Scripture:
Genesis 39:10-13 ESV
[10] And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. [11] But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, [12] she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. [13] And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house,
Observation:
Potiphar’s wife was insistent on having her way. She was the king’s wife and probably used to getting what she wanted. However, Joseph was dedicated to living for GOD, and he knew what she was asking was wrong on all levels. She tried to wear him down… but it didn’t work. So she came up with a plan to catch him alone and take what she wanted. That didn’t work either. When Joseph found himself in a compromised position, he did all he knew to do….. he ran away as fast as he could. In fact, he took off so fast that he left his outer garment in her hand. Making it look like he had done something he should not have. There is a lot more to this story than the verses that were chosen, and I would love to talk about it, but due to time restraints, we will have to wait for another time.
Application:
Are you walking a fence, treading close to sin? The enemy is waiting to catch you alone, waiting to get you all by yourself. I went to Shawnee Oklahoman yesterday to get my daughter some pants. For those who don’t know me, that was my old playground. It has changed so much in 6 years in good ways and bad. I drove by the rescue mission and saw some folks having conversations with no one. It hurt my heart. All I could think was maybe I should help, and I believe that I will, but not alone. Sin wants to get us isolated. So when it pounces, we have no defense. I love people and want to help everyone I can. The saying at Cross Pointe church is to reach as far as we can with as MANY as we can. My point to this is Joseph’s reaction. He ran from sin. As fast as he could. He got away. When we find ourselves in a vulnerable place, how do we react? Do we stay there, or do we get out of there as fast as we can? When we are walking a fence, we have to realize the fence is owned by the enemy. Joseph’s choice to live for GOD cost him. He ended up in prison for doing the right thing. A life lived for Jesus will cost you something, and maybe that’s a girlfriend or some kind of worldly comfort, but we have to take a stand. GOD will separate the sheep from the goats at some point, and when HE does, there will be none on the fence. It’s time to stand on one side or the other.
Prayer:
Father, we love you, and we know that you are able to do all things. We do not want to live so close to the world that it can grab us at any time. Our desire is to live a life as close to you as possible so we can see the attack of the enemy before it is launched and avoid the damage altogether. Your word says no weapons formed against us shall prosper, and we believe that. Let us be sure to have our armor on daily, remembering that this is a war. That the enemy is real. Whether we can see him or not. Keep us away from walking the fence, and if we find ourselves close to that fence, let us run towards you. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.