Genesis 39:1-10

Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguards, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.

² The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.

³ His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

⁴ So Joseph found favor in his sight and served as his assistant, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

⁵ From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field.

⁶ So he left all that he had in Joseph’s hands, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was both well built and good looking.

⁷ And after a time his master’s wife started staring at Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”

⁸ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hands.

⁹ He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

¹⁰ And even though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

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but he refused

In this age of weakness and moral relativity, it is no exaggeration to say that we all understand Judah’s giving in to temptation more than we understand Joseph’s resisting it. In a world where people shun the word sin as if it is an archaic concept, what does it mean when Joseph says that having sex with Potiphar’s wife would be a sin against Potiphar?

Knowing how sexual misconduct destroys lives, reputations, homes and ministries, I can tell you that Joseph knew exactly what he was talking about. He knew his limits, and he knew that crossing those boundaries would mean irreparable harm to his employer and to him. It was not just a choice between consenting adults. It was a sin, and he refused.

In a perfect world, Joseph would have been rewarded for his faithfulness. But we do not live in a perfect world, and neither did Joseph. He knew that it was not a healthy thing to refuse the demands of his master’s wife. He did it anyway. He refused to sin against God. He feared the disapproval of God even more than the wrath of the captain of the butchers.

LORD, give us a fear of your displeasure that overrules our desire for illicit pleasure.