Bible Study - Overcome (2) - Overcome Temptation - Genesis 39:3-12 - October 26, 2014

Bible Study – Overcome (2) – Overcome Temptation – October 26, 2014

This lesson two (2) in our series entitled “Overcome: Living beyond Your Circumstance.”

Our focus scripture is Genesis 39:3-12.

It’s easier to resist temptation when you know what’s at stake. The problem is that most of us do not look beyond the immediate. When temptation has resulted in sin, then the guilt and devastation it caused is greater than that which appeared to be apparent before yielding to the temptation. Often, we attempt to blame someone or GOD for the temptation. The old adage “the devil made me do it” is often used.

James the half-brother of JESUS wrote in James 1:13-15:

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

Trials are designed to strengthen our areas of weakness and to test us. Trails reveal the heart.

JESUS was tempted in all ways as we are tempted but HE did not yield to the temptation. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13:

12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.

GOD provides the way of escape but we must take it. Let’s explore!

Let’s read Genesis 39:1-2 (This scripture leads us to our focus scripture and is a repeat of our ending scripture from last week’s lesson.)

1 Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.

Let’s read Genesis 39:3-6:

3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful, 4 Joseph found favor in his master’s sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority. 5 From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. 6 He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.

Potiphar recognized that Joseph had a special relationship with the Lord. Joseph was a positive witness for the one true GOD of the Hebrews. There was a divine presence about and with Joseph which was evident to others, certainly to Potiphar. That is how Christians should do their work as unto the LORD and glorify HIM as they work and function in their everyday life. The only way that is accomplished is to allow GOD to live through you through a genuine relationship with HIM. For Christians, it is yielding to the Holy Spirit and allowing HIM to lead, direct and control their lives. Simply, what did JESUS do? HE said and did nothing except what the Father revealed to Him.  

Potiphar could have looked at Joseph as a good luck charm because everything for which he was responsible turned out to be positive. So Potiphar placed him in charge of all of his affairs. Joseph was blessed by GOD and received more earthly responsibility because Potiphar reaped the benefits. Joseph was faithful to GOD and his earthly master.

So what does it mean to be blessed by GOD? First, when Christians bless GOD, it carries the idea of “kneeling” that is to kneel in spirit before HIM in honor, praise, appreciation and thanksgiving. When GOD blesses HIS children it often relates to favor such as wealth, health, protection and greater responsibility. Many Christians pray the prayer of Jabez for GOD to expand their territory. When GOD expands our territory it also means more responsibility and accountability. 1 Chronicles 4:10:

10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel: “If only You would bless me, extend my border, let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not cause any pain.” And God granted his request.  

Joseph was blessed by being wise, which comes from being in relationship with GOD, handsome and being well built. GOD knew Joseph’s heart. HE knew his character because of his relationship with HIM. GOD looks at the heart as HE instructed the Prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 when GOD was directing Samuel as he was looking for the future king to replace Saul:

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

GOD had a plan to use Joseph to preserve HIS chosen people through whom the promised Messiah would come. The Israelites would multiply in Egypt for about 400 years, until they had enough and cried out to GOD to deliver them from bondage.

The Egyptians worshipped many gods, therefore, Potiphar was not prevented from seeing the value in Joseph worshipping or acknowledging the one true covenant GOD of Joseph.

Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of all he had except the food he ate. This raises several possibilities:

-         Egyptians did not eat with non-Egyptians. Genesis 43:

32 They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is abhorrent to them.

-         Those in authority had a ritual regarding their food to prevent them from being poisoned.

Let’s read Genesis 39:7-10:

7 After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” 8 But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. 9 No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” 10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her.

Joseph was handsome and well built which was a blessing but it resulted in Potiphar’s wife lusting after him. Joseph made it clear to her by using a strong word “Look!” to get her attention in an effort for her to refocus her mindset. If she would not change her mind he wanted her to look at or consider such a betrayal of trust and confidence from his perspective. Potiphar trusted him completely to handle the running of their household and related affairs. Potiphar had given him authority over everything except his wife and food. Joseph respected and honored the marriage relationship even if she didn’t. Joseph was a man of integrity.

