WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS: INTENSE TEMPTATION
A. We are continuing the series on the Life of Joseph titled: “WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS”.
1. We realize that LIFE can be HARD—“THE PITS”—if you will.
a. RELATIONSHIPS, EXPECTATIONS and CIRCUMSTANCES don’t always TURN OUT the
way we WANT.
b. This is certainly true of Joseph.
COMMENT:
He went from being his Father’s FAVORITE enjoying all the PRIVILEGES that that POSITION afforded him, to winding up as a SLAVE in EGYPT—and, as we will see today, it goes DOWN HILL from there.
2. The PIT that Joseph UNEXPECTEDLY and UNDESERVEDLY finds himself in this time, is the result of “INTENSE TEMPTATION” that he doesn’t even GIVE IN to.
B. When we left Joseph last week, he had been SOLD into SLAVERY by his older BROTHERS to a band
of ISHMAELITE MERCHANTS on their way to EGYPT.
1. After arriving in Egypt, they then SOLD Joseph to a wealthy man named Potiphar, who was one of
“Pharaoh’s officials—a CAPTAIN of the GUARD”- Genesis 39:1-2.
a. Potiphar learned rather quickly that Joseph was BLESSED by God and APPOINTED him as
MANAGER of his HOUSEHOLD- vv. 2-4.
b. Despite what all Joseph had gone through, he remained FAITHFUL to God.
COMMENT:
Potiphar, seeing something DIFFERENT and TRUSTWORTHY in this HEBREW SLAVE, PLACES him in “charge of everything that he owns.”
2. Family, no matter WHERE WE ARE or WHO WE ARE WITH, we are to live FAITHFUL and
OBEDIENT LIVES for God.
a. Yet, it is so easy to allow the CULTURE of our SOCIETY and the PEOPLE in our SOCIAL CIRCLE to influence us to FOLLOW the FLOW of the WORLD around us and LIVE like THEM.
b. Although Joseph is far from HOME living in a CULTURE dominated by IDOLATRY and
IMMORALITY, he remained LOYAL to God and to his CONVICTIONS.
MESSAGE:
I. JOSEPH’S TEMPTATIONS
A. Joseph finds himself being constantly TEMPTED to have a SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP with his
master’s WIFE- Genesis 39:6b-10 (READ).
1. Scholars believe that around ELEVEN YEARS have passed from the time that Joseph was SOLD
into SLAVERY by his BROTHERS—making him 28-years-old.
a. The latter-part of v. 6 describes Joseph as “well-built & handsome” (MUCH LIKE MYSELF).
b. Mrs. Potiphar has been eyeing Joseph for a while, and decides to make a MOVE on him, “come to bed with me.”
COMMENT:
We don’t know much about Potiphar’s WIFE, other than what we READ here. Was she YOUNG? Was she BEAUTIFUL? There is no DESCRIPTION as to how she LOOKED. But we do know from historical writings that ANCIENT Egypt put a lot of EMPHASIS on PHYSICAL
BEAUTY.
And being the WIFE of a wealthy “OFFICIAL of Pharoah and a CAPTAIN of the GUARD” who would certainly have his PICK from the ELIGIBLE SINGLE WOMEN in town, I think it’s REASONABLE to ASSUME that she was an ATTRACTIVE WOMAN.
2. When she TEMPTED Joseph to COME TO BED with her, HE REFUSED saying, “I wouldn’t do
that to my master who put everything he owns in my charge, except you because you are his wife.”
a. Joseph knew his CHARACTER—his REPUTATION and CREDIBILITY—was a STAKE.
COMMENT:
He didn’t see this as a HARMLESS ACT: “What’s the big deal? Nobody else needs to know. We’re just going to have a little fun. After all, it’s just sex.”
Joseph knows better than that. In fact, he reminds her, “…you are his wife…”- v. 9. Joseph is pointing out the SACREDNESS of MARRIAGE by trying to help her understand that she BELONGS only to Potiphar, not him or anyone else.
b. But even more IMPORTANT, Joseph knew that by GIVING IN to the TEMPTATION, he
would be jeopardizing his RELATIONSHIP with God: v. 9b- “…How then could I do such a
wicked thing and sin against God.”
COMMENT:
Joseph described this ACT as “WICKED and SINFUL.” It’s not an “AFFAIR” or a “DATE” or a “HOOK UP”! We often want to call SIN by another name—to SUGAR-COAT it in an ATTEMPT to make it sound more BENIGN. But Joseph called it what it is: “a wicked, sinful act against God.”
3. But even after Joseph stressed how SACRED MARRIAGE is and that he would not PUT his RELATIONSHIP with God in jeopardy by COMMITTING this “wicked, sinful act”, Mrs.
