Tempted! Series

No Ordinary Joe: Temptation

Genesis 39

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

FBC Chenoa

10-24-2021

1. Time to Go

When I was lived in Mississippi, I ran a counseling center for a large psychiatric hospital. One of the ways we promoted the hospitals programs was a series of in-services I would do for doctors, nurses, and teachers.

I would teach on anxiety or depression and then take questions. I would be able to pass my cards out and they would get continuing education credits. It was a win win.

After one of these presentations, my marketing representation, a fellow Christian named Mike, walked over to where I was talking to a group, grabbed me by the arm and said, “Time to go.”

I nodded and kept talking but then he dragged me away from the group and out the door. He shoved me in the car and took off.

I asked him what in the world was going on. He told me that after I had finished speaking, a young, very attractive woman approached him and started asking all kinds of questions about me.

It was one particular question, and her follow up response, that caused him to go into full rescue mode.

She asked Mike, “Is Jeff married?” To which he replied, “Yes he is.” He said she smiled and whispered, “Happily?”

At that, he knew there was danger in the room. He said, “You would have done the same thing for me.” And he was right. When there is danger in the room the only sane thing to do is run!

That’s what Joseph will experience in the verses we will study today - danger in the room. How he handled temptation will help with our fight against temptation as well.

Turn with me to Genesis 39.

Prayer

[Slide] Joseph is Purchased

[Slide] “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.” (Gen 39:1)

We are not sure, but Joseph was probably taken to the slave market in Egypt. He couldn’t understand the language or the customs. He most likely presented nude, and was poke and prodded to see if he would make a good slave.

In God’s providence, Joseph was purchased by Potiphar, a high ranking official who was known as the “captain of the guard.” This position was powerful and similar to the head of the FBI or CIA. In fact, he was in charge of all executions for the Pharaoh.

This was a humiliating experience for Joseph to go through but God is positioning him exactly where He needs him to be.

[Slide] Joseph Prospers

[Slide] “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” (Gen 39:2-6)

It’s interesting to note that the narrator uses the covenant making, promise keeping God, Yahweh eight times in this chapter. God is sovereignly orchestrating events to bring his will about in Joseph’s life.

God prospered Joseph, He gave him success, He put His blessing on him so that everything he did succeeded.

This didn’t happen overnight. Joseph was in Potiphar’s house at least a decade. But he was obviously smart and Potiphar noticed.

Joseph was different. He quickly picked up the Egyptian language. He had the gifts of administration and leadership. He was good with people and was soon running Potiphar’s entire household.

Potiphar was experiencing a Biblical promise in real time. God promised Abraham:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen 12:3)

The only thing Joseph wasn’t in charge of was the preparing of the food. This would have been because the food would need to be specially prepared and Egyptians didn’t eat with Hebrews.

Joe is a long way from home. He is now a slave. It would have been easy to be bitter and angry. But instead, he makes a choice to make the best out of the situation.

Sometimes that is what we need to do as well. We may feel like we are not where we are supposed to be or not doing what we are supposed to be doing. If you are feeling that right now, plant your feet, look around for opportunities to serve and make the best of it.