Pastor Scott
Jonas
Genesis 39
Joseph and
Potiphar’s Wife
7/8/18
The God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob spends the last 13 chapters of Genesis on their
descendent Joseph. Pastor Hempel,
wonderfully preached on the beginning of Joseph’s life. He was the favorite of his father Jacob. Maybe it’s because dad had a conversion
experience later in life. Jacob wrestled
with God and was allowed to live. This
produced a new found faith that he passed on to his family. But the older sons were brought up under
deceitful Jacob. Joseph was raised by
faithful dad whose name was changed to Israel.
He must have trained Joseph in the ways of the Lord. God is Holy so therefore we should be
holy. This forged a bond that was
represented by a gift, a beautiful coat.
This created an intimacy between Israel and Joseph but also a jealousy
among the brothers. They ruthlessly threw
Joseph down a well and then sold him to slave traders bound for Egypt. We are in Genesis 39.
God
orchestrated it so that joseph was sold to Pharoah’s Captain of the guard,
Potiphar. This man was so powerful that
he oversaw Pharoah’s body guards and executions. That is a sensitive position. Imagine, Joseph has been through more trauma
in a few weeks than most of us suffer in a lifetime. He was betrayed by his brothers. They treated him like he was worthless. He survived a near death experience. He went from being under the roof of a loving
father to the personal property of a stranger.
He woke up in a foreign country with a different language, customs and
laws. But the story says these five
magic words, “The Lord was with Joseph.”
What is the evidence that the Lord was with Joseph? This slave who doesn’t know anything about
Egypt was successful in all he did.
Everything he touch in the service of his master went right. So Potiphar gave him more and more
responsibility and each time Joseph hit it out of the park. Soon, this immigrant ran everything in the
house. The only thing Potiphar had to
decide is what to eat for dinner. That
is a miracle. This is Egypt. Potiphar doesn’t believe in the God of the
Hebrews but Joseph is so amazing that the only explanation is that he is
touched by a heavenly being. His master saw
that the Lord was with Him.
There are only four men in the Bible
who are described as handsome. Joseph,
Saul, David and David’s son Absalom. So
you know that the dude was looking good.
Square Jaw and all. We know that
sometimes beauty makes you a target. We
have all seen it. And when you are
attractive temptation comes knocking at your door earlier and more
frequent. He was taught to be holy as
the Lord was Holy. This would be put to
the test.
Potiphar’s wife lives in a culture of
sexual excess. Certainly her husband was
allowed to explore any amorous opportunity he desired. The sexual habits of the ancient Egyptians
would make even modern Americans blush.
So we have Egypt’s anything goes culture and Joseph’s dedication to the
Lord heading for a head on collision.
Remember, Joseph doesn’t have the ten commandments, Jesus’ teaching or
Paul’s commentary. All he has is his
conscience and his faith.
The wife, gets Joseph alone and says,
“Lie with me.” Could anyone blame him if
he gave in. He has been through so
much. And now he has been put in the
position of going from a slave to a sex slave.
What choice does he have?
Evidently, even a slave has a choice when it comes to temptation.
It is fascinating to read this story
in the light of what’s going on in our culture over the last year. The #metoo movement has highlighted the
abuses that occur when someone uses their position to sexually abuse an
underling. Usually it is a powerful man
who puts a unassuming woman in an unwinnable predicament. That has always been the case though out
history. But here, God uses the opposite
situation. A woman uses her authority to
sexually abuse a man who has no power, except the power to say “no.” Joseph says “no.” It is important to say that obviously many
who are victims of assault have no choice.
A predator can take away your choice.
Potiphar’s wife cannot physically
take away Joseph’s choice. His two
reasons for resisting are good for us to consider when we experience sexual
temptation. His first thought is to his
master, Potiphar. This would be a
betrayal. Joseph is sensitive to
betrayal. Maybe when he was looking up
at the top of well he said to himself, “I would never betray someone the way my
brothers have.” Now he has been given
that temptation. Potiphar is his owner
but he has been a fair one who rewards righteousness. Joseph doesn’t want to ruin that
relationship.
Our society says “Anything goes
sexually.” You do you. There are no wrong decisions in the physical
intimacy realm. But we know that is not
true. Sexual decisions affect those we
love and respect. We’ve seen bad
decisions ruin marriages and families.
We’ve felt the ripple effect in our own lives. When you have that next temptation, ask
yourself, “Is this a betrayal of those I love and respect?” John says in 1 John 4:20 “If anyone says, “I
love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his
brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” The same goes here. How can you say, you are faithful to God if
you are unfaithful to your wife, your husband, your children, your parents,
your church.
That brings us to Joseph’s second
reason for denying Potiphar’s wife. He
says, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” He doesn’t have the law but the Lord is with
him. I think it’s safe to say that the
spirit of the Lord is with him and the spirit convicts the conscience
concerning sin. He knows this is wrong
because the Lord is with him. This is
true for us. The closer you are to the
Lord by being in his word, worshipping him and prayer, the more sensitive and
calibrated your conscience will be.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that giving in to sexual temptation is not an
avert act against God, instead it is “forgetting God.”
Later, the wife waits until everyone
is gone from the house and she pounces again.
She grabs him. He does what all
of us should do when faced with sexual temptation, run. Get out of there. If you find yourself alone with someone and
you feel feelings that you shouldn’t feel., remove yourself. It may be embarrassing but the alternative is
so much worse. He runs, she is still
holding his outer garment. She goes to
her husband and lays out a false accusation.
He attacked me and when I refused he threw down his garment and took off. She is shameless. She is so far from the holiness of God that
she commits a double violation, sexual assault and lying about rape. You and I would be capable of that if it
weren’t for the Lord. Potiphar sides
with his wife though it is obvious that he doesn’t believe her. If he really thought that this slave
attempted to rape his wife then Joseph would be executed. This is a hard man who daily oversees other
hard men. He probably knows what his
wife is capable of so he throws Joseph in Jail instead.
When it
comes to sexual temptation God gives us two outs: one before sin and one after
sin. The Lord is with you and me. If we ask God for an out in the moment he
will provide it. Many times he calls us
to flee from that temptation. That is
before temptation. If we do give in, he
is faithful and just and will give us an out after. It is called forgiveness. If you have fallen sexually there is
restoration that the Lord of Joseph wants to give you. He already forgave you earlier in the
service. But he wants you to taste his
forgiveness through the Lord’s supper.
He knows that you are sorry and he doesn’t want you to feel guilty
anymore. The Lord is with you.
By Grace through Faith.