Trinity Baptist Church June 18, 2006
Character on Display:
This is a test...
Genesis 39:1-23
This US media reported to us this week that our government doled out as much as 1.4 billion dollars in bogus assistance to “victims” of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. FEMA was hoodwinked into paying for season football tickets, a tropical vacation and even a divorce lawyer, investigators have discovered.
Among the folks able to wrongly get taxpayer help, the evidence pointed to prison inmates, to one “victim” who used a New Orleans cemetery as a home address, and to a person who spent 70 days at a Hawaiian hotel on the money provided.
Former Congressman and fellow believer, J.C. Watts said, “Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.”
That’s where our culture has come. What’s missing in the equation is bedrock integrity and character -- the kind that go much deeper than what we are when people are watching.
We’re thinking about character this summer. We’re doing that by examining the OT character, Joseph. Last time we looked at Joseph’s home life; from that, we determined that God’s very likely began Joseph’s character-building curriculum by separating him from a father who doted on him -- a father who’d been a schemer and deceiver for most of his life.
Chapter 37 told us how Jacob favored his young son over the rest -- and how his brothers despised Joseph as a result. So much did they hate him, they plotted his murder. But we ended chapter 37 last time with them relenting -- and instead deciding to make money off their brother by selling him to traders headed to Egypt. We left Joseph in that caravan headed down to Egypt. But we also saw how again and again, Genesis tells us, God was in this. His fingerprints are all over this unfolding drama.
Genesis 39 opens with Joseph’s [new] circumstance: slavery.
We read in verse 1 of 39, Joseph was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard. One historian names Potiphar as the “chief of the executioners“! Whatever his exact job description, he was a powerful man, someone who worked directly under the Pharaoh, and therefore he held the power of life and death over just about anyone. Certainly, over a lowly slave.
Joseph comes into his house. Genesis doesn’t tell us how long he was there. We know it was 13 years from the time Joseph lands in prison until he comes to Pharaohs’ court. But he may have served Potiphar for a few months or a few years before the events of chapter 39.
But the text tells us he served Potiphar well. We previewed verses 2 and 3 last time. Look again at 39:2 and 3. And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master in Egypt. Now his master saw that the Lord was with him, and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. God’s presence and grace in Joseph’s life both motivated him to serve well and the result of was he succeeded.
Verse 4 records that Potiphar liked this new slave. And because of his faithfulness, he elevated him: first he became his personal assistant, and his final assignment was being steward over the whole of Potiphar’s estate. Everything the man owned and controlled, he placed in Joseph’s hand to manage.
As we’ve seen, God was building someone he would use in powerful ways. And when God plans to use a person, God begins by building into the person -- most often through hardship.
Because of the character God had already built into him, Joseph responded to the authority and privilege given him.
He consistently demonstrated faithfulness. (39:1-6)
Verse 6: Potiphar did not concern himself with anything with Joseph around. Look back at the wording in verse 2. Joseph became a successful man. Here’s a slave, termed a successful man.
Why? Because of God’s presence and God’s hand were on him. And Joseph demonstrates biblical faithfulness: simply doing what he knew to be right under God. The NT tells workers, work wholeheartedly, because it is Christ Whom you serve.
And this Hebrew slave did that every day and he became trusted and respected. He apparently didn’t do the bare minimum, he didn‘t just punch the clock -- put in his time and then retreat to his quarters -- he did what would be right and good and beneficial for Potiphar.
Jesus said, he who is faithful in small things will also be faithful in great things. Joseph obviously was faithful in the small things -- so over time, Potiphar turned everything over to him. And then, as the manager, he was a good steward. The NT says, it is required of a steward that he be found faithful.
That kind of faithfulness comes to maturity in all the areas of life. You do what you say you’ll do. You take on a responsibility and you act responsibly: you get it done. Faithfulness simply means living out commitment. And we need to get this: faithfulness is a crucial building block of character.
J.C. Watts quoted that familiar definition of character: “who you are when no one’s looking.” Potiphar trusted Joseph to be faithful when he was off at the palace or somewhere else. He didn’t check up on things personally because he knew this guy would handle them.
So Joseph demonstrated faithfulness even in the bleak circumstance of slavery.
