Genesis 39:1-10,
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake, and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph, day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
The NIV says verse 10 like this:
“And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her OR EVEN BE WITH HER.”
Potiphar’s wife gets an eye on this good-looking young man.
And if you don’t believe Joseph was handsome, check out his Biblical Description found in verse 6: Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
In fact, every version of the Bible says he was good-looking.
Even the EVEN IN THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE.
So, now that we’ve established PHYSICALLY why SHE lost her mind,
But we can add she probably was beautiful and Potiphar may have been a Eunuch.
the Bible goes on to say,
“After a while, his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me.’
But he refused.”
Verse 10 of Genesis 39 says– So it was, as she spoke to Joseph Day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
However, if that wasn’t bad enough
notice this,
the Bible says, “…or even be with her.”
Now, this has got to be for Joseph a pretty tempting temptation.
Think about it: He’s lonely; he’s away from home.
I would guess that a powerful man’s wife is probably pretty attractive,
and he is totally trusted in the man’s home with all the man’s stuff!
And the truth of the matter is…He may very well get away with this and no one even knows that he’s done it!
But, he says, “How could I sin against God.”
Joseph knows…Ultimately if no one else will know…GOD WILL!
He knows that he and his conscience will know too!
And had he said ‘yes’ to this temptation, it would have been a Spiritually Fatal Mistake –
probably Disqualifying him from being used by God as he was.
Temptation is always
out to get you,
out to discredit you,
out to scar you for life if not kill you.
John.10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.
Therefore, do you know what your “Potiphar’s Wife” is right now?
It could be a sexual opportunity;
it could be the apparent advantages of compromising your integrity just a little bit;
being a little dishonest;
maybe it’s the urge to retaliate
or a compromise that seems better than losing this person, or that old habit,
or going back to old friends God has removed from your life,
maybe it’s going back to places or things.
Whatever your “Potiphar’s Wife” is…remember this:
THE ADVANTAGES OF SINNING ARE ALWAYS SHORT-LIVED,
HOWEVER, THE PRICE we PAY ALWAYS LASTS A LONG TIME and sometimes forever.
Notice that Joseph can recognize that temptation’
under all that mascara and perfume!
In other words, he’s smart enough to take action to not go near!
Which for him was twice as hard since he was living in the house!
That may be why the pull of temptation is so strong on you!
You haven’t burned your bridges to it!
You may distance yourself a bit, but you remain connected.
Your “Potiphar’s Wife” can still call you,
text you,
sext you,
email you,
compliment you,
make advances on you,
have access to your personal space,
and get close enough to even get your clothes off!
So, when do you plan to disconnect from your attachment?
YOUR ‘Potiphar’s Wife’?
When are you going to delete the pictures,
block the phone number,
And delete them on social media sites?
When are you going to stop allowing ‘Potiphar’s Wife’ to remain so close to you that she can reach out and touch you?
Why are you still within arms distance of your ‘Potiphar’s Wife’?
Especially, since she hasn’t been at all shy about her motives or intentions!
Listen, Joseph got away from his temptation, however, not before his temptation was able to take something from him!
She didn’t get what she wanted, but she did get something!
12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” 16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. (Genesis 39:12-16 NKJV)
The danger of even entertaining temptation is that you’re still close enough for it to take something from you!
For Joseph, it was his cloak,
however, for you and I, it grabs our,
character,
integrity,
dignity,
testimony,
witness,
and influence.
For some, it grabbed their family,
their marriage,
their ministry,
and even their mind!
Being Too Close Is Still Too Much of a Compromise!
Don’t let your temptation take the very thing that your God Gave You to Distinguish You in the First Place!
Think about it: Isn’t it amazing that Joseph’s brothers were angry and jealous and abused and banished him because of a coat,
and yet he was still so close to the temptation that another coat was snatched off him?!
Joseph was well known for his coat of many colors that was given to him by his father, because of his great love for him.
God loves you so much that He was willing to die for you…
When you get too close to temptation, it will likewise attempt to take from you all that the Father gave you to distinguish you as His Favored Child!
Joseph had two coats taken from him, his coat of many colors by his brothers who Hated Him;
and his Cloak by Potiphar’s wife, a woman who was Hot for Him but Couldn’t Have Him!
A Temper Took His First Coat,
Temptation Took His Second!
And He Never Got Either of Them Back!
Temptation Will Take from You and you won’t get it back!
In fact, the loss of his cloak stayed with Potiphar’s wife and was used against him in a lie and false imprisonment!
Make Sure You’re Not Being Too Close For Comfort!
Truthfully, the Things and People that Can Grab a Hold of Us, Is Only Because We Keep Ourselves Within Their Reach!
It’s hard for them to touch you when they
can’t text you,
call you,
write you,
or visit you.
Not to mention taking the extra measures and precautions to evict them out of your heart and mind.
(By the way: if you do that, keeping them off you, out of reach, and away from your body will be that much easier…
Do you want to avoid being bitten?
THEN YOU HAVE TO AVOID THE PLACES WHERE IT IS,
THE PEOPLE WHO DRAW YOU INTO IT,
and THE PROPS THAT GET YOU EXCITED ABOUT IT…
Truth Is: YOU CAN’T FLIRT WITH SIN;
IT’S A VICIOUS DOG!
NO MATTER HOW FINE JOSEPH LOOKS
OR HOW AVAILABLE POTIPHAR’S WIFE IS…
YOU ARE Going to get bit
IF YOU DON’T GET rid OF the COMPROMISE!
The Bible says in Numbers 32:23 “But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.
SOMEONE ONCE SAID SIN IS LIKE A CREDIT CARD, YOU DO IT NOW AND PAY LATER…
I PRAY WE ALL WILL COME TO TERMS WITH OUR OWN STUFF AND CUT IT OFF OR PLUCK IT OUT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
Matthew 5:29-30 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
PRAY
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