#274 Triumph over Temptation
Genesis 39.1-12
At seventeen Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, the officer of Pharoah. The LORD was with Joseph and he became a successful man. Potiphar saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper under his power. So Joseph found favor in Potiphar’s sight, and became his personal servant. Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. He left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge and did not concern himself with anything except the food that he ate. Genesis 39:1-6
After these events of success his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph. “Lie with me,” she said.
But he refused and said, ‘Can’t you see, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one with more responsibility in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?’ Genesis 39:6-9
Elements of resisting temptation
*Joseph refused: “Submit to God; resist (to stand against) the devil (the accuser) and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 Vines comments on the name “the devil” (Diabolos) as “an accuser, a slanderer, one of the names of Satan. “Being the malignant enemy of God and man, he accuses man to God, and God to man.” In Genesis 3:1-5 the serpent accuses God of lying to Eve. He redefines the consequences of disobedience as something desirable. “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 In order to refuse the advances of Satan we must TRUST the instruction of God, and submit to His truth.
Because Joseph submitted to God he was able to deal with temptation:
*He respected the trust of Potiphar, the responsibility he had been given. He did not minimize the effect on his Master by making up the ‘he’ll never know’ scenario.
*He respected Potiphar’s marriage. He did not redefine ‘need.’
*He defined the request of Potiphar’s wife as evil.
*He defined adultery as a sin against God Psalm 51:4 “Against You alone have I sinned, and done what is evil I Your sight.”
A sin that effects or hurts others is most importantly a sin against God’s law, and therefore against God, the creator of the Law of Love.
In every situation, day after day he continued to stand for the values of His God.
“And it came about as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.” Genesis 39:10
Joseph chose victory over temptation by choosing wisely every day over a period of time before the final event when he entered the house and no one else was there but Potphar’s wife. “And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.” Genesis 39:12
We tend to think of temptation as one momentous showdown. Vulnerability to temptation is really made up of the pattern of thought, rationalization and small compromises that we tell ourselves won’t really matter. But there is no room for what my counselor calls SUDS: Seemingly Unimportant DecisionS. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.” Luke 16:10
May we choose to triumph over temptation by making wise decisions in the little things of life!
It is impossible for us to do something ‘wrong’ without somehow making it seem ‘right.’ May we identify our rationalizations for what they are: “rational-lies.”
“Search me, O GOD, and know my heart”
We invite Him to search and see our inmost affections.
“Try me, and know my thoughts”
We invite Him to test and investigate our thoughts (#8312: cogitation [serious thought] Boulanger: distraction or cares.
“and see if there be any wicked way in me”
We bring our in-most fears, desires and stories into the presence of God not to prove they are appropriate, but to discover what is hurtful to ourselves or others and what is grieving to God.
“And lead me in the way everlasting.”
We bring what we are attached to and what we are distracted by into His presence so that we might be lead on the everlasting path of Life.
It is humbling to bring our thoughts into His presence, under the scrutiny of Pure Love, where sin, anything that hurts the Highest Eternal Good is not tolerated.
Rationalization cannot live under the transforming power of His Love, and therefore neither can temptation.
May we bring every fear and desire and outcome that we are attached to into the presence of His Pure Love.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Genesis 39.1-12
At seventeen Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, the officer of Pharoah. The LORD was with Joseph and he became a successful man. Potiphar saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper under his power. So Joseph found favor in Potiphar’s sight, and became his personal servant. Potiphar made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. He left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge and did not concern himself with anything except the food that he ate. Genesis 39:1-6
After these events of success his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph. “Lie with me,” she said.
But he refused and said, ‘Can’t you see, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one with more responsibility in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?’ Genesis 39:6-9
Elements of resisting temptation
*Joseph refused: “Submit to God; resist (to stand against) the devil (the accuser) and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 Vines comments on the name “the devil” (Diabolos) as “an accuser, a slanderer, one of the names of Satan. “Being the malignant enemy of God and man, he accuses man to God, and God to man.” In Genesis 3:1-5 the serpent accuses God of lying to Eve. He redefines the consequences of disobedience as something desirable. “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 In order to refuse the advances of Satan we must TRUST the instruction of God, and submit to His truth.
Because Joseph submitted to God he was able to deal with temptation:
*He respected the trust of Potiphar, the responsibility he had been given. He did not minimize the effect on his Master by making up the ‘he’ll never know’ scenario.
*He respected Potiphar’s marriage. He did not redefine ‘need.’
*He defined the request of Potiphar’s wife as evil.
*He defined adultery as a sin against God Psalm 51:4 “Against You alone have I sinned, and done what is evil I Your sight.”
A sin that effects or hurts others is most importantly a sin against God’s law, and therefore against God, the creator of the Law of Love.
In every situation, day after day he continued to stand for the values of His God.
“And it came about as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.” Genesis 39:10
Joseph chose victory over temptation by choosing wisely every day over a period of time before the final event when he entered the house and no one else was there but Potphar’s wife. “And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.” Genesis 39:12
We tend to think of temptation as one momentous showdown. Vulnerability to temptation is really made up of the pattern of thought, rationalization and small compromises that we tell ourselves won’t really matter. But there is no room for what my counselor calls SUDS: Seemingly Unimportant DecisionS. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.” Luke 16:10
May we choose to triumph over temptation by making wise decisions in the little things of life!
It is impossible for us to do something ‘wrong’ without somehow making it seem ‘right.’ May we identify our rationalizations for what they are: “rational-lies.”
“Search me, O GOD, and know my heart”
We invite Him to search and see our inmost affections.
“Try me, and know my thoughts”
We invite Him to test and investigate our thoughts (#8312: cogitation [serious thought] Boulanger: distraction or cares.
“and see if there be any wicked way in me”
We bring our in-most fears, desires and stories into the presence of God not to prove they are appropriate, but to discover what is hurtful to ourselves or others and what is grieving to God.
“And lead me in the way everlasting.”
We bring what we are attached to and what we are distracted by into His presence so that we might be lead on the everlasting path of Life.
It is humbling to bring our thoughts into His presence, under the scrutiny of Pure Love, where sin, anything that hurts the Highest Eternal Good is not tolerated.
Rationalization cannot live under the transforming power of His Love, and therefore neither can temptation.
May we bring every fear and desire and outcome that we are attached to into the presence of His Pure Love.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