Then along comes the second circumstance in this chapter: Joseph’s circumstance: temptation
Verse 6 told us Joseph was a handsome guy. The terms describing him are used only of three other men in the OT -- David, Saul and Absalom. And it was that external feature of good looks which the enemy of Joseph’s soul used. Satan took a woman with no integrity, made sure she noticed him and she threw herself at him. Her tempting provides us three facets which are common to some of the temptations we face.
First, It was blatant. (39:7)
Mrs. Potiphar obviously has no shame or scruples of any kind. This wasn’t an incident of common attraction which turned into temptation. It was premeditated and unashamed.
She’d watched him, admired him and planned it for awhile. Then one day, she just blurts it out. Sleep with me. I don’t know what your greatest temptations are, but I can tell you this: when the time comes that sin slaps you in the face you’d better have a strategy of your own.
That’s not the time to stop and think about it and come up a plan for victory. Temptation doesn’t always blindside us like this blatant approach, but in some cases it does. Suddenly it’s there. Now what are you going to do? I can tell you something else: if you’ve been playing with sin in your mind, when the opportunity comes knocking, you’ll much more likely open the door to it.
Secondly It was sustained. (39:10)
She threw herself at him. He refused. She did it again and again and again. Verse 10 tells us: day by day she spoke to him. Every day when she saw him, she offered herself to him. Thought she’d wear him down, maybe, or that his mind would turn the idea over and over and finally he’d succumb.
And this young handsome Hebrew guy is probably a red-blooded, normal man. And, he’s a slave. He can’t exactly sue her for sexual harassment. He can’t put in for a transfer from her husband. Little does Potiphar know that while he’s off working for Pharaoh, his wife is daily throwing herself at the slave he implicitly trusts.
Third, It was strategic. (39:11-16)
She couldn’t persuade him, even after multiple attempts. So she entraps him. She waits the text says, until Joseph was alone in the house with her. She made the opportunity. She made her move. This is the kind of progression that often happens with our temptation. The idea comes to us out of nowhere. Then we get worn down. We give in to entertaining the idea in our minds. Then, we get waylaid.
But the strategy of this unfaithful woman has come face to face with the bedrock character of God’s man. Faced with temptation over and over
He persistently demonstrated faithfulness. (39:7-18)
I love the fact that his was not a little weak, “no” the first time she offered herself. Look at
verse 8. He says, with me around, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all he owns in my charge. There’s no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. First, he appeals to her on the basis that
1. He was loyal to Potiphar.
“I serve as manager to your husband. He’s given me position and authority: most importantly he’s given me trust.” You don’t give all you own to a manager you can’t trust absolutely.
“He trusts me, and I’m not going to break that trust.” Faithfulness to others presupposes a commitment to them. Joseph understands that God has placed him in this position and god has given him this position of responsibility with Potiphar. He’s determined to be faithful to him.
And secondly,
2. He was loyal to God.
The very first time the enticement happens, Joseph calls it what it is. It’s not simply “sex“, it’s not “love“, it’s not an “innocent” little thing where “no one will get hurt“ -- verse 9: how could I do this great evil; more pointedly, and sin against God?
If you entertain a temptation in your mind very long and you begin to call it by a different name than what God calls it, you’re well on your way into sin. Joseph didn’t have the 10 Commandments, that forbid adultery and coveting your neighbor’s wife, but he knew enough about God to know that her offer was an illegitimate expression of sex.
He’s saying, “lady, my heart is spoken for. I’ve got a prior relationship, a greater accountability, a higher loyalty.” What she’s offering him would not only violate the trust Potiphar had for him, but would do great damage to what God had entrusted to Joseph. God is building his man‘s character -- a move like this would blow up that construction project.
So now comes a third circumstance now for God’s man.
Joseph’s circumstance: wrongful accusation and a change of location (39:19-23)
Joseph refused the woman again and again. Then came the day -- Potiphar’s wife had gotten rid of the other servants. Joseph came into the quiet house, and there, alone with her, discovered, this time she wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. She grabbed him and held on tightly enough that when he pulled away, she still had hold of his outer robe.
Joseph practiced what the NT instructs us: Flee temptation. Don’t reason with it. Don’t look it in the eye and try to talk it into something lesser. Get out of there. He ran outside, leaving her there again, rejected. Her lust turned to rage. Her fury devised a trumped-up charge.
