5 Minute Lessons on the Kingdom of God
How Can I Do This Great Wickedness and Sin against God?
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"1When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
2The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. 3Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 4This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. 5From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master's household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar's household for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 6So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!
Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. 'Come and sleep with me,' she demanded.
8But Joseph refused. 'Look,' he told her, 'my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.'
10She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, 'Come on, sleep with me!' Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
13When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, 14she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. 'Look!' she said. 'My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed. 15When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.'
16She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. 17Then she told him her story. 'That Hebrew slave you've brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,' she said. 18'But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!'
19Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife's story about how Joseph had treated her. 20So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and there he remained. 21But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 22Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. 23The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed." (Genesis 39 NLT)
2The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. 3Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 4This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. 5From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master's household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar's household for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 6So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!
Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. 'Come and sleep with me,' she demanded.
8But Joseph refused. 'Look,' he told her, 'my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.'
10She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, 'Come on, sleep with me!' Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
13When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, 14she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. 'Look!' she said. 'My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed. 15When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.'
16She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. 17Then she told him her story. 'That Hebrew slave you've brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,' she said. 18'But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!'
19Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife's story about how Joseph had treated her. 20So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and there he remained. 21But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 22Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. 23The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed." (Genesis 39 NLT)
Notice verse 39 from the King James Version.
"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?" (Genesis 39:9 KJV)
What is the point of this story of Joseph? James 1:14 says,
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:14 KJV)
In order to entice a person, it's like a fisherman using bait with a fish. The fisherman offers the fish something that he would want, that would entice him. The point of the story with Joseph, is that his fellowship with God was more important to him than the short term pleasure of sin. And we know that the end of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Moses is also a great example of someone who was willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, rather than give into the enticement of sin. Hebrews 11:24‑27 in the NLT states,
"24It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:24‑27 NLT)
The Christian life is not enjoying the American dream or enjoying the pleasures of this world, but many times it involves suffering for the sake of the One we love, which is Christ. Again Joseph said, "How could I sin against God by doing this great wickedness?" (Genesis 39:9).
Many times the focus of talking about sin is the pain it will bring to others. But the real focus should be, how can we sin against God and grieve His Holy Spirit by doing this thing.
"And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30 NLT)
Questions
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Read Genesis 39:9 (KJV)."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?" ‑ Genesis 39:9 (KJV)What was Joseph's concern when he was tempted towards adultery?Answer
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Read Hebrews 11:24-27 (NLT)."24It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible." ‑ Hebrews 11:24-27 (NLT)As a Christian, are we called to suffer for the sake of Christ or enjoy the treasures of this world and its system?Answer
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Read Hebrews 11:27 (NLT)."It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible." ‑ Hebrews 11:27 (NLT)How can we remain faithful to the Lord in the face of suffering?Answer
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