family8_10_72803

Posted: 7/25/03

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Aug. 10

Flee temptation and avoid the places it prowls

Genesis 39:2-10, 19-23

By Tim Owens

First Baptist Church, Bryan

Out of hatred and jealousy, Joseph's brothers sold him to Midianite merchants, who in turn sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, in Egypt. Joseph served as a slave in Potiphar's household. This part of Joseph's life poses a relevant life question: How can God's people remain faithful to him in times of testing and temptation? The testimony of Joseph is that God graciously empowers those who remain faithful to him when tested and tempted.

Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered.” Joseph was successful. Success is a major goal in contemporary life. The world measures success by power, prominence and possessions. God measures success by obedience to his will. Success is living in the will of God. Humble servants of God know they are successful only because God allows them to be successful.

Perhaps the greatest lesson God taught Joseph about success was that those who are greatly blessed and used by God are inevitably tempted by Satan. Another way to state this lesson is that those whom God greatly uses are tested by God. Sometimes it is hard to tell whether God is testing his people for the purpose of making them more useful for his purposes or whether Satan is tempting them for the purpose of leading them into defeat. Sometimes temptation and testing are interwoven. God does test his people to prepare them for greater usefulness, but Satan relentlessly tempts God's people in an effort to destroy their usefulness. Joseph was certainly being tempted by Satan, but he also was being tested and strengthened by God for even greater blessing.

Joseph went from being a menial servant to being Potiphar's personal servant to being overseer of the entire household, until finally Joseph assumed the oversight of everything Potiphar owned. Everything Joseph touched was successful, because it had the touch of God's blessing. Joseph was about to learn that today's successes are often times a prelude to seasons of enormous challenge. His success turned into an intense season of temptation and testing.

Genesis 39:6-7 says, “Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, 'Come to bed with me!'”

It is remarkable that Joseph withstood this kind of pressure. He had the pressure of single manhood. Through the failures of his father and brothers, he had a family history of sexual misconduct. The Egyptian culture of that day was characterized by sexual promiscuity, adultery and fornication. Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph with the proposition day after day. In spite of all the physical odds being against him, Joseph continually resisted the temptation and remained faithful to God. How did he do it?

Genesis 39:8-9 suggests three reasons why Joseph resisted this temptation. First, Joseph says, “Your husband trusts me.” It meant something to Joseph to know his master trusted him. Joseph said, “Your husband put me in charge of everything he owns; I have privilege to everything except you, his wife.” Adam and Eve used the exception in their life as an opportunity to sin. They could eat all of the fruit except the fruit from one tree. It was a forbidden object that attracted Adam and Eve. This same rationale was used by Joseph to give him strength to reject that which was forbidden. He said, “I have everything but you, and I cannot go to bed with you because Potiphar trusts me.” Second, Joseph said, “You are his wife.” For Joseph this was a simple matter of doing God's will. Third, Joseph said, “It will be a sin against God.” Joseph was saying, “God sees me, and if I disobey him, it would bring a reproach against his holy name.”

Of all the reasons Joseph resisted this temptation, this is the one that most challenges the believer of any generation. God was more real to Joseph than anything in the world. Joseph was saying: “God is worthy of my obedience. His holiness and love are to be taken with utmost seriousness.”

The following principle cannot be stated strongly enough: Any time the Christian encounters the temptation of sensuality, the only appropriate response is to run from it. Joseph's example says to all Christians, “Don't talk about sin; don't reason with it; don't debate it; don't sit down and discuss it with somebody– run from it!”

If Christians are serious about being men and women of God, here is what Joseph says to them:

Do not give the devil an opening. Do not enter into situations where it would be easy to be led into sin.

Do not take fleshly passions lightly. Joseph ran. He did not stick around. Did God reward him immediately for his obedience? No. Obedience might cost the believer before it will reward the believer. God has his schedule. He calls on his people to be faithful, and in his time he will reward them.

Saturate the heart with the truth and worship of God. When one's life is filled with God, there is little room for the tempter to gain a foothold.

Questions for discussion

Do sexual temptations cease after marriage? How can a husband and wife help one another avoid sexual temptation?

What lessons about avoiding all sorts of temptation are present in this passage?