Have you ever been tempted? Sure, you have. Things that catch our attention flash before our eyes and we feel the urge to respond. It might be that second helping of chocolate cake. It might be some ad in a commercial that advertises something that we don't need and can't afford. A click here to see more windows that interrupt our online search. Temptation is around every corner.
Sin is so enticing on the front end, but afterward, as we face the consequences of giving in, we see our sin from a different perspective. It’s in the aftermath that we often ask ourselves, “Why did I give in?”
Now if someone is looking over our shoulder and says don't eat that or you really don't need that, we often pull back from temptation. Well,…. Someone is with us today that reminds us that someone is always watching over our shoulder: God.
In today's scripture passage, Joseph modeled what it means to live with that truth in mind: God is watching our every move. Joseph always wanted to keep himself clean in the midst of a dirty culture. Through the life of Joseph, the Bible gives us an example of how we can move beyond temptation and make the right choice.
You may not be tempted in the same way that Joseph was, and then again you may be, but you will face temptation. We all do. Which is why Joseph's approach to temptation can help us all.
PRAYER
At the end of our message on April 24th, Joseph was being hauled off to Egypt with a broken heart. He had been disowned and sold into slavery by his brothers. At this point, he had little hope that the dreams he once shared would ever come true. Rather than boil with anger and try to seek revenge, Joseph chose to bloom where he was planted and to trust God to see him through.
There have been times during this ministry that I became so disgruntled and upset over people's actions or reactions that I just wanted to burst out and tell them so. But God held me back. I prayed and asked God for guidance, for patience, for understanding, and to help me see things from His point of view. God answered that prayer and I became forgiving and carried on with the ministry that God had called me to do. I, like Joseph, chose to bloom where God had planted me and to trust God to see me through it. And He did.
Genesis 39: 1-7 – “Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful, 4 Joseph found favor with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority.
5 From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields.
6 He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. 7 After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”
Joseph was enjoying God's favor, but that doesn't mean he was immune to temptation. One of those temptations came through Potiphar's wife. She had her eyes on Joseph, and was probably used to getting whatever she wanted. Would Joseph sacrifice his integrity for whatever momentary pleasure she could offer?
A similar situation came up for a girl by the name of Emma. Emma needed an A in her history class to keep her 4.0 GPA. The teacher was known as the toughest instructor in her school. To ace one of his exams was next to impossible. When finals week came around, Emma was filled with anxiety.
The day before the exam, a classmate found a copy of the exam on the top of the teachers filing cabinet. He took pictures of every page and sent them out by text to all of his friends. Emma saw that she had received a message and she stared at her phone for what felt like hours. If she opened those photos, she would be assured of passing the exam. If she hit delete, she might lose her chance at the college scholarships that she desperately needed.
If you were a teenager in this situation, what would you have done? Emma could have rationalized cutting corners just this once and going ahead and cheating. In the same way, Joseph could have rationalized giving into the offer from Potiphar's wife. We're about to see that Joseph chose a different path.
Let's stop for just a moment and compare Joseph to Christ. There are many that believe that Joseph's life and occurrences parallels Jesus's. For example, in the gospel of Luke, we learned that:
Luke 2:52 – “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.”
God's hand was clearly upon Jesus, causing others to respect and admire him. Here in Genesis 39, we see that Joseph experienced that same favor. In addition to Joseph's good works, he was also blessed with good looks. So, why did the biblical writer include such detail in describing Joseph's advantages in life? The answer lies in the pitfalls that come with success. This young man had the hand of God upon him, and he had looks that caused a crowded room to part like the Red Sea! Yet these very blessings also could present challenges and temptation.
Genesis 39: 8-10 – “But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. 9 No one in this house is greater than I am.”
“He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?” 10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her.”
Adam and Eve faced forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, and now Joseph faced his own forbidden fruit: the wife of a powerful man! Joseph wouldn’t take the bait, though. In fact, he tried to talk sense into the immoral woman, calling attention to the blessings her husband had given to him. Joseph even reminded her why she was off limits: you are his wife.
Potiphar's wife was off limits and Joseph knew it. He knew what was at stake, and one wrong move would mean disaster. Joseph refused to fall under her spell and shielded himself from her arrows. How did Joseph do it? How did he avoid this trap of temptation? He had made the decision long before this day came to pursue God above all else. He had already determined to please God with his life. What was foremost in Joseph's mind wasn't how Potiphar would react, but how God would, he says in verse 9, “How could I sin against G od?”
