GENESIS 39:6–10 – So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
THEME OF THE DAY. THE GREATEST MOTIVATOR TO DEFEAT TEMPTATION. Joseph is a model in so many ways. He also is recognized as an Old Testament type of Christ. Of the many encouraging lessons we may learn from this choice servant of God, the one in today’s lesson is high on the list. It reveals how to properly handle temptation with the proper attitude. Let’s enter the scene.
Joseph has risen to high prominence in Egypt. He is the right hand man of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. The Lord favored pagan Egypt because of Joseph. This man of God is given significant responsibilities in the leadership structure of Egypt. He even is in charge of Potiphar’s house. Then, the day of temptation, actually days of temptation came upon Joseph. Potiphar’s wife, who is likely an attractive woman, and equally likely an immoral woman, guided by her flesh wants to commit adultery with Joseph. This is probably not the first tryst she had as her position and privacy would have enabled her to do what she wanted. However, a tryst consists of two agreeing partners. Potiphar’s wife is not getting her fleshly desire fulfilled with Joseph. Though the pressure would have been great on this young man, we read of his perseverance in refusing the temptation – And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
Joseph models resistance to the temptation to sin against God. He does so in the only way to ensure victory over temptation. He sees it for what it is and who it is against. Friends, if we seek to defeat temptation in the strength of self and out of fear of the consequences to ourselves, we will eventually wear down and give in. There is only one sustained motivator to defeat sin and that is to see it against the Lord and what it does to the Lord. Joseph fights off the temptation by focusing on the Lord – “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
When temptation to sin comes knocking at our heart’s door, immediately ask ourselves two questions. If we think long and hard on them, we will be properly motivated and empowered to defeat all temptation. First, ask “How can I commit the very thing Jesus died to deliver me from?” and then, “How can I willfully choose to do what God hates and will break His heart?” Let these be the filters to view all temptations and we will consistently defeat them all for we will be properly motivated to do so – the motivation of love for our God.
PRAYER: “Father, open my eyes to see that the joy in obeying You is greater than the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
QUOTE: “Never allow even the slightest crack open in the door of our heart to temptation. If so, sin rushes in.”