Potiphar continued to SEDUCE him “day after day”- v. 10.
a. Church, don’t ever think that the TEMPTATION you face is ONE and DONE!!
COMMENT:
Satan doesn’t GIVE UP that easy! If you turn him down ONCE, he will TRY it again and
again and again.
b. “But in this instance, Joseph not only continually REFUSED to go to bed with her, but to even
be AROUND her”- v. 10.
COMMENT:
Joseph was DETERMINED to not even put himself in a SITUATION where he is TEMPTED, so he tries to AVOID her all together. Sadly, however, we often do just the
OPPOSITE—we SET OURSELVES UP to be TEMPTED.
ILLUSTRATION:
If you have a DRINKING PROBLEM, don’t WALK DOWN the LIQUOR AISLE at Kroger’s or Walmart. If you have a PROBLEM with PORNOGRAPHY, steer clear of INTERNET SITES and MOVIES that expose you to RISQUÉ PHOTOS and IMAGES. Don’t SET YOURSELF UP to GIVE IN to SIN.
B. But sometimes TEMPTATION is UNAVOIDABLE- vv. 11-15 (READ).
1. Mrs. Potiphar has reached the point where she is TIRED of being TURNED DOWN by Joseph,
so she INTENSIFIES the TEMPTATION.
a. Instead of just using WORDS in attempt to PERSUADE Joseph, she now gets PHYSICAL and
REACHES OUT to GRAB him, “come to bed with me.”
COMMENT:
This WOMAN has a PROBLEM. I don’t know what is GOING ON between her and her HUSBAND, but she needs HELP.
As she REACHES for Joseph, she GRABS his CLOAK. And what does Joseph do? He
HIGHTAILS it out of there, leaving his CLOAK behind.
b. He does exactly what Paul tells the Christians at Corinth to do, “Flee sexual immorality…”
- 1 Corinthians 6:18a.
2. So, here is Potiphar’s wife HOLDING Joseph’s CLOAK—his outer garment.
a. We don’t know if she has SEDUCED other SERVANTS in the PAST, but, if so, she probably
has NEVER been TURNED DOWN before.
COMMENT:
She is ANGRY and HUMILIATED, and has finally come to the REALIZATION that Joseph—this HEBREW SLAVE—wants NOTHING to do with her.
And what often happens when BITTER ANIMOSITY grows that we talked about a couple of weeks ago? …RETRIBUTION—PAY BACK!
b. So she SCREAMS for HELP and ACCUSES Joseph of trying to FORCE himself on her . . . and she has EVIDENCE to PROVE IT—his CLOAK that he LEFT BEHIND.
3. She then tells her HUSBAND the same LIE- vv. 16-20a (READ)
COMMENT:
Joseph has done nothing WRONG, and, yet, he is being THROWN into Pharoah’s PRISON for Mrs. Potiphar’s SIN, not his own. He has been FAITHFUL to God through it all.
It is easy to be FAITHFUL when everything is running SMOOTHLY. But the true TEST of one’s DEVOTION to God is to be FAITHFUL . . . “WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS”.
II. OUR TEMPTATIONS
A. I want to begin by looking at some COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS regarding TEMPTATION.
1. To be TEMPTED is SIN.
a. Often when TEMPTED, the THOUGHTS associated with the TEMPTATION are so INTENSE that we associate the UNGODLY THOUGHTS with our CHARACTER rather than with the TEMPTATION itself.
COMMENT:
When TEMPTED, many feel as if they are already GUILTY without actually even giving in to the TEMPTATION. This is when Satan steps in and says, “You might as well go ahead and DO it! After all, what KIND OF PERSON would even come up with such an EVIL IDEA? You’re already GUILTY!”
b. We ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE for what FLASHES through our MINDS.
COMMENT:
We CANNOT CONTROL what other people WEAR or SAY. We CANNOT CONTROL what we are INVITED to PARTICIPATE in (although obviously we can control what we CHOOSE to participate in). We CANNOT CONTROL what we accidentally OVERHEAR at
WORK, at SCHOOL, or in the RESTROOM.
All of these are THRUST upon us without our CONSENT! Many of them produce FEELINGS and EMOTIONS that CONFUSE us at times. We begin to THINK about things that we KNOW are WRONG and SINFUL.
Often these THOUGHTS raise serious DOUBTS in our minds about our COMMITMENT, and for some of us, it becomes a question of SALVATION. “If I was really SAVED, would I feel this way?” “Would a REAL Christian want to do that?”
c. Now, although we CANNOT CONTROL the THOUGHTS that FLASH through our MINDS, Paul does say that we CAN CONTROL the things that DOMINATE our THOUGHTS:
-2 Corinthians 10:5b- “. . . we take captive every thought and make it obedient for Christ.”