So there's the key to avoiding temptation. Deciding beforehand what you would do if temptation ever comes. So, what would you do?
- if you are unmarried, have you decided to abstain from sexual activity until your wedding day arrives? If you're married, have you decided to remain true to your spouse no matter who comes along with an easy and attractive offer.
- in your ambition to succeed, have you decided to always be honest and to treat others with kindness?
- when you find yourself wrapped up in a season of triasl and you're tempted to give in, have you decided to trust God no matter what circumstances may arise?
The key to avoiding temptation is to set your standards high and commit to them now. Like Joseph, your faith-stretching seasons will happen. They will come. Be resolved to trust the Lord courageously. And God gives us the strength to avoid these temptations.
1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.”
If you hang onto God during tempting times, He will get you out of it. You might want to take note of this next passage of Scripture. God's word is our trustworthy guide and standard. Take note of Psalm 119:9-16. The next time you are tempted by anything, read this passage.
Psalm 119:9-16 – “9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping your word.
10 I have sought you with all my heart;
don’t let me wander from your commands.
11 I have treasured your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against you.
12 Lord, may you be blessed;
teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I proclaim
all the judgments from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and think about your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.”
It was Martin Luther that said, “You cannot keep birds from flying in the air over your head, but you can prevent them from building a nest in your hair.” When it comes to sexual temptation, it is impossible to avoid every image that the world brings to our eyes. But we don't just need to watch out for sexual temptation; we are tempted in many ways. As Martin Luther so aptly said, “The godly person refuses to allow such things to take root in his heart.”
A countless number of people have given into temptation and have made mistakes. The question is, “Is there grace for our failures?” Of course, there is! But the consequences can be painful. God's word provides the guide and the standard for us. The psalmist wrote, “how can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word. I have sought you with all my heart; don't let me wander from your commands.”
Genesis 39: 11-12 – “11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.”
Here's another key to resisting temptation. When nothing else works, run! Joseph may have been a slave, but he lived and worked in a prestigious position in Potiphar's household. Yet, as Potiphar's wife grabbed hold of Joseph, he knew that his situation was over if he didn't sprint out the door. She had made similar advances before. In fact, the Bible tells us “day after day.” In those instances, there may and probably were others in the house at that time. But on this occasion, it was different. It says that none of the household servants were there. So, when she grabbed at him, Joseph felt that he only had one option: run! In the rush of the moment his cloak was ripped from his body, and he escaped to safety but left His garment in her hand.
The apostle Paul may have had this story in mind centuries later as he challenged the loose lifestyle of the church in Corinth. He told them:
1 Corinthians 6:18 – “18 Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.”
Paul warned the Corinthian Christians that all sin brings pain upon a person, but sexual sin carries an extra burden. Those who give in to sexual immorality will have to deal with the baggage that comes with it. That is why Joseph provides such a vivid picture of the Christian response to pornography, adultery, and all forms of lustful fantasy. Little sins lead to bigger sins, so run from the first hint of it just like Joseph did. Run, Forest, run!
Running from temptation is a key to our survival when facing spiritual warfare. But if we focus too heavily on this topic, we could miss the forest for the trees. What is God trying to tell us?
? More importantly than running away from sin is the daily decision to walk closely to Jesus and avoiding the temptation all together.
The Bible reminds us at Christmas time how close Christ is with us. The Bible says that the Virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel, which is translated what? God is with us.
Jesus came to Earth so that we could walk near to Him. As Jesus prepared to complete the task that He came for, He assured His disciples that His going would mean the Spirit’s coming, and this would prove to be far better. We must realize that God is with us at all times, and the Holy Spirit leads us into the truth.
I close today with a quote from A. W. Tozer in his book The Pursuit of God. In this book, he emphasized the great importance of running to the presence of God. He said this, “For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience, they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, and they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”
So, when temptation comes, and it will from time to time, we shouldn't simply focus on what we're running from but on what we're running toward. The pursuit of God is a far more appealing goal than the mere avoidance of sin.
Feel the presence of God as temptation raises its ugly head.
Do you have God to run to? In other words, is Jesus Christ your personal Savior? If not, we give you that opportunity during this time of response to come to know Him in a personal way. God stands waiting with His arms open wide.
