Victory over Temptation

January 1, 2012

Lesson: Genesis 39:7–23

Key Verse: Genesis 39:9

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Introduction

The account of the life of Joseph is given to us by God in His Word, revealing His work of providence in history. God does not reveal Himself in platitudes, which dull the mind, but in historical truth, which excite the mind and heart. The Lord set aside Joseph to save his people from a coming famine. More than that, God set aside Joseph like he set aside Christ, who came to save His people from their sins. Matthew Henry wrote, “Joseph was a type of Christ, ‘who took upon him the form of a servant,’ and yet then did that which made it evident that ‘God was with him,’ who was tempted by Satan, but overcame the temptation, who was falsely accused and bound, and yet had all things committed to his hand.”

Our story begins with Joseph being brought “down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, and Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither” (Gen. 39:1). The Lord blessed Joseph, being with him, and made him prosperous; “And the master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand” (vs. 3). The Lord works in the hearts of unbelievers that they may have an understanding and a blessing. “Joseph found grace” in the presence of the Egyptian master, that he made Joseph an “overseer over his house, and all that he put into his hand” (vs.4). Thus “the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field” (vs. 5). Whenever we do our tasks well to the glory of our Lord, those around us will be blessed by the Lord who is with us.

It is within this context that Joseph will be tempted to sin; yet it will be a testing in the hand of the Lord that will bring strength to his chosen vessel and glory to his Name. Joseph’s question shows his faith in his Lord: “how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

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The Conqueror—Genesis 39:7–12

Temptation began in the eyes of the wife of Joseph’s master. Her eyes revealed the willful desires of her heart to commit adultery, betraying whatever love she would have for her husband. The lust of the flesh is not of righteousness but of the unrighteousness of the world: “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices” (2 Peter 2:14). From her covetous heart, she spoke to Joseph: “Lie with me.” Those who so tempt others to sin as they sin believe that others are like them. However, Joseph was not an unstable soul. Joseph “refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand.” His master felt that he need not know everything that Joseph did, having come to have faith in his work. Joseph continued to speak: “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” His master’s trust was something that Joseph admired; and in this trust he must keep faithful, knowing that in serving his master, he was keeping faith with His Lord.

The master’s wife did not accept such an excuse for refusing her desire; speaking “to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.” Then one day, “Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” Paul gives warning to Timothy: “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22). Scripture gives us the strength to be conquerors, to have victory over the deceit of those who are of the devil: “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:6–7). Joseph would no more wish to be separated from his Lord than he would to reject the trust his master had in him. Scripture encourages us to be faithful: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:37–39).

Discussion: How are we made strong to flee the temptations of this world, as illustrated in Joseph?

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Wrath Kindled by Lies—Genesis 39:13–20

Scripture does not give us the name of Potiphar’s wife, which emphasizes more the act of one who seeks to tempt another to sin, even to the destruction of another by lies. She notices that Joseph left his garment in her hand as he fled out of her presence; which led her to quickly think of a scheme to destroy the one who dared to refuse her desires. In the meantime, she gathered “the men of her house, and spoke unto them, saying, See (my husband) has brought unto us to mock us; (Joseph) came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: and it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.” She fed these lies to the men of her household, gathering together false witnesses against Joseph. Close friends of a liar may soon become faithful conspirators of a plot which they believe to be true or lies.

She had laid aside Joseph’s garment, ready to present her plan to her husband when he came home. When Potiphar returned, “she spoke unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: and it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.” Not only is her heart filled with evil, but her words spill out as venom. She uses the term ‘Hebrew’ as an offensive name, and blames her husband for bringing him into his service. She then fashions a series of lies to indict Joseph as the one who has mocked her, not that she had enticed him. When he “heard the words of his wife, which she spoke unto him, saying, ‘After this manner did thy servant to me,’ that his wrath was kindled.” It could be that the husband’s reaction to what he had been told of Joseph was what, in his heart, he could do himself. Rather than seek to find the truth, his own lust of the flesh rose up as wrath against Joseph: “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him in prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound. And he was there in the prison.”

Discussion: What is the nature of lies that raises the wrath of the one who tells them?

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The Lord Keeps His Own—Genesis 39:20–23

The victory over sin and over those who would lead us to sin is most promising in the covenant truth that the Lord is with us. It is His presence that gives us the power over temptation and the suffering we may have to undertake because of it. The “Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” The Lord works all things together for the good of his servants, and all to His glory. The Lord showed ‘mercy to Joseph, showed him the kindness that he needed in time of suffering. The Lord also gave him “favor’—revealing that Joseph was very precious in His sight. The Lord led Joseph in and through the temptation, being with him in the prison he prepared for him; that the trial of his faith, “being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).

The Lord provided for Joseph: “the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.” Joseph was a faithful servant to the Lord who was present with him, glorifying Him, and being a blessing to those around him. “The keeper saw that God was with him, and that every thing prospered under his hand; and therefore entrusted him with the management of the affairs of the prison. Wisdom and virtue will shine in the narrowest spheres. A good man will do good wherever he is, and will be a blessing even in bonds and banishment; for the Spirit of the Lord is not bound nor banished” (M. Henry).

Discussion: What was the hope of Joseph, which is our hope as servants of Christ today?

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Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2012 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.