The second example in our study is Joseph. He had the courage to maintain purity when he was tempted to compromise his morals. When his master’s wife seduced him, this young man refused to yield, choosing instead to act in such a way that would please God.
“It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?’
“As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside” (Genesis 39:7-12).
We live in a society in which immorality is common – premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality, pornography. We need to have the courage to maintain our purity “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15). Joseph’s example shows us how to do this.
The Background
Joseph was the favored son of his father. “Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic” (Genesis 37:3). Though the parent is to blame when such favoritism is shown, the resentment by the siblings is usually directed toward the favored child. This was what happened in the case of Joseph. “His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms” (Genesis 37:4).
Joseph’s brothers hated him even more for his dreams. In one dream, Joseph’s sheaf rose up while his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his (Genesis 37:5-7). The brothers knew exactly what this meant: “‘Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?’ So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words” (Genesis 37:8). Their problem was that they understood the meaning without recognizing that the dream came from God. The second dream was similar. The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him, signifying that his brothers and parents would all bow down before him (Genesis 37:9-11).
After these dreams, Joseph was sent by his father to check on his brothers who were pasturing the flock in the area of Shechem (Genesis 37:12-13). When his brothers saw him, they planned to take advantage of this opportunity to kill Joseph (Genesis 37:18-20). After Reuben intervened and convinced the brothers to throw him in a pit instead – with the plan that he would come back later and rescue Joseph – the other brothers decided to sell Joseph to some traders that were passing by (Genesis 37:21-28). These traders “brought Joseph into Egypt” and “sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard” (Genesis 37:28, 36). While he was serving Potiphar, he was tempted to commit fornication with his master’s wife.
Why This Took Courage
Given his circumstances, there are at least five reasons why it took courage for Joseph to maintain purity and resist the temptations of Potiphar’s wife.
First, the temptation was to fulfill a natural desire which God had instilled in man. God created man in such a way that he would desire sexual gratification. However, just because such a desire was given by God does not mean that man has the license to fulfill that desire in any way he pleases. The Hebrew writer said, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). It would have been natural for Joseph, as a young man, to have the desire for sexual gratification. Yet it would have been sinful to fulfill that desire with another man’s wife (Genesis 39:9).
Second, Joseph was the only God-fearing person in this area. The Egyptians certainly were religious, but they did not serve the true and living God. Those who believed in God sold him into slavery. Joseph could have turned against God because of them. He could have reasoned that there was no point in following God when no one else there was following Him. We are reminded in the example of Peter that it is much easier to boldly proclaim one’s faith when among like-minded friends (Matthew 26:33-35) than it is to do so when one is standing alone among those in the world (Matthew 26:69-75).
Third, the temptation was regular and persistent. Potiphar’s wife did not just tempt Joseph one time and then leave him alone after he refused her advances. “As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her” (Genesis 39:10). Continual temptation like this often wears someone down to the point in which he gives in to sins he once resisted.
Fourth, Joseph may have been able to sin without others finding out. After the temptations had been going on for some time, an opportunity presented itself in which Joseph might have been able to give in without anyone else knowing. “Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’” (Genesis 39:11-12). No one was home except Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. This would have been the ideal time to commit fornication with her without anyone else knowing about it.
Fifth, the temptation had reached the point in which Joseph could no longer just say “no.” At the final temptation, the situation had become such that a simple “no” would no longer be sufficient. She had “caught him by his garment” (Genesis 39:12). He could have said “no” and she would have still been there clinging to his clothes. More was needed to resist this temptation. So “he left his garment in her hand and fled” (Genesis 39:12).
Joseph Took Courage
Joseph knew what was right. He knew that it would be wrong to give in to Potiphar’s wife’s temptations. Why? First, it would betray the trust of his master: “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife” (Genesis 39:8-9). Second, and more importantly, it would be a “sin against God” (Genesis 39:9).
Joseph also believed that God would bless him for doing what was right. He already had the dreams that indicated God’s plan to exalt him (Genesis 37:5-11). He did not want to sin against God (Genesis 39:9), which implies a fear of divine judgment. Even though he was separated from his people, he wanted to be sure he was still in God’s favor.
Finally, at the critical time of temptation, Joseph acted. When Potiphar’s wife first tempted him, he refused (Genesis 39:7-9). When she persisted day after day, he remained steadfast (Genesis 39:10). When the situation escalated, he fled (Genesis 39:12).
Application for Us
Joseph’s example provides several lessons for us.
First, we must maintain sexual purity in order to please God. We are to respect God’s arrangement for fulfilling these natural desires – marriage (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:1-2). But even without marriage, we must resist temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). When Paul wrote to Timothy – a young, unmarried man – he told him to treat “younger women as sisters, in all purity” (1 Timothy 5:2). He was not to flirt with sin and see how close he could get to it.
Second, we must be faithful to God, even if we must stand alone. Though he would later deny Jesus, Peter’s initial attitude was commendable: “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33). If brethren forsake, desert, or mistreat us, it is discouraging; but we must remain faithful anyway (2 Timothy 4:16-17).
Third, we must remain steadfast, even if temptation is persistent. Peter warned his readers: “Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness” (2 Peter 3:17). It is possible for one to be steadfast, but eventually give in to error and sin, and fall away.
Fourth, we must avoid sin, even if we think no one will find out. Even if it might be possible to sin and no other human being is aware of our transgression, God will know. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).
Fifth, when necessary, we must be willing to flee temptation. Paul said, “Flee immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18), and, “Flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). This does not necessarily mean we must run as Joseph did. But it does mean that we leave any situation that poses a great threat and temptation for us – whether it be a friendship, job, city, etc.
Conclusion
Joseph maintained purity even though he was forsaken by those who should have supported him and severely tempted to commit a sin that would have been difficult for many young men to resist. We must diligently strive to keep “the marriage bed…undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4). Then when we are tempted to seek sexual gratification outside of this divinely-approved arrangement, we must ask what Joseph asked: “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”
