MONDAY 23 August 2021 “Temptation” (Genesis 39:7-20)

Click To Download and Print Document or PDF

Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends as we begin another week together,

I wonder what serious ‘temptation’ is for you? May I give you three examples and let’s see which one stirs something in you?

* You see a wallet sitting on the ground under a park bench. When you open it there’s lots of money, and credit cards. What do you, with the wallet?

* You’re on a strict sugar-free diet and friends invite you for afternoon tea, but on their tea tray are some delicious looking pastries, fresh from the oven, but loaded with sugar. What do you do?

* You’re alone in the house, on your computer looking for some of the latest sports news on the internet and suddenly a pop-up advertisement comes up with a beautiful woman in a tiny bikini and an invitation. What do you do?

Temptation is something we all face everyday and God wants to help us remain honorable, ethical, pure. In fact here’s a powerful promise from 1 Corinthians 10:13 “If you think you are standing firm be careful that you don’t fall. No temptation has confronted you that is not common to all of us. And God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond what He knows you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also provide a way out so that you can endure it victoriously.” In our journey with young Joseph we come to his great temptation, one of his defining moments. Join me in Genesis 39 today my friends.

You’ll recall Joseph is about 18 years of age. He’s grown up as the favorite son of his father Jacob, and his multicolored coat was the tangible evidence of that special favor, to be seen by everyone. Joseph had 11 other brothers and they were jealous of their father’s favoritism toward Joseph, so much so that some of the older brothers grabbed Joseph out in the fields one day and sold him to a traveling caravan. That caravan brought Joseph to Egypt, put him on the slave auction block, and Joseph was purchased by an Egyptian official named Potiphar. Slaves then had no rights… none.

Joseph had every reason to feel totally abandoned by his family and by God, and every reason to turn bitter, resentful and angry. But somehow he didn’t and God blessed him for that. Mr. Potiphar discerned Gods’ blessing was upon his house and his businesses since Joseph joined his servants, so he put Joseph in charge of everything. This one phrase sums it up: “So Potiphar left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” (Gen. 39:6)

The next line of Genesis is frightening: “Now Joseph was well built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said to him, ‘Come to bed with me!” (Gen. 39:7) What was that about temptation? Now men, put yourself in Joseph’s sandals. He’s hundreds of miles away from home, with little hope of ever seeing any of his family again, they rejected him after all. He is a slave required to obey his master, or his master’s wife, at all times. What would you have thought and done in this moment, honestly now?

The record is very clear: “But Joseph refused, ‘With me in charge my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in his house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’ (Gen. 39:8,9) Is that what you would have done? Now let’s remember, Joseph is not part of any religious group. He doesn’t go to worship services or prayer meetings or Bible studies. He has no pastor or priest or rabbi or ANY spiritual person in his life. He’s a slave, sold by his own family, surrounded by pagan idol worship in Egypt. He has no Bible… it hasn’t been written yet!

All young, handsome Joseph has are some stories his father Jacob has told him, about his encounters with God at Bethel, and stories about his great grandfather Abraham. But evidently somehow Joseph held tightly to those stories and he had a deep hunger to know this God of Abraham, even if no one else did! May I ask my friends, how do you define or describe your hunger to know and have a relationship with God? What is the source of your spiritual hunger? What are you doing to quench that hunger and find God and develop an authentic, vibrant relationship with God? Is your relationship with God strong enough today, to withstand the type of temptation Joseph was facing with Mrs. Potiphar’s invitation?

What patterns have you developed of defending yourself against temptation and finding a way out unscathed? Do you see what Joseph did?

First, he recounted for Mrs. Potiphar the truth of the trust her husband had placed in him as head servant. That was significant.

Second he twice used the phrase ‘my master’ to remind both himself and Mrs. Potiphar that he was a servant with very high expectations of honoring his master at all times.

Third, he re-affirmed her privileged role to be wife of Mr. Potiphar and that in that role she was absolutely off limits for Joseph.

Fourth and maybe most important, Joseph declared his allegiance to Almighty God and his resolve to NOT defile himself or bring shame to His God!

Now again I ask… what is your pattern for defending yourself when facing great temptation of any kind?

Have you noticed temptation doesn’t take a vacation and is not easily discouraged? The dark spirits will never give up trying to draw you into attitudes, words and actions that you will long regret and will harm you and other people. The record says: “Though Mrs. Potiphar spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” Have you ever faced a similar situation where evil persists and is relentless, trying to draw you into reputation destroying attitudes, words, choices or actions? We don’t know how many times Mrs. Potiphar propositioned Joseph, but it seems it was often, and I imagine with greater intensity, more pungent perfume, more revealing attire, each time. It seems she was determined to seduce Joseph into adultery.

The record is clear: “One day Joseph went into the house to attend to his duties and none of the other household servants were inside. Mrs. Potiphar caught him by his coat and said again, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But Joseph left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” (Gen. 39:11,12) Do I hear you cheering for Joseph and his courage, his integrity, his determination to honor his master and stay pure before his God? You would think this ethical behavior would be honored by all, but instead the next verses give us a glimpse into one of the oldest realities of our sinful nature.

A passion rebuffed turns angry, resentful and sometimes violent. Mrs. Potiphar called the other servants in, showed them Joseph’s coat and claimed he tried to rape her. Later that day, as her husband returned home after a long day of work, she said: “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!’ …Joseph’s master burned with anger and put Joseph in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.” (Gen. 39:17)

I wonder if Joseph had been whipped or beaten as punishment before he was thrown into that dark dungeon. Let’s close today sitting in prison with Joseph as he reflects on what has happened to him. Hated and sold as a slave by his brothers, taken several hundred miles from home, and sold again to a Mr. Potiphar in Egypt. Diligent work rewarded with responsibility, but still hard work as a slave, then repeatedly tempted by Mrs. Potiphar, yet courageously remaining pure and honorable. Now falsely accused and imprisoned without a hearing. What emotions do you think Joseph wrestled with? What feelings toward Mrs. Potiphar and toward his master who had trusted him, Mr. Potiphar? What feelings toward his brothers, hundreds of miles away? What feelings toward God who had now allowed a second great injustice to be done to Joseph!?

Where do you turn, what do you say to God when you feel all alone in the world, and maybe you even feel God has not done in your life circumstances what you expected God to do if He is Almighty, Holy and Loving? Others have felt that way and several Psalms reflect the lonely feeling… “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow win my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Ps. 13:1,2) or this from Psalm 77 “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in great distress, I sought the LORD; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted… Will the LORD reject forever? Will He never show His favor again?…” Have you been in this dark dungeon of despair my friends? What did you do to find your way out? Tomorrow, we’ll look at what Joseph did… for today, let’s not rush quickly from this place of unfairness, injustice, dark despair. It’s part of the human journey in an evil world, and this one statement was the beginning of hope for Joseph… “While Joseph was there in prison, the LORD was with him.” (Gen. 39:21)

I wonder if Joseph simply sat in the darkness of the dungeon of despair and quietly called out to God, the God of his great grandfather Abraham… with words like these in this song. . .

Today’s Scripture is Genesis 39:7-20.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).

Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.