Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. He was far from home and from the eyes of everyone who knew him. But God was with him and allowed him to be promoted to steward in the house of his master, a man named Potiphar. That must have been heady stuff for a young man. But Joseph was not just smart, he was also handsome. And his master’s wife had taken notice. The next thing he knew he was faced with a moment of temptation. With Potiphar away on business and the house empty, Potiphar’s wife made an all-out attempt to seduce him.
Remember, Joseph was a man in his prime, single, abandoned by his family, and alone. Who would know? Why not do what everyone else does and simply give in to the temptation?
How many of us have been faced with that kind of temptation? Given the attention of an important person? Told we can have what our heart or our flesh craves? Away on business so who will know? What happens in Vegas … and all that? Do we give in?
Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day” where I blog through the Bible in a Year.
I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here. This year I’ve added a couple of new features. First, check out the “Free Resources” tab at the top. You’ll find a downloadable, printable PDF with “Going Deeper Study Questions” for each day’s post. And … this year you’ll find the daily “Bible in a Year” posts on YouTube. The daily emails now have a link to both the Soul Survival posts here and the YouTube videos. I hope you’ll sign up. (If you already receive them, no need to sign up again.)
Today’s Readings:
Genesis 39 & 40
Psalm 10.1-11
Proverbs 4.1-6
Matthew 13.31-58
Responding to Private Temptation
Genesis 39 & 40:
Judah’s Private Temptation
In yesterday’s reading, Joseph’s older brother Judah was faced with what he thought was a private temptation. He was recently widowed, possibly lonely, with financial means, and given an opportunity to choose between doing right and doing wrong with a woman he thought was a prostitute. Sadly, he chose the latter (Gen. 38.15-16, 24-26).
Joseph was not only alone but had been betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. He was a man in his prime, single, alone, smart, handsome, and God had blessed him with wisdom and success. With his master, Potiphar, away on business and the house empty, his master’s wife repeatedly tried to seduce him.
How did Joseph respond? Did he ask himself, “Who would know?” Or wonder why not simply give in to the temptation?
How would you respond to the kind of temptation Judah and Joseph faced? Most of us have been or will be faced with similar kinds of temptation. Perhaps during a business trip where something that starts out innocently as lunch with a co-worker then takes a not-so-innocent turn. Or a friendly conversation at church after choir practice turns into flirting and temptation. Satan never sleeps. He knows when we’re vulnerable and he’s good at weaving his lies and offering justification for sin.
Joseph’s Response to Temptation
But let’s look at Joseph’s response to what must have been a strong temptation. Chapter 39:
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.
How easy it would have been for him to say, “What’s the use? What has doing good gotten me so far?”
Talk about temptation! But he expressed honor to his master and, more importantly, to God.
Falsely Accused
After repeated attempts to seduce Joseph, out of spite, Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of rape. When her husband found out, he had Joseph thrown into prison (Gen. 39.11-20).
Why would God allow this to happen? Had God left him on his own? Was He punishing him?
We know that’s not true because the text repeatedly says that the Lord was with him. Even after he was put in prison, it says:
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper (Gen. 39.20-23).
When We Face Trials & Temptation
All of God’s servants face temptation and trials. And sometimes He uses sinful people like Joseph’s brothers and Potiphar’s wife, to test us. It may be a difficult spouse, a strong-willed child, or someone else. Sometimes it’s our circumstances (financial hardship, sickness, loss, mistreatment, betrayal, or some other difficulty).
We don’t always “pass the tests” the first time around. And we don’t always understand or like what He allows. But God keeps patiently working because His goal is for us to become more like Christ (Rom. 8.28-29) and that requires times of softening, molding, and shaping.
But if we’re going to resist temptation, we can’t play around with tantalizing thoughts. We can’t convince ourselves that it’s alright to flirt as long as we’re not going to do something about it. We can’t have a “how close to the line can I get without going over” attitude. Neither can our primary motivation be looking good to other people. Our desire must be like Joseph’s, to please God in our thoughts, words, and actions (2 Cor. 5.9).
Not Over Yet
But Joseph’s testing wasn’t over yet. Chapter 40:
5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. 6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”
So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
The Butler’s Dream
When the butler shared his dream the Lord gave Joseph the interpretation:
12 And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. 13 Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”
But the interpretation of the baker’s dream was quite different.
The Baker’s Dream
18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
You might expect that if a man had interpreted your dream and a co-worker’s, the interpretation turned out to be accurate, you were miraculously pardoned, and your co-worker was beheaded, you would remember. But if the butler did, he kept silent! His silence sentenced Joseph to more time in prison. Because …
God had not finished His work in him. He had a great assignment for him. Joseph would soon be exalted and used mightily, but he was not ready yet.
A Note about Dreams
Just a note about dreams … we need to be very careful not to read too much into them. As Joseph said:
Do not interpretations belong to the Lord? (Gen. 40.8).
God has given us His Word, spoken by the prophets, illustrated through the lives of the Old Testament saints, explained and expanded in its application in the Epistles and throughout the Bible, and lived out in the sinless life of Christ. We are not lacking in the availability of truth and understanding. If God is trying to show you something, He will confirm it through His Word. Nothing that is truly from God will ever contradict His Word either in principle or in fact. So if you need God’s wisdom in some area of your life, look for answers first and foremost in the pages of Scripture.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 10.1-11:
A Day of Accounting
Like the Psalmist we sometimes look at ungodly people and say:
Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble (v. 1)?
Sometimes it seems to us that the wicked are getting away with murder. The psalmist lists the ways it seemed that way to him, including, verse 11 which describes the attitude of the wicked. Their lifestyles seem to say, “God, if there is one, won’t do anything about it!”
But there will be a day of accounting either in this life or the next.
Proverbs 4.1-6:
The Importance of Wisdom & Understanding
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you (vv. 5-6).
We need God’s wisdom, not only to avoid sinning in our actions but in our attitudes, as well.
Matthew 13.31-58:
He Who Has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear
Here in this chapter, Jesus talks about that day of accounting when the wicked will be judged.
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (vv. 41-43).
As I said above, there will be a day of accounting for those who fail to repent and trust Christ.
Closing Thoughts:
Have you been tempted with discouragement or anger because you are experiencing some test or trial? For what might God be preparing you? If we are to become like Christ who perfectly manifested the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5.22-23), what characteristics of that fruit could He be developing in you?
Are you faced with some temptation? Are you fleeing from it or have you been playing around with it in any way? What do you need to do? Make yourself accountable to someone who can help you be obedient.
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk about handling betrayal, responding when others hurt you, and parenting by “the Book.”
I hope you’ll join me and, if you haven’t already, take the challenge to read through the Bible with me this year. Even though we may do it imperfectly or miss a day here and there, I find when we set it as a goal, we read far more of God’s Word than we would otherwise. I know we all get far too much email these days but having the daily devotion pop up in your inbox each day can serve as a general reminder to get into God’s Word. It goes out at 6 a.m. MST.
You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, and now listen on YouTube. Just click on the social media icons or go to my YouTube channel.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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