After a time of lusting for Joseph she propositioned Joseph to sleep with her. Joseph refused her blatant request with a statement of trust that Potiphar had in him and Joseph’s faithfulness to Potiphar and GOD. Joseph recognized that responding to her request was evil and would be a sin against GOD if he succumbed to her request. Joseph’s faithfulness should have triggered Potiphar’s wife to see her need to be faithful to her husband. But she continued to proposition him day after day. Often, it is what one cannot have is the thing Satan places in our hearts to want the most until we get it. In our times it would have been sexual harassment but in Joseph’s day, she was the wife of his master but she had power.

It is likely the other servants/slaves knew what was going on. Apparently, the other servants had been in the house when she had made her advances. She was the wife of a powerful man and she likely got whatever she wanted but Joseph had rejected her. This likely made her more determined to get what she wanted. Sleeping with Joseph was a goal she was determined to achieve but Joseph was just as determined not to give in to her. But we need to keep in mind that Joseph was a young man in the prime of his life and likely his hormones were raging but his commitment to GOD and Potiphar prevailed. GOD knew his heart.

Let’s read Genesis 39:11-12:

11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

 Joseph went about his duties but one day he went into the house to work. None of the servants were in the house. Potiphar’s wife knew Joseph’s work schedule and she likely arranged for the servants who would have been in the house to be out of the house so there would be no one to witness the adulteress act. She had a plan to seduce Joseph. We know that she wanted Joseph and she had a plan. She may have reasoned, if there was no one else in the house except Joseph alone with her, Joseph would give in to her desires. It also gives plausibility to the fact that the other servants knew what she was up to. But that is all speculation.

The stage was set. No one else was in the house except Potiphar’s wife and Joseph and she made her move. She grabbed Joseph’s garment. Garment can mean “robe” or “cloak.” It can mean outer garment or inner garment. It was likely the outer garment that she grabbed since there is no mention of Joseph being nude.

Joseph resisted and ran outside. He got away from her as quickly as possible. It is likely that some of the servants knew something had taken place. Maybe they weren’t sure what had happened and Joseph being a man of integrity likely did not reveal what had happened. Potiphar’s wife had been sorely rejected and humiliated by Joseph. If the truth got out that she had made advances toward Joseph, Potiphar would likely have her head or she would have been punished. So what did she need to do? In her eyes Joseph had to be punished.

Let’s read Genesis 39:13-20:

13 When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, 14 she called the household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. 15 When he heard me screaming for help, he left his garment with me and ran outside.” 16 She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, 18 but when I screamed for help, he left his garment with me and ran outside.” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him—“These are the things your slave did to me”—he was furious 20 and had him thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison.

Potiphar’s wife had Joseph’s garment. She quickly had a plan. She would tell her husband that Joseph tried to seduce her but she resisted him vigorously. Joseph had disrobed to show her his well built body in hopes that she would want him but Potiphar was the only man for her. Who knows what her actual words were.

Potiphar listened to her account of what happened. He was furious. Somehow it seems there may have been a question in Potiphar’s mind about the facts. He knew that Joseph was faithful to his GOD. Potiphar had to do something or else his wife would be humiliated along with him. So he placed Joseph in where the king’s prisoners were kept. That was exactly where GOD wanted him to be.

GOD uses circumstances to guide us to be in the right place at the right time. Our part is to be faithful when we are in circumstances GOD has brought about rather than in circumstances resulting from our own doings. There is a vast difference when we are in certain circumstances resulting from our will and purpose rather than being in them according to GOD’S will and purpose.

When we are in the middle of certain circumstances it is often hard for us to see GOD’S hand at work. Joseph knew that he had been faithful to GOD and to Potiphar. What was going through his mind? Did he trust that GOD would redeem him? We do know that Joseph continued to trust GOD and that GOD was with him.

In the words of Doctor Vance Havner, “You have to practice in the dark what you learn in the light.” Easy to say but hard to do when you are in the dark times of your life. That is why Christians must build a firm relationship with GOD through CHRIST. Relationships with JESUS must be based upon truth and not things that sound good or make you feel good. Seek truth as you build your relationship with GOD through JESUS as you study the Bible, talk with GOD and obediently serve HIM. Keep in mind 1 Corinthians 10:13:

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.

But when HE provides the way of escape, TAKE IT! Blessings!!!