You know, the Book of Jubilees? It's one of those ancient Jewish texts, considered apocryphal (meaning not part of the official canon) by some, but absolutely brimming with fascinating details and expansions on the stories we find in the Hebrew Bible. It's like a peek behind the curtain of biblical narratives.
Our scene? It’s Potiphar's house in Egypt. The protagonist? None other than Joseph, that dreamer of dreams, the favorite son of Jacob, who's now found himself sold into slavery. Things are already complicated. So, Joseph is working in Potiphar's household, and he's doing remarkably well. He’s blessed, he’s capable, and he quickly rises through the ranks. Potiphar trusts him implicitly. But this is where things take a turn.
Potiphar's wife, well, she takes a liking to Joseph. A very strong liking. And she starts making advances. Now, the Book of Jubilees, in chapter 39, paints a pretty vivid picture. It says, "And she besought him for a year, but he refused and would not listen." A YEAR! Can you imagine the pressure? The constant… temptation?
But Joseph stays strong. He refuses. Time and time again.
But Potiphar's wife isn't one to give up easily. According to Jubilees, "she embraced him and held him fast in the house in order to force him to lie with her, and closed the doors of the house and held him fast..." Talk about intense! She's not just flirting; she's physically restraining him, trying to force him.
What does Joseph do? He makes a split-second decision. "…but he left his garment in her hands and broke through the door and fled without from her presence." He literally tears himself away, leaving a piece of himself behind – his garment – to escape the situation. His reputation, his position, everything is on the line.
Now, think about this for a second. It's not just about physical escape. It's about escaping a moral compromise. Joseph chooses his integrity, his relationship with God, over everything else.
Of course, the story doesn't end there.
The scorned woman, rejected and possibly embarrassed, retaliates. And this is where it gets really ugly. "And the woman saw that he would not lie with her, and she calumniated him in the presence of his lord, saying: 'Thy Hebrew servant, whom thou lovest, sought to force me so that he might lie with me; and it came to pass when I lifted up my voice that he fled and left his garment in my hands when I held him, and he brake through the door.'"
She accuses Joseph of the very thing she tried to do to him! She uses his virtue against him. She twists the story to make him look like the aggressor.
And Potiphar? He believes her. Joseph, despite his innocence, is thrown into prison.
It's a heartbreaking turn of events. Joseph does the right thing, and he's punished for it. It feels unfair, doesn't it?
But here's the thing. Even in prison, Joseph's character shines through. He doesn't become bitter or vengeful. He maintains his integrity. And ultimately, it's this integrity, this unwavering commitment to doing what's right, that leads to his eventual redemption.
The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife, as told in the Book of Jubilees, is a powerful reminder that doing the right thing isn't always easy. It can come at a cost. But in the long run, it's our integrity, our commitment to our values, that truly defines us.
So, the next time you're faced with a difficult choice, remember Joseph. Remember his courage, his integrity, and his unwavering faith. And remember that even in the darkest of times, doing the right thing is always worth it.