteristic of enslavement in the ancient Near East, as in Genesis 15:2; 24:2 with Abraham’s chief servant, Eliezer. 
  • Common Misunderstandings: Joseph’s encounter with Potiphar’s wife are often interpreted as a morality tale which sets limits on sexuality. More recently scholars have noted the power dynamics involved in the unnamed wife’s pursuit of Joseph. As events progress, each character is shaped by their place in society. Potiphar’s wife does not see Joseph as an equal and approaches him with a command, not a request: “Lie with me” (Genesis 39:7b, 12). This shows that she is attempting to exert power over a servant. Joseph responds to her command in terms of authority, rather than sexuality, speaking of the trust Potiphar has placed in him. Later, she reminds Potiphar that Joseph is a Hebrew, invoking the power dynamic between native Egyptians and foreigners.
Connections and Suggestions

We have Narrative Lectionary resources for 2026-2027 for all age groups. Here are a few activity summaries you can use. The full activity descriptions and much more are available in the product noted. 

  • Kids: Using a white board, mural paper, or regular paper, help students brainstorm different jobs and roles (parents, teachers, fast food employees, siblings, people with disabilities, etc.). Challenge students to come up with ideas about how someone in each role or job can bless others, like Joseph blessed others even when he was enslaved and imprisoned. Encourage creative (and respectful) responses and conversation. Then, have students share ideas on how God could bless others through them. (From Living the Word: Kids Mini Lessons (PK-6th))
  • Youth: Discuss with the youth how Joseph’s story included a lot of brokenness (dysfunctional family, enslavement, accusation, imprisonment, etc.) but, instead of becoming bitter and angry, Joseph was able to see something good. Provide “broken” mosaic materials and have youth create something beautiful out of something broken. (From Living the Word: Youth)
  • Intergenerational education: Discuss how Joseph’s story had many ups, downs, and surprises. Divide participants into groups of around five people each, partnering pre-writers with confident writers. Give each group a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Explain that groups will write their own story of ups, downs, and surprises. However, each group member will not know what the others wrote until the end (though they can share the name of the main character). You will ask one question or give a prompt per group member in order. That person will write a sentence in response to that question, fold the paper so that no one can see what they wrote, and pass the paper to the next person. Repeat the process until each group member has the opportunity to come up with a sentence. Questions: Describe someone who has everything going for them. What was this character’s life like? What changed to make their life worse? Where did they end up? How did things get better? Come up with more questions if groups are bigger. (From Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education)
Daily Bible Readings

Throughout both the Narrative Lectionary year (roughly September through May) and the summer, we have created a daily Bible lectionary that corresponds with the Narrative Lectionary readings. These readings are used throughout our NL products, and you can subscribe to them digitally through our Daily Readings Calendar.

DateDayLectionTitle
9/27/2026SundayGenesis 39:1-23Joseph’s Hope
9/28/2026MondayGenesis 41:1-13Pharaoh’s Dream
9/29/2026TuesdayGenesis 41:14-45Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream
9/30/2026WednesdayGenesis 47:1-12Jacob and His Sons Come to Egypt
10/1/2026ThursdayExodus 1:8-14Enslavement in Egypt
10/2/2026FridayExodus 3:1-17Words of Liberation from the Bush
10/3/2026SaturdayExodus 5:1-9“Let My People Go”
10/4/2026SundayExodus 14:5-7, 10-14, 21-29Parting the Red Sea
Previous Posts

This is our blog’s third go-around in the Narrative Lectionary, Year 1. Here are some previous posts on this particular passage if you are interested:

I hope you find this all useful! If you have any questions or feedback on this blog post (or anything else), comment on this post below or on Facebook, or send me a message.

In Christ,

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

Order Faith Formation Resources

It’s not too late to purchase resources for your 2026-2027 faith formation programming! Order program-year curriculum resources for the Narrative Lectionary (Year 1, 2026-2027), Revised Common Lectionary (Years A & B, 2026-2027), or Key Bible Stories (non-lectionary, PK-2nd, 3rd-6th) and download TODAY.

New RCL faith-at-home resource!

I’m excited to announce a new product series for Spirit & Truth Publishing: Taking Faith Home. Taking Faith Home is a set of weekly devotional resources (often distributed as worship bulletin inserts) that follows the Revised Common Lectionary. We offer it as a Church Year (Dec. 2026 to Nov. 2027) and a Program Year (Sept. 2026 to May 2027). You can also purchase by quarter, such as Summer and Fall. Learn more here and read a review!

VBS, Events, Retreats, and More!

Are you looking for resources for topical Sunday school, family/intergenerational events, retreats, and more?

Learning Together can help! This series of affordable, five-lesson units on a variety of topics can be downloaded immediately, use basic supplies you probably already have, and are so easy to use that you can hand the leader’s guide out that day (though that’s not recommended)!

Like all of our faith formation resources, Learning Together is effective, theologically sound, and inclusive. The current topics are:

+ Paul’s Adventures (NEW!), Celebrations, Created to Care, God’s Gift of Water, Heroes of the Bible, The I AM Statements of Jesus (free!), Travelers (Immigrants and Refugees), Do Justice, Celebrations, Women of the Old Testament, and Bible 101

Building Faith has recommended two of our units as VBS curriculum: Paul’s Adventures (reviewed in 2026) and Celebrations (reviewed in 2025)!

You can also read outside reviews of both our Do Justice and Created to Care units.

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