COMMENT:
Paul’s INSPIRED ADMONITION implies that we CANNOT CONTROL what RUSHES into our minds, but only that we TAKE CONTROL of each THOUGHT and DEAL with it. In
other words, DWELL on the GOOD and DRIVE out the BAD.
God will not JUDGE us for the SINFUL THOUGHTS that DART through our MINDS. On the contrary, He sent His Son to enable us to SUCCESSFULLY deal with the ONSLAUGHT of TEMPTATION.
2. Spiritually MATURE PEOPLE are not HARASSED by TEMPTATION
a. TEMPTATION is not confined only to the SPIRITUALLY WEAK.
COMMENT:
Somewhere we have gotten the ERRONEOUS IDEA that our ULTIMATE GOAL as
Christians is to come to a place in our lives where we are NEVER TEMPTED.
Ironically the very OPPOSITE is true. The more SPIRITUALLY MATURE we become, the more of a THREAT we are to Satan, and the HARDER he WORKS to bring us down.
ILLUSTRATION:
Why do you think Joseph was tempted EVERYDAY by Potiphar’s wife? Satan was WORKING double-time to bring this MAN of GOD down—to DEFEAT the PURPOSE that God had IN STORE for him.
b. TEMPTATION will always be a part of a BELIEVER’S LIFE, no matter who you are.
COMMENT:
MATURITY only causes Satan to INCREASE his ATTEMPTS to bring a BELIEVER DOWN. So, if you feel the PRESSURE is on like never before, PRAISE the Lord! That could be an INDICATION that Satan sees you as a THREAT to his WORK in this world! Just don’t allow him to TAKE YOU DOWN.
3. WE FALL INTO TEMPTATION.
a. It’s not UNCOMMON for someone to say, “You know, I was going along just great when all
of a sudden, I FELL into TEMPTATION.”
COMMENT:
We DON’T FALL into TEMPTATION! Such PHRASEOLOGY portrays sinners as VICTIMS—innocent BYSTANDERS who are SWEPT into SIN against their WILL. (That’s
not the CASE at all!)
Some may object, “But, PREACHER, you just don’t know the PRESSURE I was under.
It was UNBEARABLE. I couldn’t help what happened.”
Believe me, I’ve been TEMPTED just like that. And I’m ASHAMED to admit that I’ve GIVEN IN many times. But I didn’t just FALL into TEMPTATION, I CHOSE to SIN.
b. Now, it is true that we DO NOT CHOOSE to be TEMPTED, and in that respect, we might say
that we “FALL PREY to TEMPTATION.”
COMMENT:
Being SURPRISED by TEMPTATION is never a CAUSE or EXCUSE to SIN. TEMPTATION in no way IMPAIRS our FREEDOM to CHOOSE. Never are we forced KICKING and SCREAMING against our WILL to GIVE IN to TEMPTATION. We cannot PREVENT ourselves from being TEMPTED for the most part, but regardless of the PRESSURE we don’t have to SIN.
B. The GOOD NEWS is, God does not LEAVE US to FACE temptation ALONE.
1. 1 Corinthians 10:13- “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (THREE THINGS PAUL
REVEALS ABOUT TEMPTATION:)
a. First, our TEMPTATION is not UNIQUE. (Whatever temptation you face on a daily basis,
rest assured you are not the only one dealing with it.)
b. Second, God puts a LIMIT on the INTENSITY of every TEMPTATION.
COMMENT:
God knows us perfectly inside and out. He knows our WEAKNESSES as well as our STRENGTHS. He knows how much TEMPTATION we can BEAR, and He knows our
BREAKING-POINT.
Therefore, God FILTERS the TEMPTATIONS that come our way and ALLOWS only those to get through that He knows we can HANDLE.
c. Third, with every TEMPTATION, God provides A WAY OUT.
COMMENT:
When we SIN, it’s only because we didn’t take advantage of the built-in ESCAPE HATCH provided with every TEMPTATION. Joseph did, “HE RAN OUT THE DOOR.”
2. Hebrews 4:15- “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted just as we are—yet was without sin.” (EXPOUND)
COMMENT:
Jesus understands what it is like to be tempted! And with every TEMPTATION we face, He is right there giving us the STRENGTH to either ENDURE temptation or RECOVER from GIVING IN to it. He never leaves us to FACE TEMPTATION alone!
SATAN KNOWS OUR WEAKNESSES (BUT SO DOES CHRIST)