She told it to the other men. She laid there like a victim until hubby came home and she repeated her tale of woe to him.
Potiphar may have been wiser about his dear wife than his actions reveal. People without character don’t just suddenly exhibit the kind of behavior this gal did. But, in Potiphar’s, he probably felt like he couldn’t do anything else. So Joseph got his transfer. To the dungeon, the one -- verse 20 -- where Pharaoh’s prisons were confined and he was there in jail.
God’s work in Joseph’s life isn’t finished. He’s withstood the affliction of being abandoned
by his own brothers -- sold like a piece of furniture -- bought as a slave -- and now unjustly accused of attempted rape, and thrown in the dungeon.
But we can’t forget -- Joseph is on God’s radar screen. God is out to build His man into someone He can use in powerful ways. And the construction of Joseph’s character isn’t finished. He’s demonstrated amazing faithful in small things and great things. Now comes the next test. We’ll look at spending time in God’s waiting room next time.
Let’s talk for a minute about Principles we can learn from this segment of Joseph’s experience.
Last time we saw that affliction builds our character. What’s apparent here is kind of like a second step.
It’s that
God uses adversity to test our character. (39:26)
Slavery worked out pretty well for Joseph. What looked like a rotten situation left him climbing the ladder of success. Even success becomes a test of our character.
But then came temptation and false testimony that took Joseph to prison. God does not design temptation, the Bible is clear on that. God is neither tempted, nor does he tempt anyone, it tells us. Temptation to sin does not originate with our Father. But in our flesh and in a fallen world where Satan prowls, God permits His children to face temptation. Jesus faced both temptation and the temper himself. But just like a ceramic vase going through the fire, temptation doesn’t determine our character, it proves it.
When the Bible tells us God tests us, it says He doesn’t test us so that we’ll fail, He tests us
so that what’s really there becomes visible -- to Him, to us, and to people around us.
Secondly, God’s ways never require sacrificing integrity. (39:7-12)
Never buy the satanic lie that says, what’s private won’t hurt anyone. If Joseph had taken this gal’s offer, imagine the repercussions. Even if it remained just between the two of them.
His integrity would be decimated. God would know. Potiphar’s wife would know he was no different than any pagan. And Joseph himself would know. He’d look himself in the mirror every day knowing that he’d sacrificed his integrity on the altar of momentary pleasure.
There is no circumstance that comes into your life in which God requires you to sacrifice integrity.
Finally, like we saw last week,
God always remains in control of our situation. (39:23)
Joseph goes to prison. Unjustly accused. Unjustly condemned. Again, into the company of total strangers. But verses 21 and 23 end the chapter like it began. The Lord was with Joseph. He’s not alone and He knows it. He’s not spinning out of control and that’s apparent.
We’ll view the events from the dungeon next time, but again, there’s no adversity nor temptation, there’s no affliction we ever experience due to a lapse in God’s sovereignty.
God knows, He steers, He cares, and God is right there in every circumstance with you.
Steps I need to take
As we finish today, let me read a couple of lines from a commentator of many years ago. Listen to his description of our friend Joseph:
“An attempt at seduction; a diabolical plot; base ingratitude; the prison with all its attendant horrors. Yet his unimpeachable manliness, his faithfulness in doing the right, his loyalty to the God of his fathers brought the young man into the palace -- he became governor of the land of the Pharaohs.”
Unimpeachable manliness. What a great description.
Some of you are being prepared and don’t know it. You’re being shaped to be God’s woman, God’s man, in a place of His choosing -- and in a place of greater usefulness to your God.
The training course is often rough and rocky. Painful things you’d never choose -- lost relationships, wrongful accusations, sickness, financial issues.
We observe at this point in Genesis that God’s not yet finished building Joseph to usefulness.
He’s not done with you and me, either. Will you determine to stand faithful to Him in the hard places? In the small places? In the dark places? Faithful, no matter what? Some of us need to learn the fundamentals of being faithful in the little things. Will you be a faithful man or woman?
Will you flee to Him when you’re tempted? Will you look temptation in the face and stay true to Christ? Faithfulness must be built if character will be yours. And character is God’s qualification for responsibility.
Let me pray for us.
